– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures

– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog

Banner
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures
   

Garmont Made Tech Inserts — The Story Continues

by Lou Dawson May 6, 2010
written by Lou Dawson May 6, 2010

Well, the grand faux pas of Salomon a few weeks ago with their bad tech inserts has opened the door to all sorts of classic marketing positioning by other companies. Garmont in particular has really gone after it, with press about making their own fittings they say are superior to others on the market.

caption

Garmont boot heel tech insert, showing improved screw and tight fitting attachment posts.

In particular regarding tech fittings, while the toe fittings tend to be very reliable, we have indeed noticed that on rare occasions boot heel fittings loosen or fall off. As a result, for hard core users we’ve been recommending you remove the fittings, then re-install with JB-Weld to take up any slack and resulting micro-movement in the fit of the fitting to the milled out slot in the boot. Instructions here.

Pouncing on that small weakness like a bird of prey, some time ago Garmont switched to a longer screw with a thread pitch specific to plastic (less likely to back itself out). More importantly, they reduced the diameter of the holes where the inserts attachment posts insert into the boot plastic. As a result the insert has to be hammered into place with a rubber mallet — a tight fit that eliminates almost all shear force on the screw.

Small improvements such as these reap big rewards in reliability for consumers — and make good PR for the company. Win win.

12 comments
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
previous post
Jury Duty — 5 Point Film Festival Awards 2010
next post
Scarpa Maestrale — Light Stiff 4-Buckle Backcountry Skiing Boot

12 comments

Matt May 6, 2010 - 11:02 am

If using a plastic specific screw is a bid deal, then what are the other boot manufacturers using? Whatever screws they found at the bottom of their tool box?

Lou May 6, 2010 - 11:42 am

Well, perhaps some of them will chime in and let us know…

Johnny May 6, 2010 - 12:30 pm

Coarse thread is not “plastic” specific.
It is a good choice for plastic and other
materials without a certain level of pullout
strength.
I would think that a dab of true polyurethane
“caulk” applied to the screw hole would be
good as a “locking” measure.

Me May 6, 2010 - 12:50 pm

Funny info… screws are not supplied with Dynafit inserts… it’s a choice of the boot manufacturers … also the hole diameter on the shell it’s not supplied by Dynafit..
Second if maybe 0,001% of Dynafit compatible boots lose heel insert I would not consider it a problem of the system but a user lack of care of his equipment…
Who of you is a mountain biker? how many seasons do you ride your MTB without checkin your bar/stem screws? or withouth cleaning and oiling your chain?…
In a pair of ski touring boot there is only one screw to check, that one… so plese just check it once at the end of the season, and nothinig will happen.

Jonathan Shefftz May 6, 2010 - 1:19 pm

The pitch on that Garmont screw sure looks very similar to the pitch on a Dynafit screw I’m holding right now. (And no, the screw didn’t fail, but rather it was salvaged from a pair of boots damaged in another way.)
The Garmont screw does have more threads though: 7 vs Dynafit’s 5.

Ome May 6, 2010 - 2:16 pm

Why not carry an extra heel piece and screw in your field repair kit? I’ve done plenty of miles on bailing wire, back when I was a t-geek, but real parts are always good. Does Dynafit sell extras?

XXX_er May 6, 2010 - 3:10 pm

“In a pair of ski touring boot there is only one screw to check, that one… so plese just check it once at the end of the season, and nothinig will happen.”

the hinge,the buckles,the forwardlean/walkmode mech have fasteners that IME also come loose add to that all the screws on whichever ski & binding you own … I check ALL mine monthly

IMO people who tour should check ALL those screws often AND carry a driver with bits to fit each fastener into the BC

and I do own bikes on which I do all the checks & maintenance on a regular basis …more than once a season

Lou May 6, 2010 - 4:00 pm

You guys are great. Yeah, perhaps a bit of “positioning” PR from Garmont, but they do make some points, especially the pins on the heel unit that are press fit. That’s really good to be doing in my experience.

John Gloor May 6, 2010 - 7:35 pm

Is there any reason why the heel piece cannot be a burly metal plate molded into the shell like the toe piece is? It seems like it could be molded it and then a machine could router away the plastic grooves. Having it pinned and screwed in seems kind of flimsy to me, but it has worked for years.

Lou May 6, 2010 - 8:19 pm

Gloor, I’m pretty sure that’s the way BD does it, very nice.

Thomas B May 6, 2010 - 9:29 pm

those extra threads sure do look heavy! :biggrin:

Michael Silitch May 10, 2010 - 1:01 am

Looks Good! I am glad the Garmont hardware is so beefy! That’s why my Radiums are so solid. I have thrashed my first pair of Radiums skiing off piste (chamonix, Zermatt, Italy, etc), heli (Switzerland and Italy), Steeps (Cosmique couloir, Marbree, etc), on piste (all over the Alps) and 2.5 seasons of 4-5 weeklong ski tours in the Alps(Orlter, Haute Route, Berner,etc) with plenty of rock scrambling and cramponning.
So, they are pretty thrashed after all that, especially the rock climbing part, and I have never had a problem with the hardware. The heel piece is totally solid and the toe is always easy to get in and out of.

Comments are closed.

Recent Comments

  • Jon Canuck on Meidjo 3.0 Binding Review – Backcountry Telemark Evolves
  • Joe Sedy on Giving Myself the Gift of Backcountry
  • Bil Brandt on Versatile and Sustainable — WNDR Vital 100 Ski Review
  • Idaho Dawg on Giving Myself the Gift of Backcountry
  • Mike on Versatile and Sustainable — WNDR Vital 100 Ski Review

Gear Reviews

  • Meidjo 3.0 Binding Review – Backcountry Telemark Evolves

    January 12, 2021
  • Tele Tech First Look — Voile Ultra Vector BC, 22 Designs Lynx, Scarpa TX Pro

    January 5, 2021
  • Petzl Irvis Hybrid Crampon Review

    January 4, 2021

Trip Reports

  • Finding Early Turns on Rainier’s Muir Snowfield

    November 14, 2020
  • Treading Lightly Through Close-to-Home Mountains

    October 6, 2020
  • Snoqualmie Classic — Chair Peak Circumnavigation

    May 26, 2020

Totally Deep Podcast

  • Risky Business — Zahan Billimoria on Solving for Z

    December 14, 2020
  • Totally Deep Podcast 81 — CAIC Director Ethan Greene

    December 9, 2020
  • Unraveling the Mysteries of Avalanche Education — Totally Deep Podcast 80

    November 16, 2020

Tips & Tricks

  • 10 Essential Mistakes for the Backcountry Ski Touring Beginner

    December 2, 2020
  • Buying Used Gear Guide Part II — Poles, Avy Gear, Packs

    November 25, 2020
  • Save Your Ski Day — Emergency Car Kit Essentials

    November 24, 2020

Ski Touring Stories

  • Six Who Dared — Elk Mountains Traverse & Richard Compton Tribute

    January 7, 2021
  • Risky Business — Zahan Billimoria on Solving for Z

    December 14, 2020
  • A Lifetime of Skiing the Heights — Natural Progression Book Review

    December 11, 2020

Newsletter Sign-Up

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • About Lou Dawson
  • Authors Page
  • About
  • Contact
  • Copyright & Legal
  • Website Security

@2020 - All Rights Reserved. Designed and Developed by WildSnow


Back To Top

Read alsox

Euro Puro Amoro — La Sportiva...

January 13, 2021

Griffin Post Stays Home — Totally...

January 10, 2021

Tele Tech First Look — Voile...

January 5, 2021