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Volcano Skiing - Climbing Skins - Things Skiers Carry - and moreIssue XLIX

March 2011

Climbing SkinsAn essential tool for backcountry skiing, climbing

skins rarely get the respect they deserve, yet without them, we are, literally, going nowhere. Skins turn our skis into touring tools, and given the width of skis today, the skins we choose are more important than ever. Wide skis require wide skins. Wide skins equate to more drag and weight under our feet while climbing.

There are three basic categories of skins: synthetic, mohair and blended (hybrid of mohair and synthetic materials). The category refers to the materials used to create the plush or skin material. To generalize, synthetic skins typically offer the best climbing traction, mohair skins offer the best glide characteristics and blended skins are somewhere in between. Mohair, a weave produced from the hair of goats, has long taken a backseat to synthetic skins because of its perceived weaker climbing performance, but with the width of today’s skis, mohair skins now have enough surface area to rival synthetics in uphill grip.

Recent testing by the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) indicates that skin glide characteristics are directly related to snow type and temperature. According to the SLF study, synthetics are better suited to warmer temperatures (-3 Celsius or above), while mohair is best suited to colder temperatures (-8 Celsius or below). Our tests were not as scientific as the SLF study, but we did conduct side by side comparisons in a variety of temperatures. Our tests confirmed that the glide on synthetics improves in warmer snow conditions (especially above freezing), but we still found mohair to offer the best overall glide.

All of the skins included have proven to offer reliable glue performance, good long term durability and solid overall performance.

MOHAIR

Colltex Extreme100% Mohair, $210-$235 www.colltex.com

Colltex pioneered the adhesive climbing skin business in 1968. They have been a primary European player in skins ever since.

The Colltex Extreme mohair skin is easily the best gliding skin we tested, in all conditions. Climbing performance was great on the skins trimmed to fit our 105mm waisted test skis.

The Extreme skins are light, easy to fold and use a simple wire bail tip that accommodates wide, modern tip shapes. The tail clip is a simple cam-action hook that proved to be as reliable as any tail clip on the market. The tail is laminated to the skin, eliminating rivets and making for a clean, low friction tail.

The Colltex glue is not nearly as thick as the glue on most North American company’s skins; still, it proved to be 100% reliable in all conditions, warm and cold. In general, the European sourced skins seem to use thinner, less tacky glue than North American counterparts. The Colltex glue is actually a new patented compound (called ct40) that claims functionality from +50 Celsius to -50 Celsius and is pressure sensitive (the more pressure, the better the stick). We used the skins for a full year, running them in temperatures down to -20 Celsius without any issues. The European style glues require a little more attention during a day of skiing, especially in very cold temperatures, but overall, my experience has been that the glue is less prone to clumping problems and sticking to everything it shouldn’t.

Black Diamond Glidelite Mohair STS Skins100% Mohair, $190-$195 www.blackdiamondequipment.com

The Glidelite Mohair Skins are identical to the Glidelite mohair blends, except they use 100% mohair plush. The results are great. The

Glidelite Mohair offered the second best glide, the Colltex Extremes were first, and they out glide the synthetics in all but wet corn snow.

Uphill traction was great on the skins trimmed to fit our 105mm waisted test skis. Synthetics will out climb mohair in the steepest of tracks, but the improved glide of the mohair skins is well worth it. The glue and STS cam-action tail clip and adjustable tip loops are identical to the other Glidelite and Ascension skins from Black Diamond, and they work great. The new tail is advertised to be 20% stronger and provides up to 10 centimeters of adjustment.

The Glidelite skins also include a cloth strip, sometimes called the “wimp strip,” up the center of the skin. Designed to help reduce adhesion when the skins are folded glue to glue, the wimp strip can actually be removed to allow for some “emergency glue” to help rejuvinate an otherwise uncooperative skin.

BLENDED

Dynafit Speed Skins60% Mohair/ 40% Synthetic, $200 www.dynafit.us

Dynafit’s Speed Skins are designed to work specifically with Dynafit skis. As a result, they come pre-trimmed and 100% ready to roll for

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-Dry skin glue is happy skin glue. Keep the glue side of your skins out of the snow and dirt. If your glue becomes covered with snow, you can clean the snow off by running the glue side of the skin across the edge of your ski by holding one end of the skin in each hand and pulling it across the ski edge (ski standing upright). Normally, it is the tips or tails of the skin that first de-velop snow buildup. Maintenance is the key to keeping your skins functioning all day. Check your skins during transitions, and clean any snow from the glue as needed before the buildup becomes a problem. If the glue becomes iced to the point that it fails, scrape as described and stuff skins inside your jacket or base layers for the descent. Given significant glue problems, a few wraps of athletic tape (or a Voile strap) around the skin and ski can work wonders for keeping your skins working until you get home.

-Dry skin plush is happy skin plush. In wet snow conditions and warm spring tours, skins can absorb water causing snow to clump on the plush. Treat your skins with skin wax (apply in the field), or use a skin-specific waterproofing treatment (apply the night before).

-Always hang and dry skins at the end of the day. Be sure to hang them in a dust free area and away from direct heat. Pet hair, pine needles, dirt and hot wood stoves will shorten the life of your skin glue. If drying skins near a direct heat source, take them down as soon as they are dry, and put them away. This will extend glue life

-Store your skins between trips folded glue to glue and tucked into their bag. For long term storage, use the glue saver or cheat sheets that now come standard with many brands, and store them in a cool dry place away from direct heat.

-Skins climb best if they run almost edge to edge, often called wall to wall carpeting. But it is important to leave at least the width of your edge exposed to allow for edging in firm snow conditions. A general guideline for buying skins is to purchase skins that are approximately 10mm narrower than your tip dimensions. Trim the skins to reveal at least the width of your metal edge, if not twice the width.

Tips and Care for Climbing Skins

a corresponding Dynafit ski, no trimming required. The attachment system is also specific to Dynafit skis, so you will not be using them on any other skis. The attachment might appear a little rando-racer centric at first glance, but it is actually quite nice and has proven to be super reliable over the course of a two seasons of use.

The Dynafit skins detach at the tip, unlike all of the cam-action tail connect systems out there, and the short rubber pull tab has proven the test of time. It is also replaceable, should it break down. The Speed Skin’s mohair blend glides well, but not as well as a full mohair plush. The glide is on par or a little better than the best synthetic, depending on the conditions.

As you would expect from Dynafit, the Speed Skin is light-weight and packs small. The glue, in typical European style, is not nearly as thick as the glue on North American sourced skins, but works great nonetheless. In fact, having used the Dynafits for a couple of seasons, I have become a convert to the European style glue. Like the Colltex skins, a little extra attention keeping the glue free of snow during cold days pays off with reliable adhesion. Black Diamond Glidelite Mohair Mix STS65% Mohair/ 35% Synthetic, $160-$175 www.blackdiamondequipment.com

The Glidelite Mohair blend skins are remarkably light-weight and fold into a slim package. They use the same adjustable width tip loops and time-tested cam-action STS tail that Black Diamond uses on their Ascension synthetic skins. The tip and tail connections are proven and functional.

The glide was not as good as we had hoped with the 65/35 mohair blend, but it is definitely better than the full synthetic Ascension skins, just not as good as the BCA or G3 synthetics. The skins repelled water well and maintained their glide in a variety of conditions, warm and cold. The glue is one of the more time-tested on the market, and lived up to its reliable reputation in our testing.

Like other Ascension and Glidelite skins, the Mohair Mix has the wimp strip and come with glue saver sheets for longer term storage.

SYNTHETIC

G3 Alpinist Skin100% Synthetic, $155-$165 www.genuineguidegear.com

G3’s Alpinist Skins have a nice supple hand and fold into a light package. The Alpinist uses a unique tip connection system that uses two self aligning stainless steel clips that conform to a myriad of tip shapes. The clips are low profile, easy to connect and secure. The tail system is very clean and features a rubber tail laminated to the skin (no rivets) and a simple cam clip to secure the tail. Like other cam-action tails, the G3 tail works best when the ski has a notched tail, but G3 also makes a cool aftermarket clip to accommodate rounded, twintip tails that works on the same principle as their tip clips. The twin tip tail connector retrofits with G3’s tail as well as other similar tail set-ups (Glidelite and Ascension).

The Alpinist offers excellent glide for a full synthetic skin. In fact, they proved to offer the best glide of all of the synthetic skins we tested. We did experience some unexpected snow buildup on the skin plush very early in testing the Alpinist skins, but once we applied a healthy dose of skin wax, the problem was solved. Either the factory coating was weak, or the Alpinist plush simply benefits from an extra dose.

Glue performance has proven to be reliable. We have actually run a pair of the Alpinist for two full seasons with good results. The glue is relatively thick and definitely benefits from using the glue saver or cheat sheets (included with the skins) when stored for longer periods of time. If there was one complaint about the Alpinist, it is that it does not climb quite as well as some synthetics.

Backcountry Access Magic Carpet100% Synthetic, $135 - $180 www.backcountryaccess.com

Backcountry Access updated their skins two years ago, sourcing new skin material for their Magic Carpet skins. The new material has great glide for a 100% synthetic skin, and actually out performed some of the mohair blend skins.

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Issue XLIX Off-Piste 19

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The Magic Carpet’s strengths are in their grip and glide. The skins proved to withstand wet conditions well, and the synthetic plush is known for its overall durability. The skins are modest in their bulk, not the fattest and not the slimmest.

The glue proved excellent, if perhaps a little too vigorous. Pulling these guys apart when new takes some muscle, but the tenacious glue served us well in the field. The only real weakness in the Magic Carpet is the tail clip system. The tip and tail bails accommodate a variety of tip and tail shapes, but the tail pull is a little awkward. It uses a rubber connection similar to what many skins once used on their tips. The system definitely works, but is not as slick as the now more common cam-action tail clips. Otherwise, BCA’s Magic Carpet does the trick, and its glide is one of the better for a full synthetic skin.

K2 Skins100% Synthetic, $170-$190 www.k2skis.com

K2 began offering precut skins for their Backside ski line two years ago. The skins use K2’s proprietary Z-Clip attachment system that interfaces with the holes in the tip and tail of all their Backside skis. The attachment system is slick. It is easy to use and creates a clean, friction free attachment to the ski.

Glide was great, matching the performance of the BCA Magic Carpet and outperforming the rust colored Ascension synthetics. The glue also proved reliable and functional, if not a little too sticky when folded glue to glue. Similar to the Glidelites, the K2 skins have a glue-free strip up the center of the skin. On the K2 skins, the strip is actually glue free versus a fabric strip covering the glue.

The end result is that it helps reduce the skin’s stick when folded glue to glue, making for easier pulling apart of the skins between laps. The skins come with glue saver or cheat sheets, and the glue will last longer if you use them for long term storage.

Black Diamond Split Skin100% Synthetic, $190 www.blackdiamondequipment.com

The Spilt Skins are a unique concept where the center of the skin is replaced with a slick piece of durable ripstop nylon, leaving two strips of skin that run up either edge of your skis. The Split Skins are designed to be used on skis at least 110mm wide underfoot or wider. The design decreases the weight of the skin and improves the overall glide. A fat ski already has more than enough carpet on the snow for adequate grip, so the Split Skin aims to improve glide and reduce the penalty for dragging a fat ski up the mountain.

Overall, the skins perform well. They are much lighter than a comparably sized traditional skin. The improved glide is most notable when breaking trail, but is less dramatic when climbing a packed skin track. The improved performance also comes with a few downsides. The main drawback is the lack of glue on the nylon portion of the skin. With less glue surface, you need to be extra careful with what little glue surface you do have. Unlike Black

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Gear Talkreviews, innovation and chatter

Diamond’s traditional skins, there is no wimp strip – the material that runs up the center of the skin to reduce the overall grip of the glue when skins are folded against themselves - so, it pays to be careful with the glue surface that you do have. The Split Skin’s orange Ascension plush also lacks the glide of some other skins. A plush with a little better glide would make the Split Skin even better.

Nonetheless, the Split Skins work great. They are durable, the glue performs well, and the new adjustable tip attachment and the tried and true STS tail attachments are bomber. Best of all, these skins give you one more excuse to leave the skinny skis at home.

Clip Skins100% Synthetic, Glueless, $150 www.clipskins.com

Clip Skins are regular synthetic skins that use small metal clips, rather than glue, to hold the skin to the bottom of the ski. That’s right, 100% glue free skins. The tip and tail connections are similar to other skins. The tip clip is a standard metal bail, while the tail is a unique cam clip that uses the inherent stretch of the skin material to create tension. The skins also have a non-slip coating up the center of the skin base. The coating helps reduce skin stretch and movement.

The skins glide and climb great. In fact, it is the same plush as is used on the K2 and BCA skins. The skins have been in an evolutionary process for more than a year. Our initial pair had a few quirks, but the clip attachment and tip and tail connections have been standardized with current production.

Setting the skins up for your skis is more involved than trimming standard adhesive skins. The process involves setting skin length, attaching the tip bail, trimming the skins, and placing and gluing all

of the metal clips. It is not rocket science, but it does take time and attention to do it well.

The clips are placed about every foot or so along the edge of the skin (the set-up directions spacing specifications). The nicely designed clips simply clip onto the ski edge. The design is simple and clean, and yes, it really works. A quick hand down the plush of the skin helps to make sure all clips are in fact secured to the ski, and you are off skinning just like with an adhesive skin.

The skins pull off much like regular skins. The clean, fast removal and extra supple feel of the skins takes a little

getting used to, but it is actually easier than pulling and folding adhesive skins. Infact, there is no folding - just roll them up any way you like. The clips are very low profile and present very little interruption along the ski edge. The result is that the skis can still edge in firm snow if need be. One disadvantage to the system is that if you happen to lose your tail connection, as can occasionally happen with any skin, the Clip Skins are very quick to peel off because there is no glue holding them in place. This is not a big deal, but in select lofty locations, it could pose a challenge.

Aside from edge control, another concern we had was with snow build-up between the ski base and the skins. We did find minor amounts of snow between skin and ski on occasion, but we never experienced buildup that affected the functionality of the skins.

Clip Skins have the benefit that you have no glue to worry about. You can drop them in the snow with

impunity, folding and pulling them apart is not an issue and their attachment is not affected by cold temps. For skiers who do not have complaint with traditional adhesive skins, it is difficult to let go of the “known quantity,” but for those frustrated by their glue experience, Clip Skins are a viable alternative.

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Gear Talk