Ski touring and splitboarding are excellent ways to be in close contact with nature. Instead of using ski lifts, you use "seal skins" under the skis to climb slopes and explore isolated areas.
How to get some ? How to put them on ? how to use them ? Find out all there is to know about...seal skins.
Essential to climb without sliding back, "seal skins" are long strips of nylon or mohair that you can attach to the base of your skis or splitboard. In the direction of the fibres, you glide. Against the fibres, they grip to the snow and stop you sliding back. They fit on the tip and the tail and enable the skier/snowboarder to climb (they are then removed to ski downhill). Finding the right skins can be difficult, as there are several different design options and the size of skins can be complicated.
This guide explains the advantages and disadvantages of different types of skins and will give you an idea of sizing.
Depending on your needs (grip, glide, durability), you have different choices:
Cheaper nylon skins (synthetic) are durable and enable very good grip on the snow. However, they glide less well than mohair for example, and are heavier.
Mohair skins are made from angora sheep wool. They are lighter than nylon and have excellent glide quality. The 2 main disadvantages are low durability, maintenance and price, they are significantly pricier.
Finally, nylon/mohair blend skins have all the advantages of the first two types. They glide better than a nylon skin and are much more durable than nylon skins: they are the best choice.
With classic skins (non pre-cut), choose a skin width of 5 to 7 millimetres narrower than the widest part of your skis. It enables you to cover the base of your skis without covering the edges.If you cannot find the exact width you need, choose a wider skin. You can use a cutting tool to cut your skins and cut through nylon and glue.
With pre-cut skins, choose the width taking into account the wider part of your skis or splitboard and the length range your skis are in. If your seal skins are not wide enough at the waist, you may not have the grip you want when climbing , especially on banking terrain, and your tour may quickly become a struggle.
Concerning length, you will want to cover the skis or splitboards as much as possible. The size can be difficult as different manufacturers use different sizing systems with room for adjustments.
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