PSA - zip ties can save your ass

[SchralphMacchio]

They weigh nothing, and are impervious to almost everything besides the bitter cold. The 8" long, 3mm wide ones are nice - not too fat but still strong enough to hold a load. How many do you keep in your pack?

I've been carrying them for years, and on Saturday they saved my skier buddy's 236 lbs. ass.



We topped out our on the wrong part of the ridgeline, and the easy way off to the correct section was to either straightline a little 8 foot tall "mini Once is Enough" (Kirkwood resort reference) steep chute, with skins on, down to a flat section, or to slide the skis down first and then butt-slide down the thing. I opted for the straightline, in splitskis, and it was fine (minus the butt check straightline runout between trees and under tree branches). My gigantor skiing buddy on the other hand, decided to take the safe way down onto the ridge.

So he lowers one ski into the chute and releases it into the runout, and then lowers the next ski and lets it go ... right into the heelpiece of the first ski sitting in the runout.

CRACK!

A silver cap and two springs go flying off to the left of the ski. OH SHIT, that Dynafit Radical FT heelpiece just exploded!

The entire housing for the heelpiece cracked, allowing the retention spring cap to jump beyond the threads and go flying outward. Thankfully, we found all the parts ... and happened to have a mechanical engineer in the group equipped with zip ties, Gorilla tape, and a mini SOG tool. Now, we all talk about duct tape 'round the touring poles, and a nice compact folding mini-plier tool, but the zip ties always seem to get little love ... even though they were at the very core of my repair job.

The zip ties, tensioned with my SOG tool, allowed me to get hoop stress back onto the main housing and "mend" the crack. This meant that the threads on the retention spring cap could re-engage and keep the springs in place and under compression. I used a loop of Gorilla tape perpendicularly across the ties to prevent the zip ties from sliding off of the housing, and also to keep the spring cap in place should the threads fail again. I then snipped the ends of the ties and added another loop of Gorilla tape running over them in the same orientation, to add a backup to the ties and keep the threads engaged (though this extra piece was largely over-redundant and feckless).

The binding toured, rotated, and skied fine for the next hour, on a mix of wind-fucked powder, blower powder on crust, and coral reef death crust ... under the legs of this 236 lbs. giant. So, just so you know that this is real, and that zip ties can save your ass, even if it's a massively heavy one.



Other times in the BC, I've used zip ties to repair a snowshoe heel-strap, fashion a Dynafit leash loop to hook into the binding buckle, and fix a pack shoulder strap that ripped. Worth their weight in gold, and cost fractions of cents on the dollar for what they can do for you. Go get em.

[bfree]

Nice fix! Unfortunately zip ties are not huge fans of ski edges, as I found out at Vertfest a couple weeks ago. I was using zip ties for quick-carry ski holders on my little Osprey pack successfully for a few tours, but they finally gave up during the race itself (lovely, right?). Next time I'll wrap these magical devices with some surgical tubing.

[sb]

Nice repair on the fly, noted for future reference.

[DoWork]

Thanks for reminding me... I need some for my clip ons too.

[Hott Butt Mud]

Zip ties AND Duct Tape are essential items for leaving the home. Keep them in your car, backpack, etc.

You might have to explain to the police that you aren't a murder/rapist though.

[XXX-er]

I am gona grab some of those and Ineed to get some ductape in a small size

I do carry some of those long rubber G3 ski straps

[LC]

I always have 3-4 big 8x250mm in my bag and 4 smaller ones. The most common use is to fix other peoples' gear, especially broken snowboard bindings - you'd think they'd have learned by now...

[Supermoon]

(though this extra piece was largely over-redundant and feckless).

I LOL'd here.

Even when you engineers are telling a cool story, you're still a buncha nerds

[bovine]

Nice write up! Whenever I try to lighten up my bc pack, I always go through my emergency gear and look at my zip ties, contemplate, then put them back in with my other gear.

I also carry bailing wire,hardman quick-set epoxy, binding screws, and emergency overnight gear: a two person bivy sack, couple space blankets, a small closed-cell pad that lines my pack, fire starting stuff and candles, a mini-block fuel stove, 5mm cordage, extra pole baskets, headlamp,hard candy, emergen-C packets, lightweight steel cup which my nalgene fits into...

Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.

[Shredhead]

Hoes clamps are nice too.

[SchralphMacchio]

bailing wire,hardman quick-set epoxy, binding screws, and emergency overnight gear: a two person bivy sack, couple space blankets, a small closed-cell pad that lines my pack, fire starting stuff and candles, a mini-block fuel stove, 5mm cordage, extra pole baskets, headlamp,hard candy, emergen-C packets, lightweight steel cup which my nalgene fits into, magnesium flares, claymore, inflatable sex doll which also doubles as a decoy, blow, a locket of Christopher Reeves's hair, and a double-barrel for good measure

Good lord man, I am going touring into the Alaskan bush with you! I'll just show up with some mescaline and my skins and call it good!

[skimaxpower]

The entire housing for the heelpiece cracked, allowing the retention spring cap to jump beyond the threads and go flying outward. Thankfully, we found all the parts

I'm amazed that you found all the parts from an exploded Dynafit heel. Glad you were able to enjoy the rest of your day.

[Cocximus]

Nice write up! Whenever I try to lighten up my bc pack, I always go through my emergency gear and look at my zip ties, contemplate, then put them back in with my other gear.

I also carry bailing wire,hardman quick-set epoxy, binding screws, and emergency overnight gear: a two person bivy sack, couple space blankets, a small closed-cell pad that lines my pack, fire starting stuff and candles, a mini-block fuel stove, 5mm cordage, extra pole baskets, headlamp,hard candy, emergen-C packets, lightweight steel cup which my nalgene fits into...

Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.

Your emergency kit has more stuff than my whole pack

Zip ties are awesome.

[powdork]

my pack has toilet paper, lighter, weed, pipe, and duct tape in case the pipe breaks. i can trade the tp or weed for any other stuff i might need and theyre both remarkably light weight

[TG]

Anyone know a reliable brand/source for the strongest zip ties?

I've had some that just snap when tightening hard, while others seem to be able to hold up to more tension. Given the winter use, any particular brands that are formulated with a plastic that is less brittle in the cold would be great, too.

There's a range of brands from cheap Staples cable ties to auto stores, any feedback on the "best" would be helpful.

[SchralphMacchio]

^ great question. It has a lot to do with the whether UV stabilizers were put in, the grade of nylon, and quality of the molding process.

McMaster-Carr actually lists the service temp and load rating of their ties. They have -40F models. Get the black ones since those are more UV-stable than the white or other colored versions. Mc-Master also offers super-high-temp models that go down to -60F!

http://www.mcmaster.com/#zip-ties/=lnuqcw

http://www.mcmaster.com/#zip-ties/=lnurdz

I bet any brand that actually lists load rating and service temp on the packaging should be fine for your emergency repair needs ...

[Cocximus]

Here's some zip tie porn

[Jethro]

Anyone know a reliable brand/source for the strongest zip ties?

I've had some that just snap when tightening hard, while others seem to be able to hold up to more tension. Given the winter use, any particular brands that are formulated with a plastic that is less brittle in the cold would be great, too.

There's a range of brands from cheap Staples cable ties to auto stores, any feedback on the "best" would be helpful.

I carry stainless steel ones in my dirtbike pack. Also, if you use plastic ones, use the ones with a steel barb, not the plastic ratchets.

[PNWbrit]

I carry stainless steel ones

That's a good idea... might need to find some of those.

[counterfeitfake]

This is a good PSA. I think "don't unleash your skis down a steep chute" would be another good one.

[Steven S. Dallas]

Check!

[SchralphMacchio]

nice boot fix!

[Angle Parking]

Great thread. I use zip ties for loads of stuff around the house / property but somehow never extended that thinking to my ski pack. Cheers