Snow pulks

[Nurost]

Hey all, new to the forum but not new to hiking.

Anyways I've been hiking since I was about 5, and in the last two years I started, and have taken to winter hiking and mountaineering.
While I enjoy the sport, I do not enjoy the extra weight that comes from the specialized gear. In the last year i really started to rethink my set up, and have purchased some new lighter gear that has dramatically reduced the weight of my pack. But its still nothing compared to my summer pack weight, and I enjoy comforts too much to go extreme light weight like a friend has.
While searching around on the internet I came across designs for a snow pulk http://www.explorenorth.com/articles/buildasled.html

And that got me thinking. So i went ahead and spent the $39 at my local hardware store and bought the materials needed. (have to know that $24.99 of that was the sled itself) and built it in about an hour (I like to go slowly to avoid errors.....which i make anyways IE putting together one of the poles completely wrong )

Anyways, it seems like a pretty good design, I'm going to change a few things though, mainly the actual length of the sled, right now its about 4 ft, going to take about a foot and a half, and revamping the harness.

Has anyone else had any experience with these? It seems like a nice piece of equipment on paper, but with the densely wooded trails here in Maine, and the WMNF, I'm wondering if it will just be a problem, rather than a solution.

I'm heading to the Mountains during my Christmas Break, so I'll give my personal opinions of it them.


Nick

[smitty77]

Let me be the first hiker to welcome you to the boards.

As for pulks and hiking, I can't say I've ever met anyone that has used one. Pulks for backcountry/crosscountry skiing yes, but not hiking. I would think it may be useful for hauling gear to a basecamp location for a multiday trip. I'm thinking an approach hike into the Great Gulf, Zealand, or the Pemi. Something not too steep as I would imagine keeping the sled under control on steep descents would pose a challenge if not a danger to one's safety.

Have fun in the mountains. Let us know how things work out.

Smitty