Thread: Climbing Skins... which ones for the Rockies/Selkirks

Originally Posted by gregL

My best gripping ski/skin combination ever was 73mm wide Trabs with wall-to-wall purple nylon Ascensions.

Exactly, its all force per area - just need to balance with sinking into soft snow due to having less surface area.

/\/\ Force per area until what? Until the force overcomes the plush and you slide backward? In the case of nylon maybe it will just bite harder, maybe it happens sooner with pure Mohair.

I would contend that my BD pures on 125wide drifters grip plenty good on whatever steep ass track i find or set- much better than that of a narrower ski and same skin combo.

FWIW I used my old Ascensions a few weeks back and was reminded just how different the glide is. I really prefer mohair for the real fatties. Split ascensions might work too, but they have had mixed reviews...

Originally Posted by gunniride

/\/\ Until the force overcomes the plush and you slide backward?

Yes. The limit is much higher than most people think, but the worst skinning conditions (like glazed icy or crusty steep sidehills, or rolling steepish off-camber tracks covered by hundreds of other skiers, or steep sidehills with runnels where you need to maintain edge grip as well as skin grip but only an inch or so of skin is in contact with the snow) the same skin will work better if the edge is directly under your foot rather than a centimeter or two to the outside. Going straight up in fresh snow, even my 67mm Atomics would go as steep as I cared to, no problem.

Originally Posted by gunniride

/\/\ FWIW I used my old Ascensions a few weeks back and was reminded just how different the glide is. I really prefer mohair for the real fatties. Split ascensions might work too, but they have had mixed reviews...

The thickness of the plush fibers affects glide as well - after using Nylon Ascensions for a while (like several years, they take a long time to wear out) and you wear the plush down a little, they glide quite a bit better, especially if you get in the habit of hot-waxing them.

Just replaced a pair of Climbing Skis Direct after one year. The glue is completely gone, won't stick to the skis at all anymore. Wasn't a problem of contamination from dog hair, etc - even though they have their fair share - but the glue just came off. Had to switch skis many times last year from days where the glue was stuck to the bases or the skins wouldn't stick. Not worth the money.

Originally Posted by EVC_CO

thx guys but i stopped using those screens years ago, and yes, i was storing them inside above room temp. now i store them in the garage hanging from a hook. to clarify i was storing glue-to-sheet-to-glue, rolled up in the sack they came in (that thing is another fail, so hard to get the skins in and out)

Couple of things...I still use my skin savers while storing them. I too had an issue with the BD sheets. This may be completely inaccurate but I believe the G3 skin savers are better and do not result in the same mess. I purchased the sheets and now use the G3 ones with my BD skins.

I have used the G3's and the BD Ascensions. Both have performed well and my findings are similar to other posts. The BD's grip better but I found the G3s to improve over time. I have had issues with the G3 glue not sticking but in those cases it was primarily driver error. They seem to more susceptible to snow on a windy cold day on the ridge line. Storing them in my jacket between runs as well seemed to solve the problem.

For what it's worth, the weight difference is not that significant IMO. I just weighed my G3s cut for 182 Dynafit Stokes and my BDs for my 194 Volkl Gotamas (Rockered) in their respective bags. The G3s came in at 1 lb 9 7/8 ounces. The BDs at 1 lb 13 3/4 ounces. Considering the length difference less than 4 ounces (quarter of a pound) is not a deal breaker.

The lack of packability of the Ascensions is my main complaint. Once again, not a deal breaker.

Just finished a week in the chugach on the colltex extreme mohair skins. I gotta say that the skins were out climbing my partners bd nylon and mixed on pow, hardpack and ice. My main complaint is that the skins really stick when placed glue to glue and they don't have the middle tape strip. Anyone know what type of material that strip is made out of and where I can find some?

Lots of good information in here.

/\/\ @ Peters- no need for the nylon strip, see quote below from time2climb:

Originally Posted by time2clmb

Yeah don't use those stupid black grid pattern looking skin storage things. They suck and glue to glue or not, they will leave little black bits of the plastic all over your skins. I store mine with a half foot of the end folded back glue to glue and then fold over itself glue to skin. Have never had a problem with sticking and it makes me laugh every time I see some one struggling to tear there skins apart after doing the full length glue to glue fold. Those black skin saver things are a bit of a fail...I just toss mine.

This is the best bit of advice I've seen on here for a while. I have brand new 125mm skins that would likely pull my shoulder out of socket if I went glue to glue. Instead folding only a foot or so at the tail end glue to glue, then rolling it up glue to skin has worked great. If I happen to be out long enough to make the glue less sticky/more wet, I can always go back to glue to glue and get them "recharged" to finish the tour.

Real men strap baby seals to their skis

Seriously though traditional seal skins are fantastic. They glide extremely well. Kick-gliding with them on the flats is effortless and you can apply proper nordic technique. You will leave everyone on any other kind of skins far behind in rolling nordic terrain. Compared to G3 Alpinist skins they are about half the weight.

They are not very durable though so not suited for your early season skis and on blue ice days. As skins for powderskis they are ideal as the saved weight and incredible glide really ads up on the larger skis and in powder durability is not an issue.

You can not store them glue to glue or they will be torn apart, but they store very well skin to glue. Rolling them skin to glue as you take them off is also a great way to prevent snow from sticking to the glue. The glue on mine are great, but this will of course wary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

And as a bonus they look beautiful. Of course if your a member of PETA they may not be for you...

^^ I am unlikely to buy them, but I'm curious if you know where traditional seal skins can be purchased in North America. My guess is they won't be found anywhere.

^^ You will have to have them custom made by a someone who knows the craft. With such a large seal hunt in Canada I would think some Canadian craftsmen or hunters would know how to make seal skins.

The process is pretty basic though as it for the most part only involves cutting hides (which the craftsman would buy ready processed from the hunters) to fit the skis, gluing 2 hides per ski together to get the right length and applying glue. For fastening systems you can use the off-shelf solutions made by BD, G3, etc. So for any craftsman with the skill to make clothing out of seal skin making skins should be a breeze.

Originally Posted by F33d3r

With such a large seal hunt in Canada I would think some Canadian craftsmen or hunters would know how to make seal skins.

We only club baby seals