Sledding is a classic recreational activity and one of the best ways to enjoy the winter snow. You will not only have loads of fun but can remain active during the winter season. It is an activity that individuals and families enjoy, who get the chance to bond with their kids by taking them sledding for the first time in the snow. However, you must know how to prep a sled for sledding because if your sled is inching slowly across the snow, you and your kids will not enjoy the experience.
The purpose of sledding is to go fast on the snow and enjoy the thrill of sliding across the snowy powder. That is why the sled needs to skid along the surface and not drag slowly across it. To enjoy sledding more with your family or by yourself, you will need to learn how to prep a sled for sledding. Thankfully for you, we will be sharing some of the best tips for preparing your sled for sledding right here. These tips will allow you to get your sled sliding fast over the snow so you can enjoy the experience.
Several factors play a role in how fast your sled will go over the snow surface, and they will determine how much fun you have. We will share simple advice on how to prepare your sled for sledding, but before we get into that, we would like to share a quick reminder about sledding safety.
Sledding Safety Tips to Keep in Mind
Whenever you’re going sledding, you need to be dressed appropriately for the conditions and the weather. If your kids start feeling cold, you should dress them up in another layer instead of forcing them to go sledding and risk them catching a cold or suffering from hypothermia. Ensure that you are all dressed warmly and in multiple layers to protect yourself from the cold.
You should also remain away from parking lots, railway tracks, rivers, and roads, even if those are the places where all the best sledding hills are found. You don’t want to risk you or your kid getting injured when you’re sledding for fun in the snow. You should also be aware of any ice-covered ponds, rivers, or streams. Also, remember to wear your safety gear and ensure your kids wear helmets when they are going sledding.
Prepping Your Sled for Sledding
Now that we have got the safety tips out of the way, we will share the best advice for prepping your sled for sledding. The most vital thing you must remember is that the kind of sled you are using will play a major role in how fast it goes down the slopes. Professional skiers will use wax on the bottom of their skies, as that helps in increasing their speed when going down the mountain.
Various wax products are made for use on sleds. When you’re taking out your sled to go sledding, you should apply a healthy layer of wax to ensure it is in optimum condition. The wax will remove any friction between the snow and the sled and allow it to fly down the slope. The good thing is that the process for applying wax on your sled is similar to how you would apply wax on your car.
It’s simple and easy to handle and shouldn’t take you more than half an hour to properly wax your sled before you go sledding. Here are the steps you should take for waxing your sled and removing any friction from them:
- Take a rag or applicator and apply the wax to the bottom of the dry sled
- Allow the wax to dry thoroughly on the sled
- When dried, the wax should appear cloudy or hazy
- Take a soft cloth and gently buff the wax-covered surface on the sled
That’s all you need to do, and your sled will be ready to be ridden down the sledding slopes. You don’t need to purchase special wax for sleds because there are plenty of everyday household items that will have the same effect. Some of the everyday household items that you can use for waxing your sled include the following:
- Candle Wax
You can apply this in a similar manner to the sled, with the only difference being that the candlestick should be rubbed directly on the surface of the sled.
- Car Wax
You can easily apply car wax on the sled in the same manner in which you apply it on your car. It will ensure that your sled is smooth from the bottom and will run fast on the slope.
- Cooking Oil Spray
All you need to do is spray some cooking oil and ensure there is a light coating on the bottom of your sled and then gently buff it with a cloth.
- WD-40
Most people will have this lubricant, which can be sprayed on the bottom of the sled for excellent results. However, you can’t apply WD-40 over rubber as it will degrade the material, so if you have a tube-style sled, don’t use WD-40 on it.
Our Final Thoughts
Sledding is one of those childhood activities that you remember for the rest of your life, and whenever there is snow around, your inner child wakes up once again. Before you hit the snow with your sled, it is best to learn how to prep a sled for sledding to get the best results. The tips we have shared above will allow you to prepare your sled for the winter season so that your sled goes smoothly and quickly down the sledding hills and slopes.
