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As far as the crampons go. I like the fact that the Spark crampons are a lot smaller and take up less space in the pack. I have to use the Voile crampons and they are great, but I rarely pack them as they take up so much room in the pack. Maybe I just need to get a bigger pack...

Is it? It looks to be a couple of millimeters higher than the Fuse, but I guess pictures can be deceiving and we won't really know until someone measures it.

Big props to Voile for putting a new design on the market. I hope it is a success.

I do wonder about the design, though. The rails just look so little under that plate, and the Fuse seems more solid and durable based on looks alone. But I am no engineer, and looks don't really mean much. I look forward to the reveiws.

IMO, that's should be Voilé's next little project. Putting on their crampons is very annoying (and sometime scary...)!

i can't really give a product review because I don't have the "light rail binding", but i do have an early prototype of the binding(same base plate and rails, different highback and straps).

Durability-granted I only have one season on them, but i don't really foresee the base plate cracking anytime soon 7075-T6 is pretty gnarly stuff.

Weight- At the time of me testing this binding the ignition II's were the hot ticket, and my voile proto was quite a bit lighter. with the introduction of the Fuse the weights are really similar so no real advantage there. I will say that this binding gave me my lightest split set up to date.

Height- Almost the same as Ignitions II's. maybe a hair higher.

My prototype of this binding rode and skinned great. Very light and responsive. I didn't experience any of the "ankle roll" and in some cases felt that it was easier to stick an icy side hill with these bindings than with the sparks.

I was hoping the price would be lower, but I'm confident this would be a good buy. Is it better than the fuse? probably not. but i'm glad to see Voile finally start to roll some shit out of the warehouse and into the market.

Not sure if I'm non-partisan enough or if you respect my thoughts but I've got a set of each in the house and will add some thoughts soon. I've have about 3 months on the Light Rail but haven't used the Fuse yet.



I'm stoked to see Voile make this move into strap bindings. More options is generally a good thing. As much as I am a loyal fan of Spark, I did find myself reaching for the Light Rails more last year due to the weight savings. They are noticeably lighter to the hand...er I mean foot. Now that the Ignition has been redesigned and gone on a diet the weight differences will be less noticeable.

The Light Rail (proto) is definitely durable and stiff based on my experience. I had my reservations about the connection between the rails and the baseplate but they connection is as tight now as it was on day one. No issues there.

I do like prefer the pin design of Sparks as its easier to get to and work with. Both bindings are going to be better than regular strap bindings and slider tracks so its a win win.

Dual climbing bars are welcomed product as well and while many seasoned splitters won't be looking at the Trax its a good product for new splitters on a budget (and again is better than regular straps and sliders).

As for crampons, I haven't used them in years as I find that technique (and cursing) are more useful but I do like the on-the-fly and packability of Mr. Chomps.

Hey bcrider - what's the story with the touring brackets in that pic?

BCrider... what a gear whore you are ... P.S. I heart gear whores

I've got dual climbing bars on my splitter. Just because something is made for skiers doesn't mean that snowboarders can't use it too. I mounted a set of G3 heel pads (w/ dual bars) on my Divide and it works flawlessly. I agree, though, the split specific model is less bulky and appears to be a bit lighter.

.........Oh, and Fuse FTW. The Light Rails don't look all that durable. I've broken at least three pairs of BM "Step Ins" (the all aluminum models) over the years and that base looks like failure to me. They're definitely a step in the right direction for Voile and I'm sure they'll work for 95% of the folks out there, just not for someone who's 6'5" and 230# without gear (me ).

Trivia Factoid: "Trax" is the name of the "Light Rail" system here in Salt Lake.....

So what happens when you pull the "avy rip cord" on one binding but miss the other? Too bad it's not one pull for both bindings. Boo on the rip cord idea.

Think the Fuse II will include a swiss cheese baseplate?

x2!

Here's my take. First off, I respect innovators of the sport, and Will is just that in my opinion. Voile have their part in it too, and I think it's good for any business to put products out to push the envelope with respects to engineering improvements, etc. Also, it'll attract other splitters, which I think is great for the community.

That being said, here's my only gripe. I don't know if Will has an agreement with Voile when he put his binding out, and he doesn't seem to have a patent of "the splitboard binding" in the same way that Voile has a patent on the "splitboard". I just hope they (voile) are being supportive to him as an integral part of the industry, and move to being supportive to new split companies coming up, rather than scrubbing them off with huge licensing fees, and simple "no, we aren't selling licenses to any new companies". Just my opinion. Business is business I guess, but let's not ruin the sport with dollar signs like the snowboarding industry. again, just my opinion.

that heel tab on the voile set up looks like the same thing as the slider plate. the ease with which my slider tabs have been cracking makes me wonder about the wisdom of repeating the design on the binding.