@Seeknelk , what is the terrain like that you're accessing? How steep are the grades and how thick are the trees? The terrain is going to determine what you should use and will help others give better suggestions.
I learned to ski primarily in the backcountry, with 75mm underfoot, 163cm length skimo skis and dynafit pdg boots. Did some skimo races and was far better at the uphill than down. I've skied with some heavy packs for fun screwing around and that changes the game completely.
I just got some altai tao skis, about 100cm underfoot and 164cm long, with integrated skins in the mid section and universal bindings so I can use regular boots, and I haven't yet taken them down a real hill but after a run on a groomed XC trail I know it's going to take many hours to be able to make it down any kind of decent hill without falling when wearing a pack. These I plan to use primarily for exploring or hunting areas where it's very low angle and thin tree coverage.
If you're looking at some decently steep terrain - I would say 10%+ is steep considering you're going to have gear and if the conditions are fast - and there are obstacles then I would go with a tech binding and ski boots. If you're planning on keeping the downhill speed real slow, then tech bindings should be fine and not cause high risk of injury. They're great because they're so much lighter, but when you have the toe locked in it's absolutely not coming out so a high speed crash can be bad. I'd check out the scarpa alien boot. It's incredibly flexible for walking but is plenty stiff for downhill. Very lightweight. I'd also make sure you have plenty of room in the boot depending on whether or not you plan on packing mukluks or need to put thicker socks in the boot for insulation. It's not a very warm boot and the shell (at least on my old ones) doesn't cover the entire front of the liner, exposing it to snow/moisture. Having the boot fit super tight on your foot is not all that important unless you plan on skiing downhill with some speed and agility... Then the stiffness and tight fit is important. Considering you're packing gear, I can't imagine really trying to ski hard down. You'd want room for insulation but not a sloppy fit.
