Using pack sleds for outdoor gear saves time, body Hauling game also proves easier

Does the name Flexible Flyer jog a deeply stored long-ago memory? If your childhood spanned the 1950s, or a few years on either end of that decade, a large part of winter fun was based on that sled. Snowmen, snowball fights, and snowsleds are a deeply seated heritage of Maine youth from that era. Running a few steps, then belly flopping onto the thin wooden slats supported by a pair of narrow runners and speeding downhill over ice and crusty snow was a thrilling pastime. Gripping the wooden handlebar that offered minimal control and zipping among, between and sometimes into other sledding buddies was a ritual of winter childhood.

I treasure those memories of snowy sliding hills; down at breakneck speed and then trudging and talking our way back to the top, trailing our trusty transport on a rope, ready for another run. Fragile looking but durably built Flyers gave way to Flying Saucers, plastic carpets, and toboggans, and nowadays when someone talks about their sled, everyone knows they’re referring to a snowmobile. Well, guess what, one style of snowsled is back in vogue and used properly can be a great benefit during all kinds of outdoor activities, especially ice fishing.

Flexible Flyer flashback

Several years ago an ice fishing buddy and I were trudging across a lake on snowshoes, packbaskets full of traps weighing down our shoulders. Our hands were filled with bait buckets, a chisel, motorized auger, and a shovel. After a 15-minute lifetime of soft snow, rapid breathing, and straining muscles, I began to think the far shoreline was truly a cold- weather mirage. Talking had become a waste of oxygen and survival had moved ahead of fishing as a trip priority. About then a snowmobile with a couple of kids at the controls blew by us like the Express bus passes a hitchhiker.

I’d have traded even right then, my truck for the Ski-doo, and thrown in 50 bucks for gas. But since I didn’t have enough wind to yell out my offer, and the rotten, uncaring delinquents were already across the lake, it was a moot point. The bobsled being hauled behind the fast receding snowmobile was what really grabbed my attention and brought back old sledding memories and a new idea for an old amusement. After the tip-ups were in place and my fishing partner and I had a chance to talk, it didn’t take long to decide it would be easier, simpler, and faster to slide our ice fishing equipment than to carry it.

My first attempt at constructing a tote sled was based on four old cross country skis under a 3-foot by 4-foot box frame for cargo and a sturdy rope. On ice and crusty or shallow snow it pulled like a dream, but in deep powder I felt like I was hauling a stubborn mule as snow built up in front of the box. Version two used four discarded snowmobile skis and risers under the gear box, and was better but not perfect.

Prototype three used two 12-inch wide runners of 3/8-inch plywood with steamed, upward curved tips coated on the bottom with Teflon, and upgraded to a 3-foot by 6-foot freight area. This model also had a tow rope for two haulers as well as a rugged metal tow bar and hitch for snowmobile or ATV attachment. With dual manpower, even when fully loaded, this rig would glide across any snow conditions like a pat of butter on a hot skillet.

Bobsleds are a great labor- saving, pleasure-enhancing addition for any serious hard- water fisherman and can do dual service to haul firewood, winter camping gear, or fur trapping equipment among other winter jobs. I have the carpentry skills of a poorly developed chimpanzee, so if I can construct a tote sled, anyone can – probably easier, faster, and better. Designs are limitless and size and shape governed mostly by personal need and some imagination. On the off chance you’re not much of a wood worker, there are a couple of other options. Hire a pro to build one or buy a second- hand one – or you can do what I did three years ago: turn to the experts and buy a commercially manufactured tote sled.

A wide variety of inexpensive sleds can be found at any department or toy store. These are lightweight, preformed plastic outfits that are about 4 feet long and 2 feet wide with only about four inches of depth. They are fine for one angler’s gear and will easily hold a knapsack full of tip-ups, a bait pail, an auger, and a 5-gallon pail of extra tackle and equipment. Try to select one with a lip along the outside edge so bungee cords can be snapped from side to side to secure equipment.

These children’s mini sleighs are inexpensive at $10 to $20, depending on size and material, and while they are adequate, durability is only fair. Since there are no runners, they slide easily like a toboggan, but tend to tip over and spill gear when loads are top heavy and terrain uneven, so care must be taken. These small sleds are meant to be pulled as a man walks across the lake, not towed behind a snowmobile as they will lose stability and tip at higher speeds. In all cases, however, they are far better than trying to carry gear.

A number of outdoor catalogs and many sporting goods stores have a longer, wider version of this polyurethane composite tote sled and most come with grommet holes along the edge for tie-down ropes, ratchet straps, or elastic bungees. Most of these larger rigs have room for all the ice fishing equipment and rigging for at least two sportsmen, and while some have pull ropes, others have metal tow bars as well and side walls at least 6 inches deep.

In my opinion, after dozens of outings with friends using every shape and size sled imaginable, the Cadillac of units is the Jet Sled. These black, heavy-duty sleds come in three sizes, the largest being the XL, which is 66 inches long by 30 inches wide by 12 inches deep. Stable and sturdy, each unit has an extremely rugged tow hitch that folds back out of the way when not in use and there are fitted covers to keep gear dry and protected from the elements. Jet Sleds range from $35 for the Jr. model (42 inches by 20 by 8), $55 for the middle size (54 by 24 by 10), and $85 for the XL.

I’ve seen Jet Sleds put to amazing amounts of abuse under frigid cold and icy conditions that truly test material and construction endurance and stay in one piece. Regardless of load they slide smoothly on every ice and snow condition and the corrugated bottom distributes weight so the sled can be hauled surprisingly well on grass or leaves.

Regardless of what you have inside, these tote sleds wash out easily after each use, and they fit easily into the back of any pickup or covered four-wheel drive. When you’re hauling gasoline for the auger and bait buckets full of water and fish, even if they slosh or leak during the drive, the spill is contained inside the sled where the gear is packed for transport. After a day on the ice, all the melting snow from traps, ice scoops, shovel, and auger drips into the pack sled rather than the back of your vehicle. Their light weight makes it easy to hang the sleigh on a wall or store overhead in a garage when not in use.

All-season sleigh

If you think a tote sled is just for winter use, guess again. One of these rigs works great for moving deer, bear, and even small moose or quartered-up large moose out of the woods. Anyone who has dragged a game animal will tell you that a leg, head, antler, or some other body part catches on a root or snag every 50 yards. Sometimes you have to wrestle your trophy over or under blow downs, through thick brush, or worse yet, through water. Hanging a game animal on a pole and carrying it poses it’s own set of navigational problems: it’s hard on the arms and shoulders and you chance being shot at. Wheeled carts aren’t the answer, either, especially in areas with no trails.

Plastic pack sleds glide surprisingly easily over roots, through brush, and over water with two men pulling and guiding the loaded rig using either a hand rope or shoulder harness. If an ATV is available, the drag is a cakewalk as the sled follows right in the wheel path of the four-wheeler with no aching muscles or sore backs. Once at the truck, the sled can be loaded on back from a nearby bank without straining or lifting, or slid up a ramp of planks, and any blood, hair, or water from cooling jugs is contained inside the sled’s cargo box.

I know a fellow who spends hours during the spring picking fiddleheads for resale to regional stores and at roadside stands. It’s not unusual at the height of the season for him to pick 100 gallons of these delicious green ferns in a full day of work. Rather than make multiple trips back to his truck, he pulls a tote sled with 5-gallon buckets behind him through the muddy, wet bogs. I’ve even seen him float his sled over a stream using hip waders to ford the waterway and on a couple of occasions the tote sled has floated behind his canoe to reach fiddlehead-infested, mid-river islands that seldom get visited. This tote not only saves work but increases income as well.

I even own a specialized camo-painted pack sled just for waterfowl hunting. I can haul a passel of duck or geese decoys, my gun, my field bag of calls, shells, and extras, and some camo cloth for a makeshift blind on this unique toboggan. It’s a bit slow going over dirt, but over grass or cut grain, it slides along easily, especially if there’s dew or a heavy frost.

Once all the gear is unloaded and decoys dispersed, instead of laying down on wet or cold frozen ground I can fit perfectly on the sled deck. I even went a step further and put a thin, dense foam pad, usually used under sleeping bags, on the sled for insulation and comfort. If I’m setting dekes in a shallow pond or bog, I can actually drag the sled along to speed up putting them out and pick them up.

Some beaver trappers have used tote sleds to haul gear and retrieve beaver from remote waterways. Varmint hunters use these super sliding sleds to haul bait through deep snow to secluded gunning sites set up to attract fox and coyote. I’m sure there are a dozen more outdoor uses all year long that I’m not even aware of yet.

One fact is certain, it’s easier to slide a load of outdoor gear than it is to carry it. Also, if a sportsman takes a tumble while fully loaded down, the consequences can be severe, for body and equipment, but if you’re using a tote sled, the results are less detrimental. While a trusty pack sled may not bring you the excitement of your childhood Flexible Flyer, it sure will increase the enjoyment and decrease the effort of your next fishing or hunting trip.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com