Description

Note: Our premium trail toboggans are made with Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW-PE), our standard trail toboggans are made with High Density Polyethylene (HDPE).  All other features of these toboggans are completely identical.  UHMW is lower friction and more resilient than HDPE so is recommended for those:

• On difficult expeditions with heavy loads;
• Those planning to use their toboggans a lot during the shoulder seasons (ie. low snow conditions, with roots/ rocks, etc exposed on portages);
• Or those who simply want the very best gear available.

For all others, our standard trail toboggans should serve you very well for many years and hundreds of kilometres.

Trail toboggans are quite simply the most versatile hand-hauled craft for winter travelers. Long and narrow, the toboggans are designed to keep a load low to the ground for maximum stability. The large running surface allows the toboggan to float in your snowshoe track and go anywhere you do – regardless of snow conditions. Because it is flexible, a toboggan gracefully follows the contours of undulating terrain, and crests fallen trees readily. Toboggans are all cut in the traditional ‘coffin-shape’ for improved turning performance.

Our toboggans are made out of black (UV-resistant) UHMW-PE  a very durable, extremely low-friction plastic which is ideal for pulling on snow and ice. Toboggans roll up for easy transportation in vehicles! All toboggans come completely outfitted and ready for the trail with:

• White Ash crossbars, finished with multiple coats of spar varnish or linseed oil;
• Fully weather resistant fasteners throughout: stainless steel screws, copper rivets, brass rings;
• Durable 5mm climbing cord for running lines and tow lines;
• Soft, 2″ wide leather ‘tump’ strap for hauling with;
• Brass rings attached via adjustable prussik knots to create lashing points;
• Lashing straps and stainless steel camming buckles;
• Brake line for controlled descents;

All about Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene:
[UHMW-PE is not the slick, high-gloss product that HDPE is, please read below for further information]. 

UHMW-PE is an industrial product used in applications (such as bearing surfaces) where a low co-efficient of friction and high abrasion resistance are paramount.  Happily, these same properties are essential in a good toboggan!  Despite these well-documented properties, when we first bought UH plastic in 2012 we were pretty skeptical.  It doesn’t have the high-gloss/ glassy* surface of regular High-Density PE, and simply put doesn’t look as fast as the HDPE.  But after two years, a dozen trips, and hundreds of kilometres of comparing the two, we’re now convinced, that UHMW PE does offer practical advantages over HDPE.  Don’t expect to add miles to your daily distances, or suddenly start jogging where you were previously slogging, but over the long haul UHMW will travel farther with less energy and last longer.
*Update fall 2014: We’ve received a note from an engineer who has performed research in reducing friction, his personal recommendation was that the slightly rougher surface of UHMW-PE may reduce surface tension/ suction, ultimately resulting in reduced friction.

Shipping Information: Additional shipping charges may apply on this item.  We will confirm with you if the shipping is more or less than quoted.

Multiple Toboggan Shipping: Our shipping software is not sophisticated enough to compute multiple toboggans shipped together (as they nest nicely, and take up little more space than a single toboggan), so you will very likely be over-quoted shipping price for multiple toboggans.