Selecting gear before heading to the slope

Does last night's snowstorm have you itching to slap on a pair of skis and glide through the local park or drive to the nearest cross-country center to cruise expertly groomed track? Does the prospect of carving graceful telemark turns into a powdery backcountry slope make you want to book the next flight to Colorado?

Then you're obviously the self-starting type of skier who doesn't need an expensive lift ticket to get your winter jollies. Your price of admission to this free-heeling world? Just the sweat of your brow and a set of ski equipment that can be had for a fraction of what a downhill ski ensemble costs — and even that tariff doesn't have to be too high if you take our advice to rent before you buy.

Now that we know your spirit is willing, the next thing to do is assess your equipment needs. As with many outdoor sports, equipment for freeheel skiing can mean the difference between an experience to remember and one to forget. All it takes is a pair of lousy boots or skis to send you back to the couch to wait out winter. On the other hand, if you follow our buying advice to zero-in on a set of high quality free-heel equipment that fits your body and matches the terrain and snow conditions you'll encounter, you'll be chasing down the last vestiges of snow late into spring.

For our purposes, equipment for free-heelers who want to explore the great outdoors falls into two broad categories:

There is a third category — skate skis — but because these highly specialized skis can only be used on machine-groomed trails, they're of little use to someone who wants to schuss across an untracked field or climb a steep, powdery ridge. But if going fast and getting a great aerobic workout is your thing, it may be worth investigating skate ski equipment. The best deals in buying any kind of free heel equipment come in discount packages that include skis, boots, bindings, and poles. Buy each item separately and you'll pay a premium. Typically, package deals allow you to mix brands of equipment, the only constraint being that you must buy everything at the same time.

Move on to Light-Touring Equipment - Skis

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