wax vs scales vs XSkin vs klister

[bgregoire]

I think the real issue with wet skins is that they might freeze as you hike up in elevation or as it cools at night, then and only the do you really loose grip


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[Cannatonic]

that makes a lot of sense. I wonder if you can use a bar of regular glide wax for this purpose.

[bgregoire]

Sure I do that, much cheaper than that black diamond skin wax bar. Same result.


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[Andy M]

I think the real issue with wet skins is that they might freeze as you hike up in elevation or as it cools at night, then and only the do you really loose grip

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The real issue with wet skins is when you skin with them into new colder snow, e.g., in a shady area, or, sometimes, just off the packed trail -- it immediately "glops" onto the skin into large frozen clumps, which usually require a scraper to remove -- otherwise, they effectively eliminate any efficient forward progress, as you have large "glops" of snow frozen onto the bottom of your skin -- hence why BD calls their skin wax "glopstopper".

This happens frequently in Colorado, especially in the spring, when there is new snow and temps near freezing. I carry some skin wax like glopstopper with me yearround, but I usually only apply it if there is new snow AND temps close to and above freezing. Most of the time when I use skins during the summer, I don't bother with skin wax, since there is no new snow -- I just let the skins get soaked.

[bgregoire]

I think the real issue with wet skins is that they might freeze as you hike up in elevation or as it cools at night, then and only the do you really loose grip

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The real issue with wet skins is when you skin with them into new colder snow, e.g., in a shady area, or, sometimes, just off the packed trail -- it immediately "glops" onto the skin into large frozen clumps, which usually require a scraper to remove -- otherwise, they effectively eliminate any efficient forward progress, as you have large "glops" of snow frozen onto the bottom of your skin -- hence why BD calls their skin wax "glopstopper".

This happens frequently in Colorado, especially in the spring, when there is new snow and temps near freezing. I carry some skin wax like glopstopper with me yearround, but I usually only apply it if there is new snow AND temps close to and above freezing. Most of the time when I use skins during the summer, I don't bother with skin wax, since there is no new snow -- I just let the skins get soaked.

Thumbs up! Glob prevention. Here in Quebec, the conditions you speak of are very rare. However, the issue is the nearly the same, freezing water sticks.


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[Cannatonic]

I used a bar of regular yellow glide wax yesterday and it worked fairly well. Kept them about 75% dry and I was going through actual water at a couple points. The 30mm Asnes mohair skin was nice, it felt like I was gripping better & gliding faster than my friend with waxless E99's. Unlike scales the skin grips everything well, ice, loose powder, packed powder, etc.

[wooley12]

I'm not you and you're not me. For me, I never wax as I live in wet maritime changing snow. Icey in the shade, mushy in the sun. Positive waxless sing in hard snow, glide is slower but kick better. Negative patterns are quieter, glide better and grip less. All of my skis have positive patterns and sometimes we sing a duet on packed downhills. The game for me is altering the timing of my kick and/or angle of attack and/or choice of what part of the track snow I ski in to match the need. I use skins to climb groomers and sometimes I use skins to go down groomers. When I ski the rolling flats I like to think I'm constantly shifting gears to be as efficient as I can because my fitness suck. A lap for me is bar to lift to the trails to the warming hut and back the the bar.

[mikesee]

I used a bar of regular yellow glide wax yesterday and it worked fairly well. Kept them about 75% dry and I was going through actual water at a couple points.

How do you apply it? With the grain only?

[wooley12]

With the grain and then a few strokes warm iron is what I do.

[mikesee]

With the grain and then a few strokes warm iron is what I do.

Thanks. How long does it last?

I have a ~150-mile tour coming up in early April, mid-elevation Idaho, where daytime temps will likely be 35-55*f.