Backpacks for BC courses

Can you recommend a 30L or 35L backpack suitable for back-country tour course?

Adam

Hi Adam,

There's a few backpacks that stand out.

The Ortovox 35 haute route is a good pack, comfortable and well made. Bit fiddly with the straps for carrying a board but once you get it dialled in its a very nice pack and probably my first choice.

If you're looking for something with a bit of avalanche protection thrown in the ABS packs and the snow pulse are the ones to look at. You buy a base pack with different size volumes that zip on.

BCA (Backcountry access) do a good pack called the 'stash', very simple, good board attachments, a no nonsense does everything pack!

Black diamond do a nice pack called the outlaw which comes with an Avalung. 35 Ltr, good straps, well made and a nice fit.

Check these out and see what you think.

Neil.

Splitboard bindings?

I've ordered a Solution splitboard from TSA and wondered if you could recommend buying Karakoram bindings from America or the Spark bindings.

Cheers,

Darren. 

Hi Darren,

I've not yet tried the Karakoram bindings but have heard good reviews for them and will get a set to try before to long and so will know more then. They look well made and Jeremy Jones now uses them and really rates them so I'm sure they're pretty good. I am interested to see how the stance options work for wide stances and big feet (centering the bindings etc.) but until I get a set and play around with them I'll not be able to comment. I have heard that the Karakoram bindings help to stiffen the board so this might be a plus point that could sway your decision.

The Spark bindings from last year were a step in the right direction but the high backs where too soft and the straps were low quality. This season they have improved both these points and so you get a good binding that works on the Voile mounting system, once you get this set up to your stance and dialled in then you get a good system that works well. I have ordered Salomon high backs for all the Spark bindings that I have from last year as they fit really well and really improve the binding. I'll probably get new straps too, but the binding works well and I had no issues with them last season. I dialled mine in with Cartel highbacks and straps and they worked very well.

At the end of the day its up to you, both obviously work so its a matter of costs and availability. Until I try the Karakoram bindings I can't really say any more!

Sorry I can't be more decisive for you!

Neil.

Splitboard bindings?

Neil,

Looking at jones solution splitboard, I'm thinking of the 161 as it matches my height and weight.

Do you have an opinion on the bindings, spark or voile?

Can't remember what you had on your boards last year.

Liam

Hey Liam,

As the splitboards ride a little softer than a normal board I think you can ride them longer in length. 

The new Solution however has been stiffened up a touch so the 161 is probably good for you.

Last year I used the Spark R&D binding but changed the straps and high back for Burton Cartels, this year Spark have stiffened their high back and changed the straps to Burton straps anyway so its a pretty good set up now. One of the guys had the Voile bindings in greenland and they looked pretty good and he seemed happy with them. There's also the new Karakoram system on the market this year which is worth a look and looks like a pretty solid set up.

I've not tried the Karakoram set up yet but will try them and report back. The New Spark set up looks pretty good and the system works well, the Voile I've not tried but it looks solid enough, between the Voile and the Spark I'd probably be inclined to favour the spark as I know it.

I'll keep the Sparks on my test fleet but upgrade the highbacks and straps.

Hope this helps,

Neil.

Board choice?

Hi Neil

Hope to ride with you again soon!

Am looking to get a new board. Never really gelled with the Salomon I got 2 seasons ago.

Gwri recommended a Jeremy Jones that was great on Ice?

I am a UK size 11 Boot 

What do you recommend.

Regards

Rob Croydon

Hi Rob,

Sorry I haven't been in touch, I'd say go for the Jones Flagship 163XL or the 168XL, easier to ride than a Salomon, turns super easy, super stable in carves and floats like a dream in the powder. 

This board has changed my life!

If you give Ruth a shout she'll get you a 15% discount from TSA.

Neil.

Snowboard instructor question!

Hi  I am looking at becoming a part-time snowboard instructor so I can help at Dry slopes and Snow-domes in the UK mainly.  It looks like most require a BASI qualification though - Can you tell me a little more about what you do differently and similar to BASI? I've bought your book and DVD and like the way you teach it so would be interested in some of your courses as well later down the line.  Thanks Rob Hi Rob, BASI specialise in teaching people how to teach snowboarding and provide qualifications in doing this. I specialise in teaching people how to be better snowboarders, how to understand Snowboarding and how to ride the mountains natural terrain. The techniques I teach follow the same rules as the techniques taught on BASI courses as I initially worked for BASI developing their courses but I now concentrate on developing each individuals performance were as a BASI course concentrates on teaching progressions, teaching you how to teach the basics of Snowboarding. If you want to be a Snowboard instructor you will definitely need to follow the BASI system. (this will allow you to work in the UK but unfortunately not in the rest of Europe.) If you want to be a better Snowboarder then out of my courses you'd need to attend the Tech clinic. Hope this helps and good luck with your progression. Neil.

Snowboard boots or Ski Randonee boots for touring?

Hiya Neil,  I was wondering if you might be able to give me some advice? Have you ever used ski touring / randonee boots for snowboarding, as they're so much more versatile than snowboard boots? Any advice would be gratefully received.  Best regards,  Dan. Hi Dan, For me the beauty of Snowboarding is the feeling you get when riding down the mountain, so any touring I do on my board is primarily about trying to keep the compromise of equipment to a minimum and the feeling of the ride to a maximum. With the set up I use now, splitboard specific bindings, customised and set up specifically to suit the performance I need and a Jones Solution Splitboard, I feel I have found a pretty good system that works both up and down the mountain.  I have never felt the need for a stiffer ski randonne style boot. On steep traverses, if necessary, I use a couteau/crampon on my splitboard and occasionaly I'll take a more Splitboard specific/friendly route than that used by ski tourers but boot wise I find Snowboard boots much more comfortable and as versatile as Ski boots.  Off your board, on steep terrain you'll probably be using a boot specific crampon whether in ski boots of snowboard boots and if its too steep or icy for snowboard boots then I'd probably be already questioning the conditions and suitability with regards the descent or looking for an alternative ascent but you can climb some pretty steep terrain with crampons on snowboard boots. I've never felt compromised in my snowboard boots (and I ski tour too!) and prefer to be in them rather than ski touring boots.  If you're looking for a compromise you should have a look at the new Deelux Spark touring specific Snowboardboot which has a vibram sole! Some people do splitboard in ski touring boots but personally its not what I'm looking for out of a day out touring in the Backcountry, which is a great days hiking and riding!. Hope this helps? Neil.

Boot binding interface?

My first post on this forum, hope to get some answers

I have new custom bindings from burton. Very nice, good quality, but i've got a problem with my imperium boots when I put them in. When I press the heel down, flat on the surface of the binding, i can't seem to line the back of the booth with the back of the binding, there is always a gap in the middle of the back between boot and binding.
I can also press the boot close to the back of the binding, without the gap, but then I have a gap between the heel of the boot and the surface of the binding ...
I never realy noticed this, until now when i bought new boots and I was about to adjust the bindings to these boots.

So should the boots align the heelback or the baseplate? Or both?

Thanks for any help!

 Hi Matthias,

In answer to your questions.

Firstly, yes your boot should be flat to the binding and set right to the back of the heel cup, against the high back/spoiler.

I don’t know the boot model you have but if there is a gap there it could be a couple of things.

If you have a lot of forward lean on your spoiler then this might leave a gap in the heel cup. 

I use a lot of forward lean and close the gap by putting my toe down first on the toe plate and pushing my heel tightly into the heel cup of the binding. This is easiest done standing up with the board resting angled on its heel edge.

If its not forward lean then the boot could be too wide for the binding. If this is the case you could try shaving some of the width off the sole of the boot?

I’d have thought however that if you tighten your heel strap enough, it will pull the boot back into the heel cup and sort out the problem. 

Your heel strap wants to be super tight, if it can’t go tight enough to pull the boot back then shorten the strap with the adjustment. If this leaves it too long, which can be the case on the large Burton bindings, get yourself some medium heel straps.

A couple of other adjustments you should consider for this problem.

Move the heel strap a little higher over your instep/ankle by moving the heel strap attachment point to the higher hole on the inside of the binding.

Rotate the high back inline with the edge of the board, this will increase the amount of room in the heel cup a little.

At the end of the day, tightening the heel strap fully should get rid of this problem.

Hope this helps?

Neil.