Sleds

Haul heavier loads further, more safely and with less fatigue.

Used extensively in snowy places worldwide since 1979, Kifaru Sleds* have proven their mettle for hauling everything from cargo to kids. They've endured the torture tests of search and rescue teams, the marines, major peak climbs and cross-continent trekkers - and they are ALL still in use.

What makes this possible? We make them right here in Colorado with the best, most proven materials available. We incorporated unique, Kifaru-only designs to provide the sturdiest, most lightweight high performance sleds available. These were the first American-built sleds and are still the benchmark. This is all galvanized with a lifetime warranty. Being a small company, we are able to keep a critical eye on quality control, and give you the highest performance sled that makes the transportation of large loads in snow country pleasant and energy efficient. The bottom line? You carry heavier loads further, more safely and with less fatigue.

Great portability. All our components disassemble and stow away inside the sled, letting you throw the whole thing in a jeep, plane or even strap it on your back. Our sleds have been crammed into bush planes, jeeps and military helicopters the world over with never the loss of a component.

Models

	Armadillo (civilian model) Built for smaller and lighter expeditions or for hauling children. Just as tough as our larger model.		Expedition Sled (civilian model) For hauling massive amounts of winter gear or a couple of kids, this is your sled.

	Armadillo (combat model) Heavier duty to withstand the rigors of military work. Short hull. Extra heavy duty hardware to meet Mil Specs.		Expedition Sled (combat model) Built for massive military loads with extra beefy hardware to meet Mil Specs.

Rigid Traces
Hull Design
Covers
Runners
Relative Size
Tips and Care
Sled History
Literature

	Rigid Trace System. Ours was the first and is still the only truly rigid trace system. The dual poles provide 'no-slop' performance, eliminating unwanted slippage and making turns a breeze. This design does not destabilize or push the puller around, and is coupled with a padded waistbelt with leg loops for superior comfort and guaranteed stability. These sleds are 'user-proven' to be the most stable, easiest to pull and toughest available.

Hull Design.
The narrowest, for easier pulling in deeper snow. And, importantly, just the right slope to the sides to inhibit rollover and enhance flotation.

Covers
Protects your load while providing enormous volume. Contents are fully accessible with a full length #10 zipper with multiple pulls for spot-on access, and the load is centered and stabilized with built in compression straps.
1,000 d Cordura on military models.
500 d Cordura on civilian models.

Runners.
6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum runners on the bottom ensure straight tracking and are tough enough to last a lifetime. The combined result is a sled that goes where you go and won't knock you off your feet - they pull smoothly, track reliably, turn and stop when you do.

Loading
You'll want to keep the load low and slightly to the rear. This helps prevent rollovers, ensures good tracking and enhances flotation in powder.

Ski Technique
Flat Terrain: shorten your stride, keep your hips tucked forward and stand erect so that your weight is squarely over the middle of your skis to maximize your skins or wax.
Uphill: if you use waxes, a softer wax may be needed when pulling a heavy sled. Extremely steep slopes can be overcome by rotating your body in the harness, putting your skis at a right angle to the sled - letting you sidestep up. The easy solution? Get some skins.
Downhill: skiing downhill with a loaded sled is considerably easier than with a loaded pack on your back. As the sled encounters irregularities in the snow, you may notice minor pulls or pushes. These are transmitted along the axis of your skis and therfore cannot upset your balance. For steeper downhill runs, lean back slightly with your knees bent to alleviate any "face planting", or use the telemark technique.

Troubleshooting
Our sleds are designed to be maintenance free. During transitional snow conditions, you mayt experience icing up of the harness connections or icing on the sled bottom. Teflon, silicon spray or even hard ski wax can be used on these areas (especially the runners).

Storage
Never store your sled in direct sunlight, as UV rays can be harmful to any petroleum based product.
Do not store in a bent or contorted position.
Do not store in a hot environment, i.e., attics or near a furnace.
Harness poles should be stored apart - not nested inside each other. Storing them inside the sled is ideal.
Improper storage will void any and all warranties.
For more on Sled warranty, click here

Extra Hardware
Essential spare parts are stored in the small bag sewn inside the catch-all bag inside your sled cover.

As a backcountry ski guide way back when, Patrick found himself having to haul in huge loads - camping gear, food and sometimes his client's gear. Loads that made ordinary pack carrying unwieldy and dangerous.
The conventional approach to solving this at the time was an off-the-shelf kid's sled. A cheap solution, yes. Effective? No. For obvious reasons, they were trashed within days, they were unstable, and control was impossible.

Enter the "Smith Sled" as it was called then, and the creation of Mountainsmith.

The Smith Sled had a rugged, unbreakable hull, beefy runners for better tracking, and a rigid connection between skier and sled for impeccable control. Suddenly, they were being used for major expeditions and child hauling alike - opening up a new world for winter adventurers and granting parents the freedom to enjoy the same liberties they had before.

So important were these sleds, that they came with us upon the formation of Kifaru. Hunters and military alike took to them for the same reasons that mountaineers and parents did.

Patrick Smith's first product sparked the creation of so much more, and is still with us all these years later for a reason.

Sled Handbook