Skis, boots, skins, poles, goggles, beacon, pack, shovel . . . It’s time to scour your garage, search the basement and rummage through the closet. Winter has returned, so wherever you stash your ski gear for the off-season, it’s time to dig through the boxes and round up your backcountry kit.
But is your backcountry ski gear ready to roll? Check your gear now, and save yourself the rookie mistake of getting stuck at the trailhead with a gear issue on the season opener. A few easy steps pay off with a smooth backcountry season.
Here’s Our Preseason Backcountry Skiing Checklist
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Clean and Wax Your Skis
If you’re like me, you probably just put your skis in the rack after the last tour of the season and then turned to grab your bike. Now, they’re dry and in need of attention. Start with a little base cleaner and buff ’em with a Scotchbrite pad, then apply a nice coat of hot wax. Any wax is better than no wax, but Swix makes a nice Base Prep Wax designed specifically for the purpose of preseason prep. It helps the ski base to absorb and distribute the next layers of wax. MountainFlow makes a plant-based base prep wax, too.
- Give Your Bindings a Once-Over
Today’s ki bindings are incredibly low maintenance, but it only takes a few minutes to give them a thorough once-over. Check for loose heel lifts and cracked plastic bits, and check that everything appears to move normally. It’s also a good idea to check all the binding screws are tight. -
Check Your Skin Glue
The moment of truth with your skins is the first time you pull them apart after sitting all summer. Is the glue in good condition, or is it soft and gooey? Hopefully, you kept them stored in a cool, dry place and used the glue saver sheets (if your skins recommend doing so — some types of glue do better without the skin savers). If your glue is gooey and soft, consider a professional reglue from Big Sky Mountain Products—we tested their reglue service, and it’s the real deal, offering good-as-new factory results. You can also read our DIY skin glue refresh tricks that we’ve learned over the years.
- Wax Your Skin Plush
Yes, that’s right, you can wax your skin plush, too. We’re not talking hot wax with an iron; it’s way easier than that. You can use a rub-on or a spray-on skin wax, and the good folks at MountainFlow make plant-based versions of both. Treating your skin plush now helps keep it gliding nicely and eliminates pesky snow build-up as the season gets underway. -
Dust Off Your Boots
Now’s the time to check the buckles and screws on your boots. Go around and check the security of all screws, including the heel piece that interfaces with your tech binding heel pins. I’ve see more than one of these go missing mid ski tour.
I also confirm that the walk-mode mechanism is fully operational and lubed if necessary. And don’t forget about your boot liners. Check ’em for signs of wear and tear where they might be rubbing against rivets or hardware inside the boot shell. You can patch liner holes with Gorilla tape or similar. I’ve been known to reheat my liners for a fresh fit at the start of the season, too. -
Shovel and Probe
Might as well run your shovel and probe through an assemble and break down or two. I’ve noticed that the shafts and fittings often have a little corrosion if they’ve been put away wet. Take a moment to wipe them clean, confirm everything is functional, lube any important bits and stow them in their respective pockets.
- Beacon Check
It’s critical to check your avalanche beacon functionality before the season kicks in. Hopefully, you pulled the batteries out last spring. It’s time to check and clean the contacts with a Scotchbrite pad and drop in a fresh set of batteries. Next, round up your ski partners for a bit of ski waxing and beer drinking and run everyone’s beacons through a search-and-send cycle while you’re at it. It’s a great excuse to get together and do a little dry land search practice.
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Backpack Clean Up
If you run a traditional non-airbag pack, shake it out and clean out any dust and dirt that could contaminate your skin glue. You might just find that long-lost glove liner in the bottom. Check that all zippers and buckles are in working order, and if you have an airbag pack, now’s the time to check the canister pressure or charge the battery and run it through a cycle or two. - Organize Your Repair Kit
I always start the season by checking the status of my repair kit, too. I do stuff like toss in a fresh lighter, make sure the multi-tool didn’t get poached for a different project, check that the screws still match my bindings/boots — and replace anything that got used up last season.
If you want to read more about making a great backcountry ski repair kit, check out our article on putting together a great backcountry repair kit. -
Wash Your Shell and Pants
Ski clothes still shedding snow and rain OK? Whether you wear waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX or prefer softshell outerwear, do yourself a favor and give your ski jacket and pants a wash with one of the tech wash detergents that helps to renew durable water repellency and maintain breathability. Be sure to tumble dry on a low setting (read the care tag for your gear) to help set in the water repellency. Read our article about renewing DWR.
If it’s time to buy a new backcountry ski shell, read our GORE-TEX guide for everything you need to know about all the different GORE-TEX options. - Goggles
Might as well start the season with a nice clean goggle lens. And I always check the face foam to make sure it’s still in good shape. You can read about our favorite goggles here.
And if you want to learn more about how to pack for a day of backcountry skiing, check out our backcountry skiing packing list
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