Skins on skis: best guide for ski touring
Long before high-speed, detachable, 360˚-rotating gondolas, skiers were using ski skins to get themselves across deep snow and to the tops of mountains. And while early examples were commonly made from sealskin the latest versions are now made primarily from mohair, synthetic hair, or a combination of the two. So how exactly do they work? This article will explain the basics of how they function, how to use them, and how to care for them.
[Advice]Skins on skis: best guide for ski touring(Youtube video)
How ski skins work
First off, a few basics. Ski skins are a strip of fabric that’s cut to match the length and width of a ski. One side features a special glue that sticks to the base of the ski while the skin side features short hairs that are angled. When pressure is put on the ski, the hairs enable it to “grip” the snow to keep it from sliding backward. When pressure is taken off and the ski is pushed forward, the skin easily slides over the snow.
There are also glueless skins available, but they’re not as widely used so we’ll just be talking here about skins with glue.
Finding the right ski skins
When choosing climbing skins for backcountry skiing, consider the following factors:
- Material Mohair for glide, nylon for grip and durability, or a mix of both.
- Attachment System Compatibility with your skis, ease of use, and secure fit.
- Width and Length Match the dimensions of your skis for optimal coverage and performance.
- Glue Quality Strong, reliable adhesive that works in various temperatures.
- Weight Lightweight skins for easier uphill travel.
- Durability Resistance to wear and tear in rugged conditions.
Skin materials and their effect on glide, grip, and portability
When choosing climbing skins, the material significantly impacts glide, grip, and portability:
- Mohair Made from angora goat hair, mohair skins offer excellent glide due to their smooth fibers, making them ideal for longer tours and smoother ascents. They are lightweight and packable but less durable than nylon.
- Nylon These skins provide superior grip, ideal for steep climbs and varied conditions. They are highly durable and more affordable but are heavier and less packable compared to mohair.
- Mohair-Nylon Mix These skins balance glide and grip, combining mohair’s smooth glide with nylon’s grip and durability. They are versatile and suitable for a range of conditions, offering a middle ground in terms of weight and packability.
Attachment systems
- Tip and Tail Clips Metal or plastic clips secure the skin to the ski’s tip and tail, providing a secure fit and preventing slippage.
- Bungee Cords Elastic cords at the tip provide a snug fit and are easy to adjust, often used in lightweight and race setups.
Width and length
To find the right width, choose skins that match or are slightly narrower than the widest part of your skis, typically the shovel. Skins should be trimmed to fit the side cut, ensuring edge exposure for grip. For length, most skins can be adjusted for length at either the tip or tail. Skins should cover nearly the full length of the ski but stop short of the tip and tail so that they’re as light as possible and easy to handle.
To cut ski skins to the correct width, put the skin on your ski base and using a sharp utility knife or skin cutter tool, carefully trim the skin to follow the edge of your ski. Remove the skin and put it back on the ski with the edge you just cut 2-3mm inside the edge of your ski, which will leave the edge and a bit of the base on that side exposed. Use your sharp knife to carefully cut the skin along the opposite edge. Remove the skin once again and put it back on in the middle of the ski. If you’ve done a good job the skin should be 1-1.5mm inside both edges of your ski.
HOW TO PUT SKI SKINS ON SKIS
First and foremost, if you’re putting on your skins while standing on any kind of a slope make sure your skis are secure, so they don’t go rocketing down the hill if you accidentally bump one. This means making sure your bindings are in ‘ski’ mode with the brakes down. Once your skins are on and you’re ready to step into your bindings then switch over to ‘walk’ mode with your brakes up.
If your skis don’t have brakes, drive the ski tail first securely into the snow and check to make sure it’s well stuck and won’t go anywhere if you bump it. If there is not enough snow (or if it’s too hard) to stick your skis into, strap the one you’re not working with onto your pack to keep it secure while you put the skin on the other.
Next, make sure the bases of your skis are clean and dry. Any kind of dirt, pine needles, ice, snow, water, or crud that’s left on the bottom of the skis will end up on your skins and will make them less sticky. If you know you’re going to start your day by skinning, then it’s often a good idea to put your skins on at home before you leave.
Basic Skinning technique
For efficient uphill skinning on ski skins, follow these steps:
- Proper Positioning Keep your weight centered over your skis. Lean slightly forward, bending at the ankles and knees.
- Glide and Grip Use a steady, gliding motion, allowing the skins to grip the snow. Lift your skis minimally to conserve energy.
- Pace Yourself Maintain a consistent, sustainable pace to avoid fatigue.
- Use Poles Effectively Push with your poles in sync with your steps for added stability and propulsion.
- Turn Techniques For sharp turns, use kick turns by lifting the ski and pivoting it in the desired direction. To learn more, read our article on how to kick turn
Practicing these techniques enhances efficiency and performance when skinning uphill.
Pulling sticky skins apart
Skins can be difficult to pull apart depending on the glue that’s used as well as how old they are. If this is the case, try clipping the skin to the top of your ski and pull down with both hands. It might be difficult at first but as you progress, you’ll gain leverage so it should get easier towards the end.
Sticking skins to skis
Once you have the skin pulled apart, clip it to the top of your ski and starting from the top gently pull down as you carefully guide the skin down the center of the base of your ski. Make certain there are no wrinkles as you work your way down the ski. If wrinkles do appear, or if the skin is off center, pull the skin back up to the point where things begin to go awry and start again, gently pulling and aligning the skin between the edges as you go.
When you get to the end, put the tail clip on making sure there’s a snug fit so that it doesn’t come off while you’re skinning up the hill.
What to do if ski skins won’t stick
Once you start skinning if one of your skins comes loose, isolate the part that won’t stick and try to identify what the problem is. If there is ice, snow, or other junk between the skin and the ski, take the ski off and try to carefully wipe away as much as you can with your hand. If you have a scraper in your pack, try using that as well.
If that doesn’t work, then take the skin off, stick your ski firmly in the snow, and saw the affected area of your skin back and forth across the edge of your ski to remove the ice, snow, or whatever.
Still not working? If the skin refuses to stick, then it’s time to go into MacGyver mode by securing the skin to your ski with the extra ski straps in your backpack. One strap wrapped around the tail and one just behind the heel of your binding should be enough to get you back to civilization.
What? You didn’t pack extra ski straps?! Or duct tape!? Check out our article to find out what to pack for a day of skiing or snowboarding in the backcountry.
Folding your ski skins
There are lots of different ways to fold your skins and for this article, we’ll talk about folding them into fourths. Remove the tail clip and pull the tail of the skin up to meet the tip of your skin, effectively folding it in half. Hold the skin midway down the exposed glue side and fold the tail down to the bottom of the exposed glue side. The bottom half of the skin should now be folded into a quarter and stuck together, glue side to glue side. Pull the top half of the skin off your ski and fold it back on itself, glue side to glue side, so that your skin is now folded into four quarters. Take your time and do your best but don’t stress if the skin is not folded perfectly.
As soon as the skin is off your ski, switch your binding into ‘ski’ mode and step in because as long as the binding is in walk mode with the brake up and there’s no skin underneath it there’s a chance your loose ski could end up at the bottom of the mountain without you on it!
If you plan to take a break and don’t want to put your skis on right away then as soon as you get your skin off be sure to switch your binding into ‘ski’ mode so that your ski brake is down. If you don’t have brakes, stick the ski securely in the snow, or if that’s not possible strap it to your backpack until you’re ready to click into your bindings.
If you have skin savers (plastic netting that is inserted between the skins when folding them glue side to glue side), use them. However, if it’s windy skin savers can increase the hassle factor exponentially and it can be better just to leave them in your pack and put them on at home after you’ve dried your skins. Sticking the skins together glue to glue without a skin saver won’t damage the skin, they simply won’t be as easy to pull apart
If you have a stuff sack for your skins, stick them inside before stuffing them into your pack to keep them clean.
Keeping your ski skins warm
If you’re planning on using your skins again after you ski – as in, the snow is so insanely good you just have to go for another lap – keeping your skins inside your jacket will keep them warm which should help them stick better. Just make sure to tighten your waist strap on your backpack so they won’t fall out of the bottom of your jacket.
Drying ski skins
When you get home, be sure to take your skins out of your backpack to let them dry in a clean, dry place that’s free of pet hair, dust, carpet lint, pine needles, and anything else you don’t want to stick to them. It’s best not to put them directly on or near a heat source but if that’s your only choice be sure to keep an eye on them and remove them as soon as they are dry.
Once they are completely dry you can then take the time to fold them nicely, put the skin savers on and put them back in their stuff sack ready for the next adventure.
Common causes of icing and glopping on ski skins
Icing and glopping in climbing skins occur when snow sticks and freezes to the skin’s surface, typically due to temperature fluctuations and moisture conditions. Common causes include:
- Temperature Changes:Rapid shifts from cold to warmer temperatures can cause melted snow to refreeze on the skins.
- Wet Snow: Skinning in wet, heavy snow increases moisture contact, promoting clumping.
- Old or Worn Skins:Deteriorated waterproof treatments and skin fibers more readily absorb water.
- Inadequate Waterproofing: Insufficient or absent water-repellent coating leads to moisture absorption and ice formation. Regular application of skin wax or waterproofing agents can mitigate these issues.
How to prevent or mitigate ski skin icing and glopping:To prevent or mitigate icing and glopping on ski skins, follow these strategies:
- Apply skin wax:Regularly rub on skin-specific wax to repel water and prevent snow build-up.
- Reapply waterproofing:Treat skins with waterproofing sprays to enhance moisture resistance.
- Proper storage:Keep skins dry and clean; avoid storing them wet.
- Clean skins:Regularly clean skins to maintain their hydrophobic properties.
- Avoid temperature extremes:Minimize transitioning between vastly different temperatures.
- Carry a scraper:Use it to remove ice and snow build-up during your ascent.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR SKI SKINS
Ski skins won’t last forever but they will last a surprisingly long time if you take care of them.
- Keep ‘em clean – this applies to both sides equally. Keeping dirt, grass, animal hair and other muck off your skins will go a long way towards improving their longevity. Most skins come with a protective sheet and bag for a reason. When you fold the skins, take the extra time to place the protective sheet between them and fold them carefully so that as little of the glue is exposed as possible. Putting them back in their storage bag before putting them in your backpack or pocket really helps keeping dirt off.
- If your skins do get dirty, remove as much of the dirt and debris as you can with a damp cloth.
- Dry your skins thoroughly in a cool, dry place where they will not come into contact with anything that will get them dirty. When completely dry, place the protective sheets on the glue side and carefully fold them before placing them in their bag and storing them in a cool, dry place that’s out of direct sunlight.
- If it seems like your skins aren’t sticking as well as they used to, don’t fret, it happens to the best of skins. All you need to do is re-glue them.
Regardless of how well you care for your skins, they won’t last forever. Replace your ski skins when they fail to grip the snow effectively. Persistent difficulties in maintaining traction during climbs, noticeable thinning of the plush, or excessive fraying are all signs that it's time for a new pair of skins.
Practice makes perfect!
So now that you know the basics it’s time to get out and get some first-hand experience on how to use your skins. Just like anything else, the more you use them the easier it will become. And before you know it, you’ll be transitioning so fast you’ll be racking up more vertical in a day than you did on those high-speed, detachable, 360˚-rotating gondolas you used to think were so fast.Click here for more advice on ski touring.