Thoughts on touring gear part 2. Skins.

A snowHead

Having just pulled the trigger on some Scott Superguide 88 I'm thinking what skins to buy. There's bespoke ones which I can get at a good discount, but I'm happy to cut my own. I quite fancy some of the gecko glueless but heard some negative reports when they first come out. Otherwise I do get a little confused at all the trade offs between weight, grip, and resilient. Any thoughts.
I then need to decide between quiver killing some bindings with my old (new) skis or sort out some bindings.

A snowHead

I've been very pleased with Koch Alpine contour skins bought last January. Far better glue than black diamond (which I'd rated previously).

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@jbob,
First new skis in months! I have been skiing a lot with a chap who has the 88 Superguides and he loves them.

Key question is what will they mainly be used for? If you are looking to do any significant uphill I would suggest 2 things;

1) For the skins, I wouldn't give a fig for resilience. If they do fall apart, buy some more! Based on too much skinning this season, I would go for either the easiest glide (generally accepted to be mohair), or a mix of nylon and mohair. The black diamond ones for my fat skis are that type and slide really well. Had them out today. Not sure how important weight is,the propensity of a skin to absorb water probably outweighs that, and goodness knows how that works

Don't bother with your old bindings. Get some Dynafit Superlite 2 like mine. 175g and they have worked a treat. Or some other lightweight like ATK or Plum. Mine looked like toys at first but they have worked well so far. Get 3/400g off each foot. It's great.

If the Gran Paradiso is a target, you will not regret going light.

If you are not looking to do that much uphill on them, please disregard the above.

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@jbob,
My chum also likes his Scott skins very much, though they are showing signs of early wear - a bit of fraying at the edges.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@jbob, Scott do colltex whizzskins designed specifically for the super guides that locate in the tip holes. I've been using them this season with a pair of 105's (will post a review/thoughts on the equipment thread in the very near future) and they're excellent. Mohair/nylon mix and don't need cheat sheets. Grip is good, glide is excellent.

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@jbob, on the subject of bindings, I've mounted mine with Salomon MTN
pins - very light yet stiff and removable brakes add versatility. They have a much flatter ramp than other pin bindings so ski very well. Highly recommended.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@jbob, I tested the Super Guide 95s for a couple of days last week and was very impressed with the performance. I'm intrigued as to why you've picked the 88 though – they are a very lightweight ski so is the weight difference really significant?

I have a pair of Coltex Whizz skins as mentioned by @Sharkymark for my Directors. First pair I've had so nothing to compare to, but they were quick and easy to fit and performance was everything I expected. No idea how long the glue will last, but the whole stick them to themselves thing seemed less faff than applying extra mesh.

After all it is free

@HammondR, I'm planning to do a bit more than the 6 days I had this year, plus I still have GP on my list. My powdairs are great on the down, but were a little heavy for my old legs on the up plus harder to kick turn but I think that was more the length. Good point on the bindings, that was exactly what Jon said, especially when you factor in £140 for quiver killers they don't seem so expensive. He did say about locking the toes to put them on.

@Scarlet, I've already got some fatish skis 100, and wanted something lighter but still wanted a ski that works on the down.

I too have the 88's with Dynafit ST 2's with the Scott Coltex Green Whizz skins and have probably clocked up over 20 ascents on them so far this season, mostly spring touring and ski and skin combo works great.

I don't use the 88's in more wintery conditions opting for wider Powdairs 100 and K2 Coombacks 115.

If you were limited to just one ski then probably the 95s.

@Scarlet, and what bindings were on your "test" skis, Marker Tour?

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@Weathercam, I have the same bindings on my Directors with QKs, so that made it an accurate test for me.

@jbob, fair enough. I have two other pairs at 84 (not for touring) and 107 so the 95 sits in the middle for me.

*adds more gaffa tape to wallet before @spyderjon gets his greasy mitts on it*

wink

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I was thinking of starting a thread to operate as a support group for snowheads with post season gear acquisition syndrome, not that I have any idea how to treat it.

@Scarlet, so how many hours '/ vertical did you do on them and on what type of snow pack?

You know it makes sense.

double post sorry

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@jbob, G3 alpinest , great grip , reasonable glide , very durable , best self cut tool and great tip and tail connectors ,

A snowHead

@Weathercam, on the Super Guides, none, downhill only, mostly off piste.

On the Directors, one short skin past a closed lift sacked-off in favour of coffee and a bus ride, one self-extraction from a forest after getting lost. Breakable crust. Measure in minutes rather than hours, not that much vert, but it was a very hot day.

My skiing is more about the down than the up, and when I carry skins it's more as a get out of jail card.

wink

A snowHead

Don't see any reason not to go for the Scott ski specific skins..they fit and work really well on my 95s.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Surprising weight difference between the skins I have for different set ups. Coltex score well.

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@jbob, have skied with several people this winter with the Superguide cut-to-fit skins and they seemed to work well. If you are looking at other brands definitely go for a mohair/nylon mix (or full mohair) as opposed to nylon as there is a big difference in drag.
I have used BD Mohair/Nylon mix (exact model names escape me (Glidelite Mix?) though currently have a pair of Ultralites on one set-up) for years (and they last for years with no re-gluing if you look after them properly) and so no reason to change yet, though the new 'glue but not glue' tech is interesting for sure so may try a set when I next need a new pair.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thumbs up for the skins that come with the Scott Superguides.

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For the last two seasons the Scott factory skins are actually rebadged Colltex 65% mohair/35% synthetic with Whizz glue (ie you fold them sticky side to sticky side without the faff of needing a cheat sheet) & fitted with their superb camlock tail fixing system.

Apart from the benefits of being pre-cut for shape/length, having a tip fixing that hooks in to the cut-outs in the ski tip & having excellent glide/grip qualities, a major plus is that their cost is considerably less expensive than a regular DIY fit Colltex Whizz skin.

And re-glueing, when necessary, is super easy with their Whizz tape.

The Scott skins are available for their Superguide 88's, Superguide 95's, Superguide 105's, & Cascade 110's skis.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

@davidof, but you needed to do a Tarzan impression to pull them apart Laughing

The Whizz skins however take no effort pulling apart, that said I use sheets if only for storing / drying purposes and keeping grass and general dust n'crap off them, but even then..............

I've bought some Scott skins but I think they are the non whizz ones in blue😟

Now to the bindings. I've always had dynafit and already have some crampons so I'll be looking at them first. I'll most likely go with leashes. I'll not be using them for any piste or free ride skiing. I don't like bindings where you need to rotate them to alter the height while skimming. I can cope with a bit of delta angle plus they need to be solid. And I want something light.
@HammondR, suggestion of speedlite 2 seems to tick all the boxes but they aren't cheap. Any other suggestions?

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Unfortunately I'm in a difficult position unable to fully embrace "PGAS" as I still have the little matter of going to try and find a Scott Cascade that I lost and I can't realistically hunt for that until June or later as it's on a NE facing slope at around 2,100 under a fair amount of snow as a result of a slide, so even though 105 SuperGuides might seem an attractive option...... rolling eyes

@Weathercam, interesting, will it still be ok.

You know it makes sense.

@jbob, few years back after my cliff incident and subsequent lost ski (Scott Mission) a couple of mates of mine decided one rainy summers day (as conditions were shite for climbing) to go on a mission to find my lost "Mission" I did give them a pretty precise location and I also had photos of the "cliff" and this is exactly how they found the ski lying like this on a rock.

It was perfect, I did sell the skis and to this day I never really know if they had good or bad karma, as was it bad luck that I went over the cliff or good karma that I survived rolling eyes

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Weathercam, I guess that answers the how should I store my skis question. Flat, upright, binding wound down, or under 49 foot of snow then out in the rain.

A snowHead

@Weathercam,

to misquote Mr O Wilde
"To lose one ski may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness"

Very Happy

A snowHead

Had to laugh today thinking of this thread when going into transition mode on a ridge earlier.

20m below the ridge thought might be breezy, atop the ridge way stronger together with a bonkers windchill, so no messing around, Whizz skins off and not a time for being neat and tidy and taking bag out, rolled / bundled them up as best as and stuck them in the pack.

Back home and they so easily came apart and now out in the hot sun-shine drying.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@jbob, Salomon MTN binding: flip heel lift, optional ski brake, leash happy

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LIGHT

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

A useful web site I found.

http://www.alpine-guides.com/ski/insider-knowledge-ski/ski-touring-equipment-advice/

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Grrr. My new skis have arrived and there're red! Help. Are they woman's skis? Should I send them back.

@jbob, superguide 88s don't come in red or have I missed something from your OP?

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Help!!

Thoughts on touring gear part 2. Skins.

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