Dynafit Boots - removable tongue

Humor me as a shop for my first AT set up to supplement my tele quiver.

So some Dynafit boots I tried have a removable tongue -- supposedly for easy of climbing and then stick it back in for the downhill. This seems like just another thing to lose. And I've been up high many times when the wind is blowing and it's snowing, and you just want to rip the skins, stash the skins and go. In such cases do folks just anticipate a quick turnover and just leave these stiff tongues in the boots on the uphill?

While you're at it -- boot recommendations? Thanks

The boots are capable of skiing fine without the tongues. I only use them for a very long descent, if at all. Otherwise they're just getting in the way of more skiing and they stay at home.

I have Vulcans and TLT6s ,both with removable tongues.
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For Side-country and short tours or yo-yo skiing I'm usually wearing my Vulcans and  I just leave the tongues in and they tour just fine.

When wearing TLT6's I'm usually on a long tour so I take the tongues out.

Taking the tongue out in both boots makes the stride much longer and touring easier in normal terrain.

Putting tongues in either way is not a big deal but as you say can be annoying in blustery weather or when trying to beat your touring partners to get first tracks.

Unlike the previous poster... I find the tongues make quite a difference to downhill performance but...as he says....depending on personal preference..both boots can be skied without tongues.

tongue in or out is a popular question these days... I leave mine permanently lodged, mostly.
On the up I find leaving it in gives me better control and comfort for side-hill edging, especially when steeper. For the down they are most definitely better in.

If skinning longish flat stretches it would make sense to take them out.

But as you've probably noticed already, ultimately it's a matter of personal preference and one way or another you'll find yours.

I have tried them both ways, in the end the fiddle factor won out, and I just leave them in, but I do think it is a little more comfortable without them, especially when in slog fest mode.

Well, if you drive big skis with tele boots, you probably won't have much trouble with any modern AT boot. No need to go super beefy.
Being a die hard tele guy, I still couldn't help myself a few years back and bought some Dynafits.
I steer my Megawatts with Maestrales and now the Dynafit One boot (pebax). I really like the "One", as it is light, walks well, has a more Dynafit compatible forward lean, and I spend no time worrying about tongue in/out.
It's basically the Mercury lower with a traditional overlap upper.
Megas, Comforts, and the One boot=sweet setup, but no match for my Antipistes, O1's, and Customs.

The Syborg achieves a large range of motion on the uphill and I find it stiff enough on the downhill with no complications.

skimo.co/la-sportiva-syborg-boots

I can't speak to the mountain version being enough boot for my kind of skiing on my skis.

If I wanted to drive gigantic Pontoons with the TLT5 pros, then I'd stick the tongues in. For Voile Vectors, the boots work fine without them.

I ordered a set of Atomic Backlands and I'm waiting (im)patiently for them to show up at Backcountry Essentials. You should look into those while you're shopping for boots.

I can't say much about how well they'll drive fat skis since I want them to hack up for splitboarding but the promise of a custom shell fit and the decoupled forward lean lock and cuff buckle are huge benefits to me. They also have removable tongues and come in a couple different versions just like the TLTs. I currently have a pair of Ones (pebax) and the difference in BSL between the Ones and Backlands is noticeable when walking around the shop.

I think the moral of the story is "try it both ways yourself!" I really appreciate the extra flex I get with the tongue out on my TLT5 Performance boot, and don't notice a big enough difference for most downhill that I do (with Manaslu skis) to bother bringing and swapping in/out the tongue. But I've skied with other folks who swear by the tongue. Perhaps part of the equation for me is that even w/o the tongue these boots are stiffer in downhill mode than my older 3-buckle Dynafit boots.

When in doubt - ask here. Appreciate the input.

Randy - where did you buy your boots? Haven't seen them in the shops

YMMV.  With the TLT5M I rarely used tongues (or power strap) with my Snowwolf or Manaslus but sometimes with my Stokes on ice and crud; I carried Booster Straps (TM) and use them if conditions were truly crappy (mush, breakable crust). Never used tongues or straps on firm snow. I removed the power straps from my TLT5, TLT6, Mercury, and Zzeus and carry or use Booster Straps.

With my TLT6 I rarely use the tongue or straps with my Cho Oyus, but I am regularly using the soft (yellow) tongues and straps with my Movement Shifts in deep snow.  I used the green tongues from my TLT5s with the TLT6s and Booster Straps when skiing with my Volkl Nanuqs (always on problematic snow--the reason I bought the Nanuqs).

I didn't especially like either my TLT5s or TLT6s with my Volkl Nanuqs--there I prefer my Mercuries (w/o tongue or strap); the Stokes perform better with the Mercs too;  I do use the black Merc tongue when skiing the Nanuqs and Stokes lift served.

I feel a real significant difference in skinning w and w/o the tongues--very apparent to me; I really dislke skinning with the tongues in,  but I have thick ankles and like longer strides and have no trouble with edge on steep traverses (if steep and icy, I buckle the top buckle but use a piece of tubing to prevent a forward lock).  FWIW, I found the TLT5M to be narrower mid foot and fore foot and stiffer than the TLT6, which is roomier in the mid foot and fore foot and much roomier in the cuff.  The Mercury is roomier still, I think I could have dropped down in a shell size.

I've never had a problem with the tongues--just stick them in the snow till I insert them. All my current boots give me as much control/power transfer as did my Zzero 4s and 3s; but the Zero 4 PU did provide a really nice progressive flex like my Zzeus (also PU) do compared to the grilamid/pbax 2 buckle boots; the Booster Straps do really help with having a progressive flex and require less firm buckling of the upper cuff.

Wow!  I have one pair of modern skis and boots (tele) not counting the old, decrepit stuff, and two variants of meadow skipper XC (plus/minus metal edges).  Choosing what gear for the day is not a challenge at least.  Sadly lacking in diversity compared to the AT/Dynafit palette. A veritable smorgasbord of boots and skis.  Jealous.

Wow!  I have one pair of modern skis and boots (tele) not counting the old, decrepit stuff, and two variants of meadow skipper XC (plus/minus metal edges).  Choosing what gear for the day is not a challenge at least.  Sadly lacking in diversity compared to the AT/Dynafit palette. A veritable smorgasbord of boots and skis.  Jealous.

I have one pair of 3 pin boots & skis left that I can use; I got rid of Asolo Extremes, brown t-3, black t-3, origin t-2, blue t-2, and most of the skis, I kept a few

When in doubt - ask here.   Appreciate the input.

Randy - where did you buy your boots?  Haven't seen them in the shops

I ordered mine last Feb from Telemark-Pyrenees.com they are in France. Shipping was 30 euros

Skimo.co sells them in the states  I don't know if any local shops the sell La-Sportiva skimo type boots.

I generally have few problems with boot fit, so ordering online has worked for me.   Most online retailers have generous return policies, especially for issues like fit. So one could order a pair (or several) try em on at home and return them or exchange them if they don't fit.

I've baked my own liners since thermofits became a thing.  The rice in a sock method is the most foolproof.   The Syborg liners are so nice though they hardly need fitting.

Handy fitting info.intuitionliners.com/fitting/home-fitting-instructions/

I have the TLT6Ps and I find the tongues make a big enough difference to warrant popping them in every time. They make the initial shin resistance occur sooner, and provide a more progressive flex overall. I usually leave them off at the beginning of the day, and then leave them in if we're lapping a skin track. If you leave the power strap off, or put it behind the top of the tongue, you won't notice the difference nearly as much when skinning up a well built track. If we're doing a circuitous tour, I'll generally take them out for the up every time. Fiddly, yes, but it works significantly better in each configuration. Hopefully somebody comes up with a better system soon, as I'm due for new boots next year.