Nordic Touring Gear

Recent Nordic Touring Gear Reviews

Crispi Svartisen GTX BC

A solidly built, high-end NNN-BC boot that delivers on both touring and turning performance. The 2-buckle, hinged plastic ankle cuff boosts downhill control. A good choice for messing about in the Vermont woods or Norwegian style hut-to-hut touring with summits on the side. Back in the '90s, as plastic boots were rising to their current dominance in the backcountry ski world, I was a regular on rec.skiing.backountry, an online bulletin board for back country skiers. I was then and remain a proponent… Full review

Asnes Kongsvold Hunter

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… Full review

Alpina Discovery 80

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. Full review

Altai Skis Hok

These are a lightweight, maneuverable way to get off the beaten track and have snowfun. If you can walk, you can Hok :) I’ve had three seasons of Hok experience now, two with the Universal Binding, one with the three-pin binding. I find the Hoks to be superb for exploring. My wife and I enjoy wandering up frozen stream and river beds. The Hok has enough traction to climb up and enough glide to slide down. They offer a maneuverability in tight terrain my cross-country skis struggle in, a bit more… Full review

Alpina Men's BC 1550

These could be one of the best nnn bc boots out there if not for one major issue, as everyone else has also noticed. It's a shame, really. These are really good boots with just the right balance of flex and support, they're well constructed, have great materials and perform really well on bc skis. But the toe box, oh that stupid toe box. Seems to fold over when flexed, pushing down on the toes just like everyone else has said. I'm sure it could be broken in over time, but during that time would… Full review

Fischer Spider 62

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… Full review

Alpina Women's BC 1550

Exactly the same problem as another reviewer—blisters on big toes. There is a group of four of us that all have these boots and we all have this problem. I wouldn’t recommend these boots. Not only do I have blisters on my big toes but the backs of the boots rub on my heels causing terrible blisters. My friend got the red coloured ones and she says that they are much better. Full review

Fischer Spider 62

Excellent skis for track or light back-country. I've been xc skiing since I was a kid growing up in Michigan—50 years! I love these skis. With full metal edges, they are perfect for skiing on snowmobile tracks or in light powder. They have a nice side cut for easy turning, and are slender enough to use in classic tracks on the golf course as well. I can even skate with them! I let a friend who is fairly new to xc skiing use them once, and she immediately bought a pair. Same thing for my sister. Full review

Alpina Women's BC 1550

Warm boot, but the toe box collapsed putting pressure on the top of my right toes at each stride. I am currently shopping for a new boot due to the discomfort of these boots in the toe area. Full review