Splittie of the Week | Tech First Aid

Starting situation

Imagine that at the end of a long ascent, perhaps even in a very lonely area, you realize when converting your splitboard that you have probably lost the screw of your anchor strap in the last few meters and the part is only hanging in the nut. This means that a descent is no longer possible. You have 1000 m of terrain ahead of you. No way. If you don't have a way to repair it, you're probably a case for the helicopter.

Your well-earned descent is gone and the pilot will shake his head.

A remedy here is either a (PowderGuide) skistrap, as you read here, but also other forms of tying down with cable ties, armor tape, rep cords etc. or simply a suitable screw or screw and nut combo if you've lost everything.

But hey, you just have to have the stuff in your luggage.

With a good tech first aid kit, a descent can look like this despite defective parts.

Niklas Meier

Tobias Leistenschneider

Problems and their solution

This Splittie of the Week would like to sensitize you to this on the one hand and on the other hand also give you an insight into a possible first aid kit for the technical support of your splitboard adventure.

The mother of problem solving is good preparation. This includes a proper screw lock with Loctite. In general, I recommend choosing a medium-hard screw adhesive, as you won't be able to get a screw open with the hard version at some point.

I am conscientious myself, so the problems described below are based on my observations and help for others.

Touring bracket wobbles/is loose
Solution: Screwdriver, replacement screw, Loctite
Pucks wobble/are loose
Solution: Screwdriver, replacement screw, Loctite

Note: Please check which screws are used on your binding interface. For Spark and Voilé, these are approximately M6 screws with countersunk heads. With Plum it is (I think) a mix of M6 and M5 with flat heads (feel free to correct me in the comments).

Binding straps loose
Solution: Tighten screws, Loctite, if lost: replace screws.

Note. It is worth stripping any old bindings for screws and packing them up.

Binding straps torn
Solution: ski straps, cable ties, if necessary, duct tape.

Note. I once cut small pieces of ski straps to repair torn straps with appropriate screws in an emergency.

Broken tip/tail clip
Solution: pack a replacement clip. In an emergency, however, it is also possible to cope without riding.
Skins no longer stick
Solution: Warm/dry the skins. Use cable ties, ski straps and duct tape and hope it holds. But it's not that easy.
Snowboard boot laces/lacing system/boa torn
Solution: Replacement laces or reep cords. Fix with ski strap if necessary.
Broken hard boot buckle
Solution: Stabilize boot with ski strap.

Emergency kits like this one are also available directly from the manufacturers (here from Plum)

Plum

Conclusion

Phew, that's quite a lot: M6 and M5 screws in various lengths, nuts for them, screwdriver or "tool", Loctite, armor tape, ski straps and pieces of them, cable ties, reep cords (possibly also with different diameters), laces, tip/tail clip.

In addition, I always have a piece of wire and a piece of lining repair kit with me, including a lighter for the coreshot that goes into the wood. Then there is a spare plate for the sticks, fur wax and a small pocket knife.

At this point, without batting an eyelid, there is advertising. Advertising for the webshop of Wildschnee. Here you can find exactly the right screws for your systems under "Individual parts", "Repair" and "Spare parts" from various manufacturers, so you don't have to go to the hardware store to find them. You can also find every conceivable individual part on the splitboard there.

So, here we go. Take your board and your bindings. Secure all screws and make sure you have a good first aid kit.

And now for the comments. We look forward to hearing about your experiences and, above all, your additions to the first aid kit for all technical injuries presented here.