How long are the poles? Do I need longer poles?

Our poles are about 5 feet 11 inches or 6 feet long.  We’ve found this length works best for most people.  Typically, the shorter you can keep your poles, the better control you’ll have.  The poles need to be long enough to prevent your skies from hitting the front of your sled.  The best length is measured from your waist to the back of your rear ski during a stride, plus 4-8 inches.  Those who will snowshoe instead of ski can get by with even shorter poles.

Can I attach your poles to my pack waist belt?

If your pack has some heavier gear loops, they may work as an attachment point. You will want an attachment point where you can create a snug fit with the least amount of slop. This will give you maximum control of the sled (and because it gets old when your pulk is jerking at your hips all day with a loose attachment). Our harnesses have loops on them that the eye bolt of the pole fits over and then a carabineer is slid through to make a good, secure attachment point – you’d want to mimic something like that. Another option is to sew webbing onto your pack belt to make loops like we have on our harnesses.

What size harness should I order?

Measure in inches at your waist where the belt will sit (note that pant sizes can vary so it’s best to measure):

Small: 27″ – 35″ (26 inches of foam padding)
Medium: 32″ – 39″ (30 inches of foam padding)
Large: 36″ – 45″ (35 inches of foam padding)

A note on women’s sizing:

Our belts are unisex but because women wear the belt closer to their hips, be sure to measure there – where you are most comfortable wearing the belt and use the sizes above.

Most women prefer the Harness Bottom because they use the leg loops to keep the harness from riding up off their hips entirely onto the waist.

*Important: Belts can go larger but they will lose padding at the hip points. The belt cannot go smaller than the amount of foam padding listed plus about 2″ for the buckles. If you can fit either of two sizes, the larger belt will give you the most padding and comfort.

Good control is essential for backcountry pulk routes. You will not have good control by clipping your poles onto extra pack loops or D-rings. A good hip belt must secure the end of the poles close to your hip point with minimum slack for classic or alpine skiing and snowshoeing. For running and skate skiing, some people prefer pole attachments at their mid back. The most important issue for good control is reduction of slack or slop in your pole to harness connection.

Do you ship pulks to areas in Scandinavia such as Norway, Sweden or Finland?

We can ship our Paris and Snowclipper pulk systems (pulka, pulkka, ahkio) that use split poles to most countries in the world and for reasonable prices. This includes places in Scandinavia like Norway and Sweden. Our full length poles and Expedition Pulk can also be shipped overseas via special carriers, they just cost a bit more. For a shipping estimate, send us a note at contact@skipulk.com. We’ll follow-up with the best shipping rate we can lockdown for you, and the instructions for placing your order.

Note: All quoted international shipping rates do not include local duties and taxes.