WAX HELP, PLS!!

[StillWill]

Ok, as I posted previously I am just starting to venture into cross country. I will be mostly be in the woods on a maze of logging roads in western Massachusetts - very hilly but not exactly mountainous .....I got my skis, boots, and bindings (still need poles, any idea??, but I digress....)

What do I need to get for my starter waxing kit?
Been reading the forums and like the advice of Lilcliffy of buying Swix Polar for my base and then applying kick wax to the days conditions.

What is a recommended kit that will get me through without breaking the bank. I assume I need an iron, a cork, several colors of wax, and maybe some mohair skins ... AM I on the right track???

What do I really need, and what brands are a high value/cost ratio.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!

[Musk Ox]

The first rule of Wax Club is 'Don't overthink it'.

The second rule of Wax Club is 'Knock yourself out, literally dork yourself to death, smear the balls of your feet in pasteurised Swix and get a PhD in the hydroresistant properties of paraffined stearates in a conditions of contact-friction melt on p-tex bases on crystallised snow'.

Everyone's probably got a somewhat different philosophy/ limit to their dorkery/ levels of perfection/ patience. And everyone skis in different terrain and conditions, too.

But I think it's probably good advice to say that grip wax is basically easy. Do what the tins say, so you don’t get ice on the bottom of your skis or slip around. Look at YouTube if you want tips of how to cork it in.

The kits of grip wax essentials come with a cork and a couple of plastic scrapers, which are really useful. This kind of thing: https://www.swixsport.com/us/ski-wax/wa ... 5950000239 You may need some colder wax if it gets colder where you live. The brand's not essential. These kits are probably 20 USD cheaper than buying the bits and pieces individually. I predict you won't be using the klister in this kit.

If it's your very first time out using grip wax in the grip zone and other wax on the glide surfaces, there's probably some merit in getting your bases prepped in a shop first (ie., they'll iron in some glide wax on the glide surfaces for you so you don't need to think about it for a couple of months). Although glide wax isn't essential for the kind of skiing you want to do, and while there's very little you can do to your un-waxed bases that can't be fixed with the rub of a fine fibertex pad (other than the kind of damage that glide wax won't prevent anyway) I daresay it's good to get something on there to protect them.

I'm suggesting this because If you're really just getting to grips with grip wax, I think you'll probably want to concentrate on focussing on how to get that right. Not worrying about glide/ Polar/ ironing/ whatever makes that a bit simpler.

But even the glidy bits can be as simple as you want them to be, honestly.

Over a season I'll use nothing at all, Swix Polar, glide spray, and ironed-on solid wax on the glidy bits of different skis. Very often I use nothing at all because, well, it's not a race, and besides look at that snow, let's go. If you have nothing on you don't have to clean your bases to put something else on. I do like to use my favourite skis in all conditions and I go fast enough. On the other hand, I do like to try stuff out, because the dorkery's fun too, and I am a bit of a ski dork... shiny bases are sexy, and before you go out for a long trip you feel like an explorer preparing your gear for the north pole. But everyone has a different philosophy.

Swix Polar tip to tail is probably the closest you can get to a simple, universal, all-conditions rub solution. But sometimes, you either just want to go, or you feel like dialling in the glide a bit because... why not? The sprays are really good now. Using an iron's a pain in the rectum if you're not in the mood for it.

I don’t know about skins for those awesome military surplus Åsnes skis you’ve bought, but I know someone will have some advice! The commercial Åsnes skis are very versatile in that department.

[Woodserson]

Oooh this is the nice one

The kits of grip wax essentials come with a cork and a couple of plastic scrapers, which are really useful. This kind of thing: https://www.swixsport.com/us/ski-wax/wa ... 5950000239 You may need some colder wax if it gets colder where you live. The brand's not essential. These kits are probably 20 USD cheaper than buying the bits and pieces individually. I predict you won't be using the klister in this kit.

Two other Swix Starter Packs:
One with Klister if you want to go deep in the weeds right off the bat (perhaps necessary if you don't have non-wax skis and are skiing in MA)


One without Klister but a better hard grip wax range

My Woodserson non-wood ski Starter Kit:
TOKO Blue/Red/Yellow, a Universal Klister, Cork, two scrapers (one for Klister one for firm waxes).

My kit is a bit more enhanced now, but the above combo served me well for many years. Thought I didn't use the Klister much because I had a pair of wax and non-wax skis, but I used the scales on the sloppier days.

Become one with the snow when you get to the trailhead. Feel it, smell it, watch it fall from your fingertips. Commune with it, what is it saying to you? Be prepared to become the Wizard you were meant to be!

(Get a middle of the road glide wax, like TOKO red, if money is tight. That'll work at anything you need. Grab an iron from CVS. Don't overthink this)

Do you have a friend that knows how to wax XC skis? Skiing with a friend who knows how to do this is the best way to learn and will save you time. I had to learn one day at a time. When it clicks, it's like riding a bike.

[lowangle al]

The short answer is that in Pa. I got by mostly with swix Extra blue, a regular green for cold days and a red silver for warm days up to almost 40 F. Add a tin of Polar for glide and you are set for most conditions. As far as skins I don't use them in Pa. but I would use them on the longer climbs in NH, NY and Vt.

[FourthCoast]

[...] swix Extra blue, a regular green for cold days and a red silver for warm days up to almost 40 F. Add a tin of Polar for glide and you are set for most conditions.[...]

I was just about to post this same suggestion. Swix Extra Blue is amazing and the Regular Green works just as well when it gets a little bit colder outside. I also highly recommend the Red/Silver, not the Swix Red.

Everyone has different methods, but I personally would recommend never putting any glide wax on skis that you will be grip waxing. I suggest using only Polar for glide. In my limited and humble experience, glide wax can really cause headaches. The glide wax will make it almost impossible rub the grip wax on to the parts of the ski covered with glide wax. And even worse, if I do accidently touch the grip wax crayon/stick to the glide wax, I have found that it will sort of contaminate the stick of grip wax and prevent me from rubbing it on the rest of the ski unless I cut off the contaminated part first.

But I suspect Musk Ox, a circumpolar mammal, probably knows a thing or two about skis and wax. I don't claim to know more than him.

If you are looking to save money, at the expense of more physical labor, then I think a waxing iron is optional. With a clean ski base you can cork on Polar over the whole ski base and then apply the wax of the day on top of that. But, an iron will make that first layer of wax much less work.

Personally I really enjoy waxing skis, including glide waxing my family member's Alpine gear. I bought a Swix waxing iron back in 1998 and it is still just as good as new today. If you don't abuse it too much, a good waxing iron will last a lifetime, maybe longer.

[Musk Ox]

I suspect Musk Ox, a circumpolar mammal, probably knows a thing or two about skis and wax. I don't claim to know more than him.

Basically everything I know I learned either here or from my ex-landlady who's in her 70s and goes up proper mountains on a pair of E99s!

Yes there's no doubt that grip wax doesn't stick to glide wax... I do try and remember not to put the glide wax all the way to the kick zone if I'm using it (which to be very honest... is not actually so often... all my skis end up with something different on...)

My wife's very sceptical about Polar as glide wax so I'll tend to make her skis all shiny and do mine while I'm at it, as the designated ski-fiddler in the house. But it's so annoying having warm glide wax on the skis you want when it's got colder overnight... I'd much rather have nothing on...

I suspect I'm keeping my skins on more and more these days and bothering less and less with anything glidy...

[riel]

Everyone has different methods, but I personally would recommend never putting any glide wax on skis that you will be grip waxing. I suggest using only Polar for glide. In my limited and humble experience, glide wax can really cause headaches. The glide wax will make it almost impossible rub the grip wax on to the parts of the ski covered with glide wax.

I put polar wax along the entire length of the ski, but then I will add glide wax at the high friction areas near the tip and the tail.

I just leave 4" or so of Polar wax only space between the glide wax and the kick wax, so I have room to play with different amounts of glide wax.

I don't know whether the glide wax actually works better than the Polar wax would have, but I do know that having extra wax in the high friction areas results in it taking longer for the wax to wear off, and that's good enough for me

[Musk Ox]

OK, if we're talking simple 'basic essentials' kits, Swix Blue Extra, Violet Spesh, Red Silver, two scrapers, a cork, some environmentally unsound base cleaner and some fine FiberTex pads would be in mine. Special mention for Polar. I also use Blue once or twice. They'd probably all go in my desert island wax box.

Generally I only really clean the bases if it's getting properly gross down there. I'll have a quick rub and just put whatever I want on top of the old stuff, maybe after a scrape if I'm feeling really posh.

And a suite of skins. I use the 40mm Race X-Skin a lot, the 30mm mohair as a straight-up grip wax replacement in loose snow if there are no serious hills involved, it's amazing, the 45mm mohair for the steeps.

I also have some skis.

[fgd135]

All these wax kit suggestions are really good. Here in Colorado I carry colder waxes most days--I like Rode waxes, but all brands are similar--Rode Super Blue for 60% of the days, Green, and then Special Green for really cold days. In warmer weather I will sub out the greens and carry Violet Extra or Red Extra, and Swix Universal Klister with an applicator. I always have a cork, a sharp metal scraper, and a small shaker bottle of baby powder for removing wax and klister.
I used to be a zealot about hot waxing for glide, but nowadays if I use any glide wax on tips and tails it's Polar, or even Gulf Wax(paraffin wax), just rubbed on and corked. If you're using skins frequently I would suggest forgoing the tip/tail glide wax, and scrape off as much kick wax as possible before putting on the skins, to keep the adhesive clean.
Btw, Gulf Wax, or candle wax, is great to rub on skins to keep the plush from icing.

[greatgt]

Like glide wax cause it makes the skis faster....More speed the easier the turn....One way or the other grip wax WILL go on!....Double camber sets you free....Grip when you need it......glide when you don't....Wax is the ticket....TM