Skins

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CHOOSING YOUR SKINS

The Alpinist, Alpinist Elle and Alpinist Mohair-Mix skins come in 5 adjustable factory lengths to fit skis between 153 to 200cm and 6 factory widths from 70mm to 140mm. When determining what factory skin length will fit your skis, remember that there is no universal standard for measuring skis. A ski advertised as being 180cm may measure several centimetres longer or shorter than the advertised length, which in turn may affect what length G3 skin will fit. It is strongly recommended that you try on your skins for size on your skis BEFORE removing the plastic glue backing and trimming the skin edges.

The Expedition and Alpinist Tailless skins come in 6 factory widths from 70mm to 140mm, fit all ski lengths up to 200cm, and have no practicable lower limit on ski length. It is possible to retro-fit a G3 skin tail on to a G3 Alpinist Tailless skin using the G3 Skin Tail Connector Kit, sold separately.

The Alpinist Splitboard skins are all 140mm in width and come in three adjustable factory lengths to fit boards between 145 and 182cm.

Expedition skins include Double Bar Tip Loops. Ensure that the tip loop included with your desired skins width will fit the tip of your ski. Consult your G3 Dealer or the G3 website for advice. G3 Double Bar Tip loops are also sold separately in a range of sizes.

Alpinist, Alpinist Elle, Alpinist Mohair-Mix, Alpinist Tailless and Alpinist Splitboard Skins have dedicated tip connectors that do not require further user adjustment.

All G3 climbing skins that come with a tail strap, as well as a number of our competitors models, can be retro-fitted with the G3 Twin-Tip Connector Kit. Consult your dealer for further information. However note that the G3 Twin-Tip Connector may change the overall length of the skin (skin fabric plus the tail strap) by several centimeters, which may affect the way the skin fits to your skins.

To determine what skin width you require, refer to the Shaped vs Straight information below.

SHAPED OR STRAIGHT

There are two schools of thought on the selection and fit of G3 Climbing Skins, shaped and straight.

Shaped: You can get maximum skin coverage by choosing a skin that is slightly narrower than the widest part of your ski, and trimming the skin to the sidecut / shape of your ski, as described in the skin instructions. The extra work required to trim will more than make up for itself with the superior grip of a skin with "wall to wall" coverage. Choose a skin that covers your ski base "wall to wall" (edge to edge) about 25cm (10in) back from the ski tip. For example, if the dimensions of your skis are 115-77-105, a pair of 110mm skins will do nicely.

Straight: To avoid trimming, choose a skin to fit the narrowest part of your ski. This set-up is lighter, glides better and eliminates the possibility of contaminating exposed glue when storing skins. Straight skins are also easier to fold for packing and storage. For example, if the dimensions of your skis are 115-77-105, a pair of 70mm skins will do the trick. Each pair of G3 Climbing Skins is equipped with a G3 Trim Tool and specific instructions for fitting your skis.

SKIN FITTING (ALL G3 CLIMBING SKIN MODELS)

Width Trimming

  1. Remove plastic glue backing liner (1). (For G3 Alpinist Tailless Skins, skip step 2).
  2. Attach and adjust tail connector to ski and center skin on ski base. Skin fabric should be approximately 7-16cm from ski tail with the tail clip in the 3rd hole (2).
  3. Trim skin fabric by following ski edge with G3 skin trim tool (3).
  4. Repeat this simple action on both edges of ski without repositioning skin (4).
  5. Skin should be trimmed precisely to reveal both ski edges (5).
CARE AND STORAGE

Care
Your skin glue is sacred – keep it clean. When removing your skins don't drop them in snow, pine needles or on dusty floors. Dirt and lint from fabrics, and dog hair from furry companions will stick to your skin glue and weaken its hold. If possible, dry both sides of your skins daily. Be careful not to expose the glue side to long periods of direct sunlight or sources of heat like fires, stoves, snowmobile engines and exhausts . Do not expose your skins for extended periods to temperatures above normal room temperature (22C/72F). This includes the hot interiors of vehicles - something to keep in mind when using your skins in the spring or summer months.

If hanging them in the common drying area of a cabin or mountain hut, hang them carefully and securely, so that other items like wool socks and gloves do not come into contact with the glue.

Freshly waxed skis must be well scraped. Any loose wax will contaminate your skins' glue. Do not put your skins on your skis the night before; apply them at the trailhead.

Storage
Do not store your skins on your skis. For any longer-term storage we strongly recommend using G3 Skin Savers, included as standard equipment with Alpinist, Alpinist Elle, Alpinist Mohair-Mix, Alpinist Tailless and Alpinist Splitboard Skins. They are also sold separately. These storage sheets sandwich between the adhesive sides of your folded skins, making your skins much easier to handle and pull apart after they have been stored for a length of time. Cut the G3 Skin Saver in half and adhere each piece to the bottom half of each skin. Fold the tip end of the skin back onto the G3 Skin Saver so that a single layer of mesh is sandwiched between the two halves of the skin. With the G3 Skin Savers in place between the skins' adhesive sides, you can roll or fold your skins and put them in the storage bag.
NOTE: Skin Savers are not intended for use in the field. ALWAYS store your fully dried skins in a cool, dry place.