I too blame my partner, or the dog, for cutting the cheese at large family gatherings :P

This last pair was a craigslist find. Yeah I'm sure the moment you do anything professionally you ask a lot more from your gear.

Yeah I have these. Maybe not the best tool but fine for the rare cases I want them.

Interesting. Largely by accident I landed on some very stiff 32 boots, dual zone boa, like the insanos, just before I got into touring. They have served me very well. I guess I would use a ski strap around my boot if the boa failed.

Finding full zip pants that fit over snowboard boots was a problem I only recently solved.

I have 32 boa boots with two boas per boot. Had them for at least 5 seasons now, 20-30 days a season. I use them for touring and resort. I'm generally really impressed with the boa system. I don't have boots designed for touring so I like that the boa allows me to loosen the boots quickly for uphill and tighten them quickly for downhill.

All that to say, today when I pulled on the boa to loosen it, the fabric tore and the boa is now just held on by the cables. It still works but I need two hands to operate it. I may try some shoe goo because otherwise the boots seem to be going strong.

Wow I had no idea any snowboard boots were designed for crampons. I have some universal Camp crampons that work for my 32 boots.