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Thread: Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

  1. #1

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    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    The thermometer just weaseled below 100 deg here in sunny CA and the heat has me thinking about the coming winter and photography in the snowy mountains. Carting my 5x7 Speed Graphic about is an interesting problem in logistics. It packs easily enough and shooting handheld, I've eliminated the need for a tripod, but getting out to where I want to be in deep snow is an issue. XC skis, at least the ones available here, are too narrow---they perform on a groomed track but in deep snow with a heavy pack they are IMHO impossible. Alpine skis work fine--as long as I'm going down hill. Usually not practical when I'm shooting off piste or away from ski areas with lifts. Snowshoes work very well (I've got a beautiful set of those) but they are sooo slooow. When dealing with quickly changing light it can become a heated race at turtle-like velocties. Ideally I'd get a pair of randonee skis with XC bindings with locking heels---that would be real slick! Unfortunately these set ups are very expensive---an investment thats hard for me to justify unless One planning to do the Haute Route or maybe cross Greenland or something like that ;-) So get to the point....OK

    I came across Coleman's Surplus eBAy store and they have old swiss army ski packages for sale for a meager $20 (OK add another $50 for shippping to CA) These have bindings with locking heels and (if I understand correctly) no provision for a safety release like modern skis. Presumably they are heavy duty enough to allow the skier to carry a small howitzer. My question is---has anyone here used these kinds of skis in mountain photography? Will the lack of a modern safety release pose a significant hazard---I'd be using them on fairly flat terrain or gentle slopes? OTOH I have the greatest respect for things swiss. Thier quality is justly famous and I'd doubt that anything issued by the swiss army would be "junk." I have a small farriers kit, a k-31---both swiss army surplus and I never ceased to be amazed by the quality (oh yeah, I've got the pocket knife too!)

    What do you think?
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  2. #2

    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    I haven't used the type in mountain photography (having done none of that), but it's just a band behind your heel tightened up to fasten the ski. If you're looking for something that'll let you quick release yourself off the skis, then I've got no idea what you need, but if you're afraid your feet will cling to the skis as you fall, look no further. In my opinion there's no way this old binder type will hold if you fall. As a kid, these were what I had. You may have trouble NOT having your feet come off on a steeper downhill and doing tight turns etc is difficult, but if I read you right, that's not what you're looking to do. The reason why I'd say these might be rather ideal for you is you can use your warm winter hiking boots with these. The skis are there just to keep you on top of the snow and make moving about easier. For cross country travel on snow and also photographing standing in the snow off the skis I'd say these are the best you can get. If you need to get around rougher terrain, consider getting snowshoes. Taking a pair with you while on skis is not a bad option either.

  3. #3
    Abuser of God's Sunlight
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    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    If you have more crap than you want to cary, you ski or snowshoe and drag your gear on a sled. this is the traditional way climbers haul loads on the lower angle slopes of peaks like denali. they use eveything from tobogans from the thrift shop to sleds designed for the purpose, that have stiff runners that attach to a harness (so the thing doesn't run you over when you hit a downhill slope). People usually wrap their gear in a tarp and tie or bungee it down.

    Personally, I'm a lot more comfortable carrying stuff in a pack (and plan trips where i don't have to cary enough crap to need a sled) but i've seen what some folks think is a reasonable amount of camera gear for an afternoon in the woods ...

  4. #4

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    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    Dan Smith: Thanks for the tip---I'll be at the REI sometime next month, so I'll check it out.

    Anntti Aalto: Thank You! I'm not overly concerned about falling as I'd be using these on pretty mild terrain and not too terribly fast. With the Speed Graphic in my back pack I'm very cautious ( I don;t want to fall on It---that would sure hurt!). Most of the locations I'd visit would be via unplowed forestry roads that are closed by snow. The feature of being able to wear winter boots with these skis is something I really like.

    paulr: Last year I had a discussion about using a sled (toboggan? aki? what ever you call them) with a local back country skier. His thoughts echoed yours---use a back pack instead if it is at all possible. We discussed using my kid's "Snow Snake" but I'd have to rig some kind of keel to keep it from side slipping when traversing a slope. Since I now fit everything I need for shooting into a Jan Sport Equinox I think I'll be OK---If I get the urge to camp out or take along the 'dorff & tripod I'll probably need a sled. Does the Swiss Army sell those too? Thanks.

    One more thing, these swiss skis come with climbing skins too. Its beginning to look very attractive! If I get them I'll have to post a review here---if its not considered too OT.

    Cheers!
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  5. #5
    Founder QT Luong's Avatar
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    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    As long as you don't ski too fast so that you can control your fall (and I don't think you will with your big pack) having no release should be OK.

    To keep it on topic, I suggest that instead of a mere review of ski gear, you write a trip report about your first LF
    expedition using those skis (that will include the ski gear review)
    to be archived in the "Travels" section of the main page.

  6. #6

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    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    QT: That sounds like a lot of fun! I'll do that---now all I need is snow! ....Hmmm I wonder if I did put a keel on the kid's snow snake if the 12x20 would fit???

    ~Cheers!
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  7. #7

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    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    These sound similar to the Norwegian army skis I once used. They have the advantage that you can use them with pretty-well any boot, and they are easily field-repairable should something break. The disadvantage is that you'll be using classic 60's techniques like snowploughing and Stem-Christie turns, because you can't edge in the way you can with downhill or randonnee kit.

    For my personal use in Norway and the European Alps I bought a randonnee setup. It worked well with my plastic climbing boots, and was better for steep climbs or descents (or, rather, required less skill). However, it's a clanky pain in the arse on flat or gently-rolling terrain, and for anything that might be regarded as normal summer hiking I would prefer a simpler binding with a more flexible boot.

    Here in Sweden you can buy gorgeous wooden 'fljällski's - the Ebonys of the ski world. Great for chasing elk through steep forest. If you think randonnee kit is expensive though, these are not for you....

  8. #8
    Abuser of God's Sunlight
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    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    Do get some practice skiing with a load on your back before you head to the backcountry.

    In other words, be smarter than me.

    My first ski mountaineering trip (with a tall climbing pack crammed with gear) led to some explorations of just how deep deep powder can be. Too many times I found myself upside down, the weight of the pack burrowing me ever deeper into the fluff, while my skis flailed helplessly at the air up above. It was very quiet and lonely downly down there.

  9. #9
    Whatever David A. Goldfarb's Avatar
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    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    I used to know a geologist who did snow survey up in the Sierra Nevada, which usually involved being airlifted in, cross country skiing with a 60+ lb pack, and usually camping up there for at least a week at a time. He must be retired, but last I heard he was still around as recently as a year ago, so you might try to contact him and see what he uses. His name is Doug Powell, and you can probably find him through the Geology Department at U.C. Berkeley. He's also a great source of oral history.

  10. #10

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    Swiss army snow skis in August---opinions?

    I learned to ski as part of RM arctic warfare training. The very first thing we learnt, before even how to put your hands in the pole loops, was how to get back up out of deep snow without taking all our kit off. They also taught us to rest by placing our shoulders against the tops of our ski poles, which would then support the weight of a rucksack. What they didn't mention was that on soft snow the poles will simply plunge down into the depths, putting your nose between your ski tips, your rucksack on top of your head, and your sensory perception into a wierd sort of white-hell limbo where your only sensation was the biting cold on your face and the far off distant noise of your so-called comrades wetting themselves laughing.

    Another advantage of the Swiss-army type binding: you can half-loosen it when crossing lakes or rivers and still ski effectively. When you go through the ice, you can kick your skis off instead of trying to undo a tight binding underwater, in mittens, with a rucksack on (and your so-called comrades laughing at you).

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