Credit: Isaac Laredo
Skins are walking contradictions.
We ask them to provide a claw-like grip to prevent us from sliding backwards, but at the same time, we want a forward glide comparable to sliding on a freshly oiled wooden floor. We ask that they adhere to our bases like duct tape but come off like brownies from a buttered baking pan. On top of all that, we want them to be light as feathers but as durable as granite. As adventurers, we ask a lot from our gear, and few categories have such polarized requirements as climbing skins, but there are some that strike a good balance. A well-balanced skin provides the benefits of both grip and glide which is a larger differentiator between models depending on your use.
outdoor Gear Lab ventures to places all over the world and tests in climates ranging from heavy, wet snow to dry and light powder. The glide and grip are the most important performance factors in a pair of skins, and they tested this hands-on, using each model over a full season (at least). Sometimes they even wear a different brand's skin on each foot, just to dial in our comparisons.
In addition, they also pay attention to how easy they are to set up out of the box, and then attach, remove, and store during daily use.
Mohair blended skins offer better packability. The contour hybrid Splitboard Skin offers one of the smallest pack sizes available.
Lastly, they evaluate the strength of the glue and its ability to resist glopping. Glopping is when snow collects into a cohesive block on the bottom of your skins, increasing the weight on your feet and totally demolishing your efficiency and energy usage. As the saying goes, "adding one pound to your foot is the equivalent of adding five pounds to your backpack".
The contour hybrid Splitboard Skin takes a different approach to find the balance between adhering to the base and coming off easily. It uses a hybrid adhesive that requires no effort to pull apart and has good adherence to the skin base. In order to maintain a good stick, you have to attentively dry your skin base before applying the skins.