Nate's post reminded me that I was considering going with AT bindings this year and, of those bindings, I am thinking about Dynafit (I also need new boots, which is the driver here).

However, an entry level Dynafit setup is like $1000, and that's basically a kite or two. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting a cheap Dynafit setup? I'm totally cool with lightly used kit.

Also, is it worth it? Might I be better off just going with, for instance, the Tyrolia Adrenaline series? If that's the case, then new boots this year, new bindings next (or vice versa). However, it appears that the Dynafits are badass. Help!

You need to find a backcountry-ski specific forum for possible used AT gear...and it's too early for gear listings likely.


The best ( like Dynafit) will be extremely hard to find used. It's a very small used market to begin with.

Dave - Dynafit - Definitely with Skim - really hard to find used gear. I was going to go that route last season and looked far and wide but wound up just hijacking Joanna's Hoks instead. They are so short and nimble I can ski in with them with my boots and skis and kites in the gear sled. I used them a few days solo on Rabbit Ears last year to get further clear of the trees. My collapsible poles in the bag helps a lot too.


Someday though a multiday trek with a decent approach should be on our list....

Ya, so I've been wondering the same thing. Specifically, I've noticed you can find Dynafit Speed Turn bindings for considerably less than the others - like under $250 new. Why is that?

If you guys are on Facebook, I started a similar recent thread there on the Jackson Hole Kiters group, with some varying opinions on to Dynafit or not to Dynafit. Interestingly, of the non-dynafit bindings mentioned was the Tyrolia Adrenaline.

Dynafit tech bindings are great but not as easy to get into as bindings based on downhill bindings and they usually don't have brakes. When getting pulled by a kite binding weight is not an issue so tech bindings don't really have an advantage. Plus, you can usually find Marker and Fritchie used on Craigslist. Tech bindings are really cool though.

I'm not sure I understand the attraction to the Dynafits. They are designed to be minimalist and lightweight for dedicated AT skiing. And the speed turns to the best of my knowledge are made of cheaper but lighter materials. Longevity is not the goal with the speed turns.

Doneski is right, the kite is hauling the load. If you intend to ride with these skis on a kite, and I mean really drive an edge (even in pow while heavy planing) there are a lot of torsional loads being placed on the binding/boot interface. Dynafit systems don't respond well to long term exposure to those forces. The most common failures are the heel itself or the mounting of the heel. The bolt pattern is too tight. (except for maybe the Beast) It's not intended for that kind of duty. And they are sensitive to contamination. You have to keep them clean or else things don't work so well. And man don't get them locked into crust.

Tyrolia Adrenaline is in the same flavor as the Marker Duke, Baron and Tour or Salomon Guardian/ Atomic Tracker. (I use both Dukes and Guardians) It's a high performance Alpine binding adapted to AT use. Less of a backcountry binding and more a sidecountry system. Skis like a "real" binding. Weighs like a "real" binding.

The Fritsche FR is a nice compromise. Fairly stiff, still very light and is an actual dedicated AT binding. But they are pretty easily broken in certain instances.

I guess you should ask yourself this. "How many miles am I going to ride, what kind of surface and how aggressively?" Here on a good day I'll put in 100 miles in one session on boiler plate driving my edges as hard as I can. There isn't an true AT binding that I've had that would tolerate what we do here. At least not for long.

When I used to ski gravity, probably 45% of my riding was skinning up to ski. Every AT binding I had failed me which is why I switched to Secura Fixes now Alpine Trekker. They allowed me to ski my real bindings the way I like to ski. Alpine Trekkers are a simple answer to a complex question. They fit everything. It doesn't matter what your binding is or ski. It's a DIN lug front and rear.

The most common reasons people don't do Trekkers is A. The weight (not an issue with a kite and really not that much of an issue w/o) B. You sit kind high over the ski. Not so much an issue on powder skis mounted flat, more so on a ski with a lifter installed.

There is another option. I forget what it's called, costs more than a Trekker. It's a sort of hinged plate that you mount to the ski and then mount the binding to it. They're machined out of aluminum and the hinges tend to crack. I've not known a single pair that has survived for long.

Chris - you've definitely got me thinking about the Alpine Trekkers. It seems like a great solution for someone like me who isn't a dedicated back-country guy, but needs to be able to trek a mile or so in certain circumstances. The idea that you can use it on an existing (or multiple existing) ski/binding setup is certainly appealing.

Thanks all for the great info. Went by SkiRex today (on a side note, SkiRex totally sucks now. Left without buying a thing and I needed all sorts of gear.) and checked out a few boots. They don't carry dynafit, and the Scarpa / K2 versions of the tek are totally cheap POS's. They had some nice downhill boots that were pretty legit, so I think I'lol just replace my 1080's with something not beat to hell and skip the dynafit plunge.

I think those alpine Trekkers are exactly what I need, Chris, thanks. $300 for loose heel and skins on bindings I love (Tyrolia something-or-others), and I don't have to worry about boot compatibility (or whether my binding can take the weird kite forces). Thanks!