G3 Product & Order FAQ

Orders, Returns, & Warranty

Q: How can I check the status of my order?

A: Here are three quick ways to track your gear:

Check Your Email: Find your original Order Confirmation or Shipping Confirmation email and click the "View your order" or "Track order" button. This will take you directly to your personalized tracking page.
Log In to Your Account: If you created a customer account during checkout, simply log in on our website. Your recent orders will be right there with all the current status and tracking details.
Use the Shop App: If you with the Shop app, your order will automatically sync there. You can view real-time shipping updates and live map tracking directly on your phone.

If you are having trouble locating your tracking information, please reach out to our Customer Service team with your order number, and we will happily look it up for you.

Q: What is G3's return policy?

A: All Sale and Clearance items are Final Sale and not eligible for return, refund or exchange.

G3 may accept product refunds/exchanges on full price items within 45 days of the original purchase date. Original order shipping charges, if applicable, are not refundable on correctly shipped orders. The product MUST be in its original condition and in the original packaging. G3 will only process returns/exchanges for products that were directly purchased online from G3. If the product was purchased from a G3 dealer then the customer must contact them directly for their return/exchange procedures. Sender is responsible for 100% of return shipping costs, including duties and customs. Read the full Returns Policy, which also has the Return Claim Form.

Q: What qualifies for the G3 warranty?

A: G3’s warranty covers defects in material or workmanship and does not cover damage from wear and tear, neglect or abuse. Claims must be submitted within the given warranty period. Review the G3 Warranty Policy for more information.

*Skin glue contamination in the form of heat, UV, chemical or particulate contamination is not a warranty issue; however, you can find tips on G3U on how to properly care for and prolong the life of G3 climbing skins.

Q: How do I submit a warranty claim for my G3 gear?

A: To process a warranty claim, please contact the G3 Authorized retailer where the product was purchased (brick and mortar stores as well as online retailers). If this is not possible, use our dealer locator to find your nearest Authorized G3 dealer for service.

If you have purchased your item directly from genuineguidegear.com, warranty claims can be placed by completing the form on our warranty page.

Q: Why was I charged import duties on my order to the U.S.?

A: We completely understand the frustration. This charge is a standard U.S. import duty assessed directly by U.S. Customs based on the product’s manufacturing country of origin and tariff classification. Because some of our gear is manufactured outside North America, it doesn’t qualify for duty-free entry under trade agreements. These duties are set and collected by U.S. Customs, not G3.

Q: Why did prices change on the U.S. website?

A: To keep things fully transparent: U.S. import duties, tariffs, and brokerage fees (which are completely out of our hands) has forced us to update our pricing structure. We are absorbing as much of these extra costs as we possibly can because we value our U.S. customers. We hope these measures are temporary and truly appreciate your support while we navigate this.

Q: Your website is acting up or won't let me check out. Help!

A: Technology can be as unpredictable as alpine weather. Nine times out of ten, clearing your internet browser's cache, closing the window, and opening a fresh browser session will clear up any digital glitches. If you’re still having issues after trying that, give us a shout and we’ll investigate.

Q: I live in Europe. Can I order directly from your website, or is there a better option?

A: Yes, you can absolutely order from our website. If you'd like to save on shipping fees and transit times, we recommend purchasing through one of our authorized European dealers or distributors. Pop over to our Dealer Locator tool to find a shop in your region.

Q: Where can I find local help, spare parts, or service for my G3 gear?

A: Your local ski shop is the best place to go to service your G3 gear or get spare parts. Head over to our online Dealer Locator to find an authorized G3 shop near you. They can help you with parts, skin trimming, and expert advice.

Skins Care & Selection

Q: How do I choose the right G3 climbing skin and plush type?

A: You can learn more about our Climbing Skin models and plushes on the Skins Explore page, watch our video How To Choose The Right G3 Ski Skins, or you can get your personalized recommendation by taking our quick Skins Finder Quiz. However, here is the quick rundown on our models and plushes:

ALPINIST+: An iconic best seller and your all-around skin. The stiff material of the ALPINIST+ tip creates a rigid platform that prevents snow creep and extends the use of your adhesive. Comes with a handy ripstrip for easier transitions, Scala tip, and a solid tailstrap.
MINIMIST: For those looking to cut weight without sacrificing performance. Every MINIMIST skin is up to 30% lighter than anything else in its performance class and uses high performance textiles from other demanding sports applications as a backbone, Comes with ripstrip, lightweight tip, and lightweight tailstrap.
ESCAPIST: A premium user experience at an affordable price. The ESCAPIST is a fully customizable climbing skin, featuring G3’s patented self-aligning stainless steel hands to create a strong connection with any ski tip shape.
ELEMENTS: Great skins for a low price. Features a lightweight tip and durable tailstrap.
SPLITBOARD+: Fully-featured, splitboard-specific, go anywhere climbing skin. G3’s trimmed down and minimalist splitboard skin tip connectors are inspired by our ski skins, but custom tailored for splitboards.
SPLITBOARD LT: The splitboard skin to beat. Uncompromised performance at an unrivaled weight; every SPLITBOARD LT skin is 15% lighter than anything else in its performance class.

Next, choose your Plush based on your typical touring conditions:

Universal (Nylon): The all-rounder. Great durability and the perfect balance of grip, glide, and weight.
Grip (Nylon): Maximum traction. Ideal for icy skin tracks, steep climbs, or those just starting out.
Glide (Mohair/Nylon Mix): 65% mohair, 35% nylon. The sweet spot for cold, dry snow where you want effortless glide with good durability.
Speed (100% Mohair): Built for fast-and-light objectives in dry snow where maximum glide is the goal.

Q: What size of ALPINIST+ or MINIMIST climbing skins fit my skis?

A: You can use our Skin Sizing Chart to find your ideal size.

Or you can measure your ski. 

STEP #1: Identify your skin length using the length of your skis in cm. If your ski length falls within two sizes, we recommend choosing the shorter length for minimal weight. 
STEP #2: Determine the width (in mm) of the widest part of your ski (usually near the ski tip). Round up to the nearest skin width available. You can then use the Trim Tool that is included with all climbing skins to trim for a custom fit.

Before taking the protective Mylar off the glue, we recommend lining up your skins against your skis to ensure you have the best fit. If you for some reason have purchased the wrong size, bring it back to the point of purchase to exchange it for the optimal size.

Q: What size of ESCAPIST climbing skins should I use?

A: You can use our Skin Size Selector charts to find your ideal size.

Or you can measure your ski. 

STEP #1: Identify your skin length using the length of your skis in cm. 
STEP #2: Determine the width (in mm) of the widest part of your ski (usually near the ski tip). Round up to the nearest skin width available. You can then use the Trim Tool that is included with all climbing skins to trim for a custom fit.

For ESCAPIST Climbing Skins, our 50mm and 100mm widths come with Double-bar Tip Loops.

Q: What size of SPLITBOARD climbing skins will fit my splitboard?

A: You can use our Skin Size Selector chart to find your ideal size. Use the Trim Tool that is included with all climbing skins to trim for a custom fit. Identify your skin length using the length of your board in cm. If your board length falls within two sizes, we recommend choosing the shorter length for minimal weight.

Swallow tail recommendations: Undersize for swallow tail boards. A Topsheet Mounted Tail Connector may be needed.

Q: How do I use the 60cm Skin Savers with my skins?

A: At 60cm long, you have two great options: either cut the skin saver in half and fold each skin around its own piece, or sandwich the single skin saver directly between your two skins. We also have some great video tutorials on G3U such as How And Why To Use Skin Savers and Short Term Storage Tips.

(Note: If you are using our new ChannelBond skins, we do not recommend using skin savers for long-term storage, as it can shorten the life of the glue. Simply fold them glue-to-glue!)

Q: My Skin Savers are only 90mm wide, but my skins are wider. Do they need to cover the entire adhesive surface?

A: Nope, they don’t need to cover the full width. Having the exposed edges of your skins stick directly to each other actually helps seal out air, preventing the adhesive from drying out over time. Check out our quick video guide How And Why To Use Skin Savers for more skin storage tips.

Q: How do I trim my G3 skins to fit my skis or splitboard?

A: Our skins are fully customizable and come with our legendary, patented offset Trim Tool, which lets you get a perfect edge reveal without ever having to reposition the skin. Watch our easy How To Trim Climbing Skins video on G3U.

Q: My G3 skins aren't sticking to my ski bases. What can I do?

A: Modern G3 glue is engineered to perform in the harshest winter environments, but a few external factors can get in the way:

Wax Contamination: If your ski bases weren't thoroughly scraped after waxing, wax can transfer to the glue. To fix this, place paper on the glue side of your skins and run a ski iron on its lowest setting over it to melt and draw the wax out into the paper.
Extreme Cold: On bitterly cold days, keep your skins warm between laps by stuffing them inside your jacket shell or along your back during the descent.
If your glue looks physically damaged, reach out to us with clear photos so we can take a closer look.

Poles Maintenance

Q: Can I replace a broken section on my PIVOT poles?

A: Unfortunately, because of the specific construction of our PIVOT poles, we aren't able to replace individual sections.

Q: My PIVOT poles are stuck together. How do I get them unstuck?

A: If your poles got a bit too cozy and won't budge, try soaking them in hot water for a few hours. That usually loosens things up. For future reference, here's how to keep them running smoothly:

Always store your poles collapsed.
Clean the telescoping sections occasionally with rubbing alcohol.
Lubricate the joints with a tiny bit of light oil (like bicycle chain oil or a drop of olive oil).

Bindings Support & Tuning

Q: Can I use third-party screws for my G3 crampons?

A: We highly recommend using the specific screws included in our AT Crampon Adaptor Kit. Using off-the-shelf screws can mess up the threading on your crampons. If you're in a tight spot, the exact spec is M4 x 0.7. If you must go this route, make sure to use stainless steel screws and a healthy dose of blue threadlocker (Loctite). But honestly, our purpose-built G3 crampon screws are your safest bet.

Q: My ION brakes look too narrow or like they're the wrong size out of the box. What's going on?

A: Don’t sweat it—your brakes are just in their stowed transit position. Spin the heel turret into ski mode and the brakes will deploy and expand to their proper width. If needed, you can give them a slight tug outward to seat them into place as they can sometimes get pushed inward during shipping. Once they deploy, feel free to dry-fit them on your skis to verify the fit.

Q: I broke the small plastic heel wedge on my ION or ZED binding. Can you send me a replacement?

A: We actually can't send out just that small wedge. For safety reasons, the heel assembly has to be calibrated as a single unit at the factory. Please reach out to Customer Service for assistance.

Q: The front heel body screw on my ION bindings is loose or missing. Can I just screw in a replacement?

A: If that screw has come loose or fallen out, there's a strong chance the internal threads inside the heel turret are damaged. Because of that, we don't advise just putting a new screw in. Get in touch with us and we can help with replacement parts.

Q: The brake pad pin on my grey ZED bindings fell out. Is this a known issue?

A: Yes, this was an issue with some of our older grey ZED brakes. We want to get you sorted out. Contact us with your brake width and shipping address, and we’ll send you a pair of our updated ZED binding brakes. If you aren’t sure of your brake width, let us know the waist measurement of your skis.

Q: How do I replace the brake spring on my ION bindings?

A: We have step-by-step written instructions and a video on G3U to guide you through the process. If you run into any trouble or don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, pop into your local dealer and they'll help you swap it out.

Q: My bindings are pre-releasing on the descent. What should I do?

A: If you are experiencing pre-releasing, take both your boots and bindings straight to your local authorized dealer. Tech bindings are a system, and boot-sole wear or binding wear can heavily impact performance. G3 bindings feature fully adjustable release values so a qualified tech can evaluate the system and adjust things safely to keep you locked in.

Q: Do I need stomp pads for my ZED bindings?

A: It depends. Stomp pads help transfer impact loads off the binding pins. This optional accessory is a simple add-on for aggressive freeride skiing, for skiers that ski without a brake, are 175+ lbs, and generate larger loads during impacts when jumping and landing.

Q: Can you send me a replacement release value sticker for my ION binding?

A: Unfortunately, we can't send those stickers out individually. The stickers are placed during the factory calibration of the heel assembly. If we just mailed a sticker, it wouldn't align perfectly with your binding's specific calibration, leading to incorrect release readings.

Q: How do I choose the correct brake width for my skis?

A: As a general rule of thumb, the ideal range for your ski waist width is between -10mm and +5mm of the brake width. Here’s the breakdown:

85mm brakes: Best for 75–90mm waist skis.
100mm brakes: Best for 90–105mm waist skis.
115mm brakes: Best for 105–120mm waist skis.
130mm brakes: Best for 120mm+ waist skis.
If your brakes are too narrow, they won't deploy reliably; if they are too wide, they might drag in the snow on steep, edged-out side-hills.

Q: My ION heel turret is locking up in tour mode or won't deploy properly in ski mode. How do I fix it?

A: This is likely an ION Baseplate Overadjustment issue, which typically happens after remounting or adjusting the binding for a new boot size.

First, adjust the length / forward pressure adjustment so that the front of the brake is within the adjustment window. Shown in step 6 of the ION Mounting Instructions. Test your brakes for functionality in walk / touring mode. If the brake locks up in tour mode and deploys in ski mode, remount your bindings so that your boot length is within the window.
If that doesn't fix it, you can either purchase a replacement baseplate (match your brake width) or head to your local dealer for repair.

Legacy & General Gear Questions

Q: Do you still make telemark bindings or carry replacement parts?

A: We’ve officially stepped away from the telemark world and no longer stock tele gear or spare parts. Some of our local dealers might still have old stock on their shelves. Otherwise, check out the folks at Freeheel Life—they are legendary for sourcing hard-to-find tele parts and have a great used gear section.

Q: Can I mount telemark bindings on G3 skis?

A: Our skis are not rated for tele bindings, we use a thinner titanal layer than true telemark skis. This means that our skis are more prone to binding tear out for telemark bindings. Some users enjoy our skis with telemark bindings, but we cannot officially recommend them.

Q: Do you still make skis? I don't see them on the site.

A: We made the tough call to discontinue our ski line to focus 100% of our energy on what we do best: Climbing Skins, Bindings, Poles, and Tension Straps.

Q: I bought some hunting/outdoor gear from "Guide Gear" and have a question. Is this you?

A: Common mix-up! You’re likely looking for Guide Gear, an outdoor brand based in North Carolina. We are Genuine Guide Gear (G3), based out of British Columbia, Canada, and we focus entirely on backcountry skiing and splitboarding. If it's backcountry touring gear you need help with, you are in the right place!

Q: I'm looking at buying a used pair of G3 skis or bindings. Are they safe to ski?

A: We love seeing gear get a second life, but we can't verify the safety, history, or functionality of used gear online. For your own peace of mind, we always recommend taking second-hand gear to a local authorized dealer to have a professional technician inspect it before you head out onto the skin track.

Q: How do I apply for the G3 Pro Program?

A: If you're a guide, ski patroller, or industry professional, we’d love to have you on board. You can apply directly on our Pro Program website.