I agonized for a long time about whether to tow a sled or take a packpack to carry my required gear. The list of required gear is: a Minus-20 sleeping bag; Insulated sleeping pad; Bivy sack or tent; matches or lighter; Stove; 8 oz. fuel, cooking Pot; 2-qt insulated water container; Headlamp or flashlight; 1-day of food at ALL times (3000 calories); 15 lbs of gear at ALL times. Tim Kelley (from here on refered to simply as 'da Man'), has a sweet sled set-up, but many of the other skiers prefer a pack. Since I didn't have the time or workshop to build a sled, I went with a pack instead. My pack, when full of gear, water, and clothing weighed about 26 pounds.