Special Event: Winterer's Gathering and Film Fest
We will be at the Winter Gathering in Grand Marais MN from November 19-22. We are excited to be part of this unique educational and fun program. Consider registering for the program and joining in the Harbor Side winter tent camp.
More info at www.northhouse.org
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SKI PULKS are sleds that are towed behind winter travelers with rigid pole systems.
EWS owner, Ed Bouffard, has been designing ski pulks since 1994. As his designs improved, he started selling to fellow winter campers. He also discovered that many people would rather make their own gear sled than to purchase one. That led to the creation of the PDF book below. The PDF includes several designs, parts resources, and lots of other useful info.
EWS designs and pulks are being used as mountaineering sleds from Mount Kahtahdan in Maine to Denali in Alaska. At Mt. St. Elias they are used by Alaska Mountain Guides and they love them! They are at home in any wilderness.
EWS systems are found in Canada, Alaska and on scientific expeditions to Patagonia, Argentina. They are in use in Iceland and Denmark. They are used by resorts, outfitters, and adventure programs like Soltrek in Two Harbors MN. They are used in college outdoor classes and rentals from Colorado to Washington and Minnesota.
This link will download pulk book, FREE!
Dont take our word for it. Check out this review from noted Outdoor author Chris Townsend's blog
15 March 2007
In Praise of Ski Pulks
Sorting through my images of the Yellowstone ski trip for a talk to Inverness Nordic Ski Club I was reminded of the excellent pulks Ed provided for the trip, the best I've ever used. And I have some experience of pulks, having hauled various models from adapted kid's sleds (which just lasted two weeks) to expensive and heavy Norwegian expedition ones in places such as Greenland, Spitsbergen, Lapland, the High Sierra and the Yukon Territory. Some have been uncomfortable, some very uncomfortable. In Yellowstone we used pulks from Ed's Wilderness Systems (a different Ed). These are lightweight (9lbs for pulk plus poles) and comfortable. They still slip downhill at times when traversing and it can still be hard to extricate yourself from the amazing tangles you can get into but most of the time the pulk just follows obediently. The key seems to be the poles. which are incrdibly flexible yet very strong. Mine went into contortions way beyond those any other pulk poles I've used would have managed without snpaping. So if you're looking for a pulk I recommend these ones. That's Ed Huesers in the picture, hauling a Ski Pulk uphill in Yellowstone.
Starting fall 2007 we added a second line of very high quality fiberglass expedition pulk systems. In 2008 we started making out own rotomolded poly sleds as well. See Products link for more info.
Ski pulks allow you to bring the extra gear needed for more comfotable camping in the winter.
