Keeping Cost Down: Building the Two Ski/Two Boot Quiver

The dude with the Alien RS boots, Kelly, smoothly slides across a gravel bar. The skis were closeouts—about 2/3 off MSRP. He loves the skis. Photo: Brian Parker

We can come up with lots of fun and interesting ski/ride scenarios. There’s the yo-yo laps in deep powder. There’s week-long traverse where you might come home calling it a walking-camping trip. There’s the firm snow steep chute dance to be had. All this might take specific tools. There’s a lot of sweet used gear in the marketplace to fill out the niches in a two-boot two-ski quiver.

As a platform deeply invested in backcountry skiing/riding, it follows that we want readers to be the best version of themselves in the hills. That best version, to a degree, involves having a good time. If it’s all pure suffering, your internal dialogue will unlikely pivot to a place of joy.

Finding joy, even the joy bundled with a heavy dose of suffering, depends on having the right tools for the adventure. (The wrong tools often equate to more of the bad type of suffering.) We’ve been thinking about how to address the issue of building a quiver of touring skis and boots. Recording the first episode of our Gear Shed Podcast reminds us to balance conspicuous consumption tendencies with really zeroing in on the tools that will serve you best. By the time this is published, it will be late September. An optimal time to seek used gear or deals on last season’s gear, and even the season before that, is now.

You know this, the Web is loaded with sites and platforms selling used gear. Some are listed below in no particular order:

We like Facebook Marketplace as a search tool for used gear since one can specify a location and a search radius. Using Denver as our location and a 100 mile radius, sweet goods populate from as far away as Summit County. Bump out to 250 miles, and Durango enters the picture.

There’s Craigslist and online sporting goods providers like Geartrade, eBay, etc. You don’t need hand-holding to discern the basics. However, since the digital world can be full of scams, although our community likely has fewer scammers, it still may be best to have a phone call or video chat with the seller before purchasing. Many mountain towns and cities also have excellent used outdoor gear stores. These shops often swap out summer gear for winter gear about now—head on in, you might find some unicorn skis.

The point here is to think about used gear. And specifically, the used gear you want/need/covet, which connects to the idea of building out a quiver. 

We can max out the fun-meter during 95% of our touring with a combo of a lighter ski/boot pairing and a beefier (read as heavier/wider-waisted ski) boot/ski pairing. Mid-winter, in powder, variable snow, etc., the heavier setup will be suitable, then in spring, when the freeze/thaw cycle reigns, a lighter boot and skinner/shorter ski are the tools of choice. Of course, mid-winter high pressure could make the lighter setup the go-to. 

Read our Gear Editor’s conversation about buying used gear. 

In the podcast mentioned above, Adam Fabrikant, a ski guide and now 8,000m peak skier, says he uses two boots throughout the season. He begins the season in his lighter Scarpa F1 XTs, and once the kinks are worked out and the snow accumulates in earnest, he’s sporting his four-buckle Tecnica Zero G Tour Pros. He then, in spring, transitions back to the Scarpas. If you are coming into this season with a beefier boot already in hand, start scouring the used marketplace for the lightweight boot. Conversely, if you own the light boot and want something that may drive a larger ski a bit better, look for the beefier boot. 

The idea here isn’t to indiscriminately sell you on more gear. The idea is to set you up with the tools that best meet your desired objectives. For example, suppose you are looking to complete the Three Sisters Traverse outside Bend, Oregon, before the access road is plowed to the base of the South Sister. Setting off with a big ole’ boot and a mid-winter type ski won’t necessarily set you up for a positive experience. The outcomes could be more positive on the right gear, like a shorter ski (80-95mm waisted) between 170-175cm and a high range of motion, low friction boot, weighing 1000-1250g. 

All this is expensive, and it may take a few seasons/years to find the proper gear on a budget. But you’ve now been nudged to seek gear solutions that don’t break the bank and leave you lined out with the tools you’ll need.

Saving a bit of money on bindings. Buy an extra set of heel adjustment plates and two compatible binding toe units. Swap the heel units back and forth. The top skis, BD Cirque 84s, were purchased at a closeout price. The skis have been an asset.

Things to keep in mind as you seek out used gear:

• Don’t be afraid to purchase drilled skis. 
• Don’t be afraid of ski bases that need some TLC. 
• If you find a used pair of boots that fit—adding a new aftermarket liner can add some serious love to your ski touring vibe.
• We’ve had luck buying boot-fitting foam from places like Tognar. This DIY boot option can make a used boot purchase feel like a mega upgrade.
• Keep an eye out for a local ski swap. Even if the swap isn’t touring-specific, that doesn’t mean there won’t be excellent used goods on hand.   
• Find companies that are discontinuing skinner
• Bindings are never cheap. One solution to keep costs down is to purchase a set of bindings that use an adjustable heel plate. For the second ski, purchase a set of compatible toe pieces, and extra heel plates. When the times comes, you can swap the heels from ski to ski. (Just ensure you adjust the heel pins appropriately.)