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Aesop's Fables tell of a boy who packs his camel with a mountain of supplies for his 700-mile journey to Israel. His pack holds two changes of clothing for each day, fifteen gallons of high-protein feed, three extra walking staffs and a dozen different pots and pans. The camel endures the load until a straw from a village market-place lands on its back and sends the beast of burden tumbling to the ground. Moral: If the boy hadn't loaded the camel near its breaking point with useless luggage, there wouldn't have been a problem.
Another story tells of a Boy Scout who gets stranded in the woods during a snow storm and nearly dies because he isn't prepared for unexpected trials. He can't cook or stay warm by a fire when his unprotected matches become wet. Because he doesn't have an extra supply of batteries, his flashlight become useless when the original batteries go dead. His knife blade dulls and he doesn't have a sharpening stone. He gets hypothermia because he didn't pack enough warm, dry clothes. All this happened because his goal was to pack as light as possible. Unfortunately he didn't pack enough equipment to make his journey pleasant. Fortunately he was found not far from home.
All stories aside, when planning a snowmobiling trip for a weekend or a week, you don't want to find yourself in either of the above situations. If you pack too much you'll be burdened with nuisance baggage and less likely to get a smooth ride. On the other hand, forgetting vital items such as an extra pair of dry socks or flares may make even the best trip down-right miserable. A packing strategy that accounts for comfort and efficiency is necessary for an ideal snowmobiling adventure.
Experienced touring snowmobilers such as Scott Eilertson, Coley and Katy Findlay and Harlan Mannigel shared their views on properly packing a sled for a weekend or longer.
Eilertson, who in 1990 snowmobiled 5,000 miles from St. Paul, Minnesota to Moscow (not including the ocean-crossing) with his friend Lee Busse, advises snowmobilers to take three preliminary steps before packing.
Route Planning
Planning a route and knowing the location and store hours of dealerships along the way that sell parts for your sled will help reduce the load. For example, Eilertson says only one or two quarts of oil need to be carried if it's known that the distance between dealerships is less than a day's ride.
Sled Inspection
Checking the working condition of a sled beforehand will also reduce the number of spare parts needed. Inspection should be of the cables, wires, drive belt, fuel filter(s), coolant levels, battery, brake system, head light, tail and brake light, ski alignment, ski wear bars, suspension spindles, spark plugs and track.
Set Suspension
Eilertson says it is most important to test the sled and set suspension before departing on your trip. "When setting your suspension, you first want to pick your smoothest possible route," he adds. "Remember as you get more gear, your sled becomes weighted down and less agile. The more weight you have the rougher the ride." Eilertson reminds snowmobilers that the owners manual provides guidelines for setting suspension and lists the maximum weight capacity. He adds, "You should also put a couple hundred miles on your sled before the trip so you can become familiar with the sled's ride. Once you leave, you won't be able to make any more suspension changes."
The Findlays of Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, and Mannigel of Mosinee, Wisconsin, take a slightly different approach to setting the suspension during the pre-packing stage of snowmobile touring. Coley and Katy, who have traveled over 218,000 and 110,000 miles respectively since the late 60s, say there is not a simple rule of thumb for setting suspension. "How much weight you can load on a sled is up in the air," adds the 68-year-old Coley. "Twenty or thirty pounds in addition to your body weight is nothing. Katy weighs about half of what I do so she can load more on her sled. You want to travel light, but if you bottom out you can tighten the suspension."
Mannigel, who travels 6,000 to 7,000 miles per year on private trips and as tour leader for Arctic Cat's Pride rides, does have a rule of thumb. "What I do is measure my empty sled on a flat cement floor," he explains. "I take a yard stick and measure the distance between my rear bumper and the floor. Then I sit on my sled and my wife (Beverly who also sleds over 6,000 miles per year) takes a measurement from the bumper to the floor. I set the sled so there's one inch of deflection." Front suspension is set according to where the rider sits. Those who sit back on the seat want more of the skis on the ground and snowmobilers who sit forward should have less of the skis on the ground.
The packing process begins by preparing a sled with bags, a cargo rack and a high windshield. Eilertson, a member of the sales staff at Tousley Motor Sports, in White Bear Lake, MN, says backpacks, tank bags and saddle bags work well, but the primary luggage carrier is a cargo rack. "Most racks can hold 35 to 40 pounds," he adds. "That's the key piece right there, but don't forget to strap your luggage down with bungee cords and/or cargo nets." Coley says the key is using bags which are made to fit the snow machine. "I tried everything from pulling sleds to tying on saddle bags and found that equipment bags made by the manufacturers fit the sleds the best," he says. Katy, who is also 68, adds her own unique twist. "I use plastic bags inside my bags so everything stays dry," she states. "No matter how good a carry bag is, moisture always gets in through the seams or zipper." The importance of a high windshield becomes obvious when traveling 120 miles on cold days. "A low windshield looks cool," says Eilertson. "But when it's 20 below it's nice to protect yourself and your hands from the wind."
Preventing a sled from breaking down is another way to avoid cold on the trail. The expert touring snowmobilers agree that basic sled maintenance requires sledders to carry spare oil, spark plugs, drive belt and wear rods. To the list, Mannigel adds a headlight bulb and tow rope. Eilertson estimates that one gallon of oil will last approximately 300 miles. If the oil tank is filled every morning it's usually good for the day, but have a spare quart on hand at all times. For a weekend trip, three sets of spark plugs and a spare drive belt are necessary. It's wise to pack four or five extra sets of plugs and a drive belt on four-day or longer trips. Gas and wear rods are needed in limited circumstances. "You'll need extra gas only if you plan on going into the boonies," states Eilertson. "Most manufacturers put 10 or 11 gallon tanks on snowmobiles, but you never want to go more than 90 miles without refueling. A couple extra gallons of gas on your sled adds a lot of extra weight." He adds that extra wear rods are needed only when touring in less than fair snow conditions.
No matter how well a sled runs, a snowmobiler can't beat the cold without proper clothing. As with parts, changes of clothing are necessary, but should be kept to a minimum. "As the old saying goes, 'take half the clothes and twice the money,'" says Coley. You can always buy what you need. There's no sense in overloading your sled." Eilertson suggests packing a clean pair of long underwear for every two days on the trail, a daily change of dry socks, two pairs of gloves and two caps. These items often get wet with sweat when riding and should be changed before the sun goes down because they will freeze and become useless.
Mannigel's clothing philosophy is slightly different. He takes a change of under clothing for every day and a change of outerwear for every two days. He claims to have gone from jeans to Thermax long underwear because he found the denim to be too uncomfortable. "I've worn (the long underwear) in 42-below weather and I had no problem with the cold," he adds. "I like to wear a flannel shirt with big breast pockets because I have a place to put my wallet so it is easy to get at." Katy, like Mannigel, strives for a combination of warmth and comfort. She likes to wear a sweat suit and turtleneck under her jacket, but says she knows many others who like insulated vests.
Some clothes, however, don't need to be changed, says Eilertson. A wool sweater, wool shirt, boots and snowmobile jacket and pants or snowsuit can be worn for extended periods of time. "You can use a wool sweater for at least a week," he adds. "It's not the prettiest, but you can do it if you have to. You also will find that extra boots are hard to carry, but you should carry an extra pair of shoes to wear around the hotel." Eilertson and Busse each pack an extra pair of mukluks similar to the kind explorer, Will Steger wore, says Eilertson. Coley suggests packing a swim suit for the hotel stay
Next on the packing list are emergency and safety items. Eilertson says flares and matches need to be kept in dry places. A saw for cutting firewood may also come in handy on trips that last more than three days. Included in your first aid kit should be adhesive strips, scissors, bandages, gauze and frostbite ointment. Eilertson adds that it's extremely important, especially on long trips, to bring an emergency supply of food. "You want to carry granola bars or power bars that are high in protein. You also want to drink plenty of water and carry a full bottle of water with you in your snowmobile suit. Your body heat will keep it from freezing." Mannigel has his own method for preventing dehydration and hunger pains. "When we stop for gas there are plenty of places to get snacks," he says. "While I wait for everyone else to gas up I drink a Snapple®. I take sweets on the trail in case a diabetic needs the sugar or if we get stranded - which never happened." A flashlight and extra batteries also must be packed. Eilertson encourages those traveling for a week or more to pack a tent and sleeping bag for emergencies.
In addition to keeping snowmobilers from getting lost, orienteering materials are needed to avoid unnecessary emergencies and hazards. The most common guide for a touring snowmobiler is a map. Maps should be kept dry in bags and be easily accessible. Eilertson reminds snowmobilers to use the most current maps available because snowmobile trails often change from year to year.
Mirrors are also useful in navigating, he adds. They help you find your bearings by giving you a second look at the terrain you pass. They also aid in keeping a group of snowmobilers together. "If you're in a large group and going to be out for a long period of time you need to know where everyone is," he says. "If you have to turn around all the time your neck gets sore after a while. With mirrors you don't have to turn around."
Another method of keeping a group together is with helmet communicators. Eilertson says he and Busse didn't have communicators for their 1990 trip because they were new, but thinks they are good to have.
The last piece of equipment that Eilertson recommends packing is a camera. Mannigel says he carries his camera in a handlebar bag to keep it from jostling around and getting damaged.
When packing your sled, remember that comfort is king. You don't want to be weighed down, but you also don't want to be left in the cold without necessary survival equipment. An excellent way to ensure that you pack properly is to talk to experienced snowmobile travelers and make a check list of what is needed.