Climbing Skins

[Illini]

I'm in the market for climbing skins for a pair of Atomic TM 11's but I have no experience with backcountry setups. The dimension of the ski's are 92/67/82 and 160 cm. I've searched around on Telemark tips but did not find much specific information or rather I got tired of sorting through all of the crap. Can anyone make a recommendation for brand, type, size, and attachment style? I thought I would try posting here to get an opinion on what is best for PNW snow.

 

Thanks

[cman]

i have the G3 skins and i really like the attachment style, at the back. It stays on and can be tightened easily, good for when the snow turns to slop and your skins get all wet and stop sticking.

you can cut them to size, if you get 90 and cut them you will have better skinning.

[markharf]

I've searched around on Telemark tips but did not find much specific information or rather I got tired of sorting through all of the crap. Can anyone make a recommendation for brand, type, size, and attachment style?

 

This is pretty funny. There's a lot of "crap" posted over there because opinions differ. Cman recommends G3's with tail hooks; I recommend purple Ascensions (BD) with no tail hook at all. Both of us can probably make a compelling case for our preferences. We agree on the width: 90mm, trimmed to fit. Next poster will probably recommend something else entirely—maybe Glide-lites or Low Fats—and before you know it you're back where you started: overloaded with "crap."

 

If you don't want to sort through it all, stop researching and make your purchase, following his advice, mine, or someone else's arbitrarily. In the end, it's not going to make much of a difference; far more important will be learning the skills to use whatever skins you choose with speed and efficiency and without undue stress. Good luck.

[JayB]

The purple ascensions are still the way to go. No one has improved on them IMO.

[cj001f]

In the end, it's not going to make much of a difference; far more important will be learning the skills to use whatever skins you choose with speed and efficiency and without undue stress. Good luck.

 

 

I've had Glidelite's, Ascensions (Purple and mohair) and Pomoca's, with the EuroTTP attachment, no tail, Clipfix tail, and G3 style tail. Of them, I liked the Purple Ascensions the best of the skin material, and the G3 style tail. With the exception of the Pomoca's none of them were bad skins. I'd find whatever's cheapest and buy those.

[Freeman]

I've skied with a number of people who earn their living guiding in B.C. - almost without exception they use purple Ascensions (usually w/o tail fixes so they can take them off with removing their skis). In many cases they will loan a client who is having trouble with their brand X skins a spare pair of Ascensions. The next year that client will usually have a pair of purple Ascensions. Most of the guides don't trim their skins to fit shaped skis but it isn't that hard to do (BD includes a little knife). Both my wide (85 mm) and my really wide (95 mm) skis have straight skins that are 5 mm narrower and they work just fine. I like the Clipfix tail but I'm a clutz and have to remove my skis to take the skins off anyway.

 

btw - I have several pair of Brand X skins in my basement that might fit your skis - I'll make you a heck of a deal since all I use anymore is the purple ones.

[iain]

You can still remove your skins with your skis on with both the clipfix and sts attachments. In fact, I find it easier than doing it with no tail attachment, because there is something I can grab with my gloves on. Prying off skins w/o an attachment with ski gloves on can be difficult. I really like ascension skins. Then again, they are all I've used.

 

As said it all comes down to technique though. It is definitely an acquired skill.

[Mark_Husbands]

wishbone

[cj001f]

You can still remove your skins with your skis on with both the clipfix and sts attachments. In fact, I find it easier than doing it with no tail attachment, because there is something I can grab with my gloves on.

I agree, I've also found the skin glue tends to stay cleaner with the tail attachments as well.

[thelawgoddess]

Of them, I liked the Purple Ascensions the best of the skin material, and the G3 style tail.

ditto. i have ascensions with clipfix and g3's. ascensions are a little better ... but not so much so that i'm going to ditch my g3's. g3's tails are much nicer than clipfix ... but no so much that i've gone out and bought bd's adjustable tail for $20 ... yet.

[snoboy]

I have Ascensions... w/ a G3 tail or get Ascensions and the STS tail. I tend to agree with Iain that the tail hook makes it easier to get your skins off, and stops you from wrecking the glue to quickly.

[Montana_Climber]

The mesh piece that comes with the BD skins now is great. It makes storing your skins much easier since you don't have to worry so much about lining up each skin to each other. I've used Life-Link skins but that's mostly because I used to work there and got them for $35. The clipping system is fairly good but not as nice as some of the other clip tail hooks I've seen and used. The other problem with them is that I don't think they are quite as durable as some of the others. However, they grip the snow just as well as any others I've used.

[Clivus]

I have had both the purple BD ascension skins and the G3. The BD skins climb slightly better, but I prefer the G3 because they absorb dramatically less water. I agree that the tail atachment on the G3 is better.