HB are better skinning anyway!!! and of course when kicking steps….

Exept going downhill. 😆 (hiding for barrows long rant about fruitboots superiority)

My riding could use quite some improvement actually, I may switch to hardboots afterall. 😉

@cometogether wrote:

snowboarding in them on the other hand isn’t as great.

Shenanigans, just a little different feel. When you figure out the feel, they are excellent, and I like them a ton.

I’m never going back.

Is a trash bag as effective as gore-tex in terms of waterproofness and breathability? Maybe I’ll start a separate thread…

The whole time I rode HBs, on the climbs, I wondered what all the fuss was about. I wasn’t any faster, they certainly aren’t more comfortable, I didn’t notice any reduction in weight manifested in feeling fresh at the top, etc. I didn’t see an improvement in climbing, but the annoyance on the descents was palpable, so I ‘de-evolved’. :thumpsup:

If they were better my skier buds would all kick my softbooting butt, but the opposite is true.

I made a rational assessment and decided I like softies. Others conclude the opposite. The only way to know is to try. Those who would spend all day trying to convince you your choice is wrong just had unhappy childhoods. :banghead:

@barrows wrote:

@Snurfer wrote:

Ask yourself this; how much money and time are you willing to part with? Is it worth the gamble to discover you don’t like the overall experience of both ascending and descending? Are the ascents you are likely to undertake, really that tough?

If money is no option I’d say give HBs a try. I certainly loved the tech toe pieces, but the boots and bindings (within my budget) were considerably heavier than my sparks and imperials. That and the overall touring experience was just off.

:twocents:

Let’s be careful not to spread confusing information though. with the right boots, Phantom bindings, and tech toe pieces, the hard boot system is considerably lighter than any soft boot set up. We are talking a couple of pounds here.
Yes, it is possible to get much heavier boots, but if one is going to enjoy a hard boot system, I would only recommend using light boots. See Summersgone’s independent weight analysis on his set up in his Phantom Bindings review thread. And one can go lighter as well.

Let’s be careful? Calm down Barrows, re-read my post – it is about cost to performance. If this is confusing it should be the least of ones concerns.
For the cost of your setup I could likely have two, or more complete (and varied) setups with comparable weight, and unlike your preferred kit; the selection from which to choose is quite varied.
Also consider the fact that not everyone’s touring entails the same demands as yours, therefor the net gain for some is going to be minimal relative to the cost incurred to get the specific gear you are referring to. That is my point. . .
So relax dude, I’m not calling anyone a kook or fruit booter, just giving the OP an alternate opinion. In my reality, cost analysis trumps weight analysis and I’m sure this reality extends to others on the forum.
Have a nice day :guinness:

@philip.ak wrote:

The whole time I rode HBs, on the climbs, I wondered what all the fuss was about. I wasn’t any faster, they certainly aren’t more comfortable, I didn’t notice any reduction in weight manifested in feeling fresh at the top, etc. I didn’t see an improvement in climbing, but the annoyance on the descents was palpable, so I ‘de-evolved’. :thumpsup:

If they were better my skier buds would all kick my softbooting butt, but the opposite is true.

I made a rational assessment and decided I like softies. Others conclude the opposite. The only way to know is to try. Those who would spend all day trying to convince you your choice is wrong just had unhappy childhoods. :banghead:

What setup were you using for HB? Using any random HB setup is not what I would call a rational assessment. The rest of your rant is anecdotal at best.

@ieism wrote:

@barrows wrote:

Suggesting that the weight of a hard boot system is more than that of a soft boot system is misleading and inaccurate.

It all depends what you are comparing. I absolutely love the Phantom bindings, I think it’s very cool to have such a quality item for splitboarders. If I was a serious climber and had tons of money I would consider it.
But you can’t say it’s always lighter than all softboot setups. Summersgone compared it to old Blazes with pretty heavy boots. Comparing it with a Magento/Carbon SL/Plum with some light Ride/32 boots and softboots might be lighter.

Hard vs. softboots will be an endless debate, just ride what you feel best on. It doesn’t really matter.

Of course, nothing is always lighter! hahahha. Someone could try and ride with some World Cup gate bashing boots, and it would be way heavier. But the FACT is, that the boots which work best (TLT5/6 or perhaps La Sportivas), and the bindings which work best (Phantom/Speed Ultralight) result in lighter system than any soft boot combo. Summersgone’s set up was not even close to being the lightest set up possible, as he uses adapters for his toe and heel pieces, one can easily save another quarter pound by direct mounting. And this does not even begin to discuss the benefit of the low weight on the foot in tour mode.

The FACT is there is no soft boot system which is lighter than a well sorted hard boot system.

People should ride what they choose, I have no problem with that. And I am not trying to convince anyone that they should switch to hard boots if they are not interested. But I am tired of seeing mis-information being spread by folks who have their FACTS wrong.