24" Sherpa Tech Featherweights, if I remember the model name correctly. These were made before Sherpa changed hands and quality dropped. I had the aggressive Tucker binding put on them, and they've served me well climbing the ADK 46 2x. However, a few weeks ago, I loaned them to a friend lighter than I on an easy outing, and one frame broke. I think I've had them about 6 winters. I will attempt a repair using a section of aluminum ski pole as an internal re-enforcement.
I also bought some Redfeathers, allegedly backcountry shoes. Again, don't remember the model name. They are 30" for deeper or softer snow. The very first time I used them, in the first hour of use, one bent up really badly and :45 later was broken and flopping around like a Redfish out of water. Gross weight at the time was ~200#, and I was just walking lightly and hit a bridge situation. Redfeather replaced it free, with apologies, saying they'd had almost no such problems with that year's model (black and green). I used them with little confidence a few times last winter, mostly carrying a sherpa on my pack as a spare. This year, the same unchallenging day as the Sherpa broke(above) I noticed a dislocation in one Redfeather. There's a plastic coupling which joins two open ends of the tubing, and one end of the tubing had pulled off. Maybe it happened that day, or maybe last season and I just noticed it then. I can still return them to STPost, and may do so. Too bad, because the ratchet bindings are really good!
Thinking of buying Havlicks, but haven't heard anything about recent year's models.
