What’s the best sledge?

My 2 girls are still just too young but maybe next year….. So, what’s the best sledge?  Need to be ready for that occasional snowy day.  I’m sure our differs according to deep snow Vs compacted snow or ice too, or at least the later is much more exciting for big kids.

Probably a few of these going spare ATM

Sister!

An inner tube from a lorry.  (just blow it up first.)

McGrath: “Why are you so fat?”

Brandes  “Because every time I 😳 your wife, she gives me a biscuit.”

some crackers on here…

http://www.cricketsledges.com/top-twenty-cricket-sledges/

The simple ones in this image. Sarvis, I think.

BMW 3 series touring (rear wheel drive only).

The harrogate lot bought some cheap ones from toys r us a few weeks ago when we had the last dump up there, they were ace.

As discovered when we were kids: a car bonnet. Rubbed with candles. Pros: can get a good few of you on it. Cons: if you come off it, and it gets airborne, it’s a bit dangerous to life and property.

Car bonnet without a doubt …road signs also work really well.

When I was a kid we used to sneak round the back of asda and rob the heavy duty plastic shrink wraps that held palleted goods together from their waste bins . We could get about 15 of us on at once ,a proper blast.

Builders bags, capri bonnet, and those gas board pedestrian barriers

As OP says no one answer….but the inner child in me can’t help posting.

Those cheap plastic ones are a bit rubbish. Ok for flattening powdery snow over 4 inches deep but hard to steer, crack down the sides.  They are light though. Converse of this is a Friend who built one out of a pallet but it’s so firkin heavy that the kids do one run and give up. See also modern posh sledges with steering.

Best flattening sledge was owned by another guy when I was growing up and was a wide (3 ft ish) bit of varnished ply that had been expertly curved up at the front. It was a good laugh to use, could cope with really deep snow and if the weather gods were kind and you got freezing conditions overnight made a for a wicked “piste” for sledging the next day.

At that point you need to ditch the rubbish plastic.  The traditional alpine sledges are ok but your centre of gravity is too high to have good control.  I’ve a couple of low sledges made form tubular metal (chasis and runners) with wooden slats for lying on.  Light to carry and absolute rockets on compacted snow if you lie head first….just don’t hit a tree :->

https://goo.gl/images/Jud1Xh

I may have thought about this too much……

Fertiliser bags filled with snow when we were kids.

Ours have the plastic tray ones like above and they have lasted several years (although I can see them breaking this year as they are now attempting snowboarding on them (they are 8 yrs old and getting more daring now).

I have seen a few kids with these things though and they look really good fun

Fertiliser bags filled with snow when we were kids.

exactly

although a mini bonnet was always good, if moderately hazardous, down ingleby incline

(Ingleby incline, earlier):

http://www.yamahaclothing.co.uk/yamaha-kids-apex-replica-snow-bike-red-only-6764-p.asp

Fertiliser bags filled with snow when we were kids.

Why did you fill them with snow?

We use to just get black bags, and double or triple layer them up, and jump inside them, they weren’t the most durable things on the planet mind!

I have a Mountain Boy Sledworks Slalom. It’s MINE. My kids aren’t getting a look in.

https://www.newitts.com/stiga-snowracer-sx-pro-sledge

Why did you fill them with snow?

Weight mainly, and for a bit of padding too. 🙂

Edit: We didn’t sit IN them, rather fill them and sit on them (bunched up the open end and pulled it up between our legs).

A friend had one similar to these though (bloody rich kids ehh) – we were all so envious!

This one from Decathlon has been the best for us.

Totally durable, (takes 2 people) fast and reliable braking/steering

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/mrz-100-2-person-sledge-id_8226282.html

As students we made some awesome sledges from road signs, barriers, and doctors waiting room chairs that we has acquired.

https://www.internetgardener.co.uk/product/sledges-and-toboggans/airboard-freeride-180-x-sledge-silver/2517?infinity=ict2~net~gaw~ar~240888249759~kw~~mt~~cmp~IMP%20%7C%20PLA%20-%201%3A%20Catch%20All%20%232~ag~All%20%232%20%3E%20Other%20Brands%20%28NEW%29&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiO_EwofL2QIVqrXtCh3HEQG5EAQYAiABEgLbJvD_BwE

This I reckon if the link works

This. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Large-clear-TATRA-plastic-sledge/dp/B071X8LSYH#nav-search-keywords

Thank me once youve stopped screaming.

I made one from a large. 1 by 1.6 ish meter acrylic sign.

Sit on the back edge and pull the front up.

You sort of gently waft down the hill with approximate steering of shiver craft.

It’s only as you rotate a bout 180degreed and slip off the very very sloppy sheet you realise how fast you were going.

And if you got a pump you glide.

It was ace and next year it’ll be improved.

I’m being reminded, as a kid in the 80s we had a few decent snow dumps and car bonnets and Anderson shelter sections were wicked fast but totally unsteerable.  Road signs especially the long pedestrian barriets which got about 4 of us on were good too.  However with a 6 months old and 2.5 year old, car bonnet speeds might be too much, even next year.  I quite fancy making one myself so thanks for those ideas.  Although with 2 little ones I’m time sparse, so knowing what to buy is good.  Ta

Fertilizer bags are amazing, tea-trays (metal ones) were also pretty good too once the icy run had been created.

We also kept an old bonnet by the gate of the sledging field for when it got snowy – the joys of a westcounty youth!

Fertiliser bags hard to use, you have to keep your heels up.  But they are good for polishing the slope.  Once it’s polished anything will work.  But tbh those plastic ones are about as good as you’ll get, and they are cheap.

We have to try and explain to kids of today not to walk up the same run you come down otherwise it wrecks the slope.

As discovered when we were kids: a car bonnet. Rubbed with candles. Pros: can get a good few of you on it. Cons: if you come off it, and it gets airborne, it’s a bit dangerous to life and property.

Yep. One from an original Mini is particularly effective.

When I was a kid one of our mates also had a posh three-blades-and-a-steering-wheel one like johndoh posted. But like pedlad’s mate’s one it was so damn heavy no one could pull the damn thing back up the hill for another run.

As above, the biggest fertiliser sack you can find, filled with snow to pad it out a bit, to stop the bag from creasing and folding as well as being a bit more comfy to sit on.

Whilst on a Uni ski trip to Avoriaz we ‘borrowed’ the provisioning sled used by one of the local restaurant, expertly constructed from wood and a pair of old racing skis – it was a 2 person carry. Avoriaz 2000 is constructed from a series of interconnected apartments with bridges and lifts – we humped this thing up through a number of buildings to get to the top of the nursery slope. It was wide enough for 4 of us to lie side-by-side and the weight meant it was quick – we were experienced racers, but this was fast and no steering / brakes and in no time you realised it was gonna hurt badly if it went wrong- a couple of guys fell-off and 2 survived to the bottom. It was so scary we decided against doing another run / broken bones.

“you’re not even the best batsman in your family.”

Or, as above, fertiliser or compost bag (can’t remember ever filling it with anything)