which skins to buy? G3, Voile, Black Diamond?

[neck beard]

The Pomoca skins I had for my Manaslu's were the best skins I have owned. three years lots of days never reglued. Attachment system is also excellent.

Same here.

[verbier61]

Salewa-dynafit bought pomoca. I like pomoca more than BD and G3, but in my experience the mix mohair/synt colltex are even better. Yes as every yurptrasher I always have my glue spray and a bit of wax. Maybe this is the reason why I like colltex so much....

[TG]

BD for sure. I have a pair of old purple people eaters that are still going strong after about 7 seasons. Great grip and glide even better now that they're a bit old.

There is virtually nothing that has remained the same between the classic purple ascensions and BD's current skins. Different glue, different plush. Using them as a comparison is next to useless.

If you're looking for a skin similar to the old purple , the closest currently available is climbing skins direct, a company run by one of the original Ascension skin people.

[neck beard]

How about 'Dynafit' glue, Coltex backing and fur, Black Diamond tip and tail clips.

[efsandstrom]

Thanks for all of the info guys! BD's are looking like the ticket for me, but we will see. I guess it has to snow first in Colorado for me to use said skins. So for now I will wait

[That was Pontus]

FYI, the Voile split skins are Black Diamond Acensions, just with a Voile tip clip installed.

And Prior/Spark split skins are rebranded G3 Alpinist/Alpinist High Traction skins respectively.

[gregL]

FYI, the Voile split skins are Black Diamond Acensions, just with a Voile tip clip installed.

And Prior/Spark split skins are rebranded G3 Alpinist/Alpinist High Traction skins respectively.

Good to know. Of the split skin attachments I've looked at, the K2 factory setup looks especially clean - assume the skins are from Pomoca like those for the K2 skis.

[NickAdams]

I use G3 and BD. Honestly, I can't really tell the difference. If I were looking for new skins, I'd just buy what's on sale.

[Prodigy]

Salewa-dynafit bought pomoca. I like pomoca more than BD and G3, but in my experience the mix mohair/synt colltex are even better. Yes as every yurptrasher I always have my glue spray and a bit of wax. Maybe this is the reason why I like colltex so much....

Yup, Pomoca is in a few shops in the Rockies this year, apparently with a more North American glue recipe though I haven't tested the difference myself. Full nylon, 70/30 mohair mix (same as Dynafits) and full mohair race skins.

[BHeals8]

I have a pair of BD ascensions and a pair of G3 alpinist skins. I can't add much beyond what others have said. I feel like the BD's have held up much better but the G3's have a better tail hook. I ALWAYS carry extra tail clips and duct tape when I skin with the BD's. Pretty terrible feeling to lose a tail clip with a long skin left.

[PNWbrit]

I scratch my head and wonder how and why people have a hate on for the Colltex tail clip.

Not enough stretchiness in the strap to hold the cam'd clip on tight enough to not slide off the (less than skin tail clip ideal) rounded/raised tails of some skis. I also find the strap very difficult to easily tighten when needed (have needed to pull out multi tool a couple of times to get sufficient grip on it)

Perhaps the clip needs a soft rubberized face on it's inside? Like the BD clip has, when correctly used.

Skins actual climbing performance and light weight/packabilty is AAA+

[TheDon]

I have a pair of BD ascensions and a pair of G3 alpinist skins. I can't add much beyond what others have said. I feel like the BD's have held up much better but the G3's have a better tail hook. I ALWAYS carry extra tail clips and duct tape when I skin with the BD's. Pretty terrible feeling to lose a tail clip with a long skin left.

This is my assessment too. Been on the BD ascensions for 4+ years. Had the G3 Alpinist for 2-ish seasons and eventually hated them. Won't go back.

That being said this year I did buy a pair of the 4frnt glue-less skins like the Gecko's. You know, the ones Hoji is using? I have yet to cut them but will soon and will report what I find on them. Already they feel lighter than my BD's. Who knows how they will climb, but Matt Sterbens said Hoji loves them and that he lays a skin track that is pretty much as straight up the hill as you can get. So I imagine they grip...

[shirk]

Not enough stretchiness in the strap to hold the cam'd clip on tight enough to not slide off the (less than skin tail clip ideal) rounded/raised tails of some skis. I also find the strap very difficult to easily tighten when needed (have needed to pull out multi tool a couple of times to get sufficient grip on it)

Perhaps the clip needs a soft rubberized face on it's inside? Like the BD clip has, when correctly used.

Skins actual climbing performance and light weight/packabilty is AAA+

hmmm I think I need to do a video on the tail clips. To disengage the teeth on the clip itself you turn back towards the plush and it moves like butter. Should never need a multi tool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAzGMpd33Zw

This clips shows how the Colltex guys re-set the tension every time. To move the clip down the tail you can't pull straight out as the teeth engage. See how he turns the clip back towards the plush then it just slides.

I set mine once then just leave it set and just cam it on and off never fiddling with the length.

[PNWbrit]

Clearly I will have to try a more finessed approach.

[Mofro261]

Damn shirk, turns out I'm the one who's been eating those silica gel packs. That looked too easy.

[Hugh Conway]

Every manufacturer has had periodic problems with glue - sometimes you just get a bad batch. If this happens simply return them.

That or strip the glue and reglue them yourself.

[shirk]

Damn shirk, turns out I'm the one who's been eating those silica gel packs. That looked too easy.

It's the turning the clip back towards the plush to release the teeth that I think trips people up.

Like I said I don't adjust it on every run. I set it somewhere between the perfect and too tight and just leave it there. Hold by the tail and not the clip when removing the skin and it shouldn't really move.

[PNWbrit]

It's the turning the clip back towards the plush to release the teeth that I think trips people up.

You Canadians and your goddamn stealth technology.

[shirk]

You Canadians and your goddamn stealth technology.

It's da Swiss. This Canuck just sells them.

[PNWbrit]

Shirk - I take back every curse aimed at the coltex tail system. Worked like a dream.

[shirk]

Shirk - I take back every curse aimed at the coltex tail system. Worked like a dream.

Did you do like the guy in the video? Or just set it about right and cam it on / off?

I have another friend I sold skins to mention on the weekend that they don't stay on his twin tips well and I suspect he just isn't using the camlock right.

[PNWbrit]

Did you do like the guy in the video?

Kind of. Reattaching Scotsman's tail hook while in the skin track allowed brief opportunity to correctly loosen and then tighten them.

I was not on My Coltex skins....

[neck beard]

70 day review for G3 Alpinist skins. Overall, they are not working out well given my manner of usage. Would not buy again. I probably apply/peel skins 2-3 times each day of use.

- Oversized and overly complicated tail clip has two moving parts: metal and plastic. The plastic buckle sometimes detaches from the metal clip and needs a fiddle fix in the field.

- I fold each skin in half glue-glue. Always have with other brands. Never used cheat sheets. With these G3 skins a significant amount of glue from one half of the skin has been transferred to the other half leaving bare skin backing with no glue. This has happened to both skins in the same place - either side of the strip of nylon that covers the emergency backup glue (which no doubt I'll have to call upon). I admit that they were sold with cheat sheet and probably intended to be used with them. Personally, I do not like the extra fiddle and bit of clutter to handle. Less is more during transitions.

- They started out nice, but the fur is now shaggier and softer than a closely clipped poodle. This leads to pretty bad grip, and requires technique. You can almost comb the fur backwards with your hand.

- The shaggy floppy long fur sucks in water on hot days after a storm and the glooping/icing of the pelt is extreme. At times it is something to marvel.

Positives: glide is nice, and I can skin just fine on the fluffy fur, but I'd feel sorry for a user with poor technique, a steep track, or slick surface. Besides the glue and tail clip, I imagine that the durability issues have all been seen in the first 70 days and that the fur will not get much worse. If anything, this skin suffers from being optimized for out of the box impressive grip/glide, and that falls apart really quick. Other skins have less grip/glide performance from the box, but maintain the same steady level of performance for a lot longer.

Other skins observations this season: I've seen Gecko skins repeatedly perform incredibly badly in the hands of different (inexperienced) users. That 'glue' doesn't work once it gets snowy on a cold powder day. You can't just "brush it off" like some sales jack tried to tell me once. And once it stops adhering, there is zero tacky glue to rely on. It is like trying to stick a layer of slick smooth plastic to a ptex base. It doesn't work without glue. Any attempt to scrape the snow off the skin just scrapes the 'glue' off instead.

[gunniride]

To truly appreciate good skins I think beginning with an old pair of snake skins is a good start. Then maybe some cheap BCA skins as an upgrade, maybe some scotchguard to improve their waterproof-ness. After these two nightmares, BD ascensions, mixes, or mohair pures is certain to impress. While friends tinker with other brands and curse the glue, I leave my skins in my pack, in the truck all winter long and the glue never fails and the plush slides like a dream.

Honestly, I don't know why this debate exists,as BD works over and over regardless of abuse. I really like the glide of the BD pure mohair, which may slide from time to time on the steepest of tracks, but the glide and slim profile are more than worth it. Maybe a mix would be appropriate for a novice looking for maximum grip.

[micky_mikey]

Does anyone use the skins with the tip attachment system that pomoca and some other companies make, had a pair of stokes and the best part of that set up was the skins! so easy to rip off on the fly from the tip, so light and compact. do these work just as well as the dynafit system?