gardenville - very nice setup. I can only dream about my winter gear being as compact as yours. Where we hike and camp the temps routinely dip to -30C with 2 meters of snow the norm, so lots more gear is required.

With regards to your runners and / or a skied sled (used down hill or cross country skies).
You might try a layer of UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene). Perhaps 1/8” to 3/16” thick * 2” wide or wider. This is the same material used on skies and sometimes the boards around hockey rinks. UHMWPE is also used in some jigs and fixtures in different manufacturing applications where high wear, slippery components are required. It is easily bent and readily machined. It is also used on machines – keyways, beds, etc – where machine components are sliding back and forth. It should be available from any plastics supply house. I would affix it using countersunk #8 S.S. machine screws and a locking nut. That is to say that the runner is flat on the bottom with the nut on the topside of the aluminum runner. You shouldn’t need more than perhaps three or four rows of two screws.

When we build skied sleds we always build some “rocker” into them. This may be a none issue with your equipment, because of the short length. Mine is a five footer, but many I hike with are seven or eight feet long. This “rocker”, in your case perhaps ½”, would create a point contact for the runners on a trail, thereby making it a little easier to pull.

I’ve tried the PVC poles on the front and find them more trouble than they are worth. When you are unhitched they are either on the ground being stepped or tripped on, there is extra hardware required for attaching, they never fold back to lean against your pack without falling down or to the side, etc. I just use a length of ½” rope attached to both sides of the sled and at my waist using an old pack hip belt. This fits around my waist and is quite loose, being held up by a couple of nylon straps over my shoulders. When going down hill – and I’m only talking about gently rolling terrain – I just stop at the crest of the hill, walk behind the sled, and guide it downhill with the rope with the rope still attached at the front.

The Scout website you refer is this http://www.inquiry.net/

This is another site that I frequent. If you browse around a little, you will see a few cross posters. There are some interesting discussions that you might find informative and hopefully interesting. http://www.myccr.com/SectionForums/viewforum.php?f=36&sid=3e8190d40b51b056b46bbd5bac18d641

Sorry for the long rambling post, but it might spark some more of your brilliant and innovative ideas.