what size smitty sled

[Chris338378]

I'm thinking about building a smitty sled for the first time and am wondering how big should the skis be?  I found an old pair of skis but they're the same length of the sled I'm going to put on the smitty, should they be longer and if so how much longer?

[Lobes]

Any pair of downhill skiis will be long enough. If you want to put a really big load on your sled it can be turned sideways with a little wider cross members. I've seen two man pull over shacks riding lengthwise and being pulled very stable and quite effortlessly.

                                                       
NBG

[hardwater diehard]

The 2 I have built so far the were 6ft long to fit my 58 in long Frabill Adventurer . The skis are what I had... I could go shorter but I would recommend a little longer than your sled overall . But if that is what you have go for it ...I placed the rear riser about one foot from ski end ..the front riser I place to where I thought it looked best ...keep the weight toward the rear and a 14 to 16 foot rope are the key points to incorporate  into your design. I used 2x3 for cross braces to cut down the weight .

[Corndog]

Depending on the vehicle and shelter, the skis can be which ever length you want. I made mine long enough to fit in my short bed so I can close the tailgate and have the tonneau cover closed. The rope length is important as stated. It is a very useful addition in my opinion.

[JiggerDan]

I sawed a foot and a half off my skis to make them 4 feet 6 inches overall. Haven't had any snow to try them yet.

[SeisMec]

I have a 66" long fish trap so I left the ski' s that I used full lenght.

[nocod]

i left my first set long,then i went short and fat ,the short set was best.