Wooden sledges are the top of the range sledges which bring hours of fun in the snow
There are advantages to wooden sledges that many people see, while others choose to buy the modern plastic one piece versions that are very cheap and versatile. While the plastic ones are little more than trays on which you lie and take in the rush down the hill, wooden sledges are rather more intricate and have their roots in the traditional sledges used by people who live in snow bound places to transport themselves and goods, usually pulled by a pack of dogs.
You will have seen wooden sledges and know what they look like: generally they consist of a set of slats of wood set across a frame, and with curved runners on each side that may have metal attachments to make the passage over the ice easier and – for more fun – faster too! Wooden sledges are, of course, more expensive than the one piece plastic toboggan we see all over, but many people prefer them as they say they last longer and they give a faster ride.
Wooden sledges maintenance
Wooden sledges sometimes require more maintenance than the plastic variety, particularly with respect to the metal runners that may be attached; keeping these free of rust – which will manifest if allowed to thanks to contact with the snow – is important, and many people coat the runners with Vaseline in the summer months to keep them rust free.
Wooden sledges advantages
The advantages of wooden sledges are different to those of the cheaper and less traditional plastic variety, but each has its adherents; the wooden sledge will, after all, last longer yet the plastic one is cheap to replace – each year, if the need be.
Wooden sledges safety factors
Safety must also be taken into account when sledging, for by nature the pastime involves hurtling down a snow covered hill at very high speed; hitting an object, or worse another person, at such speeds can be dangerous, so make sure that you choose a clear path to sledge on, and that nobody else is there at the time.
