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

[efsandstrom]

So trying to find a skin to use this season for my splitboard. I have used Voile skins in the past but they were used, kinda beat up and gave me problems on the long skin sessions. I know some people who have used the G3's, and I have gotten a lot of positive feedback there. Anyone have any experience with the Black Diamond skins? Or any other brand for that matter?

[XXX-er]

whatever you get you want that G3 tail hook

[skimaxpower]

BD Ascension skins have quite a following around these parts. Mostly because they use superior glue. G3 makes the best attachments for twin tip skis.

You may also wish to look at Climbing Skins Direct. Good price/quality tradeoff.

[neck beard]

I've ended up on some G3's and that tail hook is big and bulky. Sounds stupid, but it is much bigger than the BD clip, yet does the same thing. Streamlined skins with these giant contraptions on the end of them.

Get BD, Ascensions if you want the burly long lasting ATV of skins. Don't get Gecko. You can peel the magic silicon stuff off the skin backing with your fingernail.

[verbier61]

Here in yurp there is a general consensus: colltex are much better.

[ulty_guy]

Well, us eurotrash are generally inclined towards mohair and Colltex make sweet mohair. Mohair is great for the glide, but is generally offers a bit less grip than synthetic (especially in wet snow). Eurotrash generally don't make as steep skin tracks as North Americans, hence the trade off works.

I've had good luck w/ BD's synthetic/mohair mix providing a decent mix of both qualities. The attachments aren't the best though. Full synthetic feels like dragging a carpet up the mountain with you.

I've had bad luck w/ G3 alpinist skins which I found lacked grip. However, the attachment mechanism is the best of those I've tried, and they are quite light. I'd be interested to see if the new generation have improved, but can't bring myself to shell out more cash for them.

[XavierD]

I have been disapoionted by the G3s I bought off of SAC a couple years ago. glue sucked from the start, and they were often falling off the skis, or getting snow between the skin and ski.

[neck beard]

Here in yurp there is a general consensus: colltex are much better.

I really like thin supple Coltex backing and plush. But I do not like their magic CT40 pressure glue which mandates the use of cheat sheets - extra clutter bits which are fiddly and pointless with other glue. Their tail clip is the definition of fucking useless as well. Unless it has been updated.

[ulty_guy]

You can actually get just Colltex skin cut to whatever length you want in Europe. I guess that combined w/ the G3 clip system would be pretty useful.....but you're still stuck w/ the stupid sheets you need to use for Colltex.

[XXX-er]

Skins used to be pretty good until skis went wider than 70mm then glue from both BD & G3 went for a shit, I don't know if it was because of wider skis or what but if yer new skins suck in the warranty period ... send them back


My buddy with a splitty really likes that G3 tail hook

[homemadesalsa]

I have a pair of the BCA magic carpet skins- they work great, aren't as heavy as the BD skins for the same size ski. Fun graphics too.

[Micol]

Have had good luck with BD skins. I would buy them again

[Chugachjed]

I'll only buy climbing skins direct. They climb and glide better than the competition and they're lighter and more packable. Plus they're cheaper. I've used g3, BD, and old school ascension CSD glue holds strong below 0 and after 2 seasons still works great.

[gregL]

Every manufacturer has had periodic problems with glue - sometimes you just get a bad batch. If this happens simply return them. In my experience, Black Diamond's glue is more consistent than most. FWIW, most of these companies make more than one weight of skin fabric as well. BD nylon Ascensions are thicker and heavier than mohair mix or mohair pure, for instance.

Another top brand is Pomoca, who currently supply the skin material for Dynafit and K2 skins. Fabric by-the-meter is available in Europe, but normally only for skinny race-type ski widths (65mm).

You could have good luck with any of the brands mentioned.

[gregL]

Here in yurp there is a general consensus: colltex are much better.

Among those with a wide range of skin experience - Euros living and touring in North America, Americans guiding in Europe, etc. - the consensus seems to be that Colltex offers great plush and fabric, especially in mohair/mohair mix offerings, but that the traditional glue is prone to failure in the cold (Euros expect this and typically carry a can of the Colltex spray glue on tours) and the CT40 skins are a PITA in real life, though they stick in the cold. It's common for rando racers to paint Gold Label over the OEM glue on Colltex race skins.

[roadgap]

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. Bought the wife a pair of new Ascensions for her new fat skis, she had all sorts of trouble with the G3's. She's much happier now.

[Papawheelie]

I used BD Ascensions for years and never had any problem.
I just got new skis, and picked up some G3 Alpinist Climbing Skins that were on sale.
Not a noticeble difference in performance, but snow seems to stick to the G3s a lot more.

[PNWbrit]

I really like thin supple Coltex backing and plush. But I do not like their magic CT40 pressure glue which mandates the use of cheat sheets - extra clutter bits which are fiddly and pointless with other glue. Their tail clip is the definition of fucking useless as well. Unless it has been updated.

^ this Coltex glue almost dangerously difficult to separate. tail clip nice in theory, utterly useless in practice.

Just picked up some BD mohair mix for my voile drifters crazy cheap, they seems like a good compromise glue just needs some dog fur and pine needle contamination to enable ease of unstick.

[gregL]

. . . glue just needs some dog fur and pine needle contamination to enable ease of unstick.

Rumor has it BD dialed back the stickiness of their glue for this year, good news for those who let their Gold's Gym membership lapse during the ski season.

[TahoeJ]

If you buy another brand, still make sure to pick up a G3 edge trimmer tool - it's the best.

[PNWbrit]

Rumor has it BD dialed back the stickiness of their glue for this year, good news for those who let their Gold's Gym membership lapse during the ski season.

I fell on my ass the other day attempting a de-skin with skis on with the new BD's.... I stood there for a few moments like Willie Coyote hanging in space after running off the edge of the canyon...one foot and ski in the air with the skin unstuck for half it's length and completely bonded to the petax the other.

[shirk]

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

Set it once and forget it. Like for the whole season. Cam on cam off. Cam on cam off. No fiddling no adjusting...I've been using it since 2008 with no issues. What am I missing here folks?

re: glue. Every manufacture's glue has an ideal temperature range for it's glue. The north american brands tend to be in a colder band. The euro brands in a slightly warmer band. Thus your euro might not stick as well in cold mid Jan/feb tours, and the NA stuff kinda fails more often in warm wet spring tours.

Colltex makes two glues. CT40+ pressure activated glue that sticks from -50 to +50, separator sheets are mandatory. Standard glue, no separator sheets needed.

The year that Colltex introduced CT40 they changed their standard glue to perform better in colder temps. It's strong glue. Some reports are that it's too strong and hard to pull apart. Personally I have both CT40 and regular glue skins and use separator sheets. I am not rando racing so don't do the grip n rip leaving my skis on and don't find myself struggling to keep up on change overs taking the couple extra second to pull them out of my pockets.

I can't name names but I deal with an extremely well respected guide that is sponsored by another skin company and he smiles accepts the free skins says thank you then calls us to order and pay for his own personal Colltex skins.

* I work for the Canadian Colltex distributor.

[gregL]

I fell on my ass the other day attempting a de-skin with skis on with the new BD's....

. . . so maybe the rumor is just that? Your first-hand experience trumps any regurgitated rumor originating in a BD marketing cubicle . . .

[PNWbrit]

. . . so maybe the rumor is just that? Your first-hand experience trumps any regurgitated rumor originating in a BD marketing cubicle . . .

My new BD's were bought on sale so they're probably last years super sticky ones?

[BFD]

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. From another thread about skins I learned listen to Shirk on this subject. Black Diamond has the marketing set up but really other than their ski poles no other product really stands out.