Powder straps?

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In article ,
quack wrote:

On 11-Apr-2004,
bbense+rec.skiing.backcountry.Apr.11.04@telemark .slac.stanford.edu wrote:

My life-links have worked every time I've needed them to. I
HATE skiing without pole straps.

_ Booker C. Bense

I tried the old Ramers with releasable straps--a joke--and have used various
iterations of BD releasable straps, which worked intermittently and I think
were eventually discontinued (platic parts break); I finally quit using
straps at all.

- - The life link design is dead simple and pretty robust. Plus you
can easily buy replacement straps if the one plastic part
breaks.


When I was patrolling, it was bad enough to have to connect runaway straps
before I could respond to a wreck; pole straps were just one more thing to
fuss with, and unnecessary. And since I often ended up skiing with no poles
at all, straps seemed doubly unnecessary. Skiing without poles is great for
identifyuing weaknesses in technique otherwise made up for by pole use, and
correcting them.

_ Can't argue with that, but IMHO straps are essential if you
want to do anything more than plod in the backcountry.


The advantage of pole straps is that they allow a passive grip, supporting
the pole plant mechanically rather than relying on a strong grasp. I like
pole gripss with enough of a bottom flange to give a bit of support, but
I've always liked the additional grip-strengthening exercise that holding
onto strapless poles demands. Of course this might have contributed to my
near-debilitating elbow tendonitis, too, but there are enough other probable
causes I couldn't say for sure.

_ While it may make your hands strong I can't see it doing much
for your skiing and I HATE poles with wide bottom flanges. I had
the tendonitis problem from windsurfing and the only real
solution was to quit windsurfing for two years while it healed.
I'd really not like to go through that with skiing.

_ Booker C. Bense



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In article ,
Kurt Knisely wrote:
In article ,
bbense+rec.skiing.backcountry.Apr.12.04@telemark. slac.stanford.edu says...

In article ,
quack wrote:

When I was patrolling, it was bad enough to have to connect runaway straps
before I could respond to a wreck; pole straps were just one more thing to
fuss with, and unnecessary. And since I often ended up skiing with no poles
at all, straps seemed doubly unnecessary. Skiing without poles is great for
identifyuing weaknesses in technique otherwise made up for by pole use, and
correcting them.

_ Can't argue with that, but IMHO straps are essential if you
want to do anything more than plod in the backcountry.

What kind of straps are you talking about here Booker? Ski straps or pole
straps? Other than on my whippets (Spring only use for me), I'm about ready to
remove the pole straps from all my poles. Is there some reason I should not?


_ Well, if it isn't entirely obvious to you already then you
should remove them. What I meant was that for kick'n'glide and
skating straps are essential, in my opinion. Even for plodding
with full skins I find them very useful, but I don't tempt the
avalanche dragon very much. Or at least I don't think I'm doing
so, it's one of those things you'll never know until you get it
wrong.

_ I finally got out to Utah last month and based on what I saw of
the snowpack there, I'd think about removing my straps. Not
very hard, but I'd think about it...

_ Booker C. Bense

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In article ,
bbense+rec.skiing.backcountry.Apr.12.04@telemark. slac.stanford.edu says...
_ Can't argue with that, but IMHO straps are essential if you
want to do anything more than plod in the backcountry.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kurt wrote:
What kind of straps are you talking about here Booker? Ski straps or pole
straps? Other than on my whippets (Spring only use for me), I'm about ready to
remove the pole straps from all my poles. Is there some reason I should not?


I think the key phrase here is "do anything more than plod".

If I'm skinning up something just to ski down or if I'm on my heavy
gear, I'm plodding whether I want to or not. No way you're going to
stride efficiently in a T2 type boot or bigger, or on any sort of
cable binding (HH set on 1 as the exception?) or on phat skis.
I have some old Kerma Pros with the straps hacked off that I use for
this type of skiing.

But on pins, lighter boots and skinnier skis where plodding
gives way to striding or even kick and glide, straps become a must.
I'm currently some Leki Super-Crosses for this type of skiing but will
replace with some Swix Mountains if I can ever find a cheap deal on
a pair of 160s.



-- Dave
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"It is impossible, or not easy, to do noble acts
without the proper equipment."
Aristotle, Politics, 1323a-b, trans Jowett
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