Salomon MTN + Brake Alpine Touring Ski Bindings 2020

The earliest tech bindings featured a swappable "U" spring and a stripped-down design with very few moving parts. It was a pretty good idea; some of those bindings are still in use today. Salomon brings back the best of the old-school and adds a few modern touches with the Salomon MTN + Brake Alpine Touring Ski Bindings, and we're glad they did. Unlike early "U" spring heels and most current race bindings, the MTN heel body pivots underneath the binding top plate so the flippable lifters are always pointing forward. Some other welcome changes are the wider 40 mm footprint, a full 30 mm of fore/aft heel adjustment (handy for those with more than one pair of tech boots in the quiver), and three release value options (you need to swap the spring to change release value). At just under 400 grams for the version with brakes, the MTN is a minimalist touring binding with the guts to survive some seriously rigorous use.