True, the Mammut air packs ship w/o the cylinders. Drop the SKU: MAM0639 into our search bar and you'll land on the right item needed to finish off your kit.

Due to hazmat regs, we have to ship our canisters empty. Apologies for the inconvenience - we hope to have a more streamlined solution soon!

We at Backcountry.com have requested that all of our re-fill able cartridges ship empty. As mentioned by Ted, they can be filled at scuba or paintball shops.

Marker Jester? No. Marker Duke/Baron/F12/F10? Yes. The touring versions of Marker bindings have adjustable height AFD plates so that they'll accommodate alpine as well as AT soles. If you want a boot like this, it makes more sense to pair them w/ a sidecountry/backcountry binding. Aim for the one of those and you'll be stoked.

Both skis on your hit list will shine in powder. The Patron has a burlier construction than the Bent Chet and, in my opinion, will be more fun to ski on an everyday basis. Especially if you're like me and your best freestyle days are behind you. If you're more into tricks and jibbing, the Bent Chet will be lighter and livelier. Honestly can't go wrong with either ski - take the Patron for a sturdier all-mountain ride or the Bent Chet for its lighter weight and more freestyle ready feel.

The content was originally incorrect here - this package features a beacon, shovel, probe. The package with the backpack is under the SKU: MAM0632. Enter that into the search bar above to check it out. Thank you and apologies for the confusion!

These are intended for resort skiers that might occasionally head out on short(er) hikes to hit kickers and gnarly lines out in the backcountry. Think snowmobile access or that cliff across the street. Definitely strong enough to be used full time at the resort. If you're thinking about dabbling in some bc skiing this year and don't want to commit to a whole new kit, there is no better product on the market. I love BCA gear (beacon, shovel, probe, and pack in my kit), but I've never seen anyone happy on their Trekkers.

I've booted and skinned with my Asterisk braces. Not going to lie to you - it is not the most comfortable way to travel. Now that my post-op knee is nice and strong, I leave them at home on touring days. They only time I'd think of using them in the bc is if I'm looking at a high consequence line or shredding mini golf terrain.

These are not sport specific. You will get superior protection and support if you wear these all winter. Perfect for helping to prevent knee injuries.

In general (and in my opinion), 4FRNT skis are going to be much stiffer than the freestyle oriented Line skis. The twin rockered Line skis are purpose built for creative trickery on natural terrain and soft snow whereas the 4FRNT boys are looking for more of a hard charging type of ski experience. If you prefer slightly softer and lighter skis for buttery tricks/powder surfing then you'll probably prefer Bacons. But if you're more into rallying high speed lines and don't need softer skis for your freestyle bag-of-tricks then 4FRNT skis might be your ticket. Check the Turbo for a similar sized offering.

The biggest brakes I've seen are 130mm. At 149mm in the waist, I'm assuming that even bending brakes won't be enough to wrap around the edge of the Mutant ski effectively (not to mention where are you going to find the 150mm jig...?). I've seen the occasional brake-less super fat ski, so that is what I would do here. Let's face it - if you pop out of these skis on steep, deep snow they are taking off. The brakes likely won't be helping you very much anyway. Crank the DINs and stay on your feet!

I am exactly your size and I have been using the '75 as a touring ski for a few years. I cannot recommend them at all to you. You have to go with at least the 185cm version. It makes a huge difference. More edge to ski on when the snow isn't soft, and more surface area to plane on when the La Nina storms roll in again. Do it, don't wait, get that '85 and you'll be fired up.

Yup - this is my touring ski (dropped my Dynafit bindings on them) and I can't think of a better rig to get around on. Fluid turning pow ski, doesn't weigh very much, great edge hold for sketchy and icy traverses, and plenty of surface area for good traction on steep skin tracks. Love them!

They'd be perfect if you're going to def go tour a few times. The added height of the Baron will also help get better leverage on these fat skis and help get them on edge really quick. They'll ski extra nimble.

Yes for sure in the Lady's - but they sell out quickly. Keep checking back!

Can assume 'yes' as Asterisk has had pro surfers on their team. Mine get soaked regularly and there's never been a problem. Just dry them out as you would any piece of gear.

I wear merino base layers under mine. Snug fitting 3/4 length pant. Should be good-to-go with Under Armor.

I used to fit boots in a few different retail shops. Sounds like the 'too narrow' problem that feels like a cramp may be sorted out by a footbed with improved arch support. My feet pronate (arches flatten out, pushing a bone too close to the surface of my skin. Painful in performance footwear) a bit and all I need is a little extra arch support. Skiing, biking, everything is better.

A wider tail would make it ski more like a JJ/Bent Chet/etc. The deliberate pin-tail of the Super7 and its variants is for a couple of reasons. First and foremost it makes the ski very nimble for it's size. You can easily go full throttle anywhere (and hit the brakes when needed!) but also bounce around in really tight trees without eating any of them. But the secret sauce is that a large amount of taper towards the tails makes the S7 family very Everyman friendly. I see out-of-towners every day at Snowbird on S7 demos laughing and firing around the whole mountain, having a blast.

So yes, a wider tail would cater very well to freestyle oriented experts and help save the day if/when you land backseat going big. But I think the S7 family is more supposed to reward directional big mountain skiers as well as get more peeps going on more of the mountain...for better or worse.

Think Pontoon with more sturdiness and versatility, and less JJ/Bent Chet clone and you've got the S/Super7.

Have fun!

Also new size. Super7 construction now available in 188cm.

Hard Hat will drain well, but honestly I wouldn't take this helmet on the water. The EPS liner option from Bern would be better than the Hard Hat, but for whitewater I'd definitely lean towards a Sweet helmet or something more specific to that activity. Rocks and whitewater is a pretty serious business and I wouldn't skimp on pro there. My two cents.

Not trying to be a brand loyalist here, but I'm still loving my G3 Alpinist Climbing Skins (GGG0126) and have been on the same pair for 2 1/2 years. They are super tough with solid grip, a decent glide, and are a cinch to cut with the included Skin Cutter. No problem pulling them off of my skis, but they can be a bit of a wrestling match if stuck base-to-base without the Skin Saver.

Awesome for park if you dig big fat airs and loooooong jibs. Super light and almost no swing weight. Fat like a freeride ski makes them stable for landings. I think they're more comfy for switch skiing than the Bent Chet thanks to a mellower shape. Buttering the soft tip and tails is effortless.

Since they are fatter than a typical park ski, I'm not sure if multi-change-up rail tricks, super techy tricks, or mini-shred would be easy to pull off but on big jumps the Blog is a blast. Lots of ski to land on.

I personally don't like touring with a rocker on the tail of a ski (currently run Armada JJ w/ Baron - upgrading from that this year). You need some tail to help grab snow when skinning. If the skin track gets steep or icy at all, I'm suddenly on a treadmill watching my friends get smaller and smaller in the distance. My two cents.

Me: 5'8" dude weighing in at 140lbs. Snowbird pass holder/employee.

I put mine +1 from the old school freeride line since I'm not all that big and I wanted to stay well ahead of the tail rocker. I love to ski switch - but NOT on the Super 7. This is a Go Forward, Go Fast ski for sure.

Hello eeelaine. BD did not make a lady's 4 buckle version for 2010/11. There is the Swift, which is a 3 buckle, 100 flex, Pebax touring boot. Check it out at:
http://www.backcountry.com/black-diamond-swift-alpine-touring-boot-womens

These are actually pretty dope in pow. The rocker helps keep your tips up despite how skinny they look compared to pow specific skis.

These can be tricky to ski on if you're a beginner. They feel pretty 'loose' and you have to pay a bit more attention to your balance and stance compared to a traditional cambered ski. Otherwise you may find your self washing out of turns or stumbling at higher speeds.

I'd recommend 162cm for an intermediate or 170cm for advanced to expert at 5'4" and 129lbs. These skis are pretty fat and pretty stiff, so you don't really need to over do it on size. Hope this helps.

Dude if you like Line and you'll be next door at Alta - get the Mo' Ships. No joke. You're going to want that stiffer ski when you start hammering around with the locs. Welcome to the Wasatch dude, it's gonna be killer this year.

I'd drop your bindings right on the recommended 'freeride' line. I'm a little smaller than you (5'8" - 140lbs) and mount all my fat twins about 1 to 1.5cm forward of the freeride line. I don't think you would need to make an adjustment. Have fun.

Awesome on rails. Check out the Poorboyz flick to see 'em in action. Nice and light in a 176cm. You're stoked.

Dukes on these would be a pretty natural fit. The Volkl Bridge is noticeably stiffer under foot than on the tips and tails so you wouldn't necessarily be messing up the flex of the ski very much by opting for a Duke instead of a Jester. Also, the really mellow rocker means more surface area for your skins to stick to the skin track on the way up when you go for a tour.

The Mantra comes with titanium reinforcement instead of carbon. More rigid (great for crud and carving). I'd take a demo pair out and ski them before you buy them. I'd bet you'd go 100% on whichever ski you preferred and wouldn't put much time on the opposite if you owned both.

Hi, I'm on the Ski Hardgoods Buying team so I thought I'd shed a little insight.

192cm is coming later in the production sched. Might be end of Oct or beginning of Nov before they're available. Worth the wait!

192cm !!! I have the 195cm Super S7 (5' 9" and 140lbs) and those things are no problem to ski at all. Remember, the tips and tails of both the Bent Chet and similar skis are well off the snow when you're skiing groomers so your running length is much smaller than your overall length. Super easy to turn quickly. They when you get into deeper snow the rocker keeps your skis loose enough to pivot and smear, but the bigger platforms become real stable when you point them straight down the fall line. Good times.

Unless you're skiing east coast trees, go big on this and any similar styled ski.

Hey Neale, these would make an outstanding all-day, every-day ski for resort skiing. They are light for touring but are not flimsy at all and excel at the kind of diverse terrain and conditions that you describe. We here in Utah see them all the time up at Alta and Snowbird. Buy them up and have a great winter.

We'll hopefully have profile pics of our rocker skis in the coming weeks. In the mean time I can tell you that the ObSethed has a nose rocker that looks a lot like the Hellbent, but the tail is the same as last year's. That way you get more ski to land those big airs on. They can be a handful on hard snow but in variable snow (and of course pow) you'll be loving it.

The snow version has a little less ventilation than the dirt one to help keep snow out and warmth in.

A skeg is kind of like a small keel near the stern of your kayak. Not quite a rudder (which pivots), your skeg helps to keep your kayak tracking straight. Helps beginner paddlers, like me, to keep going straight.

With the adjustable foot pedals and the widest point of the boat being just about 25", I do think that 6'3" person would be okay in this kayak. Your knees sort of bow out against the hull and thigh braces to help steer and control the boat; you don't usually stretch to your full length.

More are on order and should arrive soon.

Scupper plugs are sold separately. Enter JOP0127 into the search bar. We are running low as of this message but more are on the way as I type. Check the following link to NRS' great breakdown on paddle sizing using your size as well as your prospective boat's.

http://www.nrsweb.com/inflatables/paddle_sizing_guide.asp?deptid=1116&tn=76

I'm at +2cm. I moved the binding up from the 'traditional' mount spot because of my rather small stature vs these huge skis (I'm 5'9" 140lbs).

In my experience, Prophet skis have a pretty snappy flex (wood + metal construction) and turn super quick for their width thanks to a shorter turn radius (~17m). Thanks to my gig here at Backcountry.com, I have the unique opportunity to ski dozens of ski/binding combination's each year and I honestly cannot tell the difference in a ski's flex when comparing one binding to another. Maybe it's me? If the Baron does in fact increase stiffness of a ski, I see it as a good thing. Stiffer equals better edge hold which can be clutch on wind scoured, icy snow above no-nonsense terrain. The mellow early rise nose on your Prophet ensures fun pow performance, stiff ski or not.

I do notice the weight of a demo vs retail vs touring binding as well as the lift provided by each. Higher lift equals more leverage over your edges which in turn creates a quicker turning ski. While your Baron's will sit lower on the ski compared to a Fritschi, you still get a ~cm+ of lift greater than a retail binding. Your Prophets with Barons will turn super quick, hold an edge on anything, stay put on your boots, and absolutely smoke couloirs, glades, and variable snow. The usual Baron downsides remain their weight and the rather clumsy transition to/from ski/tour mode.

For the record I'm 5'9", 140lbs (w/o all my ski and tour stuff), and have a Baron + hand-me-down Armada JJ 175cm slackcountry setup. Looking to upgrade the ski to something w/o a rocker tail.

Enjoy your new kit!

Definitely re-up your batteries every year, whether you leave them in over the summer or not. Pulling them out now means backup batteries for the remote during the hockey playoffs - that is good.

Hello, I'm the Asst Buyer for Ski. We've got skins for the Stoke on order and they should arrive in time for next winter. Unfortunately, we won't have them available for the current spring touring season. Lo siento.

Hey cmelo, if you are looking to tour in the backcountry with your new EP Pros you should get the Duke. If you're going to be using your new skis mostly at resorts then stick with the Jester. Same DIN range, much lighter. Dukes can break, it's true but rare. Know that both Backcountry.com and Marker have a great return and warranty policy so you're covered in case of a rare but possible busted-binding scenario.

Yes, they'll fit perfect.

I'm 5'9 140lbs and rock the small. I prefer my impact pro to be super snug so it stays in place if/when I eat crap. Therefore, I'd opt for the smaller one. Or pick up both and return the one that doesn't measure up for you. We've got that 100% guarantee return policy. Feel free to use it!

I'm sorry but the bindings aren't included. I've updated the copy to help with the admittedly confusing image.

Pick up the XXL size and be ready to give 'em a bend. Worth it!

The short answer is, mmm not really. I have two different boots that I wear, one at 295mm the other at 293mm. I step into the bindings without worry since that's pretty tiny. But if you've got another boot that's a whole shell size different, I don't think you'll be able to adjust these far enough. You trade off the ability to adjust these bindings for their rock solid hold.

You'll need a 22.0 or 22.5, unless you're buying for next year and then I'd grab a 23 if available. Yup, add the first two numbers of the Mondo point system together to get a rough translation to US uni/men shoe sizes. Cool huh?

Hello! Hey I think if you are happy with the performance of your Griffons, consider the Marker Baron. It's the touring version of your existing binding. It is a little heavier than the BD binding here, but will have the same performance that you're used to. Especially considering that you'd tour only a handful of times per year, you'd likely appreciate the in-bounds performance of the Baron. Also, drilling skis for a second set of bindings doesn't do much damage. Once you've drilled for 3-4 bindings or more, you might start to see some problems. Check out the Barons and if you get them, drop them into new holes (even though I think the binding screw hole pattern is the same). Re-using holes has led to many a shredder to pull a binding out of the ski during a big crash.

The Salomon Suspect will be a solid upgrade over your Threat skis. The full length sidewall holds up WAY better than the monocoque construction of your beat-up Threats. Check your local mountain and see if they have any demos. You'll dig 'em.

You'd be good-to-go with either. I'd take the 130mm brake since you'd only have 7.5 'extra' millimeters (less than the width of your thumbnail) on each side. Besides, bindings last longer than skis so a 130mm brake means that those Jesters might end up on a mega-fat ski in a few years.

Upgrading from the 'ol Pocket Rocket, huh? Well the Jah Love here is a pretty huge departure from what you're used to. The Rocket featured a super-light foam core and cap construction. Not only is the Jah Love HUGE compared to your current setup, but its burly wood core and stocky sidewalls are going to be far less forgiving than what you've been shredding on (in anything other than perfect snow). If you're looking for Nordica skis, I'd recommend the Girish (NOR0080 in our search bar) in a 185cm. Same rock-solid construction as the Jah Love, but a more versatile size and shape. One of our favs during the ski tests last season. Check 'em out!

We sell the 'Rapid' version of Garmont's liners. They are more featured than the 'Pad Lock' versions. Updated toe-box liners and Pebax material for the tongues are just a few of the tweaks made to the 'Rapid'.

Yes, the black dial under the handle is used to regulate the temp.

I've used these for years, no prob getting them under the cuff. Super trim. Super warm too!

Hello,
A lot goes into picking bindings. I'm assuming that your Future Shred is a younger guy if he's packing 85-90 lbs. I'd aim for any bindings that have the number 10 or 11 in the title. That denotes the top of the DIN range. Bindings that top out at these numbers tend to be less aggressive and are more likely to release during a crash. You start to get more aggressive retention and heavier bindings when you start to look at any bindings with a number 12 or higher in the title.

As for brakes, all of the bindings that we offer should easily accommodate an 80mm waist. If it's a tight fit, any shop will gladly bend the arms enough to wrap around the ski. Standard shop-stuff there.

Here are a few SKUs to punch into the search bar to get you started:

MRK0017, SAL1822, DYN0281, HEA0220

I hope this helps!

Get the Large. It's much better to be more in the 'meat' of a bindings range (both sole length as well as DIN) than to be so close to either end.

The Afterbang looks sweet when it's beat up a bit. Like your skateboard.

189cm ! The Pontoons feel super short in powder. An '89 Pontoon looks huge and can be awkward and heavy to carry around, they are very nimble to ski on.

50 yards? Just boot it, unless you want the Alta locs to be all laughing at you!

Pick up some skins if you start eyeing lines across the street on Flagstaff or Superior. You definitely won't need 'em for anything at the resorts.

A good Rossi option for you would be the Rossignol S3 Koopman.

http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Rossignol-S3-Koopman-Alpine-Ski/ROS0387M.html

It's a blend of park shape and all mountain performance. You get a similar rocker profile as the S7 here, but a more piste oriented shape. The S7 is pretty fun on groomers, but is definitely more suited to deep, natural snow. If you spend most time on groomed terrain, the S7 may feel too wide (less agile). Rossi sets up dozens of resorts with demo fleets. Go try out the S3. You'll end up pretty stoked!

Great binding for this price. At 225lbs you'll be on the high end of the DIN scale of this binding, but there should be plenty of retention for you. Enjoy!

Get the 125mm version. This would give your wider tips and tails better coverage. Just trim the excess. Have fun!

Yo in order to turn the heel screw, the binding has to be in the boot-in position. You'll strip the screws if the heelpiece is down. An old repair shop tip.

A bigger version of the Afterbang with some carbon fiber is in the works for next season. Will likely be in the low 180cm's range though. Most park boards are pretty short since agile is the name of the game. You may want to check out some bigger fat skis that are twin'd. Something like an EP Pro, Prophet 130, K2 ObSethed, or 4FRNT, Moment, and Armada offerings.

Hard to say for sure, but I would suggest the 160cm. There is rocker on the nose of this ski, but it isn't very drastic. I don't think you need to size up with this kind of ski because of rocker like you would with a Hellbent or MissBehaved.
The added width compared to the PayBack will give better stability, but may also make the 167 feel cumbersome and heavy. When I'm anxious on the mountain, I tend to make more and shorter turns. The 160 will help your wife with that style when needed.
The GotBack's 102mm waist and solid wood core make it very stable at higher speed and deep snow, even in a 160 length. This is a very popular lady's ski here in Utah due to it's combination of float, stability, and nimbleness in all conditions.

I'm not a snowboarder, but if you can't rig your deck to this pack, BD makes a more board friendly version called the Outlaw for only a few dollars more. Check:

http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Black-Diamond-Outlaw-with-Avalung-Pack-1831-1939cu-in/BLD0381M.html

Yes it is and I plan on putting those two items together myself. May have to bend the brakes but I'm okay with that.

Yup. Improved liners too.

Yup. Improved liners too.

Shogun is a rockered nose, twin tip, all mountain fat ski with a super light bamboo core and regular camber underfoot.

Gotama is a fully rockered (tip and tail), twin tip, all mountain fat ski with a sturdy wood (can't remember the species) core.

Your Gotama is going to have that loose, surfy feel in powder thanks to the long reverse camber profile, but loses some edge length on groomed or hard snow. It doesn't ski anything at all like Gots of yore.

Your Shogun's rockered nose keeps it up out of lousy, cruddy snow and the more traditional tail shape means better stability at speed on/in inconsistent snow and on groomers.

It is in my opinion that this year's Gotama is better suited as a quiver ski or a ski for someone that prefers a full rocker everyday while the Shogun is better suited as your all-day everyday, all mountain ski.