Safety Tips for Snow Sleds

Many families have a tradition of going sledding multiple times a year. They include generations of people doing the exact same thing and take pride in it. And why not, Sledding is one of the coolest outdoor sports since forever and the best part is that one doesn’t require any extra skill for sledding. But of course, we need to be extremely careful as the injuries caused during sledding are quite serious, especially if you are taking your kids out for this activity. In addition to the safety, you must also have the best snow sled so that you’ll have a pleasant experience when you go for it next time.

Let us discuss some of the safety measures that one should take before and during snow sledding.

1. Choosing the right hill

We all have a similar mindset which states that any hill with snow is ideal for sledding. But in reality, it is wrong to believe that all the hills covered with snow are suitable for sledding. What you should actually look for in hills is if the hill includes a not so steep top and a huge flat bottom which shall help you in stopping; make sure you avoid hills which end closer to a parking or street; the hill you chose should be plain i.e. without any bumps, jumps, trees, etc; make sure that the hill you chose is snowy not icy; and lastly, make sure that you sled during the day as it complements the visibility.

2. Dress up

As we all know that if the body is exposed to lower temperatures (snow), it tends to start falling week and might catch issues like hypothermia or frostbite. It is to avoid any kind of such unwanted issues that one should dress appropriately as sledding is all about playing in the snow.

3. Buy the right Sled

There are multiple types of sleds in the market today, make sure that you opt for the one which suits your flexibility and body. Good quality sleds come with brakes which helps the rider in slowing down the speed. Apart from this, make sure that you don’t opt for sleds which are impossible to steer, these include tubes, toboggans, or saucers. Also, say no to substitutes like a cardboard box or lunch tray, as these look happening only in movies, whereas in real they might cause you in a lot of trouble.

4. Make up some rules for your trip and make sure that all abide by it

Now you have got the best of location, clothes, and sled, now all you need to do is decide upon some basic set of rules for your group and make sure that all follow them. These may include

The GO-to adult: Designate this rank to an elder who shall be there for first aids if any injuries are caused.
Front facing position: Make sure that all are sitting in a face-forward position while sledding.
Kids will sled with adults: Make sure to let the kids below 8 sleds with elders to ensure maximum safety.
One by one: The best way of keeping the sledding experience safe is to ensure that all sled one by one as this avoids unwanted crashing.
Don’t mess with the nature: By this we mean to tell you that don’t build any artificial obstacles or jumps on the hill as these are extremely vulnerable and might break and cause injury.