The 8 Best Touring & Backcountry Ski Bindings of 2023-2024
By: Jordan Berde: Ski Buyer | October 10, 2023
The most important (and often overlooked) part of any backcountry ski setup are the touring bindings. And few pieces of gear have seen as much growth and innovation in recent years as backcountry touring bindings. The best touring bindings are lightweight but reliable. They’re efficient on the up but transmit power effectively on the way down. They’re not fazed by ice or steep skin tracks. Their risers need to be easy to use, and they need to be straightforward to transition from skiing to hiking and back. That’s a pretty impressive list of demands for a humble backcountry ski binding.
New This Year:
The 2024 panorama of touring ski bindings reflects a remarkable evolution aimed at bridging the gap between the minimalist low-tech bindings and the heavier hybrid counterparts. The advent of beefed-up "low-tech" bindings is a significant stride towards achieving a harmonious balance between lightweight construction and robust performance. These revamped bindings, light enough for a hassle-free ascent to the summit, now come with more substantial heel pieces equipped with DIN settings, ensuring a confidence-inspiring descent. This thoughtful fusion of lightness and reliability addresses the quintessential demand for a binding that supports both the uphill journey and the exhilarating downhill adventure. The emergence of this middle ground is a testament to the industry's commitment to continual innovation, striving to cater to the nuanced preferences of touring enthusiasts while making it easier to shop for touring bindings. With these enhanced low-tech bindings, the 2024 season promises a more enjoyable and reassuring touring experience, encouraging adventurers to explore the backcountry with a newfound sense of confidence and ease.
Atomic Backland Summit 12
The Atomic Backland Summit 12 Ski Bindings with Brakes are a new design based on the tried-and-true Backland toepiece and a new heel with fully adjustable release values and a 4mm fore aft elastic travel built in. This allows the user to fine tune the release, and allows for a more consistent interface between boot and binding as the ski flexes, all with a weight penalty of less than 10 grams.
| DIN | Indiv. Binding Weight | Original Price |
| 12 | 395 g | $599.95 |
Cast Touring FreeTour Upgrade Kit
The list of pros, bros, and big people who trust their lives to the CAST system is legion. If you're looking for a way to tour with a tech toepiece and still use your normal Look Pivot 15 or 18 bindings for the downhill, this is the way to go. The Cast Touring FreeTour Upgrade Kit includes almost everything you need to make your Pivot bindings touring-capable - toe pedestals, tech touring toepieces, brake retainers with climbing aids, and toe shims - you supply the Look bindings and boots with tech toe fittings. An AFD (Anti-Friction Device) compatible with your boot sole type must be ordered separately.
| DIN | Indiv. Binding Weight | Original Price |
| 15-18 | 15: 995 g, 18: 999 g | $300.00 |
Dynafit ST Rotation 10
The Dynafit ST Rotation 10 Alpine Touring Ski Bindings combine user friendly operation with downhill performance that rivals much beefier bindings for consistency, reliability, and snow feel. Built with a rotating toe piece and 10mm of forward pressure, the ST Rotation 10s are designed to absorb chatter for a smoother ride in variable snow without fear of potentially dangerous pre-release. The rotating toe has been redesigned with a self centering mechanism for easier step in, and 3 flippable climbing aids make uphill travel a breeze.
| DIN | Indiv. Binding Weight | Original Price |
| 10 | 599 g | $649.95 |
ATK Raider 13 Evo
Already having made a name for themselves as "best in class" in the lightweight tech binding category, ATK refuses to rest on their laurels and the new ATK Raider 13 Evo Alpine Touring Ski Bindings exemplify their commitment to improving the breed. The EVO series employs a new toepiece that's easier to step in to and is adjustable for both locked (touring mode) and unlocked (ski mode) release strength, allowing the user to adjust it perfectly for their weight and skiing style. The new heel employs and "Automatic Braking System®" activated by rotating the heel unit rather than the previous push-in lever. As with other ATK bindings, the ease of step-in and accuracy of release is unparalleled due to the use of their patented Cam Release System® heel pins.
| DIN | Indiv. Binding Weight | Original Price |
| 13 | 370 g | $699.95 |
Marker Duke PT 13
Meat huckers, hard chargers and Clydesdales who need touring capability, your time is now. The Marker Duke PT 13 Alpine Touring Ski Bindings have you covered, with full alpine retention and tech touring handled by one ingenious convertible toepiece combined with a more-or-less alpine heel. Pull the toepiece cover forward to reveal a set of tech toe pins for your uphill pleasure (the cover is removeable to shed some weight); snap the cover back down to turn it into an alpine toe to shred. Simple, dependable and just what you need when the stakes are high and sketchy retention is out of the question.
| DIN | Indiv. Binding Weight | Original Price |
| 13 | 500 g (uphill), 650 g (downhill) | $649.99 |
Marker Cruise 12
The new Marker Cruise 12 Alpine Touring Ski Bindings provide a greener, simpler alternative to the classic tech binding solutions, along with full independent horizontal and vertical release value adjustment. Using the tried-and-true Alpinist toe but with an all-new heel of recycled and bio-based plastic, the Cruise bindings offer easier step in, elastic heel travel, and only a very slight weight increase.
| DIN | Indiv. Binding Weight | Original Price |
| 12 | 475 g | $649.99 |
Marker Alpinist 10
The Marker Alpinist 10 Alpine Touring Ski Bindings are perfect for almost anyone on the skin track. They're definitely ultralight bindings, and most people would place them squarely on the "uphill" side of the inevitable uphill vs. downhill touring spectrum. But don't think of them as some specialized tool for only skimo racers. To be fair, something like 90 percent of your backcountry day is on the uphill side too. And for that majority of the day, these bindings will have you smiling and gliding your way along the skin track. On the way down, the Alpinist 10 is a sturdy and reliable performer, and your legs will be too, with plenty of gas left in the tank from their eased burden on the ascent.
| DIN | Indiv. Binding Weight | Original Price |
| 10 | 270 g | $499.99 |
Marker F5 Jr Tour
A new frame binding option aimed at the youth tourer, the Marker F5 Jr Tour Alpine Touring Ski Bindings use a composite frame like the Duke and Baron but with the locking latch at the rear rather than underneath. With an easy-going DIN range of 1.5 to 5, this is a touring option that will let the smaller skier rock the same binding they use at the resort on family tours.
| DIN | Indiv. Binding Weight | Original Price |
| 5 | 445 g | $279.99 |
Learn More With Our Other Ski Guides:
Skis - Kids' Size Chart and Buyer's Guide
Skis - Rocker Technology Explained
Ski Bindings – How to Choose & DIN Setting Chart
Ski Boots - Sizing & Buyer's Guide
Ski Boots - Boot Sole & Ski Binding Compatibility
Ski Boots – How to Make Your Boots Fit Better
Ski Poles - Size Chart
Skiing - Beginner Skiing Tips
Skiing - How to Fly With Skis
Skiing - How to Get in Shape
Ski Maintenance - Base Repair
Ski Maintenance – How to Store for the Summer
Ski Maintenance – How to Tune
Ski Maintenance – How to Wax
Gloves & Mittens - How to Choose
Goggles - How to Choose
Goggles - Wearing Goggles with Glasses
Helmets - How to Choose & Fit Guide
Outerwear - What to Wear Skiing & Snowboarding
Outerwear - How to Wash Waterproof Jackets & Clothing
Outerwear - Regional Ski & Snowboard Guide
Ski Socks - Sizing & Buyer's Guide
Avalanche Probes - How to Choose
Backcountry - Choosing an Avalanche Airbag Pack
Backcountry - Choosing an Avalanche Beacon
Backcountry - Climbing Skins Size Guide
Backcountry - Dynafit / Tech Binding Basics
Backcountry - How to Buy Alpine Touring Bindings
Backcountry - How to Buy Alpine Touring Ski Boots
Backcountry - How to Choose an Avalanche Shovel
Backcountry - How to Choose Climbing Skins
Backcountry Backpacks - How to Choose
Backcountry Basics - How to Get Started
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The Selection Process:
Our ski buyers have an endless amount of knowledge on all things skiing stemming from years of experience in the ski industry in tandem with their countless hours spent on slopes everywhere from groomers to the remote backcountry around the world. evo's buyers assess all products coming to market, lean into this knowledge, and put together this selection of the best products. They have a unique perspective as they truly see everything offered across the category.
Jordan Berde
Jordan (she/her) is a Ski Buyer at evo. Before working in this role, she worked at the evo Denver store for two years, where she began as a bootfitter and quickly moved into Store Lead and then Store Supervisor roles. Prior to evo, Jordan worked as a bootfitter at other shops, a mountain bike instructor for kiddos in Colorado, a ski patroller in Alaska, and a liftie in Taos. She's an avid backcountry skier and ski mountaineer and recently summited Mt. Baker as a fundraiser for SheJumps, a non-profit committed to getting more women involved in the outdoors.She started sliding on snow later than most (in her late 20s), but now she’s the friend getting up at 4 am to make sure she can get a dawn patrol lap in before work! Jordan is passionate about diversity and inclusion and making outdoor activities more inclusive to all genders, races, and ability levels. When she's not skiing, Jordan is likely on her mountain bike exploring all that Colorado and Washington have to offer with her wife. Some say she never stops moving…