Hilly Woods Sap Hauling

[GramaCindy]

Very interesting!

[18mile]

I have a skidoo super white track/long track with a 900 mL engine and a ottersled. I wouldn’t even attempt 50 gallons. I agree that a utv with tracks would do the job. Good luck

[Maplesapper]

This will sound outrageous, but I'm going to put it out there anyway. By virtue of my career, I've had the unique, amazing and fortunate opportunity to travel to Antarctica, Greenland and many other cold/austere locations. I led a technical team the developed a new way to haul fuel for over a thousand miles from Ross Island (McMurdo Station) to the South Pole Station in Antarctica (they need about a million gallons of fuel on hand down there). We started with tractors and stainless steel tanks with skis. They were awful, and the project was not viable using that technology. We developed bladder sleds, using 3,000-gal fuel bladders and high molecular weight polyethylene (HMW-PE) - aka "plastic" - sleds strapped to them. They are low profile, tow with very little resistance, and are extremely durable. We routinely tow them up and down hilly terrain, and over 5 and 6-ft high sastrugi (hard, wind blown snow "bumps"). They make the bladders in all shapes and sizes for potable water as well. And you can get HMW-PE and UHMW-PE ("U" is for Ultra) in all shapes, sizes and thicknesses, and cut it with routine home building equipment to custom sizes. Yes, we've even towed smaller bladder sleds behind snow machines, etc. If you have snow, I can attest to the fact that there is no more efficient way to tow high volumes of liquid. Here is a link, so you know I'm not making this up! https://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/4397/

What a forum !!
Looking at it now. Low center of gravity, low drag efficient- perfect combo.
The humorous part- I own a 1987 HUMVEE.
They may have loved the desert but stink in the snow.

[Maplesapper]

Hey 30AcreWoods-
Any idea of brand ? I am trying to source a manufacturer either here in the NE USA or Canada

[30AcreWoods]

What a forum !!
Looking at it now. Low center of gravity, low drag efficient- perfect combo.
The humorous part- I own a 1987 HUMVEE.
They may have loved the desert but stink in the snow.

They were all up-armored against IED's. Wheels suck in deep snow: high ground pressure & poor traction. Tracks rule in snow: low ground pressure with grousers that engage the shear strength of the snow - which is enhanced by the load of the vehicle acting on its tracks.

[30AcreWoods]

Hey 30AcreWoods-
Any idea of brand ? I am trying to source a manufacturer either here in the NE USA or Canada

Try to see if you can source a bladder from a company called ATL (Aero Tech Labs) out of NJ. I have no affiliation and don't earn a commission. But I do know their products work in winter conditions

You can get HMW or UHMW in a lot of places and fabricate it easily to your need. Here is one guy I know who has some examples of what you can do, I've seen his stuff all over the polar/arctic regions: https://northernsledworks.com/

[Sugarmaker]

30 acre woods,
Now that was pretty cool. The OP may have more hills in a short distance. And the CAT Challenger is the way to go for hauling out sap! Just saying.......
Regards,
Chris

[Maplesapper]

Hey 30-
Nice career-sure seems like an exciting way to spend some cold weeks.
Cannot imagine the things you were able to see.
I spent two weeks in the arctic circle- to be able to spend months would be overwhelming.

[30AcreWoods]

Haha! Indeed, things can and do get cold. Once you hit -40F/C and below, you find out quickly what equipment makes the grade. Sapper, as long as it is summer, you have 24-hrs of sunlight, so it isn't as overwhelming as you might think. We just work all the time.

Sugarmaker, the CAT/AGCO Challengers work well, the CASE/IH Quads do a fair job as well because the articulation is a benefit on slopes and turns (less skid steer required). Either would be excellent for hauling sap, no doubt!