A Hike-to-Terrain Ski and Snowboard carrying solution

After a bit a of looking and attempts at getting a couple ski carrier manufacturer's to get the concept of carrying skis and snowboards and make some design tweaks, I think I finally found a good option. Just after hiking to the Telluride Gold Hill chutes, a friend was hiking the Black Iron Bowl ridge and met the manufacturer/owner of Mountain Goat Ski Totes and purchased a couple for his climb and ski. He called me and told me "You have to add this to your store!". So I contacted the owner and obtained some initial supplies and added them to our store.

Note that these also work great for schlepping your skis to and from an outlying parking lot or condo and a lift or for spring hike and skis while corn camping........



Here's how it works:

1. Unroll the tote by releasing the Velcro strap. Lay the tote out on the ground with the Velcro straps open and facing up, creating a square shape with the shoulder straps.
 

2. Lay the skis onto and perpendicular to the Velcro straps with the toe piece of the ski binding just above the Velcro stro strap that is attached to the shorter of the two shoulder straps, and the heel piece of the ski binding just above the other Velcro strap.



3. Squeezing the skis together, tightly wrap the two Velcro straps around and just below the ski binding's toe and heel piece so that when lifted off the ground the Velcro straps support the weight of the skis.

4. Grasp the skis with one hand just above the toe piece of the ski binding. While lifting the skies with one hand; put your other arm through one of the shoulder straps as you would in putting on a backpack

5. Now put your other arm through the remaining shoulder strap and adjust the tightness of the shoulder straps by pulling down on the end loops with your thumbs to tighten and hold the skis securely to your back!

6. When you are finished using the tote, simply roll it up close the Velcro strap and stash it in your pocket!

Edited by Alpinord - 9/22/11 at 5:47pm

It works great and we've been discussing ways to clip on hydration bladders or bottles, jackets and other 'enhancements'.

Quote:
After watching several people fumble around with the webbing and waste time/runs (including missing a cat ride, forcing them to wait fifteen to twenty minutes for the next one), not to mention general confusion and lack of adjustment, I started looking for easier and adjustable solutions.

The prusik knot:



And knots in general are not that easy for many people to remember if they are not in the mode on a regular basis.

Quote:
We talked about this. For now the main target is for those wishing to climb to the in bounds hike to stuff without a pack. This fits in a pocket and is lightweight. Accessorizing is the next step. Keep the ideas coming. I can see lapping over/clipping on a hydration pack with shovel and probe very easy to do.

One advantage of this approach versus a pack is the skis are carried closer to the back and not 'cantilevered' outward from the back (if not in a-frame mode) affecting center of mass. Adding sleeves or packs on either side (think panniers) is another idea.

Yeah, I suggested the daisy chain and agree that 'less is more'. Adding an 'X' of shock cord could allow you to stick your jacket on your back to avoid overheating and also accommodate a helmet....or you can simple clip your helmet around the ski strap and wrap your jacket between shoulder and skis.

Boy Snowfan. You've been on a rampage. Nice skiing with you! Check out this thread for a couple pics from part of your trip.

Hmmmmm, ski and deal all day with a pack and lifts in the event one wants to bang out a 30 to 45 minute ridge hike or two, or carry a simple 5 oz carrier in a pocket and keep your hands free to use ski poles? Sounds like a personal preference issue.

Maybe it's a location issue, but at Telluride and Highlands there are boatloads of people hiking the ridges to ski terrain that is not lift served without packs and lugging skis and snowboards, but essentially the exact same type terrain that is.....and is controlled and patrolled. Same for Taos. That's not to say there isn't a risk and those who prefer to carry a shovel, beacon and probe at ski areas all day have that choice....or go BC to save the lift ticket cost. The terrain that is now served by Telluride's Lift 14/Gold Hill was hike-to-terrain for years.
Edited by Alpinord - 3/16/10 at 10:57am

Thanks for the constructive feedback. It is clearly a 'tweener' option that works just fine for many and not for others.

The market still may be larger than that of those who actually tune their skis and snowboards.

It was good fun Snowfan. We both enjoyed hooking up, Sean has the Nastar bug now. We'll be at Taos with several of his soccer buddies on Sunday. Maybe I'll get a hike or two in.....see ya there?

Well, I like the Mountain Goat Ski Tote. We climbed Kachina at Taos which was around an hour of hiking. After an up climb initial section, there was a ridge ski/traverse and then climb again. Initially, I left my jacket and helmet on, then clipped the helmet and zipped my jacket around the skis.

It was clearly more efficient and faster to carry the skis and have poles in both hands and the load centered, than to carry skis over the shoulder. I had done so on shorter hikes. Over time/multiple hikes however, skis on shoulders do start 'sensitizing' and are less comfortable.

I wondered about the brakes/bindings/edges wearing the jacket and digging in a little. So far there wasn't any appearance of wear with the brakes being the primary contact point. I do think, that it is possible that over time something could snag or wear the material and a thin section of material or webbing where the ski and binding sides could contact the back of a jacket or top, would not be a bad idea (like the G-string). Rolling it back up and putting it in a pocket was simple, fast and light. I did not notice in my pocket all day.

Additionally, there are other uses. A friend's tele binding cable broke in the powder after one hike and we (Snowfan and I) had to rig a method to keep the boot in the binding to get him down. After some trial and error we devised a method using the adjust-ability of the Mtn Goat straps to generate enough forward 'cinching' so my friend could get down to the base area.

They also double as ski straps and are easier for kids to carry skis on dicey hikes, etc.