Phantom Glide Kits Explained: What Each of the Four Does and Who It Is For
We carry four Phantom Glide kits, and most do a different job. Pick the one that fits what your base needs next, not the box that sounds fanciest.
If your base needs a clean first, the Single Base Clean Kit is the prep step. If you want to treat your skis or board yourself, the Single Application Kit and At Home Kit are both made for doing it at home. If you're after the clean, prime and polish pads, that's the Base Care Kit. Buying new skis rather than treating a pair you own? Our add-on may fit better. It's a $129.95 service you add to a new ski or board order, and our technicians treat the base before it ships.
The Four Phantom Glide Kits at a Glance
Each kit's job at a glance.
You can see all four side by side on the Phantom Glide kits page.
Single Base Clean Kit: The Prep Step
Cleaning comes first for a reason: for best results, remove wax and clean the base before applying. It's step one of the Single Application Kit job too: clean the base with a base cleaner or wax remover.
The Single Base Clean Kit is just a base cleaner, made for a ski or snowboard: a spray-on formula that removes dirt, skin glue and other contaminants. A clean base sets the stage for a better application of Phantom Glide.
Skip it if you want the treatment itself: it's a base cleaner, not a treatment.
Single Application Kit: One Pair or One Board
The Phantom Glide: Single Application Kit is a high-performance base treatment for skis and snowboards, and it's easy to apply at home in less than 2 hours. It gives you the tools to apply Phantom Glide to your gear at home. You get one application of long-lasting base treatment, enough to treat one pair of skis or one snowboard.
Before you start: read your kit's instructions, which are the final word. The steps below are the short version; for the full walkthrough, see our guide to applying Phantom Glide at home.
Here's how the job goes:
Clean the base with a base cleaner or wax remover.
Apply the treatment in a shady spot.
Cure it outside for about an hour in direct sunlight, above 45°F (7°C) with a UV index of 4 or higher.
Polish the base with the polishing pad.
Gearhead Tip: Line up the sun first. Check the forecast before you start cleaning and save the job for a bright day.
Skip this kit if:
you'd rather not clean, cure and polish the base yourself;
you're buying new skis and want them treated before they ship (see the add-on below).
At Home Kit: A 3-Piece DIY Set
The Phantom Glide: At Home Kit is a DIY 3-piece kit for skis and snowboards. The At Home Kit comes with a Base Cleaner, the Single Application Kit and the Base Care Kit. That puts the cleaning, the treatment and the polishing in one box. The sun's UV rays set the treatment, and then you polish the base.
Skip it if you'd rather not clean, treat and polish the base yourself.
Base Care Kit: Clean, Prime, Polish
The Phantom Glide: Base Care Kit is three pads, one for each step: Step 1 Clean, Step 2 Prime, Step 3 Polish. It's upkeep for a treated base. When the base picks up the dry, white look of base abrasion, the Prime pad is made to remove it. The At Home Kit already includes a Base Care Kit, so check what's already on your bench before you throw this one in your cart. For the treatment itself, pick the Single Application Kit or the At Home Kit.
When the Add-On Fits Instead of a Kit
All four kits are things you buy and use yourself. Buying new skis on Backcountry? Add Phantom Glide: Professional Application Before Shipment and our technicians treat the base before your order ships. That delays shipping. On snowboards, it's available where offered. Not sure which route fits? Here's how the two routes compare.
Pick Your Kit
If your base has dirt or skin glue on it, then clean it first. The Single Base Clean Kit is one way to do that before you apply the treatment.
If you want to treat one pair of skis or one board at home, then the Single Application Kit fits. One kit covers one pair or one board.
If you want the Base Cleaner, the Single Application Kit and the Base Care Kit in one box, then look at the At Home Kit.
If you only want the clean, prime and polish pads, then the Base Care Kit fits.
If you're buying new skis on Backcountry, then the add-on may suit you better than the treatment kits.
If you're buying DPS skis, then you can skip the add-on: they come already treated.
Spend Only What You Need
Buy only the step your setup needs. Step 1 calls for a base cleaner or wax remover, so check what's already on your bench before you add a cleaner kit. One Single Application Kit treats one pair of skis or one snowboard, so count your quiver before you order.
Gearhead Notes
Still hot-waxing other gear? Our tune and wax tutorial covers waxing and base care, and base welds, base grinds and edge repairs belong at a ski shop. Hot irons burn. Keep the iron moving so you don't burn the base, work in a ventilated space, and use the iron temperature from the wax maker.
Dial It In
You know your setup and your season best, so match the kit to the job your base needs next, then go get after it. Want a hand dialing in the right kit for your setup? Chat with a Gearhead.