Plum Guide

The Plum Guide bindings came to me mounted on a Black Diamond Revert ski. My first impression was of a very clean looking take on the kind of tech binding that Dynafit has been making forever, though with less plastic and less moving parts.

But I was immediately frustrated by the less than smooth adjustability of the binding while trying to adjust the star screws to fit my TLT 5 boots. I have many positive things to say about these bindings, but the adjustment method smells of a metal shop fabricator more than an engineered masterpiece.

Climbing
Finally on the hill and having left the specialty screwdriver behind, clicking in to the toe piece was a piece of cake (for a tech binding) and it felt as though the toe was clamping on tight. The lever to lock the toe into place moves easily with gloves on, or the handle of a ski pole.

With my release set at 12 vertically and laterally, the heelpiece is a bit of a chore to rotate between lift levels and ski mode, but not a deal breaker. Once on the trail, I had no issues with auto rotation on side hills or anywhere else (a problem I have had with other tech bindings).
 
Construction
The heelpieces are made from all metal. In my opinion this is an improvement over plastic pieces that are built in. Even if breaking the volcano on a pair of binders isn’t catastrophic, it can certainly be a day ruining experience.

Skiing
Clicking into the heelpiece felt as secure as a tech binding can, with a solid click on entry and less lateral movement than most. The Guide handled frozen conditions well, although I couldn’t help thinking that if they did come off… Where are the brakes?!? I think Plum needs to start making brakes at least an option, especially with the bigger and bigger draw toward resort accessed backcountry (most resorts require brakes to ride the lifts).