Nordic Touring Gear

Featured review by Troy Church

Middle Aged Couple loves their Altai Hok Skis.

I bought one pair of 145cm Hoks and one pair of 125cm Hoks, both with universal bindings, for my wife (54 yrs & 135lbs) and myself (58 yrs & 185lbs).  My wife has moderate downhill skiing experience, and I have never been on skis.  We bought them to explore our property in Alaska February 2024. My wife was hesitant at first, but quickly adapted to the skis now says she would choose them over any standard skis for general use.  I was convinced they were the best ski for us before I purchased them, and I have not been disappointed overall.

Read more: Altai Skis Hok reviews (4)

Featured review by Frado Lopiccolo

If you're looking for an excellent set of XC skis, I recommend the Fischer Spider 62's. These skis can be used on groomed XC trails and especially off-trails. The full metal edge will give you the grip you need while in the backcountry trails, indeed.

Well, here goes, my review of my Fischer Spiders XC skis. I recently picked them up at REI Outfitters in Troy, Michigan. As a matter of fact, I picked them up the day after Michigan was dumped on by the first major snowfall in 2017! When I walked into REI I went right for the skis. I didn't know the difference between any of the brand named skis that REI sold, but for some reason I was attracted to the Fisher Spider 62's. I told the salesman that I wanted a packaged ski deal and he went right to work educating me on the various ski items I would need.

Read more: Fischer Spider 62 reviews (2)

Reviewed by Siltloam

These are the perfect beginner's skis. They're durable without being too heavy. They slide well and you don't have to worry about waxing (time and money saving). They're good for several different skiing situations.

This was really my first season skiing. In the past I've rented skis for the once or twice I would go out in a year. These skis do resemble those that many places may rent.  They're very easy to use. Waxless: One less thing to learn when you're just starting out. Good Balance: Slightly wider so it's easier to balance. They feel really durable, but also light under your feet. Sometimes the rental models I got felt so heavy. Versatile: Handle well enough on groomed and ungroomed surfaces, which turned out to be important as my favorite park's tracks were often intermittent.

Read more: Salomon Snowscape 7 review (1)

Reviewed by Gareth Davies

Ultimate off-trail x-country boot.

I have been an avid nordic skier for more than 30 years. My everyday skiing is off-trail x-country through rolling terrain (with the occasional steep climb and decent). Although I appreciate 75mm telemark equipment when I truly need it; I find it agonizingly inefficient compared to NNNBC for most of the skiing I do. Recently I have struggled to find the perfect boot. I have tried the Rossi BC line; like it; but not enough support. I have been using the Fischer BCX6 for two seasons; love the performance; but they hurt my feet.

Read more: Alpina Alaska NNN BC review (1)

Featured review by John Ouellette

I use these on Alpina Trackers and find them to be an awesome BC binding. They do not freeze up like an Auto. Yes, you have to bend over to release them but they always open and close and provide a good connection to the ski, and the binding plate gives you a bump up in control over the standard BC bindings.

Read more: Rottefella NNN BC Magnum reviews (2)

Reviewed by John Ouellette

I rented these at REI after my first few rentals at an XC center. I found them to be a pretty good, forgiving BC boot for beginners and intermediate XC skiers. They are warmer than they appear and provide a decent mount to the ski. I used them with Fischer BC Country Crown skis and used them in both set tracks at a center and also off-track in a state park, following snowmobile trails, fire roads, old rail beds and singletrack. I used them in a fresh 8-inch dumping of snow and was out for 5+ hours.

Read more: Rossignol BC X5 review (1)

Featured review by Mikko Leinonen

Good value for money. Good overall boots for rolling in fells.

Bought these boots to replace 20-year-old Asolo telemark boots. My usage is around 75% of skiing and 25% of downhill so the flex is perfect for my rolling in nearby fells. Now after <100 km of skiing these boots are breaking in properly. Heel keeps in place quite well after switching to waxed laces instead of cotton ones. Coldest temperature of using these boots has been around -10° Celsius and no frostbites with one liner sock. Sizing: My shoe size is normally EUR 42,5 to 43 but after reviews I ordered size EUR 42 and that's a perfect fit with one sock.

Read more: Alpina Alaska 75 reviews (3)

Reviewed by BigRed

A light, wide touring ski with deep sidecut but lacking steel edges that delivers a balanced blend of touring and turning performance. Intended for hunters and dog owners that want to avoid injuring their dogs, it also works well for backcountry skiers that stick to soft snow conditions. Compatible with lightweight short skins.

Åsnes Kongsvold Jakt Old Ralphie, our German Shepherd-Border Collie mix, was my best bud on many a mountain hike, but I often had to leave him behind on ski mountaineering trips, depending a bit on partners and conditions. He had a bad habit of running zigzag in front of me, and early on in our life together caught his leg with a ski edge and cut it pretty badly. So if I figured I’d be skiing in conditions when that might happen again, I’d leave him at home. Ralph went off to that great mountain in the sky back in 2016, and just last September, we adopted Harley, the same mix, but a big bigger and more rambunctious.

Read more: Åsnes Kongsvold Hunter review (1)

Reviewed by BC Heath

Lightweight and responsive. Enough flex to make for acceptable kick n’ glide, stiff enough to minimize foundering in powder.

These are currently my go-to ski for solo outings. They provide a quick escape down local forestry management roads, meadows, snow-covered riverbeds, exploring rolling terrain, and gliding down gentle slopes. I’ve set them up with a Telebry release plate, Voile 3-pin bindings, and cables from Rottefella Chili telemark bindings (love that heel lever) for the descents. I may add a climbing wire (likely Voile) this year. I’ve covered a lot of miles on these skis and I’m looking forward to even more this year.

Read more: Alpina Discovery 80 review (1)

Featured review by Oscar

Fast looking skis, great kick, a little grabby sometimes.

I received my Skintecs a couple of weeks ago. They are the longer and softer type, and my weight is just above the middle of the ski's weight range. I have been using the thinner mohair inserts. The first thing I noticed is that, to glide I have to weight my heels. Some days the glide has been decent that way. Other days, it hasn't been without some friction. It may be that I have not waxed for every condition I have encountered, but it seems it may be the mohairs touching the snow during the glide phase.

Read more: Atomic Skintec Classic reviews (3)