The Duke is unparalleled when it comes to an AT binding that can take the punishment of hucking and charging rowdy lines in the backcountry.
These bindings are not light and if you are just looking to tour around and farm some turns down a mellow slope in the backcountry these are probably not the best fit for you. The Dukes can also be a bit cumbersome to switch from tour to ski mode as ice and snow can easily build up underneath them and block the channel they need to slide forward on to lock down. All it takes is a little scraping to clear them out but it can still be a pain when it's blowing hard and you just want to ski.
For a bomber backcountry binding there really is no other but if you're looking to log more vert and don't have to drop that 30 footer on the way down, the [prod]22352[/prod] is a great binding that is far lighter than the Duke.
Hands down the best binding, i put these on every ski i own. Even in bounds they are better than 90% of the bindings out there. 16 Din is not over kill, crank them to 12 and never worry about popping out a the wrong time. They have always released on time for me and i have skied them alot.
The little pin that locks and unlocks your heel does not like to be flipped with snow in it, so take the extra second and clean the snow out.
These bindings are BURLY! They handle the abuse of patrolling day-in and day-out. Good for short laps in the backcountry. Great retention, never pre-release. Longer climbing stands are available which make climbing long ascents easier.
Just as everyone else, locking the binding back in on to the ski after touring isnt difficult but takes an extra second.
