How to Store Climbing Skins

on the climb image by Galyna Andrushko from Fotolia.com

Early climbing skins were literally animal skins--thus the name--but they're now most commonly made of nylon fibers. The skin works like an animal's fur to provide friction that prevents sliding backwards as you climb. The skins are fastened along the bottom of each ski, at both tip and tail, or in a few cases fastened only at the tip. The side of the skin that contacts the ski is coated with an adhesive that helps the skins stick to the ski, and protecting this adhesive should be your first priority when storing the skins.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Nylon stuff sack

Step 1

Lay your climbing skins out flat, glue side up, to air-dry before storing them. Resist the temptation to dry the skins near a heat source; this may damage or completely ruin the adhesive.

Step 2

Place your climbing skins together, glue facing glue, then fold them in half several times. Some manufacturers provide storage sheets that can be laid across the glue side of the skins to protect the glue, instead of folding the skins together.

Step 3

Place the skins in a nylon stuff sack and leave the end loosely open. Store the skins in the sack in a cool, dry area.

Tips & Warnings

If you're not storing your climbing skins long term but simply need a place to stow them as you make a downhill run, just place them glue side together, fold them over themselves a few times, and tuck them into your pack. If the weather is particularly cold, you may need to put them in your inside jacket pocket to keep the glue relatively warm, but you should never expose the skins to a heat source warmer than your own body heat.

Article Written By Marie Mulrooney

Marie Mulrooney has written professionally since 2001. Her diverse background includes numerous outdoor pursuits, personal training and linguistics. She studied mathematics and contributes regularly to various online publications. Mulrooney's print publication credits include national magazines, poetry awards and long-lived columns about local outdoor adventures.

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