I'm working on a new tool for the backcountry, let me know what you think

nosebutterpizzaThis would be really dope as long as the price is right

BigPurpleSkiSuitSeems more applicable to take to a jump sesh than a real tour

Not to discourage you, but I’m wondering how portable a rope tow could really be. Say you wanted to lap something that’s 100 feet, you need 200 feet of cable and just that alone is a lot to carry into the backcountry. Are you gonna power it with a battery or are you bringing a generator? Seems dope for backyard setups but I don’t know about actual backcountry? Again, I don’t want to discourage you but maybe you can tell us a little more about how you plan on implementing it?

DogfartLooking forward to a prototype but given the need for light travel in the BC and usage in steep descents, not sure how useful this will be for touring

PoikenzDo you have more info about the battery or is it all still theory? What is the charge time? How will it charge? Would it be possible to swap batteries? Swapping batteries would make sense if people wish to hot lap with this tool as 800 m can go by extremely fast, especially if that is an at best rating not at sub zero temperatures.

Is it waterproof or shockproof?
What if the cord gets wet or dirty (important for spring)? How will it affect the pulley system?
Can the cord be tied at both ends

For your step by step guide wouldn't it make more sense to lay the cord down on your assent so you don't waste your first run? I know it's kind of a stupid question but it might help more people get behind it.

Cool product idea with a lot of potential though. Depending on how it turns out I would definitely purchase

**This post was edited on May 2nd 2020 at 8:52:43am

canadianskierThanks for the feedback!

The range is based on the capacity of the 44.4V battery setup I am currently using in my prototype. On the current prototype it is still a bit of a pain to change the battery, and there is a bit of a process to charge it as well. I would like to make swapping batteries and charging them easier for production models. For the production models, they would come with a power supply you could plug into the wall to charge the battery in an hour or two.

It will be water resistant. Should be fine to fall in the snow and get wet, but if it's submerged in water you could likely have issues. It will have some shock resistance as well. The outer frame is urethane.

As long as there isn't substantial debris that could jam anything up and the cord isn't damaged, you should be OK pulling it. It will grip a wet rope fine.

You could potentially lay out the rope as you go up, but during testing I've found it to be easier to lay it out as you go down. There's a couple reasons for this: focusing on laying out the rope as you skin up is a pain; I don't recommend fixing the rope at the bottom, because then it is a potential hazard, so you have to be more active in laying out the rope; If you don't use the full length, it is easier to tie it off at the top.

BigPurpleSkiSuitWhy not tie it off at both top and bottom?

buenoThis is a sick idea. Something I was thinking is that with how long people like their backcountry runs to be, how the small motor has to pull you up a slope through fresh snow, and how heavy rope is, I think this is much more applicable to a jump session or lapping a rail like said above. I think you're onto something with this idea but personally dont see it catching on in the backcountry.

Also for the jump session/rail lapping idea, it would have to be a type of rope-tow system where you don't have to bring the motor back down each run.

DogfartLooking forward to a prototype but given the need for light travel in the BC and usage in steep descents, not sure how useful this will be for touring

Kevin_BangI feel like this is the most important question that nobody has asked. How do you bring the device back down to the bottom of the rope? Are you supposed to take it off the rope and put it in your backpack till you get to the bottom? It’s the only logical answer I can think of

elm.If the rope was fixed on both ends and tense, could you let the motor slide down on its own?

Then you could get some serious party laps, otherwise you'd have to take turns.

Cool idea! If this works, maybe consider a portable system that can be affixed designed for multiple people.

canadianskier

So I posted this in the backcountry section already, but I think it will be helpful for me to get more eyes on it here.
For the last while I've been developing a portable rope tow system intended for backcountry skiing and splitboarding. My plan is to continue prototyping and launch a kickstarter campaign sometime next season. I'm hoping to get more feedback on the idea now in order to make sure I'm building something people will actually want.

If you have a sec, I'd appreciate it if you could fill out a super short survey for me here. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time!

You can also learn more about it at www.zoaeng.com

Let me know what you think and if you have any questions.

teamdummySo I get to lug an extra 10 pound box around with me all day? Yay.

animatorPiss off, since when is it cool to not support other skiers when they have cool, real, ideas with a lot of potential? Skiers are a community bro, don’t be that asshole

teamdummySo this little box is gonna tow 150 pound skiers, up hill, through who knows what kind of snow- pow, corn, slush, at backcountry kind of slope angles? The torque needed for that kind of force is going to come from a hand held “box”? There’s some pretty large physics problems to overcome for this to work. Have you seen the size of the winches that companies like Level 1 use to tow dudes into urban features? Gas powered motors to generate enough force. And that’s usually across flat ground into a feature. Seems kinda like vapor ware to me.

Caveman.Electric motors can produce way more torque than gasoline engines, the problem is really with fuel storage (gasoline vs battery power) Have you ever seen an electric car or motorcycle accelerate compared with a gasoline engine? Locomotives have been powered by electricity for decades, they just burn diesel to generate electricity.

TRVP_ANGELLooking forward to a prototype but given the need for light travel in the BC and usage in steep descents, not sure how useful this will be for touring

chris.goodhueMy buddy actually showed me a video of someone using this exact concept!

This guy in Montana who owns a bunch of land, or at least has access to it, has set up ropes going up these tree runs. He then modified a chainsaw, took off the blade and chain, to accept the rope and uses in to pull him up. He then proceeds to take the chainsaw body and ski down with it, to then do it all over again.

I can't find the video, it was pretty obscure, but the idea is there!

deathcookieThe rope would need to be really long to make it worth it. 200 or 300ft in distance is nothing.

Also, the concern that other skiers cross the line when it is tensioned (ie somebody going uphill) definitely needs to be considered. People have gotten sliced in half by groomer winch cables.