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Eric Hansen
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Eric Hansen
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PostThu Apr 20, 2017 10:01 pm 
Any insight on fitting Scott Excursion ski boots? I need to mail order them (me in Wisconsin) and I've never had plastic boots before. Need be I could possibly stop in Seattle to see a boot fitter there (I'm typically in Bellingham area late summer). I'm aware you can add foam layers to the tongue to take up volume but I'm wondering what other tweaks are possible. All my 3 pin boots have been leather (Snowfields) up to now and I want the Excursion for dryness on multi day trips. Not in love with the 6 lb. weight per pair but it is close to what my old Snowfields were with a super gaiter necessary. Major activity is multi day ul spring ski tours on the south shore of Lake Superior (minor vertical, much striding). Possible ambitions of long tours in the Sierras, Beartooths or Crater Lake if my gear, vertical and turns mojo gelled nicely. Edit: Wisconsin has a large Nordic skiing scene but it is of the Birkiebeiner/groomed trail genre. While there are some tele markers at the downhill areas knowledge of the nuances of the Scott Excursion is not present here. Thanks in advance for advice

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Randito
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PostFri Apr 21, 2017 5:59 am 
The current incarnation uses an alpine style padded liner. Replacing that with thermoformable liners will allow a custom fit and cut weight by about 1/2 lb for each foot. Compared to well broken in leather boots, you may find striding flex across the metatarsals more limited. Plastic boots are waterproof, don't freeze up overnight and don't gain weight on multi day trips, which is all great. The waterproofness works both ways, so sweat from feet will build up and soak the socks. One thing to do is apply anti-persprirant to the feet every few days. Another is to carry two complete sets of socks and swap when bedding down and dry the second pair on your waist band during sleep. For very cold conditions, consider using vapor barrier socks to keep insulating socks dry all the time.

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Eric Hansen
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Eric Hansen
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PostFri Apr 21, 2017 12:23 pm 
Thanks RandyHiker. That is real helpful. I ordered the boots and should have them in hand later next week.

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Randito
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PostFri Apr 21, 2017 12:47 pm 
Also when I was skiing in Excursions -- I installed "smile plates" on the toes -- plastic boots have an internal plate -- so these aren't as important as they were in the leather boot era -- but I found that with "smile plates" installed -- engaging the boot in the binding was a bit easier. I also found that I could then use the first engagement point on the Voile 3Pin Mountaineer binding while touring and have a slightly larger range of motion. While descending I would push the plate down as tight as possible "Smile Plates" are hard to find anymore -- but these guys claim to have some in stock. http://www.telemarkdown.com/store/bindingparts/blue-bird-day-smile-plates/

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Eric Hansen
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PostFri Apr 21, 2017 2:05 pm 
Yep, I hear you on the Smile Plates and have been eyeballing them. Memory has them as stainless steel. ORS has them as well as tele markdown, with instructions posted http://www.orscrosscountryskisdirect.com/bluebird-day-smile-plates.html

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DIYSteve
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PostSat Apr 22, 2017 8:53 am 
I had a pair of gen1 (Garmont) Excursions. As I recall they ran true to size. I could not get them to fit. Swapping in thermal liner is a good recommendation. As Randy notes, the bellows are pretty stiff. If I were setting up a tele rig I'd match them with a binding with a free pivot mode, e.g., Voile Switchback 2X or TTS. But I aint doing that because I'm happy with my UL AT fat fishscale rig for off track striding, meadow skipping and FS roads, and I never wish I were back on tele gear. UL telemark does not exist. Bellowed tele boots will always be significantly heavier than the lightest AT boots.

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Randito
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PostSat Apr 22, 2017 12:00 pm 
FWIW: I've used Excursions with Voile Switchback bindings. The free pivot does improve touring. But I felt it was a mis-match because of the weight of the binding compaired to the boots and the skiis I was using them with. My LaSpotiva Syborgs + Ski Trab Race bindings tour way better than any Excursion based setup I ever had. But that is a much different price point.

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PostSat Apr 22, 2017 12:22 pm 
RandyHiker wrote:
Ski Trab Race bindings
No flat touring mode, right? Gotta have a flat mode for fat fishscale or OP's intended use. My choice is Speed Turn 2.0 with DIY Al alloy top plate and B&D volcano. 12 oz. per binding with the mod. Bomber. Cheap too, currently US$179 from SnowInn plus shipping from Euroland.

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Randito
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PostSat Apr 22, 2017 2:48 pm 
DIYSteve wrote:
RandyHiker wrote:
Ski Trab Race bindings
No flat touring mode, right? Gotta have a flat mode for fat fishscale or OP's intended use. My choice is Speed Turn 2.0 with DIY Al alloy top plate and B&D volcano. 12 oz. per binding with the mod. Bomber. Cheap too, currently US$179 from SnowInn plus shipping from Euroland.
Nope the Ski Trab Race binding has a heel on ski tour mode. The heel piece rotates so the prongs are away from the boot heel. Only 136 grams. Sadly no longer made. http://skimo.co/ski-trab-tr-race-bindings Looks there is an updated version, same heel piece updated and lighter toe piece. http://skimo.co/ski-trab-gara-titan

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Eric Hansen
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Eric Hansen
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PostSat Apr 22, 2017 8:42 pm 
I'm painfully aware of how much lighter the AT UL boots are then the Excursion/3 pin mode. And realize the $ are significantly more. There also seems to be a move to fat boy AT skis with major wax less patterns, which I gotta applaud. You guys have me wondering if I should try to find some AT rentals when I'm in B'ham this summer, try them out. Thanks for joining in DIYsteve

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PostSun Apr 23, 2017 3:38 am 
I'm unaware of anyone that rents the ultralight AT gear. Rental gear I've seen is more oriented towards lift skiers looking to try touring. I started using AT gear about 5 years ago after telemark skiing for 30+ years. It was more of an adjustment than I expected. Balance and timing are subtly different. I did a number of unplanned somersaults on the AT gear during the first few trips.

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PostSun Apr 23, 2017 7:55 am 
Eric Hansen wrote:
move to fat boy AT skis with major waxless patterns, which I gotta applaud.
Got 'em (Voile Vector BC) and I've persuaded most of my regular touring buds to get them. I use fat fishscales a roughly half of my tours (carry skins for steeps).

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Eric Hansen
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Eric Hansen
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PostSun Apr 23, 2017 11:27 am 
Randy, re AT rentals. I may be chasing a fantasy with all this but want to get a look at what is available. That may just tell me I'm better off just sticking with my present setup with boots. Curious what my reaction to the Excursions will be when they arrive. Possible I'll just think they are too stiff to kick and glide, live in, for days. Alternatively, I may just perceive them as just fine to practice turns at the downhill areas, prep for possible long, moderate, mountain tours where they'd be nimble. I enjoy turns but tend to be conservative in the backcountry, being injury free a priority. Being able to do multi day trips in beautiful country is my thing. Snow season is over here, so it'll be a dry ground assessment. Steve, I just notice that the fish scales broaden the terrain possibilities that are reasonably fun (without adding or taking off skins).

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DIYSteve
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PostMon Apr 24, 2017 8:29 am 
Eric Hansen wrote:
Possible I'll just think they are too stiff to kick and glide, live in, for days. Alternatively, I may just perceive them as just fine to practice turns at the downhill areas, prep for possible long, moderate, mountain tours where they'd be nimble.
YMMV, but I wouldn't describe Excursions as "nimble" in any conditions. FWIW, I much preferred the bellows flex of T3/T4. But, hey, I'm done with clunky duckbill boots now that I'm on UL AT boots. If you're sticking with 3-pin bindings, have you considered something like a Fischer BCX 675 for your Lake Superior tours?

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Eric Hansen
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PostMon Apr 24, 2017 3:20 pm 
This is the first I've heard of the T4 flexing more than Excursion - but I've never had either in my hand so possible I'm just scanning the wrong comments. Excursions I ordered should be here in a few days. Fischer BCX 675 is one I've haven't scoped but weight wise it seems worth assessing. I'm eyeballing them now on the net and wondering how they do re moisture on multi day trips. One of the reasons I'm posting here is the sheer critical mass of backcountry ski gear experience is just not present in Wisconsin.

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