One of our side gigs is building fun trucks to tow our sled trailers with. Part of that endeavor has been testing and trying out a wide variety of light truck all-terrain, rugged-terrain and mud-terrain tires. Our latest tire test: BFGoodrich’s new (ish) HD-Terrain T/A KT.

This tire is said to be designed for modern diesel pickups, which produce more horsepower and torque than most modified diesel pickups of 10 years ago were making. That extra torque, plus the added weight of not only the diesel pickup but also the loads they tend to carry and pull, puts added wear and tear on tires.

Our 2020 Ford F350 Super Duty 6.7L Power Stroke tows a 28-foot Trails West RPM gooseneck snowmobile trailer frequently throughout the year, so our truck meets those demands. However, we also spend a chunk of our annual miles on winter roads. So we tend to feel traction differently than say a cattle rancher in Texas.

There are countless reasons someone might want to wrap their sled, but regardless of the motivation, not all wrap companies are created equal. Some companies boast of customization but Deviant Ink takes it to a whole new level and beyond. Its nearly endless design options are only a starting point as you can dial in the colors, add logos or anything else you can dream of to help make your sled unique and unlike any other sled out there.

When Dave Friedli was fed up with his 2022 Ski-Doo Summit Expert Turbo 165 looking like all the other Ski-Doo sleds he was seeing in the mountains, he began researching wrap companies.

“My whole approach heading into this was to not look like the other guy,” recalls Dave. “I didn’t like being like everyone else on a stock sled. I just wanted to have my own distinctive look and that’s when I came across Deviant Ink. I couldn’t find anyone who could compare in quality or the ease of website to design a wrap that I feel would be perfect for my sled.”

If you tend to haul your sled in the bed of your pickup, then having a tonneau cover for all of those other times you’re not heading into the mountains is hard to justify. The main problem is most tonneau covers roll or fold up when not in use and take up a large section of the front of your bed. This can be a real deal-breaker for sled hauling, especially if your truck bed is 6-foot, 2 inches like the one on our 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. With every inch counting in an attempt to keep your sled from hanging too far past your tailgate, you simply can’t afford to give up precious room with a traditional folded tonneau cover. Plus uninstalling and re-installing your entire tonneau cover between riding trips would waste a lot of time and is just not practical.

However, one manufacturer has it figured out. Peragon Bed Covers is a Wisconsin-based company who specializes in a variety of tonneau covers for all makes and models. What makes Peragon different from others is its covers are quickly folded and easily removed when you need access to your entire truck bed.

“While I’m at it,” turned out to be a dangerous phrase as I was poking around for new FXR gear on the fxrracing.com website last fall. This is a phrase that often gets me in trouble and let’s just say it is something my wife doesn’t always appreciate about me.

My online search started out simple enough, one glimpse of the Helium X 2-in-1 Jacket from FXR and I knew I had to have it for conquering the backcountry this season. The jacket ($399.99) verbiage boasted it as the ultimate blend of waterproofing, breathability, protection, and mobility that’s engineered for the way that you ride. Who am I to argue? The problem wasn’t the Lycra cuffs or the adjustable wind skirt that keeps snow out, or the removable liner, or even the dry vent system that allow riders to adapt to changing winter conditions. The jacket turned out to be perfect for my needs. The problem was I couldn’t just stop there with my shopping.

When you’re miles from civilization out enjoying true mountain riding, any snack or bite of food you can find is appreciated. Basically whatever you have in your pack that gives you a boost of energy to help get you back to the trailer will work. However, if you ride often enough, those cold peanut butter sandwiches or a sleeve of crackers and cheese for your lunch tend to get old fast. Believe it or not, a warm meal when you’re in the middle of nowhere is very much possible. The HOT POT has been around for years, yet still remains a true game-changer for backcountry riders.

The stainless steel cook-pot is ideal for warming hot dogs, burritos or even chili, using the heat from your sled’s engine. I decided to give it a try and the installation couldn’t have been any easier. Each kit comes complete with an aluminum heat transfer base and all the mounting hardware you need to install it on most snowmobiles.