The Perfect Pulk - MN Ski Pulk I

Yesterday, I took a pulk that I put together out for its virgin voyage on Mt. Hood. Below are details of the pulk construction, notes on how it performed, and some pics.

First off, the definition of "pulk", from dictionary.com:

A pulk (from Finnish pulkka)^[1] is a Scandinavian short, low-slung small toboggan used in sport or for transport, pulled by a dog or a skier. The name of the sport is pulka. The sled can be used to carry supplies such as a tent or food, or transport a child or other person.

I had rented a Kindershuttle pulk in December to haul gear for an overnight trip, and it was a huge failure. It flipped onto its side about every 15 yards for the 6 mile ski in that Greg and Anna and I were doing, and then again on the way out the next day. It was supposed to be for hauling kids, but a child riding in that thing would have been severely damaged within the first mile.

So, it was with somewhat deteriorated expectations that I started setting up my own pulk, using instructions from skipulk.com. I have to make an aside here and send huge thanks tto Ed Buffard for writing the excellent Pulk Book PDF and distributing it for free. I wound up following their instructions for the "MN Ski Pulk I" very closely. The book has full details, but here are the few key ingredients to give you a sense of the construction:

• 1 Paris Expedition Sled
• 2 six-foot long 1/2" diameter solid fiberglass pole (I would not have thought to order livestock fence posts for this, but they were perfect)
  
• 2 ten-inch pieces of 1/2" ID flexible braided vinyl tubing
• 4 hose clamps to secure the poles in the tubing
  
• 4 mend plates with 4 bolts each to attach the hose to the sled
• 1 strap to keep the poles crossed (important for increased control of the pulk)
• 2 3/8" copper t-fittings, with the arms of the T sawed off and the remainder expoxied to the ends of the poles (to create an attachment point for the harness)
• 2 quick-link biners to attach the poles to the harness
  

The trip results:

• The loaded pulk weighed 35 pounds (w/o poles + harness)
• It was relatively easy to loosen the hose clamps with a screwdriver to remove the poles for transporting in the car. A little Dr. Bronner's helped reduce friction.
  
• On the snow, the pulk was unflippable. I took it over berms, on side-slopes, down and up hills, hit trees with it, did 180 degree turns, fell down multiple times myself, and still could not capsize it. It's as impossible to flip as it is to not flip the Kindershuttle.
• The poles seem to have enough bend to them that they didn't seem to make the falls any more awkward or push me as I was stopping (unlike the Kindershuttle, which left me with bruises on both hips).
• I did not put fins on the pulk as the book recommends, and it doesn't seem like they'll be needed. The pulk tracked well on its own, even on decent side-slopes.
  
• The only terrain that I encountered that it was difficult on was icy uphills. It made skiing upwards at least 5x more difficult than it would have been w/o the pulk. Ideas of ways to mitigate: transfer weight from pulk to backpack for sustained inclines, add skins to skis for uphills.
  
• Unfortunately, the skiing yesterday around Barlow Pass on Mt. Hood (Oregon) was mostly icy uphills, so after an hour or two, we stashed the pulk and skied around without it.
  
• Overall, I am confident that this thing is ready for some prime-time winter ski camping. This is the sled that will take me around Crater Lake.
  

The pulk in action

The harness setup

The pole attachment point with hose clamps

The pulk fits into my Yakima SkyBox as if they were designed for each other (with enough extra room for about 4 pairs of skis and poles)

The load it was carrying - just about everything needed for a few days on the trail. The two summer squashes were used to add a bit of weight and simulate the things I didn't feel like gathering for the day trip.

Two questions for you, readers:

1. What should I name my pulk?
2. How should I decorate/accessorize it?