Sled for a baby

[snowshoe]

I saw Sli74's post concerning a gear sled and how to build one. This got me thinking has anyone built one that could carry a baby and be pulled while XC skiing. I know they sell sleds for this purpose but I found they are very expensive. Anyone have plans or a good site that tells you how to build one.
Thanks
Snowshoe

 

[Tramper Al]

Sleds for babes

I am one of the few people on New England trails who took the plunge and purchased an expedition pulk. I often envy my friends with home-made sleds, for their industry and thrift, and the sleds for their light weight and downhill speed. My sled has its strengths as well, of course.

Many many of the homemades I have seen actually roll fairly easily. Obviously, the rollover hazard is an important one, especially in baby's first year. If you go homemade, work very hard to insure a stable sled, certainly with crossed bars and a tight connection to your waist. Or ski only where it is flat flat.

I haven't decided if I will spend again and get the baby seat for my pulk, but it's probably the only sled I would put him into this year either way.

 

[VTskier]

I've built a number of them. Usually spend about $10 per sled. I've used them for both my kids and they both made it to skiing on their own. No roll overs, though did a great slid with my son when I got over excited on a great downhill run at Trapp Lodge in VT. When my wife skied up to the tipped sled, he was still asleep. No accidents with my daughter and now she's on her highschool Nordic team. I like to think it was those early years speeding downhill with her yelling from the sled "faster daddy!"

Anyway, any sled will tip given enough speed and a sharp turn. But the kids love the speed as much as the adults, so just go for it. As for plans, I've used these links for the general ideas.

http://alpha2.bmc.uu.se/~markh/skiing/pulka_english.html

http://www.madriverrocket.com/pulkinfo.html

 

[KZKlimber]

Ahh what memories

I took a child's pull sled (the kind with wooden runners and a back support) and attached 2 pieces of small diameter aluminum conduit to both the sled (via hinges) and to an old backpacking waist belt (padded). Don't use PVC, it is too brittle in the cold and too flexible in smaller diameters.

I added a stabilizer bar (another samll piece of the same conduit) about halfway between me and the sled to keep the 2 conduits parallel.

Keep the conduit at least 8 feet long so there is no chance of your pole coming near the sled.

I also relocated the runners to fit in a standard XC ski track - does wonders for sled control.

I skied many miles this way and it worked quite well. Put your little one in the back under a nice warm blanket and you'll both have a great time.