Opening a path for my pulka in the Pulju Wilderness Area, Finland, in 2024. Sometimes leaving your gear—especially in the winter—can be nerve-wracking. Even though the chances are slim, you never know if there might be a sudden storm or low visibility, leaving you stranded without your gear.

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This river crossing is from my solo hike in the Pöyrisjärvi Wilderness Area last January. These always give me sweaty palms, especially when I'm hiking alone in the winter and dragging a heavy pulka, or in this case, two pulkas behind me. On my recent solo winter hikes, I've been pulling two pulkas, as this allows me to lower the center of gravity on the larger Fjellpulken, making it harder for it to fall over.

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Sometimes dragging the pulka requires a bit of elbow grease, stamina, and patience. During my six-week solo winter hike, there were a few occasions where the snow was so soft that I had to wade through it. When this happens and you're alone, often the easiest way to move is to first open the path some distance ahead, ski back to your pulka, bring it with you, and then repeat. This means you cover three times the distance you would if the snow could carry your weight and you could ski on the top layer.

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