rentals and information

Check out these helpful links below before heading out on the trails!

PNSC Club apparel, outerwear, race apparel, and items such as wax and trail snacks can be purchased at the cabin. Come visit us to see our current stock or follow our social media for inventory announcements.

RENTALS

TRAIL WEAR

WAXING

RENTALS

Membership Price: $10 / day

Non-Member Price: $30 / day

Services:

First Time Ski/Boot Fitting
Boot / Ski / Pole Rental
Wax Drop-off/Pick-up ($10/members, $20/non-members)

Winter Season Rental Hours (October - April):

Monday - Friday: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Saturday: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sunday: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Holiday Rental Hours (December 26 - January 1):

Daily: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Rental availability is subject to change and based on availability and snow conditions.

Please confirm availability in advance by using the rental booking link.

Skis must be returned to the Equipment Room before closing each day.

Overnight or multiple day rentals are not available.

RENTAL LINK

TRAIL WEAR

Layers are the name of the game!

The main objective when dressing for outdoor winter activities is to keep your body warm and dry.

We can stay warm and dry by wearing clothes in layers. Each layer of clothing serves a different purpose.

The purpose of the first layer, the layer right against your skin, is to wick moisture and perspiration away from your skin to keep you dry. The second layer is for insulating your body to keep you warm. The third, or outer layer, allows moisture to evaporate from your body but also blocks the wind and repels water.

If you're cross country skiing, you're most likely going to work up a sweat, so keeping your skin dry becomes very important!

layer 1

base layer

Your base layer should fit tight against your skin. The purpose is for the clothing to wick sweat off your body so that your skin stays dry. The material should be something that absorbs water but dries quickly. Materials such as polypropelene, silk, polyester, thermax, thinsulate and wool are all designed for this purpose. These fabrics all come in different weights; thinner materials wick away moisture more efficiently, while thicker layers provide a bit more insulation.

Layer 2

insulation

This layer is worn on top of layer 1. It fits looser on your body, but to work effectively it should be in contact with your base layer. This layer is responsible for keeping you warm as well as moving moisture away from your base layer out to your third layer so that your body can get rid of excess moisture. Materials such as fleece, polyester, down, wool, and synthetic fabrics work well for this purpose.

Layer 3

Wind & Water Protection

This layer consists of a shell that allows moisture to escape from your body, but at the same time blocks wind and rain. Ensure the fabric for this layer is breathable. Gortex is a common material used for your outer layer. Other useful items on your third layer include zippers and ventilation areas.

protection

head & Hands

It is important to keep your head and fingers warm while you're engaged in outdoor winter activities.

A toque should cover your head and ears, and be thick enough to keep your ears warm.

Mittens are warmer than gloves, but both will keep your hands warm.

Protection

socks

There are a number of brands that make socks to keep your feet both dry and warm at the same time (thin wool or synthetic).

The fabric pulls water from your skin but can also keep your feet warm.

Another layer of protection is to wear over-the ankle gaiters to prevent snow from sneaking into your boots.

prepare

tips & Hints

Always wear a toque and ensure your ears are covered to avoid frostbite.
No Jeans! Jeans do absorb water, BUT, then they hold it in.
No Cotton! Cotton absorbs water and holds it in, and takes a long time to dry.
High windchill? Cover your exposed skin with petroleum jelly! (Although its not clinically proven)
Above all, dress comfortably.

Trail Wear

Waxing

WAXING

Waxing is like cooking. You can use all kinds of fancy ingredients and make a great meal, but some of the simplest recipes are still the best. Waxing can also be complicated, but the simplest waxing can work the best and, for everyday the basics are all you really need.

This guide is meant to be a starting point, as there is lots of other information available on the web. So let's keep it simple shall we?

The Essentials (Fort McMurray)

Grip wax

Warm/Red (0 to -5 deg C)
Cold/Blue (-5 to -10 deg C)
Polar/White (-10 deg C and colder) or green base wax.

Glide wax
Universal cold glider (-8 deg C and colder)
* A cold glider will work 80-90% of the time in Fort McMurray.

Tools

Cork (natural or synthetic)
Metal scraper
Stiff plastic scraper
Groove scraper
Masking tape
Iron (any one will do to start, but it will have to be dedicated to waxing)
Nylon bristle brush (a stiff bristled nail brush works)
Wax remover (eg: Toko, Swix, Ski*go, etc.)
Waxing bench (something as simple as a Workmate, or any other brand, will clamp your skis securely)

Marking Your Grip Zone

Classic skis have a grip zone under the middle of the ski. To determine your grip zone, use the Paper Test as described in the Ski Buying Guide. This time, use a permanent marker, and draw a little line on the ski at the leading and trailing edge of the pocket where the paper moves freely under the ski. This is your grip zone or wax pocket. You will apply grip wax between the marks.

You can verify your wax pocket, by checking your base after a ski to see how much wax is left. If the "grippy" part of your ski is much shorter than what you had applied before heading out, you want to consider shortening your grip zone. Conversely, if you find you are not getting enough grip, you may want to consider lengthening your grip zone.

Glide Waxing

If you are waxing your skate ski, you will apply glide wax to the entire ski. If you are waxing your classic skis, tape off your grip zone with a piece of masking tape across the base of the ski at each mark. Your glide was will be applied outside the tape markers, on the tips and tails of your skis.

Secure your ski to your waxing bench - If this still sounds like too much, there are new glide waxes on the market that do not need to be ironed into the base, such as spray on or rub on glide waxes. These may be a good option for the beginner recreational skier.
Clean any debris from the base of your ski. Use your nylon brush to brush off any residue, running the brush from tip to tail.
Test your iron, to make sure it is just warm enough to melt the wax. The cooler the better, a hot iron can seriously damage the base of your ski. If it is smoking it is far too hot!
Warm your block of glide wax on the iron, and drip or crayon it on to the base of the ski.
Iron the wax into the base of your ski. (Again, making sure the iron is not too hot.)
Scrape the excess wax from the edges of your ski, and from the groove(s) with the groove scraper.
Allow the wax to cool. While you're waiting, do steps 1 to 6 on your other ski!
Using your plastic scraper held in both hands, scrape the excess wax from the base of the ski. Hold the scraper parallel to the base of the ski, and use long strokes from tip to tail. Keep scraping until very little wax is coming off the base.
Brush the base of your ski with the nylon brush, using long strokes from tip to tail.
Grip Waxing
Choose your wax for the day according to snow temperature. (If your wax has funny pictures beside the temperature ranges, the dainty snowflake is the range for dryer snow, and the splot is the range for wet snow.)
Remove any excess old wax using your metal scraper. (Most times you will not need to do this, but a colder wax will not stick well on top of a warmer wax.)
Crayon the grip wax in a thin layer onto the base of your ski in your grip zone. (As determined above.)
Work the wax into the base by rubbing it in firm, fast, back and forth strokes with your cork.
Repeat steps 3-4 until you have enough layers. A good rule of thumb is 1 layer of grip wax per 5 kms of skiing.

If you have any questions, ask! Ask another skier, or stop by the cabin and ask an instructor.

rentals and information

RENTALS

Membership Price: $10 / day

Non-Member Price: $30 / day

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TRAIL WEAR

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WAXING

Waxing is like cooking. You can use all kinds of fancy ingredients and make a great meal, but some of the simplest recipes are still the best. Waxing can also be complicated, but the simplest waxing can work the best and, for everyday the basics are all you really need.

This guide is meant to be a starting point, as there is lots of other information available on the web. So let's keep it simple shall we?

​

The Essentials (Fort McMurray)

Marking Your Grip Zone

Glide Waxing