Chapter 2: The Basic Waxing Kit

Basic waxing kit: – This is about as cheap as you can go, and this will be a very basic kit. It does not include anything for your edges, but it is enough to keep your bases happy. Here is a breakdown of what I have determined to be the most essential gear for waxing:

1 Scraper - A scraper is a thick piece of plastic, ~ 3x6 inches, and is used to scrape the hardened wax off your ski base after the wax has been melted and ironed on.

1 Nylon, Brass, or Bronze brush – Brushes are used pre-waxing to clean out the structure of the ski, and post-waxing and scraping, to do essentially the same thing. Brushing makes skis fast.

1 Iron - You can either buy a ski specific iron, or you can find a cheap clothes iron at Wal-Mart/Costco, or you can scrounge one from around the house or from a goodwill store. As long as you don’t put water in it, it will get the job done. Water creates steam – you just want the heat. Be careful to inspect the base of the iron for dings or scratches that can dig in and damage the base of the ski. I would recommend just buying a ski specific iron, they last forever, have a curved surface which makes waxing easier, and are temperature controlled so you are less likely to burn the base of the ski. But a clothes iron will work just fine.

1 brick universal wax– General use, wide temperature range ski wax. More on this later. A brick should last you a season.