Rescue Sleds?

[schindlerpiste]

wish that he would have explained how to do it w/out holes in tips and tails. I'm just thinking a piece of heavy construction plastic 2'x5' tied around skis

[wooley12]

Drill your own fucking holes.

[caulfield]

wish that he would have explained how to do it w/out holes in tips and tails. I'm just thinking a piece of heavy construction plastic 2'x5' tied around skis

For drilling holes, I've fitted into the shovel shaft a hex-drive drill bit and a small screwbit driver.
I've experimented on junk skis, and it's not that hard to manually drill a hole in ski tips.

I thought drilling in the field was a solid suggestion, partially because having holes in my skis would be nice but having holes in the patient's skis is even better

[river59]

Square U-bolt. Buy a width larger than your tip/tail dimension. Replace standard nuts w/ wingnuts. For extra security, 2 per u-bolts/tip arranged in X fashion. For extra-extra security and grip, plati-dip the unthreaded section and flat bar. The flat bar will deform around whatever object is placed under it (shovel handle, tree limb), if nuts are cranked hard enough.


Just spitballing. I like the idea of adding speed holes to my partners skis, though.

[summit]

Bump

I saw a slick superlight setup that clicked metal bars into tech bindings of a pair of skis to create a super burly sled

Anyone see this? Or some other neat sled offerings?

[XXX-er]

One long strap will not strap your boot to the ski when the binding splodes, 2 long straps will barely do it, I suggest 5

So recently enough my buddy hit a stump mid way down the local ski hill at low tide, knocks the toe off a vertical, it was pow so the toe piece was history.

Deja vu all over again cuz I had done this with lee lau where we each had a longest strap to daisy chain my boot to the ski but as a result I always tour with 3 longest ski straps so I just strapped my buddies boot to the ski and he walked up/out on a blue run pretty much at the same speed as the other 2 guys in the group

So 2 instances of a sploding tech binding being MaCgyvered togetehr enough to ski out

in my case a heel piece in my buddies case a toe piece

Ski straps are cheap, have all kinds of uses weigh nothing SO get your self a few

Lee Lau did not try to bill me for the strap and my buddy found the toe peice in the spring

[goldenboy]

Bump

I saw a slick superlight setup that clicked metal bars into tech bindings of a pair of skis to create a super burly sled

Anyone see this? Or some other neat sled offerings?

I've only played around with Mark's larger offering- it works pretty well, including if you have to carry the victim. I would never carry it around with me, however.

https://functionbeforefashion.com/collections/all

[summit]

I've only played around with Mark's larger offering- it works pretty well, including if you have to carry the victim. I would never carry it around with me, however.

https://functionbeforefashion.com/collections/all

Good beta. I was eyeing that too.

It's more of a "one per class" situation situation to augment/improve on our ATW tarp game and get the skis outside of the tarp.

I'm trying to recruit your other half, since she driving up here to teach anyway!

[Blaster]

Bump

I saw a slick superlight setup that clicked metal bars into tech bindings of a pair of skis to create a super burly sled

Anyone see this? Or some other neat sled offerings?

Mark Smiley has been hawking his tyvek based sleds for a bit now. https://www.instagram.com/smileyspro...l/DC9i_x5PS0m/. At <300 grams they are super light and packable. I’ve mostly finished a clone of this one that runs around $90 of materials for 2 with a bit more functionality for sidehilling. I need to do some more testing to refine it but will share the info on how to DIY them.

[tang]

I've been meaning to try/practice this approach (below)... but I just don't see it staying together and holding up.
A DIY lightweight tarp (tyvek) does seem much better. Blaster, thx in advance!

[Shredhead]

The Tyvek sled looks like a good idea.
We did a 3-4 mile EVAC back in the long board days and it was one of the hardest things I ever experienced.

[mr_pretzel]

The Tyvek sled looks like a good idea.
We did a 3-4 mile EVAC back in the long board days and it was one of the hardest things I ever experienced.

Respect, unless you’re 4+ people my sled stays at home and i bring a Bothy bag

[XXX-er]

https://alpinethreadworks.com/

also some other hits on the youtube

the alpine thread works rescue sled ^^ Neil Warren also makes packs and is a pretty good guide i could recommend, I tagged along on a trip with some of his regulars

[Tjaardbreeuwer]

BCA used to sell a kit with their shovels that helped transform the shovel and skis into a sled. Pretty rudimentary but looked solid. Doesn't appear to be available from their website but maybe explore online?

Based on that K2 set up, I drilled holes into the tips and tails of the ski’s that don’t have them (K2 still has them) and into shovel shaft and blade. Then I bought some stainless windbolts and wingnuts to bolt it all together (I figure regular steel would be rusted together if I ever need to use it years later.)
Sure, it might not be too hard to drill holes in the field, but it’s still one more step, and hard with cold hands. Why not do it at home, nice and warm, with a power drill? Then you can seal the holes too, to prevent water damage.

With this, I build the sled like they show. I figure the 4 bolts and nuts don’t weigh much, so it’s an easy decision to carry, and much easier and faster to assemble, and more reliable to use, than a sled design where everything is purely lashed together.

I am wanting to get one of the multi purpose fabric sled/shelter options out.

[Bronco]

I noticed Hyperlite is making one now: https://hyperlitemountaingear.com/pr...+&_ss=e&_v=1.0. 20 oz and $375.

Here's a link to Smiley's version which is $119. https://go.mtnsense.com

[adrenalated]

I've only played around with Mark's larger offering- it works pretty well, including if you have to carry the victim. I would never carry it around with me, however.

https://functionbeforefashion.com/collections/all

I really like the looks of this but boy, she chonky. Makes more sense for a pro hasty/lightweight team than the average rec user.

I'm going to give the Hyperlite one a go, I think

[mr_pretzel]

I really like the looks of this but boy, she chonky. Makes more sense for a pro hasty/lightweight team than the average rec user.

I'm going to give the Hyperlite one a go, I think

I just got the hyperlite one, haven’t tested it yet but it seems great. The aluula fabric is good stuff. One thing though is folding it back into the stuffsack it comes in is impossible haha

[Fenris]

I just got the hyperlite one, haven’t tested it yet but it seems great. The aluula fabric is good stuff. One thing though is folding it back into the stuffsack it comes in is impossible haha

Are the snaps matched up to form a bothy, or just a bivy/wrap on the Hyperlite? I noticed they didn't bother to demo repacking in their video, so I suspected that it might be effectively impossible, and they didn't answer questions about either bothy or repacking.

I recently got Smilies, and I've been carrying Neil's Alpine Threadworms tarp for a while. I've used Neil's as a bivy overnight while skiing, and as a regular rectangular tarp and bothy other times. As much as I'd like to carry something lighter and more compact, I'm not sure I'm going to be grabbing Smilies as the flexibility of shelter is so much better, especially with often too shallow a snowpack to dig something useful.

We've got one of Hannah's Sew Alpine tarps for the SAR team to go out with a hasty team for an immediate patient moving and sheltering option, then as a hypo wrap until we can hike our full toboggan or litter in.

I've been keeping an eye on Gavin's Apocalypse Equipment rendition. Sounds like there is something even lighter/smaller coming down the pike.

Kyle's High Mtn Gear also has a heavier duty one worth considering now that Hannah is on break.

Has anyone played with a mesh bag to make repacking a tarp easier? It seems like often the issue with repacking a tarp down is the air trapped between the tarp and a bag. I've just been quickly rolling and ski strapping my tarp, but I may make stuff sack out of monolite to compare.

[PoppaWorm]

Based on that K2 set up, I drilled holes into the tips and tails of the ski’s that don’t have them (K2 still has them) and into shovel shaft and blade. Then I bought some stainless windbolts and wingnuts to bolt it all together (I figure regular steel would be rusted together if I ever need to use it years later.)
Sure, it might not be too hard to drill holes in the field, but it’s still one more step, and hard with cold hands. Why not do it at home, nice and warm, with a power drill? Then you can seal the holes too, to prevent water damage.

With this, I build the sled like they show. I figure the 4 bolts and nuts don’t weigh much, so it’s an easy decision to carry, and much easier and faster to assemble, and more reliable to use, than a sled design where everything is purely lashed together.

I am wanting to get one of the multi purpose fabric sled/shelter options out.

The Mammut shovel shaft already has holes well aligned for this, if you aren't willing to drill into your shovel. Very clever or a convenient accident, I'm not sure.

[adrenalated]

I just got the hyperlite one, haven’t tested it yet but it seems great. The aluula fabric is good stuff. One thing though is folding it back into the stuffsack it comes in is impossible haha

Hmmm, that would be a bit of a dealbreaker.

[goldenboy]

I really like the looks of this but boy, she chonky. Makes more sense for a pro hasty/lightweight team than the average rec user.

I'm going to give the Hyperlite one a go, I think

Yeah, all the stuff he makes leans towards durability, not weight for sure.

[tang]

And presumably Smileys (https://go.mtnsense.com) is the on the other end of the spectrum - most minimalist and Tyvek is fragile.
The weight and compactness is a big plus tho.
I think I'll go this route.

[Skip Dooley]

We just did a practice/training session with a bunch of these sleds. There’s still no perfect solution. Here were some take aways:

Smiley Tyvek thing: lightest, smallest. Fastest to rig. Easiest to haul due to slipperiness of Tyvek. Patient is very exposed. Wouldn’t work well as a shelter. Would take a Mylar rescue blanket/bivvy with this one at a minimum.

Kai Girard’s “Jackson Backcountry” rescue thread: 360g
Looks like Xpac fabric with bonded handles/tie in points + integrated Mylar thermoblanket wrap:
A really nice lightweight integrated solution. Seems like it would last in a real rescue. Mylar is cool, but is a plus/- being integrated into the sled. Easy to rig. Easy to pull.

Ortovox Bivvy/rescue tarp:
Unclear weight, but on the lighter end. A good bivvy sac/shelter. Tie in points look somewhat weak. Some people are using a sheet bend or clove to capture the fabric directly.

Alpine thread works:
Kinda bulky, medium heavy, unclear durability vs the xpac fabric in Kai’s sled which is lighter and much more compact. Can make a great shelter. Good tie in points.

Function before fashion:
I own one of these. It is chonky. It is bomber. If I actually have to move someone any appreciable distance, this is what I want. Might be my sled of choice in the middle of nowhere/somewhere I may need to go through rough terrain. Excellent for building a shelter.

The hyperlite looks like it could be the perfect balance of weight/durability..


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[Tjaardbreeuwer]

Just a warning to replace your Mylar rescue blankets regularly. I pulled one out this fall, and it tore into 2” strips where it had been folded. Not sure how old it was. Luckily, it was not that could and someone had a spare jacket for the injured person.

[Ørion]

Just a warning to replace your Mylar rescue blankets regularly. I pulled one out this fall, and it tore into 2” strips where it had been folded. Not sure how old it was. Luckily, it was not that could and someone had a spare jacket for the injured person.

I started using a sharpie to write the date of purchase on them for this exact reason. Didn't realize they apparently have a shelf life.