PULK COMPONENTS AND PACKAGES
Updated , March 26,, 2010

EWS is a seasonal company. Ed works for Glacier National Park in the summer. We ship pulks between October 1 and early May.

1. EWS Base Pole Set...... $95 set
(plus $19 shipping)

½” Solid fiberglass poles are almost unbreakable yet flex during falls.  Complete with couplers machined from high grade aluminum and 3/8” steel ball joint and 5/16” eye bolt ends. Package comes with anodized aluminum channel, backing plates and hardware. (New for 2008/ 2009 all our poles have been fitted with a 3/8" ball joint to allow users to upgrade to all of the EWS Sleds and Accessories)
Complete 6 foot pole system with anodized aluminum channel pin lock system w/ backing plate & hardware. All you need to add is the sled and harness.



Note: Our standard poles are 6 feet long, but we will custom cut to any length desired from 5 to 7 feet. ($10 surcharge for custom cut poles)

Additional details: These poles are similar but significantly better than the best poles described in the "Build Your Own" booklet.The couplers use an epoxy and pin system that in lab tests endured forces of over 2,500 lbs. We also only use forged eyebolts that are rated at 900 lbs. and use machined and anodized aluminum channel attachment parts. (shipping weight approx 4 lbs).

(Emergency replacment parts for field repair are listed below - item #13)

(Getting your Paris Expedition sled locally? Consider ordering the 4 Secure Straps (number 14 below) that can be used on your sled. These cost $10 and will not add to your shipping costs.)
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2. EWS Split Poles $120 set
(plus $19 shipping)

If transportation length or storage is NOT an issue, we recommend the EWS Base poles above. The Base Poles have less parts that could possibly fail during bad falls.

Same solid fiberglass wands that are used in the EWS Base Poles with the addition of a special coupler that allows the poles to be broken into 2 sections and fit into the sled for ease of transport on planes or buses. (Due to postal regulations on package length, we can only send split poles to some countries.)

In spite of being split, these poles are almost as strong and they retain most of the flexibility of the EWS Base Poles . The two flat machined surfaces of the couplers reduce the liklihood that stress during normal pole flex will damage the threaded stainless stud that joins the poles.

The poles do require a little extra care in transport and storage, and care needs to be taken when assembling since cross threading the couplers will render it inoperable. The aluminum couplers on the split poles do leave grey markings on the white fiberglass rods where they cross . (These markings can easily be clkeaned if it bothers you.) .

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3. EWS Harness Bottom $55
(plus $10 shipping if shipped alone)

The EWS hip belts have four different attachment points that allow the poles to be securely tethered to the widest point of your hips with minimum "slop".
The HARNESS BOTTOM utilizes four special buckles that allow you to upgrade to a full harness by adding a shoulder harness system. With a little creativity and sewing skills, these buckles can also be used to permanently attach the belt to your own pack. . Starting in mid January 2010 we have been adding detachable leg loops. Leg loops are popular with skiers (particularly woman) who have concerns with the harness riding up their hips onto the waist.

Color is Black with navy blue straps.

The special rear attachment option was created for Ultra marathon users but it is also popular with skate skiers. . (Both hip attachments and back attachment hardware is included.)

Details on all harnesses:
We start with 1/2 " of top rated MiniCell foam and enclose it in a 500 denier Cordura Nylon coated cloth. In order to reduce winter breakage, all buckles are made from acetal by top rated Duraflex. You have the added security of a continuous 2" nylon webbing around the entire belt. We even added mini carabiner tether straps so you will not lose them. Mini caribeaners are now quality wire gate biners from Omega Pacific.

4. EWS Harness with Day Pack attachment...... $50
(plus $10 shipping if shipped alone )

Similar to the Harness Bottom but instead of buckles for attaching a shoulder harness, we added a pair of straps that are designed to very easily hook onto ANY DAY PACK at the location where the shoulder straps join the bottom of the pack.. This feature keeps the belt from sliding down your butt on the up-hills and allows your shoulder to enter into the pulling equation. Wonderful for rental operations where customers generally have their own day pack.

All harnesses (except Jori belts) are black.

In photo above poles are attached to rear webbing loops for more comfort when running or skate skiing.

 

5. EWS Full Harness (Top and Bottom)............... $90 plus $10 shipping when shipped alone

This full harness adds an excellent shoulder harness (complete with a sternum strap) to complement the EWS Harness Bottom. This creates an extremely comfortable pulk hauling system. The shoulder straps can easily be removed when desired.

Starting in mid January 2010 we have been adding detachable leg loops. Leg loops are popular with skiers (particularly woman) who have concerns with the harness riding up their hips onto the waist.

6. Cloeout- Ski-joring Hip Belt ..................$50
(1 left XL and 1 Medium only) plus $10 shipping when shipped alone

(Or asubstitute in combos below). This is a heavy duty version of the EWS Harness for day pack with wrap around extension of heavy 1" webbing with 2 front webbing extensions that includes 2 nickle plated round rings. This allows your dog to pull you while you pull the sled) These belts also include detachable leg loops to prevent the belt from riding up the waist. They do not include the back pole attachment option or options for a full shoulder harness. (Dark Blue ).

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Belt Sizing
Correlating waist size for hip belts: (OK - they do not correlate well to conventional clothes sizing but the inch measurements are accurate.)
Medium 27-35"
Large 31-39"
XL 37-45"

(Note belts can go larger but they will lose padding in key areas. The hip belt cannot go smaller than listed). If you can fit either of two sizes, the larger belt will give you the most comfort. (Due to womens unique hip shape, they actually should add 2" to their waist size when looking at the chart above. . In other words a woman with size 29 waist and normal hips will be most comfortable in a large 31-39" belt.)

Good control is essential for backcountry sled routes, and we guarantee that you will not have good control by clipping your poles into extra pack loops or D-rings. A good hip belt must secure the end of the poles close to your hip point with little slack.

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COMBO PACKAGES

Combination Poles & Hip Belt
(All pole combos include the mounting hardware.)

7. EWS Base Pole Set &Hip Belt Combo........... $145 plus $24 shipping ---
hip belt with leg loops and buckles for potentially ading shoulder straps in the future
Combo........... $140 plus $24 shipping ---
hip belt with straps for attaching day pack -

- Substitute the full harness instead of just the bottom for a total of $180 plus $30 shipping

8. Split Poles & Hip Belt

Combo............ $170 plus $24 shipping ---
hip belt with leg loops and buckles for potentially ading shoulder straps in the future
Combo........... $165 plus $24 shipping ---
hip belt with straps for attaching day pack -
- Substitute the full harness instead of just the bottom for a total of $205 plus $30 shipping

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Combinations with Sleds

Note: All these combinations come with the option of split or full length poles. We generally recommend full length poles. Our split pole design is useful for some individuals for travel on airplanes or busses. and will save you the extra shipping costs of a second package..

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Combos with Paris Expedition Sled

9. Glacier Combo - (great for Denali)

* Split Poles
* Paris Expedition Sled
* Secure Straps
* Fins
(everything except hip belt since you will be using your climbing harness. Hardware and straps are installed on your sled.) (Approx 9 lbs)..... $175 plus $35 shipping

We spec the split poles on this combo because airplane travel is common to get to glaciers. Substitute full length poles= $150 plus $50 shipping

10. Complete "Lakes Area" system (w/o fins)

* Paris Expedition sled& Base pole set
* Either style of Hip Belt
* Secure straps ................ $180 plus $50 shipping
* Substitute split poles..................... $205 plus $35 shipping

Full length poles & full harness = $220 plus $50 ship
Substitute split poles and full harness = $245 plus $35 shipping
(Approx 10 pounds)
(For use in hilly terrain -- have fins installed for $15 more -- no extra postage)




11. Backcountry Outfit

* Paris Expedition sled & base pole set
* Either style Hip Belt
* Secure straps
* Fins (installed)
* Emergency Parts Pack
..................... $205 plus $50 shipping

* Substitute split poles......$230 plus $35 shipping

Full length poles & full harness = $245 plus $50 shipping
Substitute split poles and full harness = $270 plus $35 shipping

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Accessories

12. Fins................ $15
(plus $8 shipping if shipped alone or $5 if shipped with base poles only. No extra shipping if added to sled or belt combos)
Recommended in icy conditions and for ski mountaineering.

(1/8 inch thick aluminum angle stock that is 1 1/2 inches deep. Includes 4- 5/16 inch stainless carriage bolts & washers, and nylon thumb nuts .(these thumb nuts are now black in color) The fins have square holes to work with carriage bolts for easier installation. The design allows you to move the fins to the inside of the sled in situations where the control is not needed and reduction in friction preferred.)

When are fins needed?

13. Emergency Parts Pack

(extra forged eye bolt, ball joint, 3/8 inch hitch pin & mini-caribiner) .......... $17 (plus $8 shipping if shipped alone)
(Hitch pin is different when shipped for Snow clipper)

The pole system is extremely strong for normal linear pulls. While unlikely, It is possible in situations of extreme stress with twisting force) to snap off the 5/16 inch eyebolt or 3/8 inch balljoint. In these situations having a replacement fitting can make repair easy. Note: Repair is only possible in poles shipped after January 6, 2006. Poles shipped before then have metal pieces secured with permanent locktite.
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14. Secure Straps....... $10

(If you are buying your own Paris Sled, consider adding these to your order- they will not increase your shipping.)

They consist of 4 - 5 foot long 1 inch wide poly webbing straps and double ladder lock acetal buckles.

15. Maxx-Waxx Fluoro paste wax- ....... $6

45 cc tins. Unique super-fluoro universal treatment. The original rub-in paste wax, no ironing needed. Often called a "hot wax in a can" provides all the performance of a fresh hot wax without the time, expense and potential for damage to your sled from the hot iron. Add to any sled order without any extra postage. While not essential for poly sleds it can help glide ( You wax your poly ski bottoms !) -- , in certain conditions wax is essential for fiberglass sleds.

16. Extra Alum Channels and hardware....... $26

(Do you have more than one sled for your poles. Add the channels to an extra sled.)

2 annodized alum channels, 2 alum backing plates and stainless bolts washers and nylon insert stainless lock nuts.

Building your own poles- You can get some supplies by ordering 2 of our Emergency Parts pack and 1 set of the Aluminum channels above. We do not sell couplers or individual components by themselves. Nor do we sell sleds by themsleves. Check out REI for a Paris sled and McMaster Carr or the Resource Section in the PDF booklet for info on other parts..

 

 

17. New Snow Clipper Line of Pulks -

2009-2010 Model

This exciitng new line was introduced with a limited production in Nov/Dec 2008 and it quickly sold out.to 40 users. While most of the sled for 2009-2010 remained the same we were able to use some of the feedback users provided to make improvements. In the end we spent more on our mould and modifications than we did on our 2008 new car but we are extremely pleased with the results. We think this is the ultimate in a durable general purpose pulk. (For more details see the comparison in our web page titled "Better Poles". )

The first couple off the mould that are for sale are grey in color but we will go back to our signature yellow with new ones sold autumn 2009..

Optional retractable fins make this pulk unique.

The new design is rotomoulded to enable such features as retractable fins and slots to make adding dividers or back rests a breeze. Rather than only selling a top of the line version - we offer the winter traveler a basic version with the option to choose what accessories they want. .

Snowclipper with full length poles, secure strap and harness bottom... $230

* Add $40 for full harness
* Add $20 for retractable fins.
( Just use your ski poles to drop these down for better control or slide them back up when not needed to reduce friction .Note: while these can be added by the user - the modifications to the pulk shape and fins required during installation are best done by EWS before shipping.)

Cover Options
(The Snow Clipper comes standard with heavy poly secure straps. You have two different cover options which can be used independently or together for the best result.)

* Add $59 for polyester water resistant Shurlast cover with a tough #10 coil zipper
* Add additional $19 for compression cover
Add $25 for split poles if packaging on a plane.
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Subtract $40 if ordered without bottom harness.

Shipping for combinations with full length poles is $50

The snow clipper is 56" by 18" by 6"-  The cargo bay is 15 inches wide (at the widest point) and about 51" long but the bottom starts sloping up at 45"

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Top Quality Fiberglass Pulk Line

When I first saw a Great Outdoors pulk in the Ely MN Piragis store in 1998, I was an instant fan. It was the best designed commercial pulk I had ever seen. It used a fiberglass rod and ball joint pole that was very much like the design I had begun to build, but the sled, cover and harness were also 'top of the line'.
Nine years later (2007), I was very pleased when Jean and Dan Bergerson offered the opportunity to purchase the Great Outdoors Pulk line to EWS. These Great Outdoors pulks are among the best expedition pulks in the country and have withstood the test of trips to both poles. Dan and Jean have told me that the 1993 Trans-arctic Expedition, that was led by Will Steger, used one of these sleds and the American Women's Transantarctic Expedition that was led by Anne Bancroft. used four. (See photos below)

Fiberglass pulks are elegant and offer wonderful strength to weight ratios. Unlike plastic they can be easily damaged if pulled over rocks or other hard surfaces. In certain conditions they can ice up but wax can be applied to reduce this. Sleds are ship pretreated with MaxiGlide Maxx-Waxx Fluoro paste wax and additional tins can be purchased and included with your order.

Color of all fiberglass sleds is OFF WHITE-

18. Weekender Four foot fiberglass sled system
$420 ($460 with full harness) Shipping $35 (3 left- 2010)

The new weekender includes UHMW runners, (dogsled runner type plastic )a removeable bag and compression straps. It comes standard with the split poles and harness bottom for $420. 

The custom tapered duffel (black) is made with 1000 denier nylon for great toughness and it has a #10 coil zipper with dual slides and mitten grabs.  It attaches to the sled with four buckles and then you have four crossover cinch straps to keep your load low and reduce rollovers.

Weekender does not come with any fins. Bolt on fins (Item #12 above) can be added but would require drilling holes in the fiberglass.

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21. EWS Expedition Pulk
$530 plus $49 shipping.

Sorry 'Sold Out' Winter 09-2010
Check out Kifaru and Nordhus from our links page for large fiberglass pulks

Great Outdoors products were known as some of the best pulk systems and have been used by arctic explorers like Anne Bancroft, Will Steger and Lonnie Dupree.

The EWS 6 foot fiberglass "Expedition" system is almost exactly the same as the renowned Great Outdoors Expedition pulk except that the cover has been changed to include a tough #10 coil zipper and the harness was slightly redesigned to increase comfort.

The cover is composed of a zipper closed cover (double pull #10coil zipper and mitten grabs) and a second unique compression band that keeps the load lower to reduce rollovers. This compression band is reversible for two color options. (Note - the photo below shows the velcro enclosure before it was upgraded to a zipper.)

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It utilizes full shoulder straps complete with sternum closures.

This sled now incorporates UHMW poly runners (similar material to dog sled runners). These runners reduce friction and make the sled bottom more durable in rough conditions.

EWS offers its best prices directly to consumers rather than working through retailers.

Pulling 400 lbs across the ice shelf with 2 Great Outdoors pulks.

Destination South Pole with Great Outdoors Pulks

22. Grand Shelter Ice Box Igloo Tool
$179 free shipping.

After working with Igloo Ed and his wonderful Igloo Tool for years we decided to become a distributor so we could sell the tool at the many shows we go to. Take advantage of this opportunity to pick up your Ice Box tool wit free shipping.

Disclaimer

Our pulks are NOT designed for carrying children without the customer's modifications. In our opinion, to properly convert your sled to carry kids, you will need to add some type of back rest or roll bar that will protect the child in a rollover and a seat belt (or chest harness for infants). The slots in the Snow Clipper sled make adding a backrest quite simple. We have many customers who have modified their own sleds for children, but EWS assumes no liability for this conversion of intended use. We have no plans or instructions for this use.

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Shipping Info

(USPS) to Alaska and Fed Ex Ground to most of the lower 48 states. Shipping surcharges will apply for custom built Load Leader poles longer than 6 foot-3 inches. Shipping surcharges apply to Alaska and International orders.

Shipping any of the sled combos is expensive due to the sled size.
In order to avoid the highest oversize shipping fees, we have to shrink wrap your sled rather than use a box. This can result in scratches in transit. Customers ordering this option need to be willing to accept that.

{Weekender and Expedition fiberglass pulks are shipped in a box. }
Join together with friends to save on shipping for multiple orders.

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