It is worth noting that people involved in fishing or hunting are, most often, home craftsmen who make most of their equipment with their own hands. For the same reason, they are engaged in mounting for hunting skis on their own. To carry out this operation correctly, you need to know several basic aspects of this topic.
General information
To start the topic of how to make mounts for hunting skis, it is worth saying that in itself this equipment is different from ordinary, that is, running. They need to be selected not by length, but by the weight that they can withstand. The choice should fall on the pair that can provide normal movement on loose snow. This immediately suggests that long samples are not suitable here, short options are needed.
The best mount for hunting skis will be that which is installed in the right place. This moment is very important. The definition of such a place is as follows. It is necessary to find the center of gravity of each ski and put a cross line in this place. After this, you should step back 40 mm away from the toe and put another line, which will be the main one. It is from this mark that the fastening should begin.
DIY ski mounts
There are two options for obtaining such devices as mounts for this type of equipment. The first is the purchase of ready-made samples, the second is to make them yourself.
If the second option is chosen, then you need to start work with the next step. From a multilayer plywood, a support platform is cut out under the foot. After this, you need to determine on which side the groove for the belt of the main loop will be located, and lay the blank on the ski. The belt itself is passed under the main loop into a predetermined groove. After that, in order to continue to make mounts for hunting skis with your own hands, you need to glue the existing design with waterproof glue. The beginning of the belt should correspond to the main line drawn earlier. To strengthen the fastening it can be screwed to the boards with screws.
Additional information for the manufacture of fasteners
There are also several small nuances that need to be performed. One of the most important is gluing microporous rubber. This is done so that the snow that falls under the foot into the mount does not compress and does not form an ice crust there.
Also a rather important issue is the material from which it is necessary to make mounts for hunting skis. Hunters with great experience recommend the use of well-smoked elk skin. Its main differences from raw materials are that it does not get wet and does not stretch. However, this material is quite specific and not always available, and therefore you can use a canvas belt. This raw material is slightly worse than the skin of an elk, but can also be used with success.
In order to adjust the size of the belt, it is best to use leather laces that are passed through special holes. It is allowed to use metal buckles, but only if the hunter himself is not against the use of iron in freezing temperatures.
Another very important point is the moment of skiing. Fastenings should be equipped so that it is possible to quickly and easily remove equipment. For this reason, some people are limited only by the fact that they create only straps as a mount for hunting skis.
Installation Nuances
When installing this device on skis, you need to follow several rules:
- Firstly, this equipment should hold any shoes firmly.
- Secondly, ski management should not be impaired due to the fact that the mounts are uncomfortable.
- Thirdly, in the event of a fall or any other unforeseen situation, it should be possible to quickly remove equipment.
In order to achieve such requirements, you will have to work out several times and check all the equipment at home, as there may not be time for analysis or hunting in the design.
Types of Mounts
There are three types of ski bindings for hunting skis: simple, soft and semi-rigid. There is another type of mount, which is called rigid. In this case, the boot is attached to the ski with screws. However, such a device is not suitable for a hunting sample, and therefore this option should immediately be excluded and not considered.
The choice of one of the three proposed types of fasteners is a completely individual solution. The best option would be to try all three, and then decide which one is most suitable.
A simple type of fastener is a regular strap that is made of leather, tarpaulin or any other durable material.
The next view is soft. Their difference from simple ones is that one more belt is added. It looks something like this: the leg is inserted into the main belt, as in the simple version. Further, the second retainer, the leg is covered at the back just above the heel. Fasten the fastener so that it does not fall and holds the foot firmly.
Semi-rigid mounts for hunting skis are distinguished by the fact that instead of one main belt, there are several metal plates. The boot rests on these plates, and on top is attached with a sling. Instead of a rear lock, a metal spring-cable is used as a belt. The cable is pulled to the required length with the help of a lever that is integrated, and after that it is fixed in front of the plates at the bow of the boot.
How to install mounts on hunting skis
Currently, most purchased skis are equipped with metal mounts. However, this is not always convenient, and in some situations it is better to use simple belts. The main advantage of this type of retainer was that it is not picky about shoes. This type is suitable for any equipment of a person.
In order to install just this type of fastener, it is necessary to have the following materials: mounts, skis, drill, drill, small nails and rubber pads.
Installation Instructions
In order to fix the clamps of this type on the ski equipment, it is necessary to go through several stages.
- The first stage is considered preparatory. It is necessary to free the bindings and skis from the packaging, wipe everything with a damp cloth. Here you also need to decide what material the fasteners are made of, whether there is a second strap for wrapping your legs around the back. The second latch is designed to keep the foot from slipping.
- The second stage is the question of how to install mounts on hunting skis and determining the center of gravity. This work is very important, since the success of the whole undertaking depends on it. In order to determine this moment, the ski must be installed on the edge of the board or wooden ruler so as to achieve equilibrium. When this mark is determined, a line must be drawn there. The toe of the foot should be located clearly on this line. Some skis already have a side hole through which the strap is inserted. If one is missing, then it is not difficult to make it. To do this, you need a drill and a chisel. The recess, of course, should be of a through type.
- The next step is the installation of the strap. It is necessary to thread it into an existing hole and fix it in the form of a ring (loop). The size of the ring obtained is adjusted individually under the person’s foot. In order to do this, the clips are equipped with a special bracket. If the kit also has a second belt, then it is installed first.
Additional work
When the main stages are completed, you may need to carry out several additional manipulations to install mounts on hunting skis.
If there is no hole for the belt, but you do not want to do it, then you can do without it. A leather or other material product is attached directly to the board itself using small screws. A few pieces should be enough. It is necessary to fasten on both sides. It is also recommended to screw the belt through a thin metal plate, which will be slightly wider than the latch itself.
In order not to slide in the shoes on the wood itself, it is necessary to nail or glue the rubber gasket under the belt on the ski. Naturally, all work is performed on the second ski as well as the first. It is also worth adding that most often after such work, equipment becomes interchangeable.
The final stage will be the refinement of all soft fixators on the leg. To do this, put on the shoes that are supposed to be used in the campaign, and adjust the sizes of the fasteners on it.
Materials for fastening semi-rigid equipment
As mentioned earlier, there are rigid and semi-rigid types of mounts. The disadvantage of the first category is that you need special shoes for use, but the second type is suitable for any ski, including hunting.
In order to carry out a successful mounting of the mount, you must have the following materials and tools at hand: pencil, screwdriver, awl, drill, epoxy or BF glue. Naturally, we need skis themselves with a semi-rigid type of attachment.
Installation Instructions
As with mounting soft mounts, the first thing to do is find the center of gravity on both skis. The resulting lines are marked with a pencil. Next, you need to start installing the plate. Installation must be carried out so that the front edge of the latch coincides with the line marked with a pencil. Another important requirement is that the longitudinal axis of the plate and the axis of the ski itself completely coincide. After that, it is necessary to install a bracket under each plate. There are always two brackets in the kit, on which there are marks L and PR. Each of them under its own latch.
Next, holding the bracket with your hand, screw the plate to the ski. For this, you can use the screws that are included in the kit (if this is a purchased model). Similar actions are carried out on the second board.
Here you need to pay attention to what material the skis themselves are made of. If they are plastic or semi-plastic, then the holes for the screws should be done as follows:
- Marks are marked with an awl, drilled with a drill, the drill should be a suitable diameter for the screws.
- The resulting holes are filled with epoxy or BF glue.
Only then can the mount be mounted.
Final actions
After installing the plates, the belts are mounted on them. You can adjust the length of the latch using buckles.
Next, you need to do the installation of cables designed to fix a person’s shoes. To do this, put the boot into the mount and put the spring on the back. The cable is fixed in the side brackets, which are set in a vertical position. The spring is put on a bracket from the lock. The ski lock is secured with screws. Further, it is very important to correctly adjust the spring tension. Similar actions with a fixing cable are done on the second ski.
It is important to verify that all fixtures are installed correctly. To do this, put on shoes and secure it on skis. After that, you need to raise the sock. If everything is done correctly, then the shoes will not pop out, and the toe will pull down.
Snowmobile
Some people use snowmobiles to move, not their legs. The device is quite convenient, but also expensive. However, it is important that it also moves through the snow with skis. And this means that mounting a hunting ski on a snowmobile is also possible and justified. The reason for the replacement of ordinary long models with shorter and more stable ones was the same as with the movement on the legs. Correct weight distribution is much more important, and due to the fact that these devices are shorter, they are also more convenient to use. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the fixators for the legs here can be the same as described above.