This Winter Tool Should Be In Every Prepper’s Reserve Supplies

No, I don’t sell sleds or make any money from the sale of sleds.  I just wanted to recommend one for you for this winter to help you with any winter works.  A simple thing, really, but it can make a lot of distance for what you do.  It also has prepping uses.  The sled can be used to haul wood, a game animal you’ve hunted, or even to help you remove snow with a shovel.

The one I’m referring to I picked up at Wal-Mart several years ago, but you can find them on Amazon.com for the same price or cheaper…about $50.  You want the one that resembles a “boat,” made of black plastic.  The ones from Wal Mart are made of polyethylene and have a rope for hauling or towing attached to the front edge.

Here’s Why You Need This For Winter

Now, you can haul a tremendous amount of weight over snow and/or ice…even gravel or fairly-even rough ground.  Naturally, with snow and ice, there is less resistance on the bottom of the sled.  When I’m not cutting wood (I do so all winter long) and moving it around, I’m often out in the woods and I like the ability to use the sled for different things.  I can throw a large rucksack and some extra gear in it and drag it around with me all over the place.  It also ensures if I’m sleeping outside that I’m going to stay really dry.

What I did is to drill holes (1/8” in diameter) into the frame in 6 places.  In each of these holes, I emplaced hard, plastic construction dimples for mounting screws into walls and drywall.  These I drove into the hole with a hammer.  I have these rods that I stick into the holes to run across the sled, as in a “half-hoop,” almost akin to the ribs on a Conestoga/covered wagon of old.  Overtop of this, I place a tarp, and using utility clamps, I secure it in place on top of the hoops, and further tie off the corners and stake them into the ground.  Voila!

I have a self-enclosed lean-to/tent that I place my pad on the bottom and then climb into my sleeping bag for a snooze.  Naturally, it’s on level ground, or else my little sled-lean-to might sail away on its own!  If I have to move out in a hurry?  No problem.  Just detach the rods, throw my ruck inside, and close the edges of the tarp down so they sit inside the sled.

I can carry a lot of weight in this manner.  Sometimes I cut dead fallen timber during the wintertime on the last day out in the woods before I come home and load it in the sled.  I can (and have) towed it from the back of my vehicle.  The sleds are really durable and can take a tremendous beating.  The two I have now I’ve owned since 2012 and they’ll be good for another 20 years.  They can store either by standing them up and leaning them against your place, or turn them upside down and lay them on the ground.  Just know where you left them if you get a lot of snow!

There are other uses, too.  What if I have to pop smoke and leave in the dead of winter?  I can haul a lot of gear with the sled…to about 500-600 lbs.  In addition, I can move an injured person around.  Guess what?  In an area that a helicopter could get to, it could even be used as a basket to lift an injured person with, if they didn’t have one aboard for the purpose.

I highly recommend picking up a couple to help you get through the winter months, especially if you live in a rural or wilderness area.  They are not expensive, highly durable, and will pay for themselves in no time.  JJ out!

This information has been made available by Ready Nutrition