Here’s our latest heap of Monday gear questions and answers. It may resolve some burning questions that were occupying your mind, or it may just fend off the Monday-brain for a few minutes. Either way, we hope it serves you well.
Q: Suggestions on packing these for BC snowboarding? I’m looking for a durable, comfortable backpack that I can stow these in while snowboarding. Any recommendations appreciated.
By: Bryan P 
March 7, 2011
Backcountry.com fraud manager Jamon Whitehead stripping his skin during a pre-work tour.
You met up at 6:00 in the morning and have been skinning for two hours. Now you’re on the ridge and ready to drop in. Well, almost. You unclip your bindings, take off your skis, and sink into your waist in the two feet of freshies that fell last night. Then you peel your skins one at a time, but you get snow stuck to the bottom since you’re waist deep in it (good luck putting those back on for lap two). Looking around at your friends, you realize that they’re already ready and not-so-patiently waiting for you to finish your yard sale. You still need to stomp out a platform and crawl back to the surface, buckle your boots, stash your skins, and put your skis back on. After that, you better ski your ass off to make sure you get invited back tomorrow.
How did your friends go through all those steps so quickly? They didn’t. They stripped their skins and adjusted their boots without ever taking off their skis. Put a little practice into this simple trick and you won’t be the one that everyone else is waiting for.
When buying ski boots, it doesn’t matter how carefully you research or how many laps you walk around the shop before throwing down your credit card—they likely won’t fit perfectly right out of the box. A perfectly reputable, high-quality boot may simply not work for your foot—and unfortunately many of us figure this out after dropping $700 and spending several ski days in cramped-up agony. Read More …
Paired with some AT or telemark bindings and a hulking set of quadriceps, climbing skins are like your own person ski lift that requires no diesel fuel, packs up to the size of a Nalgene, and costs just a bit more than a day pass at your local mega resort. Some skin manufacturers make pre-cut designs, but most require at least some custom trimming to your skis before you can paste them on and set off into the backcountry. Here are a few tips for cutting your new skins to fit and keeping them fully functional throughout the season. Read More …