The desire to finally learn ski touring is growing stronger. You sign up for a ski touring course – and suddenly face your first challenge. On the equipment list, it says “touring skis with skins and ski crampons” – and you ask yourself, “What’s the right gear for me?”

If you're just starting out with ski touring, it's a good idea to rent a pair of touring skis with bindings and skins. That way, you can test whether you actually enjoy ski touring, and during a course, you’ll also receive valuable tips to help you choose the right skis if you decide to buy your own.

Most touring skis are between 80 and 110 mm wide. Factors that influence ski width choice include: skiing ability, area of use, body weight, tour length, tour difficulty, etc.

80–90 mm
These are more suitable for high alpine ski tours or harder snow conditions. For technically demanding tours, a narrower ski is often chosen, as it’s also lighter and easier to strap to a backpack if needed.
Disadvantage: A narrower ski offers less float in powder and therefore requires more strength and good technique on the descent.

90–100 mm
A versatile all-round touring ski. In mid-winter, a slightly wider ski is preferred for better float and easier handling with less effort. This makes the descent more enjoyable.

100 mm+
With lots of fresh snow, skis in this category are especially suitable. They provide excellent float and, thanks to their design, help prevent the ski tips from diving under the snow.

If you’re new to ski touring, it’s best to choose a ski that comes up to about your nose. The better your skiing technique, the longer the ski can be.
For all-round touring skis, you typically choose a length close to your body height. For very wide skis, they can even be a bit longer.

When it comes to the weight of touring skis, there are major differences. There are ultra-lightweight race touring skis and heavier freeride skis. Once again, the intended use plays a key role. An all-round touring ski shouldn’t be too heavy, as that would be a disadvantage on the ascent.
However, if a ski is very light, the descent becomes more challenging in return.

Basically, you have to choose between a frame binding and a pin binding, although nowadays pin bindings are used almost exclusively.
Pin bindings are lightweight, and the pivot point is ideally located under the ball of the foot. The only downside is that getting into them requires good coordination.
Frame bindings are less common today. They’re heavier than pin bindings but offer more stability. That’s why they are mainly found in the freeride sector.