In-field ski repair and ski repair kits

[Chris Jones]

I'm a bit of a gear geek, but I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know much at all when it comes to ski repair/maintenance (I don't even know how to wax skis–I pay someone to do it for me *gulp*). However, I figure simple ski repair and maintenance would be a good skill to learn and perhaps master. Should I encounter a break-down in the field I would like to expertly MacGyver my way out of it.

1. How did you guys hone your ski repair skis? Working in a ski shop for a season (or two)? Trial and error? RTFM?

2. What do you typically carry in your ski repair kits (tools, spare parts, etc.)?

Thanks in advance…

[Bob Gross]

You might want to mention what kind of skis and bindings you use. Downhill skis, cross-country skis, etc.

MacGyver is alive and well.

–B.G.–

[David Chenault]

Most ski maintenance and repair is pretty simple. Especially if you're not looking for a DH racers edges or an marathon skaters wax.

First step is to choose reliable stuff. Any ski failure is likely to really ruin your day, no matter what repair gear you have. Glue your mounting screws in, and make sure they don't strip. Wax with colder bulk wax and a thrift store iron. Scrape and buff with a stiff nylon brush from the hardware store. Deburr and sharper edges with a mill b-stard file. Fill smaller base hits with the coldest temp glide wax you can find. For big core shots, smooth out the gouge and make it uniform with a small curved wood chisel. Fill it to ~2mm below base leve with JB Weld. Melt in p-tex. Cover with aforementioned super cold wax. (Cold = hard)

For repair, I carry a bunch of Voile straps and some duct tape. Realistically we're talking about lashing a broken ski back together with straps and branches, or strapping your boot/partially pulled binding to the ski. Either way turns your ski into a glorified snowshoe.

[Greg Mihalik]

We carry a ski tip.

And we carry 4 pieces of aluminum angle 8" long for splints and 4 pre-bent hose clamps big enough to go around a broken ski and splints. Take some duck tape for transitions and you can almost ski.

Edit: You need to do the splint thing at home to be sure everything fits the way you expect for all parts of the ski(s). Trimming and adjusting will be required.

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