# Who uses all the extra BS?



## Motogp990 (Mar 10, 2013)

Powhunter said:


> What's up guys. I notice there is a ton of extra accessories and crap available for the split, and I'm curious if you guys find it useful/worth the money. I'm talking stuff like tail clips, heel locks, "love glove" skin holders, crampons, etc. Seems like there is a ton of extra stuff that can add up, and I'm on the fence if any of it is worth it.


My g3 skins came with tail clips and a love glove, so I didn't pay any extra and I don't feel like a love glove has a significant weight penalty to not use it.

Heel lockers aren't absolutely necessary imo. I bought them because I suck going downhill in tour mode and I'm trying to suck a little less.

I don't have crampons however they are on my list of things to buy, depending on how much more I gravitate to splitting vs resort. Other potential things on my list are verts and ice axes.

That being said, I'm not a super seasoned split boarder and 90% of my splitting so far has been more side country instead of true back country.


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## Alonzo (Dec 30, 2015)

It all depends on the terrain and conditions in which you ride. If the mountains you ride are right next to the road, you won't need heel locks, but if you have to skin in for a while before you begin your ascent and there is a lot of up and down along the way, they may be worth it. Similarly, if you only plan to chase blower pow days or only shred the trees, you probably won't need crampons. If you have to skin up steep crusts or dust-on-crust situations, you may want them. 

The rabbit hole runs deep. Your gear choices should be a product of how deep into the shit you're planning to venture.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm with moto in the side country and basically still a newbs and idk wut a love glove is. However have crampons, locks, tail clips, volie straps for skin holders are really pretty minimum and not much weight for the convenience. To me you don't need all the crap most of the time....until you need it and then it can be essential for having a better tour. Several years ago did my first real tour at Steven's with Killz etal. They handed me my ass all day...but I could see "its better to have, than have not if shit gets real".


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## Powhunter (May 10, 2015)

Word. Good night info from all. I want to get to a point where I can do long tours, but at the beginning I doubt I'll need most of it. That's one thing I noticed with Spark - the bindings are bare bones, and if you want any extra features, you're buying something extra.


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## SGboarder (Jun 24, 2012)

Need:
- Tail clips. There is a reason that most quality skins these days have clips: Decent chance that the skin glue will fail at some point (water, debris, temperature…) and it truly sucks.
- Voile/BD/Dakine/Backcountry straps: As essential as duct tape in toolbox.

Optional
- Crampons and heel locks: Depending on conditions/where you ride can be a (very) nice to have or never get used…


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## Powhunter (May 10, 2015)

SGboarder said:


> Need:
> - Tail clips. There is a reason that most quality skins these days have clips: Decent chance that the skin glue will fail at some point (water, debris, temperature…) and it truly sucks.
> - Voile/BD/Dakine/Backcountry straps: As essential as duct tape in toolbox.
> 
> ...


Solid recommendation on the Voile straps! :thumbsup:


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Powhunter said:


> Word. Good night info from all. I want to get to a point where I can do long tours, but at the beginning I doubt I'll need most of it. That's one thing I noticed with Spark - the bindings are bare bones, and if you want any extra features, you're buying something extra.


Got spark afterburners...the nice thing is Will and Co try to make things so that you can upgrade and retrofit parts without buying a whole new setup...like I added the flip and rip highbacks last year. At this point I'll run the rig into the ground before getting another set-up...and at my rate it should last me some years.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

SGboarder said:


> Need:
> - Tail clips. There is a reason that most quality skins these days have clips: Decent chance that the skin glue will fail at some point (water, debris, temperature…) and it truly sucks.
> - Voile/BD/Dakine/Backcountry straps: As essential as duct tape in toolbox.
> 
> ...


+1

Depending on the tour, crampons can be a must, not only a nice to have. They can make the difference if you make it to the top or stay below. If you don't wanna get split crampons, you can also get/borrow boot crampons to bootpack such sections. For some tours, I carry both.

I've never needed them in Japan (rather non-steep terrain, no glaciers, fresh snow), also not on freshies days at home, but for spring touring in high alpine, if glaciers come into play, long traverses over steep crusts, ascending windblown steep icy tops? They'll be an essential part of the gear.

Heel locks are sort of a nice to have. When I have to get over long flat sections, I wish I had them.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I haven't bothered with heel locks and I have been splitboarding for over 16 years now. 

Ski crampons. You will probably need them at some point. I recommend getting them. It is not something I carry in my pack every day either. I don't usually break them out until springtime. When I know I'll be touring on firm snow. There are a few winter approaches I'll bring them along for too. 

Generally speaking, you don't want them all that often. When you want them though, you really, really want them. Ski crampons can turn a terrifying traverse into no problem.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I haven't bothered with heel locks and I have been splitboarding for over 16 years now. 

Ski crampons. You will probably need them at some point. I recommend getting them. It is not something I carry in my pack every day either. I don't usually break them out until springtime. When I know I'll be touring on firm snow. There are a few winter approaches I'll bring them along for too. 

Generally speaking, you don't want them all that often. When you want them though, you really, really want them. Ski crampons can turn a terrifying traverse into no problem.


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## SnowBum (Sep 27, 2011)

On almost every tour I've been on there have been long and mild or short and steep downhill sections. They suck in tour mode, and for the longer ones I've found myself in ride mode using ski poles and hopping on flat sections until I'm exhausted. I just picked up heel locks for this reason. 

As for crampons, you don't need them most of the time, but in crusty conditions like spring, when you _should_ be heading out in the early, early morning when it's crusty and nasty, they can be very important (for safety reasons and better snow, you want to start riding down _as soon as the snow starts to soften up_, and not much later). It's pretty awful to start slipping somewhere icy because your skins aren't gripping.


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## Rip154 (Sep 23, 2017)

Straps to tie boots to highbacks on traverses and overall better touring, and various needs, theres always something. Boot crampons is usually better and faster than ski crampons when it's firm enough to use them, or it's just so steep that you need those anyways. Ice axe for self arrest if really sketchy terrain, but then you travel with a group and can borrow that stuff, or you climb alot and won't need to ask. Usually better with the support from poles when using crampons. Glue skins together and roll them up, no bags. Skin wax is always nice and gonna try those zip strips this year, dunno yet.


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## 98474 (Nov 16, 2014)

Tried the heel lockers on my surges for 2 days and they were determined too be more dangerous than advantageous. Crampons are always good to have, because that one time you need them you wont have them and have to cut the tour short. 

+1 on the Voile straps, 2 20" straps FTW. 

Free your heel and free your mind!


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