Tuesday, December 21, 2010

How to Find a Sled

You may recall from previous posts that I am a big fan of sledding down mountains. I try to find mountains with unmaintained access roads or wide telephone lines. It seriously makes the trip up so much more fun knowing that you will be flying back down on a sled.

Sledding


We've busted through half a dozen sleds during these types of escapades. So how do you find a keeper sled? We're still on the quest ourselves for the perfect sled, but here are some things to look for and think about:
  • weight: needs to be somewhat lightweight enough so that you can truck up the mountain with it
  • handles: sleds with handles are basically mandatory so that you can steer away from trees and ditches
  • heavy duty bottom: the more heavy the plastic on the bottom the better. The bottom tends to be the part that rips apart fastest. The inflatable sleds just don't hold up coming down a mountain, but the cheaper the rig (read: mainly plastic) the better
  • attachable string or cord: this way you can either pull it up behind you or attach it to your pack

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