anybody make/use their own pulk (expedition sled)?

[slidegear]

recently found a lot of information about these "human powered" pull sleds....

 

so i thought i'd give building one a try...

 

just wondering if there are others out there using these contraptions.

[+TotemLake]

I've been looking at doing the same thing. I think the only issue I think I might have is we never know when we're going over a rootball until we're finding ourselves descending on the otherside. I don't have a picture of that, but this one will give you and idea of the depth of the snow and how high the snow was piled that day. I was going over the tree here after Ironman had trenched out the snow.

[XC_Tracker]

NEAT! We could use something like that for sure! Where did you come up with the information to build one?

[slidegear]

ed bouffard's skipulk.com is a real good place to start looking for information. there, you will find his free downloadable e-book: pulkbook.pdf. it's comprised of his own ideas and those that others have shared with him.

 

here's a good link which contains a slew of other links you may be interested in.

 

it's nice to know that there are others who could use this type of thing... from what i understand, these pulks are great on the long flat, wide open terrain... though mild inclines are doable. i have also read that backpacks would work much better when breaking trail through the woods.

Edited December 14, 2008 by slidegear

[XC_Tracker]

First thought that came to mind was - here's something I could pull kids around in and still be able to cache! Not to mention lots of other ideas.

[slidegear]

sometimes you just get real lucky. initially i had bought my 'paris expedition' sled to haul snow around for making igloos when there is little snow on the ground. i found it for half price on craigslist. not being familiar with the brand, a simple internet search revealed how popular it was for people who build their own pack sleds.

 

to my wife's utter dismay, the challenge of building the harness piqued my curiosity as i have some experience developing sports equipment, having held patents and with others well on the way (she just loves it when i lose myself on projects).

 

seems the design i managed to implement is pretty unique in that i only used three tools for making the harness. a hack saw to cut the aluminum pole in half, a file to round off the ends, and the knife (an ulu) along with some heat for treating the ends of the nylon webbing. the harness and sled are secured using the existing holes with the original rope intact. the moment it was decided that the poles would be enveloped within the webbing, the dang thing practically designed itself. don't think it gets any stronger or lighter, or simpler than this... well, maybe only time and testing will tell.

 

funny you should mention children, upon realizing how well the harness performed, it occurred to me that my older brother would love to be able to take his son out on something like this.

Edited December 15, 2008 by slidegear

[slidegear]

used the expedition sled to try my hand at building an igloo...

 

 

...didn't realize how much of a workout it would be to build the 11' (largest) version unassisted. having a harnessed sled allowed me to work through the exhaustion. neighbor's kids couldn't wait for me to finish for them to play in the snow "fort".

[+NoHandsGPS]

recently found a lot of information about these "human powered" pull sleds....

 

so i thought i'd give building one a try...

 

just wondering if there are others out there using these contraptions.

 

You might be able to attach webbing (using rivets or small bolts with big washers) along the sides of your sled so you can strap your gear down. You could also take some 1" PVC pipe to replicate the poles they use (just slide the pipe over the webbing.). Not sure how you will stop them from poking you in the back.

[+TeamAnnan]

I've built a couple of them and love them for the kids or for hauling gear. Better than a backpack if you're traveling over flat terrain (eg. frozen lakes) and have a decent load. Big hint if you have kids - get the folding camp chairs (the simple ones that are just a seat and back) and bolt them into place along the sides of the sled. Kids' slippery snowsuits on plastic sled = kids all over the trail. Also, some extra hook bolts along the sides always help for lashing things in.

 

It's truly easy to build them, and mine were built for <$35 (excluding camp chairs) in a short time. It's amazing how often I get stopped when out snowshoeing or skating by people who want to see how I did it.

[+TeamAnnan]

 

so i thought i'd give building one a try...

 

just wondering if there are others out there using these contraptions.

 

ps. am impressed though, slidegear - I hadn't thought about using mine about the apartment...

[+oldsoldier]

I made one a few years back that looks very similar to the one above. I got a $10 sled, some PVC tubing & 2 90* elbows, some cheap nylon rope, and 2 U bolts, all for under $20. My harness was an old climbing harness, I just used the waist belt. Here is what I did:

drill 4 holes for the u-bolts to pass through on either end of the front end of the sled (the run perpendicular to the sled). Drill holes approximately 8" apart down either side of the sled, and one on the back. Now you're ready for assembly!

First, loosely attach the ubolts to the front, with the nuts on top.

Second, cut a piece of PVC tubing that will give about 1" of clearance when it passes through the 2 ubolts (allow some extra room for the elbows).

Third, cut two pieces of PVC tubing long enough to allow freedom of movement with skis/snowshoes, but not so long that you dont have control (I only snowshoe, so 5' worked fine for me).

Fourth, feed the cheap nylon rope through the PVC tubing & elbows in the following order: long piece, elbow, ubolt, short piece of PVC, ubolt, elbow, long piece of PVC. Easier to do this before assembling the PVC. Leave the extra nylon rope hanging out of either end on the long PVC for now.

Fifth, assemble the PVC tubing. Pretty simple here; glue or tape the joints. Once its assembled, you can tighten down the ubolts, but dont do it too snug. allow for a little play, so it pivots freely.

Sixth, tie a figure 8 knot on one end of the nylon rope, pull the other end snug, tie one at that end, and cut the rest off.

Seventh, use the nylon rope to weave in & out of the holes you drilled in the sled. These will be your tie down points. Pull them snug, but not too tight. Tie a simple overhand knot to keep the ends from slipping through the holes. Also, word of advice; if possible, keep the knots on top of the sled; they will gather ice & stuff underneath.

Eighth, secure it to your harness, and you're done. I used carabiners, as they were easy to take on & off. Also, a tip passed on to me, and now to you; if you pull with a waistbelt, reverse the belt to that the padded part is against your stomach. It keeps the buckle from digging in.

 

When you pack these, your best bet is to take a tarp, open it up, and place it in the sled. Pack all your gear in it, keeping the profile as low as possible. When its packed, fold the two ends in first, then the sides, like a burrito. Use either the leftover nylon rope, or any other rope (large diameter & synthetic works better) to string it back & forth between the tie down points. Tie & secure.

One hours worth of work (if that), $20 in material, and you have a sled.