School me on Skins

[In2h2o]

@James thanks for posting the slipper image......... Now Im obsessing about Doghammer products https://www.doghammer.de/en/ and these belts https://www.skinalp.com/theproject and https://www.skinsbelts.com
which all cost more than the Pomoca skins I was thinking of getting...

 

[Primoz]

So what’s the downside of 100% Mohair? /QUOTE]
In short, less grip and a lot less durability. All race skins for skimo racers are 100‰ mohair but those things are race stuff where performance matters and it doesn't matter if you change them once a week or once a month. For normal use durability is quite big deal... at least for me

 

[ScottB]

So I have found sources for the following skin in the sizes I need (although still determining correct width):

• Pomoca Climb 2.0 (recommended by Pomoca skin finder, great for beginners, cheapest)
• Pomoca Climb Pro S-Glide (better glide than Climb 2.0, lighter and more packable)
• Pomoca Free Pro 2.0 (less durable, but best glide and lightest)

I'm leaning toward just going with the lowest cost option that is good for beginners. The only thought that gives me pause is that the skins will probably have plenty of grip due to the size I need, so I could lean toward a skin with better glide.

I am a beginner and it took me about 3 outings to want better glide. I have cross country skied for a long time, so not having good glide really stood out to me. The very good grip stood out too. Now different snow conditions affect skins, but when I stride and want to slide my rear ski forward, the resistance was very noticeable and took a lot of energy unless I lifted the ski off the snow a little. After waxing my BD Glidelights, the resistance went way down, so a very noticeable improvement.

I bought a full mohair Contour skin this year, and BTW I am pretty sure it is synthetic mohair, not from a real goat. I haven't used it yet, so I am speculating it will glide a lot better and have a little less grip. I find even skinning up resort trails, there are flat sections where glide is noticable. Of course I am not in great shape, so maybe its more magnified for me.

@Noodler,

I think you could get either 120 width or 100 width, and get one that glides well. I would go with the Free Pro 2.0 and don't think about it again. until you have experience and want to experiment again. The skins come with a tail strap with a moveable clip. If your ski was a cm or 2 longer than a skin size, probably OK, but might need to make a new hole in the tail strap. Best to buy the right length.

 

[ScottB]

Just read the link on Jame's post and I guess Contour uses real mohair from a goat, I stand corrected.

 

[Noodler]

Since there was some discussion about dealing with your skins in the wind... I found this video quite helpful:

 

[pais alto]

Here’s another helpful video on dealing with skins in high winds.

 

[Noodler]

OK folks, thanks to all of you for your fantastic help in making this purchasing decision. I decided to spend the extra $20 and go with the Pomoca Climb Pro S-Glide skins (120mm-Large). They seemed like the best balance of characteristics for what I will need in CO. Considering that I'm going to start out doing purely inbounds touring to "get my feet wet", it made sense to go with these. I was also able to get them on credit card points, so it's all good...

BTW - I noticed today that Loveland is permitting the skiers skinning up to ski the headwall off the chair #9 terrain (which isn't spinning yet this season). So it's pretty cool to see that those that earn their turns are getting practically private access to terrain that isn't yet open during the normal operating hours).

 

[James]

Just read the link on Jame's post and I guess Contour uses real mohair from a goat, I stand corrected.

Yes those Austrians like their goats. Ask Arnold, he’s got two miniature horses he feeds at the kitchen table.
From last March-

 

[James]

@James thanks for posting the slipper image......... Now Im obsessing about Doghammer products https://www.doghammer.de/en/ and these belts https://www.skinalp.com/theproject and https://www.skinsbelts.com
which all cost more than the Pomoca skins I was thinking of getting...

For slippers, I’d prefer 100% Mohair. However, if you have to go out to get wood, they might get wet. Or you drop a piece on your foot. So the 65/35 is probably the way to go.
Don’t forget the miniature horse. Goes well with the slippers!

Wow, those belts are nice. Good thing they’re far away. Pretty irresistible if you walked in there. My mother had that same Necchi sewing machine. It’s from the late 50’s.

 

[James]

Well I now have my first pair of skins. Montana Adrenaline. Montamix plush, 65/35 mohair/nylon, and that new fangled backing.

Montamix Adrenaline - MONTANA

www.montana-international.com

They’re washable I guess to renew. There’s no glue.

I’m not thrilled about the wall to wall carpet style, but they only had 120mm.

 

[Noodler]

Well I now have my first pair of skins. Montana Adrenaline. Montamix plush, 65/35 mohair/nylon, and that new fangled backing.

Montamix Adrenaline - MONTANA

www.montana-international.com

They’re washable I guess to renew. There’s no glue.

I’m not thrilled about the wall to wall carpet style, but they only had 120mm.
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Where are you able to buy these?

 

[James]

I got them from my local shop. He had to order them and I think there wasn’t many left. Montana is in MA. He does have a bunch of the Montamix with regular hot glue in stock and some of these only for shorter skis.

There’s also a shop in Killington that stocks Montana

So this backing you can roll up. If you’re putting inside coat, do people still gold [fold] them? Don’t know what happens if there’s snow on the plush either.

 

[Slim]

@James, I think you have a typo there, you wrote: “do people still gold them”.
What was that supposed to say?

Rolling up seems really cool. Avoids getting creases in your skin, and easy to handle.
I sometimes roll mine after folding them base to base, and I roll them for summer storage, with a cheat cheat, for that reason.

 

[James]

@James, I think you have a typo there, you wrote: “do people still gold them”.
What was that supposed to say?

Rolling up seems really cool. Avoids getting creases in your skin, and easy to handle.
I sometimes roll mine after folding them base to base, and I roll them for summer storage, with a cheat cheat, for that reason.

Yes I meant fold. The question is even if you have rollups, do people fold them to put in a coat for quick retrieval? Rolling seems to be bigger?

 

[pais alto]

I always fold* ‘cause it‘s easier to put them on, and it seems quicker...except when it’s like this.

* I hold the (marked) center and pull them thru my fingers.

 

[James]

The boot I got off the marketplace here last summer. New, but several years old.

 

[Slim]

I fold, because I don’t want to get snow or plush on my glue. But if your skins can be rolled, that seems like a great option.
You can then unroll them when sticking them on.
I am kind of clumsy, so prefer not having full length of the skin exposed when applying it. So sticking the tip on, and unrolling a few inches at a time seems very nice and controlled.

 

[OnEdge]

I went for my first skin the other afternoon. It was remarkably easy and fun.

I ordered the G3 Alpinist skins. The G3 cutting tool is incredibly easy to use and while I was dreading fitting and cutting the skins, it was a piece of cake (I'm normally not good at this kind of stuff).

I was also impressed with the Salomon Shift bindings. Very intuitive and easy to use.

I was expecting a lot of trial and error, and I had cut the skins in 20 minutes was off and skinning with no fuss whatsoever.

 

[newfydog]

Back to the original title: Why are they called skins? The original skins were made from seal skins. My father bought some during WWII at the Harvard COOP, back when they carried more than hoodys and T-shirts. I've used them since I was a kid (only special occasions now), and they work pretty darn well. I marvel at the stitching and splices and how thin and supple they are, but I do feel bad for the seals.

How many here have used leather boots, bamboo poles, wooden skis and real seal skins? Gotta say, I had fun on all that stuff. won't be going back soon, but if that was all we had, I'd still ski.

 

[James]

Back to the original title: Why are they called skins? The original skins were made from seal skins. My father bought some during WWII at the Harvard COOP, back when they carried more than hoodys and T-shirts. I've used them since I was a kid (only special occasions now), and they work pretty darn well. I marvel at the stitching and splices and how thin and supple they are, but I do feel bad for the seals.

How many here have used leather boots, bamboo poles, wooden skis and real seal skins? Gotta say, I had fun on all that stuff. won't be going back soon, but if that was all we had, I'd still ski.



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Wow, those are amazing!
Beautiful. I used to work in a building in Nyc labeled the Furrier Building. There were still shops then, little over 20 yrs ago. You’d see guys wheeling fur pelts on racks down the street.