Is a sled needed for a backcountry trip at the end of Jan?

[llawhsoj]

Hello everyone, I posted a bit ago and the responses were helpful and insightful. Anyway, I work at EMS and there has been a discussion around the store about whether or not I'll need(would desire) a sled for a trip at the end of this jan. I'm leaving out of the garden trailhead, going up brothers/big slide, klondike pass, south towards marcy dam up to Mt. Marcy and then hitting the gothics/armostrong/wolfjaw range and then heading down to whatever trail runs alot the riverbed(john something...) and then out. Anyway, we've been discussion about the need for a sled. One guy, the one who has done the most winter backpacking said it would be good, some others disagreed and said it would be a pain. Anyway, curious what you think. I'd be carrying 4 days/3 nights of crap and so would the snow fall that'll be worth brining(and making) a sled.
-joshwall

[sacco]

i think it depends a lot on how big a guy you are, and how much you like to carry on your back.

example: if you were only carrying 10# you'd obviously be better off not dealing with a sled.

but if you want to bring 100# you'll need a sled.

so somewhere between 10 and 100 pounds is the key weight to make a sled worthwhile.

what is that critical weight? probably somewhere between 30 and 60 pounds.
i think the only way to know for sure is for you to try some dayhiking in december and experiment with different packweights.

[sacco]

oh ya i forgot. maybe the most important question to ask is:
what kind of discount can you give me?

[NukedRocket]

Amen to that!

[hillman1]

A few winters ago some friends and I rented camp Peggy Obrien right near JBL. We were all backcountry skiing, and decided to pull sleds. We did our research, and all came up with our spectacular sled creations. The sleds worked OK. We brought enough crap to live out there for weeks(enough booze to keep everyone drunk the entire time). The problem was that the trail is on a sideslope hill. Every now and then your sled is going to 1)tip over and 2) try to pull you down the hill into johns brook. We'll leave the spruce traps that eat your sled for the next discussion. I say bring the sled. Just keep the center of gravity really low. I think sleds are better suited for the truck road off of south meadows to marcy dam, and the approach to the sewards.

[sacco]

you might also put in a fin or keel to help with side slopes

[JimB]

I've used a sled a few times and carried all of my gear more than a few times. For the trip you have planned I think a sled would be a pain. There is a lot of climbing up to Big Slide over the brothers and I think it would be difficult to drag all of your gear up and over all of those bumps. Hillman's got it right. They are much more practical on flatter approaches. If you plan on taking the sled all of the way up those summits? Fugedaboutit

[Neil]

If the snowshoes trail is 18 inches wide and your sled is 24 inches wide I don't think you'll be overjoyed about having it. My only sled experiences have been on windblown lakes using a K-Mart plastic thingy and like Hillman we were able to carry serious amounts of booze, (plus a little bit of food and gear).

[Dick]

My sled experiences have been on rolling terrain, hills, and flat trails. More often than not, I seemed to get caught up on bushes, logs, etc., and stream crossings were a pain. They also collected ice, depending upon conditions. I've also tried the "K-Mart plastic thingy, and the "nice" thing about them was being able to strap it on your back, depending upon weight, when the going got rough. Eventually I just said "the hell with it" and I now put everything on my back. I'm sure sleds have their advantages, especially for longer trips, and for those with the time to mess around with them. I don't.

[redhawk]

I would assume that taking a packed sled up some steep slopes would be more of a burden then a help. I have a "Jet Sled" which is used for ice fishing primarily that I modified into a trail sled.

On flat or gentle rolling terrain, it allows me to carry a lot of weight. However, it still takes quite a bit of effort to haul it! I also think that if a trail is real narow, it would be an impediment. At any rate, if you decide to make one, make sure that the poles cross each other so that it turns with you and doesn't swing out wide,