Winter hiking sleds

“The high sidewalls are nice. Mine has much lower sidewalls, and stuff can fall off it is not lashed down pretty good. Yours would be easy to rig a tarp to cover the top. Put in some hooks around the top edge, put a tarp over the top, and lash it down. That'll work.”

“How much does it aweigh?”

“You probably don't want to know. I looked it up on the web and it said 6lbs.”

“I'm making a sled for FYAO too. Does anyone out there know where I can get sheets of high impact type plastic?”

“Big Wave Dave made one out of a jett sled last year -
a href="http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread.php?id=17983&q=nav&age=-1"target="_blank">LINK
good descreption of modifications and pictures.”

“uh... speaking of weight.... I weighed our sleds, very well built, and solid attachment to us. 17 lbs!!!!! un real. They slid really good anyways. I lugged in 70 + lbs. and it was easier than carrying 35 lbs. Just for perspective.”

“Weight of your sled shouldn't be of any real concern because you'll never feel the difference when it's easily sliding down the trail.

I looked into the JetSled last year and what I read on another site's forum is that, albeit deep, some who had this sled (the long one) felt it wasn't long enough. The dimensions are...
Jet Sled - 24"W x 54"L x 10"D - $39.99
Jet Sled Jr. - 21"W x 42"L x 9"D - $19.99”

“The one Rockman and I got is 15.00 for a 66" sled. It's much shallower, though...”

“Why did they want the Jet Sled to be longer, do you know? For what kind of gear/use?

I got the Jr. last year to replace a "kid's" sled, and like the Jet Sled better. The higher sides are nice, and it holds all I want. Oh, got it for $14.”

“http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/gear/sleds/index.htm For any that are interested here is a site with plans for several diferent sleds,some using the plastic sleds.
Streamweaver”

“Worked on my sled while watching football and doing chores this weekend. I had trashed it dragging it on frozen dirt. Bondo to the rescue!

Before

After Bondo, first coat of paint”

“That's no $15 Big-5 sled.”

“never said it was. ;-)

That is also why it was worth fixing.”

“My 15 dollar big 5 sled worked very well. I wouldn't trade it.

:)”

“Ran across this web site on making a puck for a sled.”

“http://www.skipulk.com/
8 different designs that cost from $19-$100. It includes where to find parts, how to customize them and lots of other useful info

Found this link on backpacking.net.
You snow sled builders might find it interesting.
last edited: 11/15/04 7:55:48 PM”

“Thanks stovestomper for including the www.skipulk.com url in the discussion. It got me to find this group and give me a chance to offer my two cents.

While I have used conduit , PVC, and nesting aluminum pulk poles successfully for years - nothing provides the control, durability and flexibility (for safety in a fall) like 1/2" solid fiber rods. If you are in hilly terrain where falls are likely I would say that they make the best traces for gear sleds (ski pulks) by far.

I invite any serious sled builders to download my 29 page booklet for free. The are designs in there for all uses. I highly recommend the designs that use fiber rod poles. If you are in situations where you are tracking around winding trails in heavy forest and traveling on steep sidehill I would recomend you look at the designs that use balljoint hinges.

You will note that the site ask for a shareware donation with the download if you find the booklet usefull enough to be worth it. You decide based on the information's utility to you.

Enjoy the snow - we are still all brown here in Minnesota.

Ed B (author of Building Your Own Ski Pulk)”

“Hi there Ed! I'm a former Minnesotan myself. Where are you? I used to live in Pelican Rapids.”

“Hi Ruby-
I live and work in St. Cloud MN and right now we cant do anything to bring a little snow our ways.

Ed B”

“Just built my first pulk to haul my 2-year old in. Not much about kid-pullers around, so I had to improvise. Used a whole bunch of different ideas from designs I've seen on this thread and elsewhere, and I'm stoked. Going out to try model 3.0 right now, so I'll post more on it later.

If anyone can point me in the direction of others who are in the same boat (or pulk) that'd be great.”

“forget the thread I started. This one is pretty informative. Thanks Pennsy for digging this one up.”

“Hi New Shoer-

I think just about any pulk design can be modified to carry kids. Overall the better the control the pulk offers- the better a kid carrier it will make. In my mind a safe kid carrier needs three things added. A comfortable seat. (Common booster seats or carriers can be bolted or strapped to a sled. ) Seat belts- (Again easy to do) and the most difficult adatation would be a roll bar of some kind.
( Strong windshields double as a roll bar. )

A possible roll bar could be to bend the fiberglass wands that you find for flags above bicylists or soccer goal lines into a 1/2 circle and anchor it to the sled.)

While many commercial models have fabric covers- a small sleeping bag could do the same thing. One thing to beware of is some literature about children having problems overheating because their body is so toasty and yet their face is very cold. ( Same kind of mamalian reflex that results in kids drowning in cold water being resucitated after long times. ) I am not up on this but I would watch the temp of kids in warm bags with cold faces closely unless the kid is old enough to communicate with you.

I think you might also find this article about commercial pulks interesting....
www.xcskiworld.com/family/Parents/sleds.htm

Take care- Ed B”

“nothing like reading a sled thread to put you in a good mood.”

“i miss winter”

“Word!”

“i miss buddur, too”

“Sheesh! It is finally summer here as of yesterday! Frikkin' winter? It can stay a long way away! We had blechy weather fer the last 2 months-I wanna enjoy sweating :-D”

“i miss you all.”

“dam, girl, i miss you, too.
i'm tired of missing people...”

“How could anyone not like it when it looks like this outside.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/284933151/284939719llkHoS”

“It was around 112°/113° in Redding today.

I wanna ski!
last edited: 7/18/05 10:56:00 PM”

“

Gee I wanna ski.
last edited: 7/18/05 11:27:19 PM”

“My packing heat keeps me warm ;-)
http://community.webshots.com/photo/124864919/124865516FnxBrl

That is Shuksan behind me..it's next door to Mt. Baker..Taken on my 30th birthday!
http://community.webshots.com/photo/124864919/124866304vWVHaE

That is the Tatoosh's and Mt. Adams behind my head...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/124864919/124865664kEgNyH

BUT I'D RATHER HAVE THIS!!!!:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/397538339/397543840xAoaAj
Taken yesterday ;-)”

“Just trying to cool off.”

“Horrible pic but man it felt sooo good!
http://community.webshots.com/photo/172772452/177504403qbnvBQ”

“Forgive me, but that looks desperate, LOL”

“Thats cool Pathman.............”

“hehheh.....
Dorky? Why yes!
The umbrella says it all: Uber Dork.
But dang it was sweet. See, me no want winter-me want a big ol' swimming hole!”

“hmmm lets see
this ?





or this?





not in the mood to start digging my car out.

I think I will stick to summer for a few more weeks”

“I prefer this.

”

“what a crack in the earth?
better watch it or you will get gobbled up!”

“I've got plans for a new sled (handing my old one down to the grandgirl) and 5 trips planned.
I don't like the heat. :(”

“No bugs in the winter, either!”

“I picked up one super cheap this past winter (since we had a drought). At some point this fall I am going to rig it up so I can go winter backpacking easier in the snow - of course the boyfriend claims I should haul him in it...uhhuh!”

“I rigged up my jet sled that I use for ice fishing. Unfortunately a lot of the trails I hike are not sled friendly.
last edited: 7/19/05 9:20:43 AM”

“go back to the beginning of the thread sarbar, it's all about sleds...or search the archives for some photos and good info...”

“I actually don't like using a sled unless I have to. Winterfest is a good example of when Rodney and I use them. The trail is relatively flat, no steep side hills and the loads are huge (100+lb). The terrain that I usually ski/camp in is usually to steep for comfortable sled pulling.

They sure make it easy to haul loads for New Years and other base camp trips though.”