Had the day off today, but turned out to be pretty busy…after shredding 7K’ of awesomely fast untracked powder, of course. One of my “extra tasks” today was to help a fellow skier bring his modified Dynafit TLT5 boots back up to par and replace some blown rivets with T-nuts. And when I say modified…I […]
DIY - Modification
I spent a couple hours the other day modifying some clothing. Can you guess what I did? After having a few articles of clothing with this design, I will never wear one skiing without it again.
So, the jury is still out on this one, but I have high hopes that this is a great solution to gooey, globbed up skin glue that occasionally sticks to your ski base, and will negate, or at least delay, the need to reglue your climbing skins. I treated three pairs of my skins to […]
This backpack cam shot is my favorite so far this season, mostly because it shows more of the valley, and oh yeah…sickbird POWDER!!! It’s been a snowy last few days up here in JH, which has been awesome, and if you could withstand the 2-3 second long whumps in the snowpack while breaking trail, there […]
Too many Dynafit options is a good thing. Like you, I often struggle to decide what bindings I want to mount on which skis and it kills me when there are so many great options out there. On some skis, lightweight is the most important factor, but for other skis, having a bit more boot […]
There were two items that I really looked forward to receiving and using last year. One was the 2011/12 Black Diamond Carbon Justice skis, and the other some “magic elf boots”, AKA the Dynafit TLT5 Performance AT boot. The Justices will be arriving on shop shelves in the next month or two (and is bound […]
A big thanks and shout-out to Alex Doaga, who sent us this Whippet modification. (Note: This modification will most likely void the warranty.) It’s that time of year again when Black Diamond Whippet poles can really come in handy. Whether it’s sketchy skinning on a firm and steep slope, or skiing a gnarly line, a […]
The cat’s meow in heal plates and cones. My busy holiday work schedule is just about wrapped up and I’m psyched to start getting a bit more free time to go skiing. (It just needs to warm up a little now.) In preparation for the rest of the ski season, I’ve been remounting my ski […]
Check out this Black Diamond Tech Tip for tapering your climbing skins. A steeper angle on your skin-tips can reduce problems in certain conditions. To be completely honest, though I usually don’t have any problems with climbing skins, I’ve been hosed in the backcountry once or twice in regards to the curling on the tips […]
Some ski shop techs might poo-poo the Sleazy Jig, but as someone who has done their fair share of “freehand” binding mounts (sans jig and paper template), I can sure see some benefits to it under the right circumstances. Of course there is no replacement for a stock binding jig with all the holes you […]
DISCLAIMER: PERFORM THESE MODIFICATIONS AT YOUR OWN RISK. There is no doubt that I’m a big fan of using Black Diamond AvaLung backpacks for skiing. Hey, why not stack the odds in your favor when it comes to avalanche safety…right? With that being said though, in the springtime when avalanches are potentially a lot less […]
Well, I’ve been slowly getting my quiver ready for this up coming ski season, cutting skins, mounting bindings and waxing skis (hey…nothing like an early start). And I’ve got to say, I’m very impressed with the new climbing skin tips from Black Diamond. Though they take a bit more time to install than the basic […]
I know everyone (well…maybe not everyone) is trying to be “green” these days and for those of you still skiing, or those that forgot to put summer wax on, or those that just don’t have access to an iron, here is a fun way to harness the power of the sun to get your skis […]
I feel like I have to preempt this post by saying that I think there is no other AT binding out there that out performs the Dynafit system when considering weight, ease of use, reliability and performance. Yeah, you can pretty much make any product do anything you want, but the trick is to keep […]
Sounds catchy…eh? I’ve been thinking about starting a skin re-gluing business. I have done it for a bunch of years at the store (and had pretty good results), but we stopped offering the service a couple years ago and I think it’s pretty hard to find anyone who provides it anymore…in any state. I thought […]
I’ve rarely had any problems with my Dynafit bindings. If I do, it’s usually because I forgot to adjust them after switching to different boots with different sole lengths, or not taking my time with re-assembly and stripping some of the screws. You only have to screw up once to learn your lesson, because not […]
I’m more of a coffee guy myself…but I think this is pretty cool.
Considering it has just snowed 30″ in the last 36 hours in the Tetons, I thought this would be a good time to post this video about waxing fat skis. Have fun in the new snow today!
Yes…I am a confessed CamelBak addict. (Actually, I prefer the MSR Hydromedary bladders, modified with CamelBak accessories.) Whether its summer or winter, I find myself always sucking out of a hose for hydration when I’m in the mountains. In the summer, its’ easy. Just fill up your bladder, plop it in your pack…and you’re good. […]
Note: Some modifications shown in this post may effect the manufacturer warranty. Getting to work with the Black Diamond Factor. It’s always fun getting new gear in the fall and spring, and there’s always a ritual of getting familiar with it in front of the TV with a beer and some munchies. With some products, […]