Toboggan Tow

[pierre girard]

In setting up my newest toboggan, I've been wondering which tow system would be best to use. The toboggan will be used to tow stove, tent, and fishing gear into wilderness areas - probably from five to ten miles at a time.

On a couple of my toboggans I have two ash poles coming off the toboggan which attach to a belt which is worn around my waist. This supposedly keeps the toboggan from running over me on down hill slopes. I can't really say I've ever had a problem with this though - and the poles tend to get in the way.

I was watching something on the tube the other night showing Scott heading for the south pole. They are taowing their sleds with a canvas harness connected to ropes. The harness goes over the right shoulder and under the right arm. I'm thinking of giving this a try, though it looks like it could get uncomfortable.

Any toboggan towers out there? What are your thoughts?

PG

 

[Nemisis]

I've never used one myself not enough snow here lol,but I think I've seen on TV the modern ones using a full harness as many now use a parachute to tow them as a kind of sail similar to a land yacht effect. been searching google for pics but no luck. just found this pic guys recreating scots walk with near identical equipment it shows a waist belt too.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...&hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2005-44,GGLR:en&sa=N
Dave

 

[Rod]

You could use a simple climbing harness like a DMM Alpine and clip in your toboggan lines to the back of that. The weight would be slightly better spread than using just a waist belt. Or, you could get a climbers chest harness and rig something off the back of that to allow maximum movement in your lower body. Troll produce one of those

 

[Keith_Beef]

When I was pulling my two kids through the snow a couple of weeks ago, I used a cord loop.

I put this across the upper chest and upper arms.

The cord was a bit short, so at the botom of a dip, when I was starting to climb gain, I found the front of the toboggan was starting to lift, risking tipping the kids backwards.

But by putting my arms behind me to touch the cord with my hands, I could press down to keep the nose of the toboggan low, and also feel the tension, so I would know straight away if it was trying to catch up with me.


K.

 

[oracle2]

Is this what you are looking for

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/gear/sleds/equipment.htm

 

[Carcajou Garou]

Saygo!!! PG, if you travel near or over a river/lake/swamp never tie yourself to the toboggan directly. I use a cross shoulder dbl harness with a long lead as I can manage, more flexible and lets me move to the back and guide the toboggan down hill, you don't want the toboggan to push you down hill out of control. With any water crossing (unless on known ice thickness) I put both loops across my chest (easier to slip off in an emergency / carry a knife on the outside of coat ) and carry a long pole to breach a hole if I should go through or cut off the toboggan before it drags me down underwater. Otherwise I used large basket / long shaft cross country ski poles for balance and testing. I tied the lead near the bottom portion of the toboggan so that my stride pull would slightly lift the front of the toboggan up and out not to snow plow the softer snow. The harness I made was from nylon car seat belts in 2 loops with a steel ring at the joined end of each loop and a nylon rope tied in a Y common lead hooking point; worn in an X pattern accross both shoulders to equal the pressure and as I said before placed on the upper chest level on unknown water crossings. I am building a newer toboggan with sides for this purpose next summer as time finds itself.
CG :yo: