Line should have called this ski the snow seeking missile instead of the Prophet 115, but, who am I to argue.

Me:
193#
5'8"
Aggressive skier
186cm mounted on the line with Marker Dukes

Conditions:

Everything on the map except for blower powder.

Review: This ski destroys everything in it's path. It LOVES to go straight but has no issue turning as well. It is more of a GS turn than a touring turn. It is stable in the crud, chop, three week old mank, and at the highest speed you can get it to on the groomers. It has NO speed limit. I straight lined lines I never had before and actually was wishing I could make the ski go faster...it is incredibly stable. In manky three week old chopped powder with ice underneath it was stable as anything, but, did require some effort and power to make them turn fast. I did not get to ski them in powder, so, I will supplement this review when I have a chance to ski them in the powder.

Final notes: This is a powerful ski that likes to charge. That said, it has no issue shutting down when it needs to. You have to put effort into the turns you are going to make. Definitely not a ski for a beginner, but, if you are confident and like to go fast and hard, this is the ski for you. The metal matrix makes this ski so stable torsionally it is sick. It is so easy to straight-line is these that you will be amazed. It destoys any inconsistency in front of you. The only area this ski did not excel was, fo figure, moguls.

End Note: If you are looking for a quiver of one and you tend more towards the charging than the turning, this ski is for you!

Rode this three days in the last week and love it! Took some getting used to at first, especially coming from BD Zealots. But, once you are used to them, they are a ton of fun! Did some pillow busting, followed by some fast groomers and crud (yup, railed through the crud with no problem), and ended with some leftover powder stashes and drops. These skis are great and I am really glad I got them. I am 5'8", 190#, and the ski handled me just fine, even at high speed. I even got into a tuck and pointed it from top of the mountain to the bottom and they were still really responsive and playful. Definetly not that fast edge to edge on the groomers, but, at 115 underfoot they were insanely versatile and a ton of fun. I can see where some hard chargers would fine some aspects to be desired, but, if you prefer a fun, playful ski that can do it all, look no further! I mounted mine on the recommended line and they have been GREAT! They don't sink in the pow, and as a matter of fast, if you watch the tips as you go through powder fast, you can see the tips "rocker" underneeath your feet, lifting you to the surface.
All in all, a great ski!

As a resort skier who trends to the side-country and easily accessed backcountry, this binding is all that I need. I do admit there is a weakness in the AFD, though I have not personally broken one (knock on wood) and I know a few people who have. If adjusted properly, they are bomber and the best binding for side-country and easily accessed backcountry. For long and/or steep tours, they are not the greatest. They could really use a longer climbing bar, as the height on the current one is not sufficient past 30 degrees. They are super easy to mount with the included template!
Still, and awesome-kick ass binding that is solid all around!

I liked the Zealot because it had some stiffness with some rocker! Great in all conditions but definetly designed for powder and chopped up powder. Not what I would call a turny ski, though it was not that hard to crank out some touring turns. It was great in the powder, with the rocker lifting it up in the snow but not too much. Your body position will determine the depth. Good on groomers, but you have to have them at top speed to really get a good arcing turn out of them. Not what I would call turny on groomers, but, with enough speed they felt stable and a lot like a GS ski. Blaseted through the crud and landed drops well. Really appreciated the shoter length (182) at my height and weight (5'7"/180#). Tried them one icy bumps, and they held their own.
Awesome ski overall! A definete single quiver option if you seek powder most of the time.

I rode the Justice on several powder days in Colorado (the few we have had) and they are awesome in the powder. Some of the best performance I have seen out of a ski with these dimensions. However, that is about all they are good for...powder. They are squirrely on the groomers and in the chop at speed. They are ubder flexy in the tips, so going through anything but powder can be dicey, but managable, at speed. They aren't great on anything firm. It is, as Black Diamond said, a backcountry powder ski, but definetly limited in all other departments.

Another solid ski from 4Frnt!
Rode these five days so far this year and am amazed at how versatile they are in all situations. I have ridden them in sierra cement and waist deep fluff and they rock in the powder. The turning radius felt a bit longer than 28m (188), but, they could still be negotiated just fine. I took them through powdery moguls and they still rocked it. Good performance on groomers for their size. Very playful, with tips and tails that just will NOT sink! Took them out on an ice day and they held their own, but, definetly not the stick for icy conditions.
All in all, this is a awesome all-moutain ski with a serious pull towards powder!

By far the best ski in 4Frnt's lineup, and perhaps one of the best (and most underrated) skis of the last three years. The dimensions have stayed the same, and for good reason, this ski is a perfect, do-it-all, mountain ripper. I have had my 2008's for two seasons now and couldn't be happier! They tour great, and very durable, are very good for the size on groomers, great in the crud, and stiff enough for most anything but with enough flex to float wonderfully in the powder. I also enjoy seeing a company making a ski in the 182-184 range. They float very well and can make long arc turns or short touring turns.

If you are looking for one ski to do it all, trust in the VCT.

The Duke is a great binding, provided that you know (or a competent MARKER tech) how to set them up properly. The toe height is tricky to get perfect, especially with rockered alpine touring soles. Asides from that, these bindings are excellent! For touring, a higher heel bar would have been cool, but, this binding is not designed for multi-day tours or long, steep approaches. It is what it is marketed to be, a side-country and short-backcountry binding that performs just as well, if not better, than 90% of the alpine bindings on the market. No slop or play on the down, and they can drive any sort of ski that it will fit. I have three pairs of Dukes and a pair of Barons and so far have no complaints!

Overall, this jacket is awesome. I am 5'8", 180#, and the large fits perfectly. It is cut to a great length, not too long, not too short. I replaced all the cheap plastic snaps with heavy duty metal ones before I even wore the jacket and that was a piece of cake. Made the jacket's snaps much more durable. Very warm, somewhat water resistant (gets slightly water-logged along the cuffs and at the bottom of the jacket, which is not uncommon), and very functional. Pockets are cut well and are in good locations, and the goggle pocket is great for touring. The pit zips definitely vent heat (I was actually able to tour in this jacket). My beef is that the powder skirt is way too loose. In blower conditions the snow does end up above the skirt, which is not big deal, since I wear bibs with it. Also, the zipper can be a bit of a pain to operate, especially with gloves, but you just have to get the hang of it. Overall, a great jacket that could use a few tweaks!

Much better value than the Patagucci down jackets!

Well, what can I say that has not already been said! This ski is great! As excellent on groomers and hardpack as a 100+ waisted ski can be, excellent in the chop and crud, and it tears apart any sort of powder you can throw at it. So far I have had it in a variety of situations and cannot say enough good about it. I also aired off a small wind pillow only to land in a small rock field. While the bases definetly needed a tune afterwards, there were NO core shots and the edges took the abuse like a champ! After the tune, the looked and skied like new! One thing that I don't like about them is they are a little planky feeling, though this might be due to my mount point (on the recommended line). All in all, if you are looking for ONE ski to do it all, the VCT is the ticket! They ski a little short, so, go up a size if you plan on using them in soft snow. They are pretty responsive edge to edge for a 100+ ski, but, still retain float!

It doesn't get much better than the VCT!

This binding is by far the best AT binding on the market...bar none! The Marker Dukes cannot hold a candle to it in terms of durability, sensitivity, and quality of manufacture. While I do agree that for a touring only setup they are a little heavy when compared to Dynafits, they are good for those who head to the mountain and are not sure if they will play inbounds, slip into the sidecountry, or fully drop into the backcountry for an afternoon of fun. This one binding will do it all and then a little more should you ask it to. I want to address some of the "issues" that people have had with them. Firstly, MAKE SURE you get them setup by someone who knows how to set them up. Notice, I don't say bring it to any ski shop...you need a shop that knows how to adjust them perfectly for your BSL (boot sole length), your DIN, and also the toe height. If any of these are out of adjustment, then the binding can ski really sloppy and not feel tight. Also, it can be flat out dangerous. In addition, don't kick the fronts of your bindings to get the snow off your boots...it can lead to stress fracture which can eventually send you flying out of your toe retainer. Like all great ski items, it has one weakness, and that is you can't kick the heck out of it trying to get snow off your boots. Asides from that, they are better than the Dukes, tour as well as Dynafits, and flat out ROCK!

Ok, these boots are awesome, but, they DO take some teaking to get them right where you need them in terms of fit. First, measure your foots length in terms of centimeters. Place a piece of paper against a wall, then, place your heel against the same wall and slowly put your foot down on the piece of paper. You want to BE SURE that the paper is flush with the wall, or else, your sizing could be off. Then, mark the end of your longest toe and measure the length in centimeters. This is nowhere near as accurate as shell fitting, but, if you are looking here at Backcountry, you can't shell fit, now can you. The volume can be tricky to take care of. Once I got mine, I saw a professional boot fitter and got custom footbeds made and that was that. Great boots, great touring mode...top notch all around.

I just got this jacket. I really like the design and it seems really well manufactured. The pocket layout is awesome and they seams are well constructed and well designed. However, be forwarned, this jacket runs LARGE! I am a 16.5" neck, 41" chest, and 34" sleeve and I am swimming around in mine! If you find youself on the borderline between two sizes, order the smaller size!

Still, awesome jacket and I can't wait to try it out.

Excellent rope. The impact force is really low, which makes long whippers more comfortable. However, be prepared for higher than normal elongation...this rope likes to stretch during a fall.
The sheath is pretty durable, but, will still fray up if you climb in an area prone to trashing ropes.
It handles very well and goes through a grigri without a problem.
Overall, the only thing this rope leaves desirable is a little better durability in the sheath. Still...one of the best ropes I have ever owned.