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In 1991 Roger Siglin designed a unique sled for long distance snowmobile travel in the arctic. The Siglin Sled is made almost entirely of 1/4 inch thick ultra high molecular weight plastic (UHMW). This sled has proven to be extremely durable and unaffected by temperatures down to 60 below zero. In May, l999 Roger and three companions completed a 3,400 mile trip from Yellowknife on the shores of the Great Slave Lake, to Iqaluit on Baffin Island in north-eastern Canada .
Four sleds like the snowmachine sled pictured completed the trip with no repairs needed other than replacing the steel skegs once in 3400 miles.. With a full load of gas (enough for 700 miles) sled weights were approximately 700 pounds.
Light weight sleds made from 1/8 inch thick UHMW also available for use by skiers, skijorers, mountaineers, hunters, and others needing a stable, indestructible sled.
Roger Siglin
Frog Pond Circle
Fairbanks, AK 99712
(907) 457-6612
rsiglin@mosquitonet.com
" My heartiest congratulations on your siglin sleds. They were without a doubt the most dependable peice of equipment on our expedition this past winter. Over 86 days we travelled 7153km (4000miles) between Inuvik and Iqaluit."
" We saw every different kind of conditions and your sleds performed admirably throughout. While virtual every other peice of equipment broke, the Siglin sleds held up to everything we dished out. In some areas we were pulling up to 18 full jerry cans of gas on each Siglin sled."
Julian Tomlinson
Leader, Canadian Millemium
Expedition
CARE OF SLED:
The sled is designed to be field repairable with simple tools. Rope alone will usually be enough to tie everything together long enough to get home.Store it protected from sunlight. All plastic deteriorates in the sun. This is important.The sleds are equipped with a hitch and pin. If your snowmobile has a flapper style hitch with a worn pin hole I suggest drilling it out to a larger size. A good pin can be made by cutting the threads off a bolt and drilling a 1/8" hole in the cut end for a wire clip, and a 1/4" hole under the bolt head for a split key ring. Thread the short rope on the tongue through the ring to avoid losing the pin. Some sleds are equipped with a tab of UHMW plastic for use with a pindle hitch on the machine.
Sharp rocks can cut the sled bottom. Avoid them when possible. Otherwise, the plastic is incredibly durable and should last several thousand miles under normal wear and conditions. If necessary bolt a plywood or plastic patch on the inside of the sled bottom to cover a cut. The top two bolts on the front can be used as replacements elsewhere on the sled. They are the same size including those on the skeg. If you carry a small hacksaw, a broken skeg can be cut in half and refitted on the sled to get home. Carry a spare hitch if hauling heavy loads or travelling long distances.
All ropes should be frequently checked for wear, particularly where the rope tying the load down passes through the side loops. Carry several 30 inch pieces of 1/4 inch rope to replace broken or frayed side loops.This has been the only common maintenance problem. Alternatives to the rope are expensive and not as easily handled.
Carabiners are expensive, but one used on each of the side loops makes tying up a load easy and reduces wear on the side ropes. Get the ones used by mountain climbers. They are large and easily handled with gloves.
Check the angle iron skeg occasionally for wear and broken bolts. The sled will not track at all without the skeg.
CARE OF GEAR: Use a cheap plastic tarp to wrap the load up in. Holes rapidly appear in the tarp whatever its construction so don't use anything expensive. Alternately use Action Packers or other plastic boxes to carry equipment. Tie the load with two short ropes rather than one long one. It is faster and the load will be more secure. Ratchet straps work even better.
Make sure that all bolt heads and/or nuts are covered with plywood or padding to protect any item that might contact them. The load takes a pounding in any type of sled. Also remember that the sled flexes near the middle depending somewhat on the type of load and how it is distributed. Where protection of individual items in the load is critical, check their condition carefully to look for wear problems. No sense wearing a hole in the sled bottom either with a sharp edged piece of the load. Some owners have covered the entire sled bottom with a piece of plywood.
Gas/oil storage is critical. All containers leak given half a chance. Keep both gas and oil outside the tarp everything else is wrapped in. I strongly suggest building a special tray or container to hold gas cans. A piece of 1/2 inch plywood should be placed between the sled bottom and the gas containers to protect them from bolt heads or the possibility of a sharp rock cutting the sled bottom. Carry gas on the rear of the sled. If there is a leak it doesn't get in the load as much.
Most loads need to be retightened after the first mile or two as things settle down. Check the security of the load frequently.
This sled is designed for freight hauling only. Do not transport people in it. Sleds can come loose from the machine, roll over, or slide sideways into a tree or rock, and passengers can be injured.
Be careful going
down steep slopes. A heavy sled load can jackknife the snowmobile
and be dangerous. A small log chain hooked on both sides
of
the front and draped under the sled makes a good brake.
Do not step into the sled or on the tongue. The plastic is extremely
slick and you will fall down. Sanding with coarse grit paper will
reduce the
slickness.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD TRAVELING!!!
Features of the Siglin Snowmachine Sled:
Simple, dependable design
Tough, flexible 1/4 inch UHMW plastic
Field repairable with simple tools. Unaffected by temperatures down to 60 below F. (untested below that temperature) Any volunteers out there willing to test the sled in colder tempertures?). Can be folded in half for transportation
Sleds have a 30 inch piece of angle iron in the middle of the rear which keeps them tracking straight on both ice and steep side hillsAll sleds are made for hauling freight only, not for hauling people.The flexibility of the UHMW plastic makes them extremely durable on expeditions. The above sled tongue was straightened out without any damage.
The ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) plastic is remarkable stuff. It's incredibly tough and takes a lot of abrasion by rocks. The sled can be bent into about any shape you want. It can be folded in half end to end. By taking out the end bolts and taking the runner off, the sled can be flattened and rolled into a 24" long tube. It takes a little muscle to get the sides bent back up again. The angle at which the sled front meets or climbs up on the snow can be adjusted by pulling the front corners of the sled together to adjust for snow conditions.
I recommend using a large zippered duffel bag for carrying gear in the sled. A small plastic tarp will work, but isn't as easy to use. I also recommend wearing a pack with bulky lightweight stuff like sleeping bags and filling the sled with heavier stuff. Tie the sled to the pack belt. I also make a pair of poles out of UHMW for pulling the sled ($75). They are recommended if you are using skis. The sled can be used in the summer to haul wood etc. around the yard. The pulk can be strapped to a backpack and used to haul game over bare ground. The plastic will scratch but still be usable in the winter.
Carry a ski scraper to remove frost or ice from the sled bottom and store the sled out of direct sunlight.
