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When it comes to buying and selling used skis, there’s more to consider than whether or not the skis appear “functional.” The bases may look nice and waxed, the edges may still have a factory edge on them, and the topsheets may have no nicks or dings that even a microscope could identify. The real question on “is that ski still usable” is whether or not the bindings are indemnified by the manufacturer. What in the world does that mean, most people will ask?
As described by skibum.net, indemnified bindings means “in short, … the manufacturer will “support” the certified technician in the event of legal action. That’s all.” Each year, ski binding manufacturers create a list of bindings that they will indemnify. This list is provided to certified ski retailers who belong to the National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association (NSSRA).
The purpose of the NSSRA, according to their website, is to “represent specialty snowsports retailers, and advocate on their behalf on issues affecting their businesses.” Each year, binding manufacturers create a list of bindings they will indemnify and provide that list to the NSSRA who in turn provides that list exclusively to their paying members. In order to become an NSSRA member, retailers must submit an application to the organization with an annual payment and details of their retail ski shop.
This might lead you to ask “what about the rest of us?” I, personally, want to know whether or not those skis that were handed down or sold second hand to me are considered “indemnified,” and therefore safe in the eyes of the Industry. This is where it gets a little convoluted. In order to have a binding tested for safety, a ski shop must test the binding to ensure that binding will release when a certain amount of pressure is applied laterally to the ski boot. This test mimics a hypothetical user of the boot and binding combination falling. If the binding were to not release, the user’s knees could be compromised resulting in potential injury. This test can cost anywhere from $15 to $25 depending on the shop you bring them to.
On top of the industry’s indemnified list, a shop technician also has the ultimate say in whether or not they consider the binding to be safe. Even if the bindings are on the indemnification list, a ski tech can deny service if they don’t consider a binding to be safe. All of these different factors leaves those who choose to use second hand skis at the mercy of the ski shops who are renting or selling skis and bindings direct from the manufacturer and who belong to the NSSRA.
Therefore, when we take in used skis on consignment we take time to check (to the best of our ability and available resources) that the bindings on the skis are deemed usable and on the most current indemnification list. If they are not, we will not resell them in our shop because the next person who buys them won’t be able to get them serviced. Buying and selling used gear comes with its handful of challenges. Ski binding indemnification is one we are trying our best to stay up to speed on and do what it right by both consignor and customer.
If you are camping in bear country, or in any place where food storage is a concern, you should strongly consider using a bear canister–a storage system that is built to keep bears out of your food. And in some places, particularly parks in California, Montana, Colorado, and Washington,backcountry campers are required to have and use bear canisters.
While you may get lucky by hanging your food in a sack from a tree, this is not permitted in many areas and virtually impractical in many alpine anddesert backpacking zones. Bear canisters are the preferred method for storing food and other smelly items, but there are many kinds to be aware of. Let’s look at them in more detail.
For many hikers, summiting one of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks is a lifetime achievement. Others make it their entire personality, working for years and even decades to climb all of them. Some make a goal of climbing them all in a single season while others try to ski them all.
The problem with climbing 14ers for many people is that they are difficult–and we’re not just talking about the thin air. Of the 58 in Colorado, about one-third entrail considerable exposure and require skilled route-finding and ascent/descent skills. About half have either moderate or considerable challenges. Just eight are considered “easy.”
Hikers looking to summit a 14er near Durango will find four that rank generally as easy or the easy end of moderate. They are all in the same two canyons and can be climbed by someone with decent fitness, good shoes, and a penchant for waking up early. The roads to access all these peaks are part of the Alpine Loop and can be driven from Silverton in a four-wheel drive such as a Tacoma, but are generally not in all-wheel drives like Subarus.
Ready? Here goes!
