Packing the Pulk

There's just something about winter camping. Sleeping in the cold air, the element of survival, and opportunity to use skills you wouldn't use otherwise. I thoroughly enjoy winter camping. One unavoidable area, though, is the excess in gear. Extra blankets, thicker (and heavier) sleeping bag, extra fuel, dry wood, etc. Unfortunately, that means your pack won't quite cut it. Fortunately, you can use a pulk!

This post is strictly how to pack and use a pulk and not so much on building one. Though, I may throw in some things I added to mine to improve the function of it.

The first step is to make sure the pulk will work for you depending on your need. There are different sizes and the length of the poles depend on whether you are skiing or snowshoeing. If you are skiing, the poles may need to be longer. Also, if you are a heavier person and need bigger snowshoes, be sure they will clear the poles. Make sure to find a harness or belt that will work well with your pulk then go out and test it to make sure it will be suitable. The poles should be secured on the sides of the harness for added stability. If you will do a lot of turning and maneuvering, you can hook the poles to the middle of your back. Just be sure to have the poles crossed and in an x-shape. This will help stabilize the pulk, keep it from tipping, and makes it easier to control it. 

As you test out your pulk, there are some things to consider. Something I didn't take into account when I first used mine is the fact that it can be top heavy and can tip over easily. Sometimes it's dependent on how you walk or ski, but this problem can be mostly solved by placing a metal ring or carabiner to hold the 2 poles together (where the poles cross). I noticed that it will often tip over when the poles separate. You will see what I mean when you first go out. 

Now on to packing! Packing a pulk is very similar to packing a backpack or panniers. Balance is key! As you pack, try to keep heavier items in the center and balance everything out from there. If there's too much weight in the front, the front will dig into the snow. If too much weight is in the back, it will feel like dead weight. It's essential to get a good balance. 

As I mentioned earlier, the pulk can become top heavy fast which makes it easier to tip over. So you want put heavy stuff in first and as close to the bottom as possible. When you have few items, you can be more flexible. As you see in the picture below, I put the heavier sleep system toward to back and everything else in front to balance it out. If you have a lot to pack, put heavier items on the bottom and the lightest on top. 

Try not to overload the pulk. First of all, if it's overloaded, it may get too heavy for the poles. Second, the pulk will begin to feel like dead weight going up hills and will try to push you down hills. If it is an extended trip and you will be hauling a lot, balance the load between a pack and the pulk. 

If you hike all year long and have your gear list and pack perfected, you can do nice little trick I learned. I have some winter specific gear. If my pack is set up perfect for year round hiking, I will put my winter specific gear in the pulk and leave everything else in the pack. My bigger sleeping bag, shovel, extra blanket, dry wood, extra fuel, etc. You can strategically pack winter specific gear in the pulk. However, if you're an ultralight hiker like me and going for an overnight trip, you may be better off taking the pulk only. 

So, you have your gear in your pulk. Now what? You want to try to waterproof your gear because there's a good chance that your gear will get snow on in. I built my own pulk and I riveted a medium tarp to the inside. With this, I can fold the front and back in, then the sides and secure it. This works very well to keep gear dry. If your pulk doesn't have a built in tarp, you can set a tarp on the pulk floor and wrap your gear to keep it dry. I also have paracord running along the pulk and it pulls up on 4 points along the sides and one point in the front. I can secure the cord with 2 carabiners on top and cinch it tight to keep my gear compressed. You want keep your gear compressed as tightly to the pulk bottom as you can. This will not only keep your gear lower and the center of gravity lower, it will keep gear from shifting which could cause the pulk to tip over. 

Something else that the pulk is good for is storage. I love hammock camping and something you always run into is storing your gear overnight. I used to place my pack on one side of my ground cloth and fold the other end over to keep the pack dry. If I use a rainfly that goes all the way to the ground, I can just set my gear on the ground cloth. But with a pulk, you can wrap up your gear in the pulk and not have to worry about where to put your pack (if you take a pack). Otherwise, all of your gear is already in the pulk and you don't have to worry about organizing camp. For my last camp, I used a bivy and it worked really well to have the pulk. Since I didn't have a shelter per se, all my gear was stored in the pulk. I also, generally put my boots in my sleeping bag to keep them warm. But with the pulk, I just stored them in the pulk and used hand warmers in the morning to warm them up. 

Overall, I think pulks are an awesome investment of time and money. They are easy to use (for the most part) and make hauling heavier gear a breeze. I think pulks are probably the best way to haul gear in winter. Hopefully this has helped in your venture into pulk-pullin'.