What is the best way to store skis and skins over the summer?

The big deal with skins is to make sure none of the adhesive is exposed because they can become easily contaminated by dog hair, dirt, or whatever else happens to be lingering in the back of your truck or storage room. The best way to store skins is to invest in Black Diamond’s Cheat Sheets ($18 to $20, comes in three sizes; blackdiamondequipment.com), a synthetic mesh panel that you stick over the adhesive side of the skin. In a perfect world you might hang up the skins in a dry place so they don’t get all kinked up over the summer, but most skins these days are so pliable and reliable (check out BD’s Ascension or Glidelite series) year after year that you can fold them up in your bag and keep them there all summer (that’s where mine are). If they need some doctoring come next season, try BD’s Glue Renew Transfers ($40), two heat-activated sheets that remove the sticky old stuff and add fresh new adhesive.

As for skis, there are a few simple rules: Apply a heavy coat of wax and don’t scrape it away. This ensures that the edges won’t rust over the summer. Then store the skis in a dry, covered place (not in a damp, humid basement). If you can help it, keep your tails off concrete-—it can delaminate them. Some people even go so far as to take a screwdriver and turn the din setting to zero because it will ostensibly make the spring last longer, but most binding parts these days are so tough and sophisticated that it’s not necessary. Plus, the extra step of remembering to reset them when the snow flies, adds even more confusion the first day back on the mountain.