I'm in the planning stages of building a Smitty Sled for my Clam Nanook; does anyone know if ski length makes a difference? I found a pair of youth ski's, which are about 4 inches longer than my hut; would these work?

Thank you in advance for your input.

I would use longer just for balance

Makes sense ...Thanks

No problem

I found a set of cross country skis for a Smitty sled build.Just how big a difference does the downhill skis make over cross country?

This is my first build, so I'm no expert by any means, however my reach had led me to the downhill ski's as they're wider and will support the weight more easily on top of the snow. Per Bear's response to my original question, he's correct. I read longer ski's will distribute the weight more evenly, again helping the sled ride on top of the snow.

Now, my next issue is finding a set of downhill ski's ..... I hit 3 Play it Again Sport shops and 3 Thrift stores across 3 states last week, with no luck. I'm being told "It's too early" Hmmm...never too early to be thinking about hard water fishing.

Maybe Craigslist or Ebay. Sometimes local garage sales.

Ebay is good, however shipping is a killer .... I've been shopping craigslist, but nothing has popped up in my area.

I hit pay dirt yesterday at my local Goodwill store .... Down Hill Ski's $7.50! I'll post pictures later on.

Here she is ... My first Smitty Sled Build!

Shout out to Smitty, for coming up with a great idea!

Nice looking sled Backlash! I thought I saw that sled before! Smitty is the best.

Thanks for the compliment.... There's a lot of Smitty's out there, but this my first and only build. Again, Smitty was the mastermind behind the design, I just followed his lead.

I like your build. I did a Smitty 2.0. I did not see the wheels and handles before I made mine. I may have to add this after I try mine this winter.

I'm anxious to see how this sled performs with the wheels. It's a good feature to have to save your tub when pulling across the concrete. I'm hoping there's no or very little drag, when it comes to deeper snow and another concern would be weight distribution. If it doesn't workout, I'll be sure to keep everyone updated.

Yes just a reminder don't pull your down hill skis over roads or parking lots, they will wear out and you'll need to replace them every year. The plastic on the bottom of the skis doesn't hold up to anything but snow. I made a sled with retractable wheels for roads and if I can back up to a boat ramp I just unload there to keep from dragging the skis across the parking lot.
I would post pictures if I could figure that out.

These smitty sleds are a must if you are a walker like i am . My Kenai, loaded with auger and gear is close to 80 lbs. Pulling it on the snow was like pulling a tank behind you . This smitty sled reduced the drag by about 75%. No matter how deep the snow it pulls great. My design is the same as the one in the pic above

Bought an Otter Resort with my brother this year since we planned on making a smitty sled for it. I was a little skepitcal since we had issues pulling my Kenai together last year. Holy cow! Does the smitty sled help. One of us could practically pull the sled by 2 fingers. With the sled being our first build it was pretty basic. I like the addition of the wheels.

The first time out, I would say the smitty cut the drag down about 50%, then I waxed the ski's with down hill ski wax and it cut another 25-30%. With my Clam Nanook full loaded including gas auger, it's a breeze to pull.

Looking to build a Smitty for my JM Yukon X Thermal. Is there any advantage to positioning the brackets toward the front or back of the skis? Is the shelter fastened to the sled in some way for transport, or just held there by its own weight? Is there a minimum or maximum height for the 2x boards that are bolted to the skis?