easier ways to drag a 5600?

[Grogan]

Just wondering if anyone has some ideas on how to make it a lot easier to drag my 5600. I have a few spots to drag out to that are a good distance from shore. Once I get everything loaded on the house the thing is a real chore to pull. So if anyone has any ideas on how to make it a bit easier please let me know. Thanks in advance!

[ocf1]

Ski's attached to the bottom of the sled would help alot. Seeing you are close to buck hill in the fall you can get skis really cheap at their ski swap. Im not sure but i would mount them so there is 3-4 inches of clearance off the ice.

[lunker651]

I just put mine on top of my jet sled with everything in the sled. It's probably over 120lbs (gears and ice house)and I pull it just fine. Ski's are a good idea too.

[katofishingguy]

Send me an e-mail I will send you some pics of what I built for my 6800 with ski's

[gonefishin11]

Like lunker said, I also keep mine folded and pull it in my Otter Sled with the rest of my gear.

[TommyJ33]

snowmobile or 4 wheeler might help

[slipperybob]

Just how far is the distance?

I don't think I would do more than 1 mile on foot. With the blanket of snow, it makes trekking harder. Ski's would be great, jet sled aren't too bad. I'm thinking on foot, deer drag harness and two ice trekking sticks hand in hand. Something of which I'm still plan on buying. Harness is about $20-$40. A pair of ice trekking sticks/ski poles ~$100. With the snow a possible need for snow shoes, that's another ~$100. Yeah, ideas...

[Intune]

You could try some spray on ski/snowboard wax... I know they make it for different types of weather and snow, Cold weather/light snow and Warm weather/sticky snow. Might help glide a little better through the thick stuff. Might be a cheap fix for the time being.

[Schloogs]

katofishingguy,

I have a 6800 as well, I am curious to see what you have built. Mind if I shoot you an email?

[deadeye]

I got a set of cross country skis at goodwill for 3$ and poles for another 2$. I also got a deer stand harness for 15 on sale at gander. Bolt a couple 1x2's to the top of the skis and put eye bolts on the boards to hook ratchet straps up to. You tie the ice house down to the eye bolts and hook up your harness, grab your poles and away you go. I did this with my 5600 and also going over the portages with a small otter sled to fish in ely. I got a couple of laughs, but the ski poles make a world of difference, and with the 5600 it was like pulling a little kids tobbogan.

[Doop]

When I taught PE in Iowa I took a pair of our old junky cross country skis....and screwed 4-4X4 posts about 5-6 inches high to the skis. I set a sheet of 1/2 inch plywood on top of the 4X4's and screwed the plywood into the 4x4's.

I then made a little lip in the front....so when you pull on the ice house's rope...the ice house will move forward on the plywood until it hits that lip and you are off and moving.

I also found out that if you put a wratchet strap around the ice house to hold it on the plywood....it is much easier. Now...we just came from a lake up in the BWCA and they had about a foot and a half of fluffy snow on the ice......our sled was nearly impossible to pull. We were thinking water skis would work better.

[slipperybob]

ratchet straps...that's a good idea. I was wondering how I was gonna build a frame or drill holes and bolt down, or get the velcrow or bungees.

[Schloogs]

Looks like I have a new project to work on....

[Grogan]

Thanks for all the ideas. I've got a lot of work to do.

[Thunder]

I built a really slick sled system for my 5600 for about $25 total materials cost (tops). Easy to build, very lightweight. Email me at [email protected] and I can send you some pictures of it. It pulls SO easy now!

I alaso built a grid system that is secured to the top of it so my gear doesn't slid around and fall off. Even weighted down with everything it's still really easy for one guy to pull out by hand (I do it all of the time).