Winter Gear: Pulk Sleds

Chapters:
Intro: (0:00)
Four Sleds: (0:43)
Snowclipper Pulk: (2:24)
Kiddy Sled for Illustration: (4:24)
Pulk Poles: (4:57)
Paris Expedition Sled: (6:07)
Eagle Claw Shappell Jet Sled: (8:45)
Hardware and Sizing: (10:43)
Measurements: (13:17)
Pulk Covers & Harnesses: (14:32)
Sledding Around: (16:25)


During winter camping, the amount of gear and insulation you need to pack, plus additional gear to make things comfortable at camp, makes it difficult to fit everything into a backpack. Add in snowy or icy ground conditions, and heavy pack weights, and it suddenly becomes uncomfortable to trek very far with that kind of gear load out on your back. Pulk sleds come to the rescue in winter excursions due to their ability to carry 50lb loads miles into the backcountry over leafy or snowy terrain. The only area pulk sleds aren’t really best suited for use is in big rock scrambles or fast elevation changes. A person can easily drag a 90 pound load across a snowy field in a pulk sled and can carry more weight than they could backpacking.

In this video, I show a few different pulk sleds that I own. You can get an off-the-shelf pulk sled, or purchase components to build your own. Skipulk.com has instructions, tips, and components to help you with a build-or-buy decision on what type of pulk sled may fit your needs.

I initially purchased some channel hardware and a harness from skipulk.com a few years ago to assist me after doing a winter OOKPIK expedition with the BSA in 2019. I was able to transport a couple of Rubbermade crates full of winter gear, weighing about 85 pounds each with ease into and out of our camp. This past year, I found a Paris Expedition Pro sled that being discontinued at REI and snagged it up at an inexpensive $35. All I needed was a set of channel hardware and some nylon buckle straps to convert it into a pulk sled, worthy of the likes of the venerable MegaWoodsWalker. Around that same time last November, I purchased a blemished snow clipper pulk and storage bag from skipulk.com, as well as a set of blemished fiberglass poles for about half price. Buying everything pre-made is convenient but more expensive than doing a DIY build of your own sled.

The pieces of hardware you need to make a good pulk sled include: heavy gauge polyethylene sled (Jet Sled, Paris sled, etc. Something more substantial than a kiddy sled.); a rope handle for manually pulling the sled around in camp when getting firewood; a set of fiberglass poles (PVC also works, but is more brittle in the cold) for transferring the load from the sled to your harness; and lastly, a hip belt harness or full backpack style harness for transferring the weight of the sled to your body. A full body harness can include leg straps, shoulder straps, and a hip belt, plus a set of carabiners for locking the eye bolts of the poles into the sides of the harness at your hips. The full harness also distributes the weight of the sled to your entire back and shoulders, as well as your hips, to make it easier on your lower back if you were just pulling with a hip belt alone. For instances where you may be carrying a daypack on your back, or multiple upper layers of clothing, a hip belt may be less cumbersome in those instances than a full body harness.

Links:
https://www.skipulk.com
https://alaskagearcompany.com/product...
https://www.eagleclaw.com/js1-jet-sled
https://www.rei.com/product/162103/er...


Please check out these sites for more information, weights, dimensions, and FAQ’s.


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