Home-made Smitty Sled

[StringTheory]

Over the holidays I built a Smitty Sled to help haul the excessive amount of ice fishing gear I use. Wow do these things pull easily! Even loaded with over 100 lbs of gear I can tow it kilometers in a day without breaking much of a sweat.

Do your yourself a favor this season and build your own! Also if you don't have the tools you can order a kit from Smitty himself. Check out how I built mine here:

https://www.stringtheoryangling.ca/the-smitty-sled/

[58thecat]

looks good... a lot less drag.

[HuyFishin]

I tried pulling this sled a couple weeks ago and it was loaded right up. Felt like I was pulling nothing.

Smooth and buttery.

[pinelakeperch]

Thanks for posting. I might have to look into doing this! Great blog as well. You'll have to let me know if you're ever in the south!

[Jigger]

Nice write up and cool sled, thanks for that information

[calgarygringo]

Nice work. I made one several years ago and goes like butter thru the snow. I also added a push handle as well as the rope pull too. I push 90% of the time as it is way easier than pulling on the ice.

[Bigwoodsman]

I’m thinking of doing this, how would it work on a 36”x72” sled? I’m guessing g I’d be hauling out 125-150 pounds on an overnight trip.

BW

[calgarygringo]

I am running on a larger Otter sled and always take everything out including the kitchen sink so always loaded right up. With 10 inch auger, tent, heater, floor tiles, peg box, fish finder, camera, rod bag, rod holders etc. it is heavy. In that kind of snow in the pick you just barely push it and it slides away. In deeper snow it is way easier to push than pull.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/33qj65500/http://

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

I’m thinking of doing this, how would it work on a 36”x72” sled? I’m guessing g I’d be hauling out 125-150 pounds on an overnight trip.

BW

[HuyFishin]

Originally Posted by calgarygringo

I am running on a larger Otter sled and always take everything out including the kitchen sink so always loaded right up. With 10 inch auger, tent, heater, floor tiles, peg box, fish finder, camera, rod bag, rod holders etc. it is heavy. In that kind of snow in the pick you just barely push it and it slides away. In deeper snow it is way easier to push than pull.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/33qj65500/http://

This is really sweet!

Now i'm just waiting for someone to show me a bunch of huskies pulling ice fishing gear lol

[calgarygringo]

I wish. When you get old and slow like me every bit easier helps. Especially when you bring all the comforts of home.

Originally Posted by HuyFishin

This is really sweet!

Now i'm just waiting for someone to show me a bunch of huskies pulling ice fishing gear lol

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by HuyFishin

This is really sweet!

Now i'm just waiting for someone to show me a bunch of huskies pulling ice fishing gear lol

X2. My tent bag is 6 feet long and 18-20 inches round. I’m going to do this.

BW

[Speckle55]

I have my Old 1960's sled

its awesome pulls easy

I am 6'2" #220

tents n auger/ fish/ heater bag w 1lbs propane

runners are the way to got for sure

David

[StringTheory]

Originally Posted by pinelakeperch

Thanks for posting. I might have to look into doing this! Great blog as well. You'll have to let me know if you're ever in the south!

I will! There are a couple lakes down there I would like to check out. It’s always nice to meet up with other AO members.

Originally Posted by calgarygringo

Nice work. I made one several years ago and goes like butter thru the snow. I also added a push handle as well as the rope pull too. I push 90% of the time as it is way easier than pulling on the ice.

Pushing it is an interesting idea. I will have to try that next time I’m out

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

I’m thinking of doing this, how would it work on a 36”x72” sled? I’m guessing g I’d be hauling out 125-150 pounds on an overnight trip.

BW

I went on an overnighter last weekend and hauled around 130lbs in my sled. It wasn’t too far, only about 800 meters on the gps and it pulled very easily over 4” of snow. The XL Jet sled I use is 31”x 66” so not much smaller than yours. It should work well!

[Fwee6]

String....

How do you ensure the loaded sleigh doesn't move around on top the smitty sled?
- ratchet straps attached to eye bolts?

[StringTheory]

Originally Posted by Fwee6

String....

How do you ensure the loaded sleigh doesn't move around on top the smitty sled?
- ratchet straps attached to eye bolts?

I use some 10ft ratchet straps that are just wrapped around the cross members in the photo. I did buy some eyebolts recently but haven't installed them yet. There is also grip tape on the cross members to add some friction to the bottom of the sled.

[DOGFISH]

I built my own for early hard water excursions. Pulls amazingly easy. 61 inches long x 44
inches wide. Fits between the wheel wells in my pickup, straps to the roof rack on my Xterra or will ride on top of my tonneau cover on my pickup aswell.

[StringTheory]

Originally Posted by DOGFISH

I built my own for early hard water excursions. Pulls amazingly easy. 61 inches long x 44
inches wide. Fits between the wheel wells in my pickup, straps to the roof rack on my Xterra or will ride on top of my tonneau cover on my pickup aswell.

Looks pretty good Dogfish. I like that you have wooden dividers so your gear doesn't slide around. You probably don't have to strap anything down when you tow it on the lake.

[DOGFISH]

No strapping needed that's for sure. The biggest advantage I have found with being 44 inches wide is it does not tip over or get top heavy which was always a pain with the narrow sleds.

[Red Bullets]

Nice sleighs. . An improvement for deep snow would be having skis that curled up more in the front, like the runners on the old push sleigh. Push sleighs have been around for a long time.

[Sundancefisher]

I like it.

[Andrzej]

I can tie gas auger on top and use box as a bench.
I was not aware that Smitty-sled existed.
If it is windy I can take 2x6 board from the lid and place in the box
to have a bench and wind protection.