[at-l] Gear Sled

[pmags at yahoo.com (Paul Magnanti)]

I've had some inquries about the gear sled I made for
winter travel. Essentially, how did I make it, and why
the materials I chose. 

Here is a bit more detailed explanation:

MATERIALS
1 plastic sled
2 lengths of PVC pipe, 1-2" dia, 3-4 feet in length
Rope 
Bungee Cord

OPTIONAL: hip belt, nylon tarp, duffle bag, bungee
cords

1) Take your sled, and attach to length of rope that
are slighlty longer than the PVC pipes

2) Snake rope through the PVC pipes. Why PVC pipes?
Because the PVC pipes prevent the rope from tangling
up. Form an "X" with the PVC pipes. Lash them together
with a bungee cord. A "X" pattern helps prevent the
sled from sliding all over the place, even on
moderatley steep climbs.

3) Attach extra length of rope extending through pipes
 to a hip belt (many outfitters sell just a hip belt),
or to your day pack. I may go to the hardware store
and purchase some 'biners to make it even easier to
clip the sled to the daypack/hip belt as needed.

I like to load  up a duffle bag with gear and place it
on a nylon tarp on my sled. Wrap the tarp around all
the gear. Lash down with bungee cords. 

It really is easier to haul in gear this way during
winter on all except very steep climbs.

Hope this helps!

Mags

ps. Wow! Did I get a lot of responses from people on
my little trek this past weekend. Thanks for all the
kind words and advice. We both want different things
out of life and it caused tension that spilled over to
other parts of the relationship. C'est la vie.

Off to do some snowshoeing again this weekend and do a
run on Sunday. Won't get a guilt trip this time. ;-)



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The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau