Trimming skins

With the uncertainty of the availablity of Tua's in the US
this year, I had to run out and buy some new skis to make
sure I have a pair of Tua's for a long time ;-). Got a sweet
deal on a pair of demo Montours mounted with Targa G3s at
Bent Gate Mountaineering. Of course, this meant I also had
to buy some skins- which brings me to my question- what is
the preferred length to trim your skins at the back of the
skis? I have Ascensions, no tail clip, the booklet just
shows them trimmed with rounded edges about 6 cm from the
end of the ski. The guy selling me the skins suggested leaving
them longer and pulling the excess over to the top side of
the ski?? I don't think I've seen that method before, but
I have an open mind. I'm coming from using the old Ascension
3/4 length skins, so I've never had to deal with glue before,
I'm not sure how well it holds up. Thanks for any opinions-

Tracy Lorraine Smith, who still has my original Tele Savauges
with the original Riva classic bindings... I think it's going
to be interesting being dragged into the 21st century ;-).
But, they WERE the fat skis of their time!

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In article ,
Tracy Lorraine Smith wrote:
With the uncertainty of the availablity of Tua's in the US
this year, I had to run out and buy some new skis to make
sure I have a pair of Tua's for a long time ;-). Got a sweet
deal on a pair of demo Montours mounted with Targa G3s at
Bent Gate Mountaineering. Of course, this meant I also had
to buy some skins- which brings me to my question- what is
the preferred length to trim your skins at the back of the
skis? I have Ascensions, no tail clip, the booklet just
shows them trimmed with rounded edges about 6 cm from the
end of the ski. The guy selling me the skins suggested leaving
them longer and pulling the excess over to the top side of
the ski?? I don't think I've seen that method before, but
I have an open mind.

_ It works okay and then you have enough skin left to cobble
together one of the various homemade tail strap solutions[1]
when it stops being okay. This is one of those things that's
really dependent on where/how you ski. Some lucky people use
glue only skins for years without problems.


I'm coming from using the old Ascension
3/4 length skins, so I've never had to deal with glue before,
I'm not sure how well it holds up. Thanks for any opinions-

_ If you keep it dry and clean it holds up pretty well, the
problem is when it stops working well, it doesn't work at all.
The various tail clip things are handy insurance IHMO. The only
downside is that it makes putting skins on without taking
skis off hard to impossible, but since I can't do that with
clipless skins either I don't miss it that much. You can
buy tail clip kits for your skins, the ones with the plastic
strap and metal hook work pretty well[2].

_ Booker C. Bense


[1]- http://www.wildsnow.com/tips/skin_tail_fix.html

[2]- http://www.bdel.com/gear/backcountry/tip_tail_kit.php

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Tracy Lorraine Smith wrote:

end of the ski. The guy selling me the skins suggested leaving
them longer and pulling the excess over to the top side of
the ski?? I don't think I've seen that method before

I have, and I've seen it come unstuck too. Without any pressure on the
top of the ski, the skin tends to work its way off so you have a flap
trailing behind you, which then seems to help the back of the under-ski
skin come unstuck, which then gets covered in ice crystals, and so on
until the skin is regularly falling off.

It doesn't *always* do that, especially with new glue, but I see it
happening more than on skins cut a few cm short of the back (what I do,
with Coll-tex and Montana skins).

3/4 length skins, so I've never had to deal with glue before,
I'm not sure how well it holds up.

Depends on amount of use and how clean you can keep the skins, but you
should get at least one and usually more seasons out of a layer of glue
IME, and if it's still clean you just add more after that, rather than
dissolve the old and completely reapply. I've never done that, but
everyone I know that has says I want to keep it that way... ;-)

Tracy Lorraine Smith, who still has my original Tele Savauges
with the original Riva classic bindings... I think it's going
to be interesting being dragged into the 21st century ;-).
But, they WERE the fat skis of their time!

Some people still use the old Tua Cirques with metal top-plates as "fat
skis"! ;-)

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

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In article ,
samos wrote:
This is what I would do : I would trim your skins at the exact lenght
or whatever comes close. I would not put any metal clip or strap.
Reason: if you cross or overlapp your skis while skiing it makes the
think get in the way of the overlapping ski and then the skin comes
off, ruins the cosmetics, ruins the skins and makes an anoying thing
in the way when you skin is very wet and stretches longer then when
it's dry... making the thing out loose in the back - hell

- - The newer plastic strap things at the back deal with the
stretchy skin problem much better than the older rubber tip at
the front ones. Clips or no clips is a liquorice question among
BC skiers, either you really like them or you don't. I've used
clip skins for years and I really like them.


What is important with skins is that you keep a bottle of "skin glue"
at home (forgot the brandname). So after every backcountry trip
(depending on how long you skin, it might be a few trips) you hang
them to dry and add a thin layer of the glue with the little
brush...and let the glue dry a few days before folding the skins or
putting them directly on your skis if the trip starts with climbing
up.

_ I've never heard of anybody reglueing their skins that
frequently. Once a season at most, I've got skins that are
five seasons old that still have perfectly fine working glue.
I guess if it works for you more power to you, just don't try
and put new glue over dirty skins.....


Also important : when you remove your skins from your skis you should
fold them carefully and don't let them touch the snow. If it's very
cold, fold them, lay them over your shoulders inside your jacket with
your suspenders over so they don't fall. This is if you wish to put
them back later.. they won't be frozen... so this way you won't need
the metal clip or strap.

_ This is my problem, I'm just not unfumble fingered enough to
never drop my skins. When BC skiing I'm a belt and suspenders
kind of guy.

_ Booker C. Bense


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Thanks for the info, and the links- the Rat tail looks pretty
interesting, I might be able to use the hardware from my 3/4 length
setup to use as the attachment place on the ski for the tail.

Most of my skiing is pretty laid back- Colorado backcountry with
the dogs, with a few hut trips (hence the need for skins) and
forays to Eldora or some other ski area to practice my turns in
the moguls. I'm also pretty easy on my gear- which is why I'm
still skiing on those lovely black and chartreuse Tele Sauvages
and Rivas. I did get T3s a few years ago, after breaking an
ankle and not being able to fit in my old leather boots anymore.

Now all I need is some SNOW!
Tracy Lorraine Smith

lac.stanford.edu wrote:

_ It works okay and then you have enough skin left to cobble
together one of the various homemade tail strap solutions[1]
when it stops being okay. This is one of those things that's
really dependent on where/how you ski. Some lucky people use
glue only skins for years without problems.

_ This is my problem, I'm just not unfumble fingered enough to
never drop my skins. When BC skiing I'm a belt and suspenders
kind of guy.

How do you use a belt or suspenders to keep your skins on?

I thought duct tape was what most people used to keep skins on
when the glue wasn't working. I remember helping do it once. It
took more tape than I expected.

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Hal Murray wrote:

_ This is my problem, I'm just not unfumble fingered enough to
never drop my skins. When BC skiing I'm a belt and suspenders
kind of guy.


How do you use a belt or suspenders to keep your skins on?

I thought duct tape was what most people used to keep skins on
when the glue wasn't working. I remember helping do it once. It
took more tape than I expected.

Well, the glue is the belt. The tail clips are suspenders. The duct tape
is another suspender. And the firstaid kit adhesive tape is tha last
suspender - Used them all, and they all failed, on a trip last season -
EXCEPT the firstaid kit adhesive tape, which saved the day. Who woulda
thunk?

I like belts AND suspenders.

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In article ,
Tracy Lorraine Smith wrote:
Thanks for the info, and the links- the Rat tail looks pretty
interesting, I might be able to use the hardware from my 3/4 length
setup to use as the attachment place on the ski for the tail.

_ Lou Dawson's site is excellent and outside of his adversion
for the tele turn, full of good information.


Most of my skiing is pretty laid back- Colorado backcountry with
the dogs, with a few hut trips (hence the need for skins) and
forays to Eldora or some other ski area to practice my turns in
the moguls.

_ Clipless might work pretty well for you then. The less times
you take them on/off the less chance to drop them. Also, I think
it tends to work better in drier lighter snow, which is why few
Sierra skiers use clipless skins. The glue does work much better
if you can keep it warm between uses, a couple ziplocs is a handy
if you don't have convient pockets to stuff them into.

_ Booker C. Bense




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