Gecko glueless climbing skins

[le dog]

if this has been discussed before, sorry, could not find it anywhere. anyway, I want to get a pair of super wide skins for my soon-to-arrive lotus 138 and I read somewhere about the Gecko glueless skins (on backcountry mag). anyone tried them? grazie.

[farmer]

I googled to find a campany website, and instead I got this

from the first couple replies that I read they aren't that durable & fall off a lot

[Ripzalot]

for wide skis you might take a look at colltex split skins. i've got some on order myself and will be using them with 2 different pairs of skis (138 and 120 widths).

http://www.colltex.com/

^^i love that opening with the guy skinning straight up!

[limpan]

I have the gecko skins. I haven't used them so much but I haven't experienced any fraying yet. I have the newer black version. I think the first version where white. The review in link doesn't say which version they tested. My skins sits extremely well on my Scott P4's so I'm very pleased with my gecko skins.

[le dog]

thanks everybody for your feedback.
farmer: i read that post you mention, on the last Backcountry mag issue though they say (the company i mean) that those problems are a thing of the past.
ripzalot: which of the colltex skins do you have? the shop where i normally go, actually they do sell colltex so that probably could be my choice.
limpan: so far you liked them, right?
overall, I like a lot the fact that you don't need to re-glue them ever and that are pretty light.

[limpan]

Yes, I really like them so far. Easy to handle and they stick very well to the skis.

[Ripzalot]

mine are on order, haven't received them yet.

you'll have to click thru the website to find the split skins. i can't link directly because it's flash.

[le dog]

ripzalot, I did check the website and they say that the split skins are good only for easy climbs which made me think that they are not interesting for me. but, well, at the end of the day I don't think I am going to skin big mountains with 192cms long x almost 14cms wide skis (not really). so, yes, that could be a good option as well.

[Ripzalot]

yeah, i'm only going to use mine for slackcountry skinning. i've got other skis/skins for longer touring.

[SouthCentralShralper]

BD is selling a split skin made by ascension... expensive but one of the most durable skins out there.

[ARpowhound]

Anyone tried these since 2009. They are spending a lot in advertising in the latest buyers guides. Interesting concept IF they work. Thanks

[The Duke of Hurl]

Saw same ads in "Backcountry." Search revealed only failures:

http://www.wildsnow.com/993/gecko-cl...something-new/

Was wondering if anyone has had good experiences with these.

[The Duke of Hurl]

I guess the answer would be "no".

[Scotsman50]

for wide skis you might take a look at colltex split skins. i've got some on order myself and will be using them with 2 different pairs of skis (138 and 120 widths).

http://www.colltex.com/

^^i love that opening with the guy skinning straight up!

Just want to give some feedback on the colltex skins.
I bought a pair for my DPS112rp's as I wanted a really lightweight skin so I tried colltex. The mohair nylon mix is very light, has a terrific tail clip and the glue sticks like shit to a wet blanket. Expensive but I'm really pleased with them both for weight ( with 112 rp carbons and dynfiddlies )and skinning ability.
Don't put a heavy skin on a pair of 138's!!

[tharmor]

Bump for more feedback. Any maggots use these all season?

[samthaman]

ripzalot, I did check the website and they say that the split skins are good only for easy climbs which made me think that they are not interesting for me. but, well, at the end of the day I don't think I am going to skin big mountains with 192cms long x almost 14cms wide skis (not really). so, yes, that could be a good option as well.

I have a set of lotus 138's that I do a lot of big tours on in the winter; it's a surprisingly good backcounry ski (I run dynafits on mine). I've been using the G3 alpinist skins on them for 2 years with no problems so far.

/$.02

[le dog]

samthaman, i was thinking to do the same (dynafits on lotus?? does not seem sane though..). i am putting the freedom bindings inserts in my wailers and lotus so i can switch bindings (the wailers have dynafits, the lotus have barons). problem might be not the bindings on the lotus rather having the deep snow to use them..never had a chance the last season to use them here in italy's dolomites. I am sure we'll have more luck this winter...

[Kai]

samthaman, i was thinking to do the same (dynafits on lotus?? does not seem sane though..). i am putting the freedom bindings inserts in my wailers and lotus so i can switch bindings (the wailers have dynafits, the lotus have barons). problem might be not the bindings on the lotus rather having the deep snow to use them..never had a chance the last season to use them here in italy's dolomites. I am sure we'll have more luck this winter...

I use Dynafits on my Lotus 138's. Works great. Honestly, the most consistent, deep snow (the kind that the Lotus 138's do best in) I find is in the backcountry.

[samthaman]

Thats exactly the same setup that I have. Lotus's, wailers, freedom plates and one pair of dynaifts.

[Kai]

I just picked up a pair of the Gecko skins. Will post results/impressions when the season starts and I've had a chance to test them.


The sticky side seems to adhere well to my ski bases. The definitely are easier to peel apart from each other than glued skins.

I weighed them. They are light, but not crazy light.

Weight for the Geckos is 1 pound, 7 ounces, compared with my Dynafit Manaslu skins at 1 pound 5 ounces, and my G3 Alpinist skins at 1 pound 12 ounces. Geckos and Dynafit skins are about the same size, Alpinist skins are a bit wider.

So, they are about the same weight as similar lightweight skins.

I'm a little wary of the tail hook attachment. Its a strap and cam combination much like the G3 or the BD attachment system. However, there's no flex at all to the tail hook strap (it's just a nylon strap), so I'm not sure I can get it quite as tight as the BD or G3 systems. Only actual testing will tell for sure, however, and that's likely a couple months away.

[ARpowhound]

Look forward to your comments. Thanks

[shinola]

Looking forward to a review as well.

[Yardsale81]

Any updates from Gecko Skin Users.

[Jethro]

I have had my Geckos for a couple of months but only used them today for the first time. I skinned up a ski hill here and they worked fine. They have been on and off a few times at home, and removing them the first time on the hill was difficult. This could have been since they are brand new. I cannot comment on how they work for repeated installs skiing laps. I was initially leery of the tip loop, but it seems to work fine.

I am not happy with the tail hook at all. I am a big fan of the BD style rubber stretchy hook. The nylon strap and the tail hook on the Geckos do not allow you to loop the tip and tail under tension. If I were to order these skins again, I would order them long enough to go the whole length of the ski and I would throw the Gecko tail hook away. I would then install a BD hook on the tails, which I could trim to length. As it is, my skins are too short for a BD hook, so I am stuck with this crappy system. They are on 191 Lhasa fats and whatever skin size covers a 191. They make skins for 200cm skis, and that is what I should have bought an used the BD tail hook

[spindrift]

Bump.

Curious. Anyone have additional experience with these?