IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Equipment => Topic started by: DANMAN on Jan 18, 2021, 01:06 PM
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The rope used to pull your shanty. What do you find best.
1, a short piece. of 3/4 pipe slipped over your tow rope to use as a hand grip........
2. a cloth strap to put over your shoulder?
3 Or other?
No spousal jokes please lol
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I just use the rope. 20' overall length of 1/2" nylon. Simply loop it over my head and one arm so it rests crossways across my chest and go. That 20' length also helps a lot when taking the sled down a hill without getting run over as well - long enough where I can stand behind the sled and hold the rope to ease it down the hill.
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This: https://www.amazon.com/AIRHEAD-Tow-Harness-12-ft/dp/B000ZYCLHG/ref=sr_1_24?dchild=1&keywords=airhead+tow+rope&qid=1610998803&sr=8-24 if you have tie-in points. Also works great if pulling a Smitty with eyebolts in the ski tips.
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A deer drag works and costs about ten bucks.
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Cheap deer drag harness
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I just grabbed another piece of 3/8" rope out of the garage. I tied a big loop in one end that I can grab onto or toss over my shoulder, and then I just tie the other end directly to the rope on my sled (so it slides and always finds the middle, otherwise the sled will pull sideways). I would guess I added another 4 foot of length overall. Longer the rope the easier it is to pull the sled, to a point.
I bought a deer drag harness and its hanging in the basement, for when (if) we ever get thick snow.
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I used one of these
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTCT3EM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1
now the snowdog does the pulling for me, mostly
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I use both. A pull harness, (like above), attached to the sled via eye bolts, as well as a tow rope. This gives me some options for towing on different surfaces and terrain. I also use a piece of pvc pipe on the tow rope.
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I've been using the Hunter's Specialties deer drag harness for the past few years and it makes pulling the sled easier. Between using this and a smitty sled dragging the sled is a lot easier.
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/hunters-specialties-deluxe-deer-drag?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Shop%7CGeneric%7CAllProducts%7CHigh%7CSSCCatchAll&gclid=CjwKCAiAgJWABhArEiwAmNVTB0HsNlhElMTNyJ7x97nwzZaTkHWEZeOe2lOmhYjYTJZz1X1AtMXDqxoCstIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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I have the rope to my sled attached to a small carabiner that is attached to the carry handle of a backpack that has the chest strap clip essentially making it a harness that you can put extras in. I usually put extra gloves and hats and stuff like that in it. Works well and cost me like 45 cents for the carabiner.
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I keep telling myself to just get a tow handle like that from my deer tow sled handle, but I forget where I put that thing since I had long not hunt for deer since my youthful days. Anyway I had also then told myself that I should use my deer tow harness but again it's stashed somewhere I don't remember come around ice fishing.
I had then ordered a weigh lifting sled tow harness. The one I choose is from Fringe Sports. The wide shoulder straps and everything is pretty good. I think for the purpose of towing an ice fishing sled, that the Fringe Sports harness may be a bit high on the body on the connection points. In other words it works out your abs some rather than rely on your strongest fulcrum point of around the hips. However it works well for me and there's no pinching from smaller straps. That's the best thing about it is the stress points are very well spread onto the entire harness. There is a bit of weight to the over all harness by material and the steel D rings and carabineers. I just used it pulling my sled through slush and so glad I did that. Plus with crampons on otherwise I would've just been slipping and losing grip on my feet. The conditions were that if I stopped, my sled would seem like it glued onto that spot. Huge difference as when I got exhausted I merely just used my body weight and leaned forward to move the sled on step at a time.
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I went with a low-tech solution: 20 feet of 2 inch nylon strap. I fastened the ends together into a heavy loop with a large snap. I simply used a few HD cable ties temporarily but that was about 10 years ago so temporary is kinda relative. There is a inch strap the fits between the two sides of the loop. Step into the loop half nearest the sled, lift the loop to just under your arms, bring the head of the loop up in front of your shoulders and over your head. Adjust the sliding strap where is is most comfortable, anywhere from across your chest to your waist. I find a lower fit is less tiresome. Not real fancy but very effective. Also lends itself to having two people pull the old fashioned way of snapping onto an ATV or sled. I don't use it for anything else so it's always on (one of) the sled(s).
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I use the rapalla harness. Put D rings on the belt to lower the pulling point high on the shouder. Works exceptionally well. My smaller sled has a pull rope wth an plastic handle.
https://www.rapala.ca/rapala/ice-fishing-gear/sleds/universal-manual-sled-pulling-harness/RMSPH.html
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rope with loop that I put around my waist.
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A deer drag works and costs about ten bucks.
I use the same thing. Bought it at walmart many years ago. Works great.
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I just my old hss safety harness
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I made a Smitty sled and attached a nice thick nylon rope about 14 feet long to the skis, it works great.
JG
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I use a flat nylon strap draped over shoulder ,
or hold on it with hands,
I rather not have it clipped to a body harness
just incase braking through weak spot ,
( just my way of thinking)
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I use rope/paracord attached to a Molle II waist/kidney belt. I like the harness concept. One thing I don't want to get tired is my grip strength while I'm out on the ice. Usually, it's not an issue... but since I haven't modded my sled into a Smitty, snow makes it very heavy.
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Everyone talking about the harness had me intrigued... so I grabbed my harness and tried it. Holy crap its like you dont even know that sled is behind you! I looked on amazon and they have basically the same thing (basic orange deer drag harness) for 8 bucks.
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I have tried different ways to tow my smitty, but by far, the only way is with a deer harness. I used a quick release ring that I can give a quick tug on in case I fall through.
But a harness of some kind will make the job so much easier.
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In a moment of weakness, I bought the Clam harness. It's expensive for what it is, and the tiny pockets on the straps are laughable, but overall it works great. The main drawback is getting it sorted out to put on. Just like putting wired earbuds in your pocket, it tangles instantly when you take it off and put in in the sled. I tend to use it for longer pulls since it's a little more "involved" to untangle and put on. For quick, short pulls, a simple 1/2" rope, 20 feet long, looped crossways over the shoulder. Didn't see it mentioned, but another advantage of a long rope over a harness is its use as a rescue rope.
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If I use anything besides the rope, it is just the waist belt from an old backpack. I don't see benefit in a harness you need to strap over your shoulders- it just moves the force up higher on your back and pulls you over backwards- you have to lean forward more to counteract it. For dragging a deer, I suppose it would be good to pull up on the thing, since it does not slide that well, but with a sled, I think you would want the force pointed more forward, and less up.
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If I use anything besides the rope, it is just the waist belt from an old backpack. I don't see benefit in a harness you need to strap over your shoulders- it just moves the force up higher on your back and pulls you over backwards- you have to lean forward more to counteract it. For dragging a deer, I suppose it would be good to pull up on the thing, since it does not slide that well, but with a sled, I think you would want the force pointed more forward, and less up.
It doesn't move the force to your shoulders, it evens out the force through your whole upper body instead of just your hips. Lets you stand up straight and walk vs hunched over pulling trying to adjust your center of gravity because the rope is pulling on your waist.
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With a harness, imagine just leaning forward and letting the force of gravity do the sled dragging. There is so little effort on the part of the body but to merely just take a step to keep from falling flat face.