UKC

Huge problem with this the other day, trying to get up Glas Maol and finding the adhesion between the skin and the ski was pretty well totally absent, so that my max gradient for climbing was reduced from about 45 degrees to, well, about nothing really.

Wot's the answer? I am ignorant. Ye who Know, enlighten me

So far I have tried getting all the ice off with my fingers, and going over the back of the skins at great length, rubbing them on to the ski. And this works a bit. But can I do better? You tell me.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

So, just to be clear the skin was not sticking to the ski sole?

Assuming that's the case you may need to reglue them. Depending on the make and use they can last a season or several seasons.
the easiest way to reglue is with these BD transfer sheets.
http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/ski-skins/glue-renew-transfer-BD163553_...

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Some tips from my own experience:
- carry a small, microfiber towel in your skins bag. Wipe the skis before attaching the skins
- if spindrift/snowing then put the skins on in small increments, so very little snow gets between the skin and ski. Wipe each small increment with aforementioned towel
- when removing skins for a while, keep them in your jacket, next to your chest
- when removing skins, if using the plastic sheets, strip a small part of it, roll it, strip another part, roll it again, repeat untill finished
- always carry some adhesive strip. In cold conditions stage tape/gaffers tape is useless so carry some medical adhesive strip in your jacket pocket. Use it sooner rather than later
- once they start to loosen up and get wet rubbing them by hand does no good. remove ice (but don't remove the skin alltogether) step into the ski and go back and forward over the same snow
- carry spare skins
- change the skins adhesive
- use non-fluoride ski was on your touring skis
- once the adhesion has gone for good start climbing all gradents directly perpendicular to the slope, no traversing. if too steep take the skis off .

Have you tried re glueing the skins and drying the ski bases before applying them.

In reply to IoanTataru and Kimberley:

Thanks both for your trouble--that's tremendously helpful.

The first thing I find hard to believe, with any mechanical problem, is that it's not my own fault...

<hangs practically giftless head in shame>

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Regluing skins is a delightful job that doesn't make much mess. Just use your normal ironing board and iron.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

I have stripped and reglued a set in the past (messy job, but it worked), but if they are just dirty I'd be inclined to try the paper bag trick first: youtube.com/watch?v=Cdiv-IzHcjQ&

If your skins get wet (all too common in Scottish conditions) they often don't stick so well if you take them off and put them on again. Stuffing them down your shirt front on the downhill sections helps dry them out a bit, if you don't mind looking like you've got a giant pair of moobs!

In reply to Mark Bull:

Oh you and your glib assumptions. What if I already look like I've got a giant pair of moobs?

In reply to Tim Chappell:

If the problem is the un-stickiness of the glue then, as others have said, you'll probably need to reglue then. I found the BD iron-on sheets pleasantly surprisingly user-friendly. If the glue has had its chips then that should be pretty obvious. Do they stick OK to the skis if you try them when everything's dry? Like now? (Assuming you don't live in Somerset.)

If they do stick when dry then it sounds like snow / ice build up on the glue and that's easily fixed with a bit of warmth. Wrapping the skin, sticky side down, round my thigh works for me as does sticking them inside a compliant friend's jacket for a few minutes. They seem to be rare for some reason so your own jacket may have to suffice.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

As I understand it, over time glue has a tendency to absorb water. A way to revitalise your skins without having to reglue is to get some silcone greaseproof paper from your local supermarket. Cut a piece the length of your skin then cut that down the middle, therefore two long sections, one for each skin. Lay the skin out flat and stick a section of the greaseproof paper along the glue (before doing this you can add glue (from a tube) to any spots that are missing. Now run a hot iron along the length of the grease proof paper. You may need to experiment with the temp (I use a waxing iron set to just above medium). The glue doesn't melt as such but softens and will spread evenly as you iron. Try to run the iron lengthways along the skin to stop any spreading of the edges. If you lift the skin of the surface you are working on you should find the surface a little damp - this I take to be water evaporating out of the glue. Now leave the skin overnight preferably before slowing peeling back the greaseproof paper.

I have done this a few times and great results every time - though would recommend the silcone greaseproof rather than none silcone which can stick and tear when removing. A much easier and quicker job than reglueing and has given me just as good results.

Personally my next skins will be a set of geckos!

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Get some gecko skins, I melt the snow off with my hands no bother, the are permanently sticky, great bits of kit!http://www.gecko.co.at/Gecko_Home_ENG.html

In reply to girlymonkey:

Mm... I'm new to this game. But skinning up Glas Maol was so good while the glue worked, and so annoyingly crap while it didn't... Geckos it might be, we'll see what happens next time out.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

I have never had traditional skins, these were my first ones, but I can't ever see me using anything other than them! We also have skin socks for when you remove them, much easier than any of the backing paper nonsense. Ours were made by Montana, and we got them in Cairngorm Mountain sports, but I can't find a link to them online for you

In reply to girlymonkey:

The skin socks Montana do are called skinnys. They make getting skins off / on dead easy. See
http://www.montana-international.com/Produkte/Skisteigfelle/Care/tabid/1488...

Tim, try to keep the skins warm if you can. Also do your skins have both a tip & tail attachment point? That seems to help as even if the glue has got wet as it seems to keep them on the ski better.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

http://www.wildsnow.com/6281/gecko-skins-review/

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Errrrrr.......
you'v not been using teflon (flourine) based wax on your skis have you????????????????????????????

In reply to daWalt:

No. Never even heard of the stuff.

In reply to MG:


I agree - it's a job I've done on the living room carpet in front of the TV many a time.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Thanks to all on this thread for their tips, which I will be keeping for future reference.

Today I skinned up Cairn Gorm, then the slopes on the W of the Lecht, then the Home Run at Glenshee, with no trouble at all. But I'm taking care now to massage the skins on to the skis, and make damn sure they're on all over before I start. Now I know from bad experience that getting them to stick really matters, I'm on it, and that seems to make the difference.

Three skiing centres in a day... I wonder how easy it would be to do all five Not that hard, I didn't start very early!

I only got into this bagging project at all as Plan C for today. Plan A was ski-touring on Creag Meagaidh, but by the time I got to Laggan Village it was obvious that the snow line was too high and the weather was too wet and misty for this to work. There seemed to be clear sky eastwards, so I drove to Aviemore instead. Plan B: Cairn Gorm-Cairn Lochan-Ben Macdui. But the wind at the summit of Cairn Gorm was utterly horrible, and the snow was wonderful on the east side of the hill and disgustingly icy and scoured on the west side. So I just skied down on the pleasantest snow I could find.

This outing was too small. It left me curiously dissatisfied, but on the other hand I didn't fancy skinning up Cairn Gorm *again*, and they weren't selling lift-passes any more. So reluctantly, I got in the car. I'd decided already that I didn't want to drive the A9 home--I am getting SO pissed off with that road--so then I found myself at the Lecht. And Plan C crystallised...

Bonus extra: I'm pretty sure I could see the Northern Lights on the drive back this evening. Nothing spectacular but it was all very glowy looking north and west, much too late for it to be the sun's afterglow. So that's another first. Good day all round!