Sometimes lipo ends up being overkill. Perhaps all the time. Succumbing to that same syndrome, I’ve been experimenting with just how skinny I can make a pair of skins and still actually move forward on them without falling on my face. This pair of 2-inch wide jobbies worked okay on moderate terrain, used with a ski of about 95 mm underfoot. You’d definitely want to go wider for a bigger plank. Purpose: Long approach marches on super low angled terrain.

If you’ve got a pair of skins with worn out edges, cut ’em down and do some experiments with backcountry skiing. Another option to increase glide is to cut a pair of skins at normal width, but significantly shorter at the tail. Still another option is to use “kicker” skins that mount under the boot area of the ski. I’ve found the latter to be more problematic than useful. Your take WildSnowers?