We will be on skis, pulling sleds for the first 2-3 days and again at the end of the expedition to and from our basecamp landing. Rigging your sled correctly can make a huge difference in your perceived effort level and degree of suffering during glacier travel. This skill is necessary, as taking your gloves off in extreme cold is simply not an option.
Three key tips for rigging and lashing the sled:
1. Tie a bridle to your sled to form a triangle, place a ring at the top of the triangle, it should be fixed. You can verify that you are on center by pulling the ring back to each side of the sled.
2. Attach a rope to each side of your hip belt with carabiners and run it through the ring on the slide bridle, forming another “V”. This allows the rope to slide around in the ring thereby constantly adjusting to equalize the load on your hips. This one is the key!
3. Tie a bunch of independent loops along each side of the sled, large enough to handle with gloves on.
Photos: www.evazolaphoto.com
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