Sledding – Page 2 – Outdoor Troop

Like most people, sledding for me seems to always be a spur of the moment activity. It always becomes a scramble to find the right sled or tube to enjoy a proper day of hitting the slopes. But it doesn't have to be that way, finding the right inner tub and the right place to buy can easily be done! Inner tubes for sledding can be easily found at a variety of stores. Common locations are Home Depot, Target, LL Bean, Walmart, and Dick's Sporting Goods. Tubes are also available online on Amazon and eBay. Tire shops will often sell innertubes that can be used for sledding as well. Your options for inner tubes are not limited and you have many stores to choose from. So grab your wallet, pack up the car, and get ready to have fun bombing down hills on your newly bought inner tube! In Store (Department Stores) Options: Many regular department stores carry inner tubes of all sizes and prices. It is not too hard to find a store that carries inner tubes if you are in the city. That being said, it may be a little more difficult to find inner tubes in areas that don't have much of a winter and it can be difficult to find good options for inner tubes in the summer months. Here are some of the most popular spots to buy your sledding tubes at in-store. Target: Target has two main options for inner tubes. One is cheaper, smaller, and honestly quite interesting; while the other is large, more durable, and more expensive. "Sportsstuff 30- 1004 Giant Inflatable Pizza Snow Sled Inner Tube" Yes, you read that right! This tube is in the shape of a pepperoni pizza. It is actually a good deal, costing only $12.99. It is also made out of heavy gauge PVC material and has a cold crack additive that helps it resist cold conditions. If you like pizza and sledding this is the tube for you. If you don’t like pizza but want a cheaper option of a good quality inner tube, this is the one should buy. This is also a good option if you have kids who are just going down small hills nearby. "Sportsstuff Inflatable 48 inch Sno-Nut Snow Tube" This particular tube is quite pricy at $54.49 but seems like it is a really good quality tube. It comes equipped with a "durable double-stitched polyester cover" and a hard to puncture tarpaulin bottom. The tube itself is constructed of heavy gauge inflatable PVC material. If you are serious about your sledding, and are interested in investing in a tube, than this a great option for you. Home Depot Home Depot is surprisingly a wonderful place to find a good quality inner tube at an affordable price. Although, Home Depot is a building material/supply store they have a pretty large selection of tubes to choose from. On their website alone, they have 12 inner tubes listed as being available for in-store purchase. To save you time I have selected two that appear to be the best options at this time. "Tricam Industries 32 inch and 45 inch Swim and Snow Tube" This inner tube costs $29.54 for the 45 inch option and $15.17 for the smaller 32 inch option. Both are traditional inner tubes made out of heavy duty rubber and good for both winter and summer time use. "Pool Master Snow Wedge Sled and Swimming Pool Float" This model strays away from the more traditional looking inner tube by being triangular in shape with a groove in the middle that you can it. It costs $18.03 and includes two handles that make the sledding experience safe. Walmart You may not be surprised to see that Walmart made the list. Walmart does have many options as far as the inner tubes go, but we will just highlight three main inner tubes worth checking out. "Bradley Truck TIre Snow Tube? RIver Rafting Inner Tube" The Bradley Truck Tire Tube is a very simple and traditional inner tube. It is quite large (about 44") therefore it is perfect for adults. In addition to that, it is good to use in both the snow and in the water. The cost runs around $24.99 "RALLY Snow Tube" This tube can be ordered online and shipping is free. It is only $18 and has gotten pretty decent ratings. There are various size option available. "Paricon 39" Blizzard" This tube is definitely the cheapest option, costing $12.97. It isn't as great of quality as the other two mentioned, but nonetheless it will do the job! LL Bean LL Bean is a good place to go if you are looking for sleds, tubes, and winter clothing. They have a few options but they tend to run a little more on the expensive side. The two tubes that we will examine are very sturdy inner tubes that will probably last for multiple winter seasons. "Sonic Snow Tube" If you are willing to splurge on a high-quality inner tube, this is the one to get. The Sonic Snow Tube costs around $109 - $159, depending on what size you get. It comes with a nice nylon cover and the tube is made out of strong butyl rubber with a base made out of polyethylene and can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees F. "Sonic Snow Replacement Tubes" This is a cheaper option if you don't want to spend as much as you would on the Sonic Snow Tube. This tube is advertised as a replacement tube but it is essentially the same thing as the Sonic Snow Tube, minus the nylon cover and polyethylene base. If you want to save money and still get a decent tube I would suggest looking at this one. Cost is $29.95 - $39.95 which is dependent on size. Dick's Sporting Goods Dick's Sporting Goods is another option of a store location to buy inner tubes. This popular store sells mostly plastic and foam sleds but it also has a few inner tube options available. There are three main options for inner tubes: Snowsstuff Rally Snow Tube Like Walmart, Dick's sells the Rally Snow Tube for a price of $13.99. Airhead Blizzard 48" and 56" Snow Tube and Airhead These two options are the same tube, however, they differ in size. The 48" tube costs $29.99 and the 56" tube is $39.99. Both are made for one rider out of heavy-gauge PVC material. They are crack resistant and have electronically welded seams with a crack-resistant design that withstands temperatures as low as -25 degrees F. Online: You can find almost anything online and that includes inner tubes. There are various websites that you can use to find the perfect inner tube for you. One positive of buying online is that you can read through the rating and comments that other buyers have put before making your decision. Amazon Amazon has slews of options. Some of the highest rated options include "A-DUDU Snow Tube", "44" Huge 3 Pack New Truck Inner Tubes", and "Trans American Swim and Snow Adventure Tube". The prices on these all vary greatly, ranging from $35 to $100+. Bradley seems to be a big name brand of an inner tube that is sold through Amazon. There are seriously a ton of options, so don't be afraid to peruse. The good thing about ordering through Amazon is that you will receive your item quickly, especially if you have Amazon prime. You could plan a sledding trip three days out and you would be perfectly fine because of Amazon's two-day shipping policy. eBay Like Amazon, eBay also has many options for inner tubes. They have all different size and prices to choose from. Most of the tubes come with free shipping and return option. One good deal on eBay is their "Bradley Truck Tire Snow Tube" which you can buy at a flat price of $24.99. This particular product is sold through the "pay now" option, therefore you don't have to even bid on it. It comes with free shipping and has a generous 30-day return policy. Tire Shops Another cheap option to find inner tubes is to go to tire shops. Most sledding inner tubes come are manufactured for use as tubing for larger tires. There are various auto and tire shops that you can try out in order to find a perfect sledding tube. O'Reilly Auto Parts offers two small sizes of tires (15" and 20") that will work great for small children. Their prices range from $10 to $30 depending on the store location and inner tube you are looking at. Other Tire Shops: Big O Tires Goodyear Les Schwab Tire Center Discount Tire Note: If you are using these for little kids there will be an air stem/valve poking out of the tubes. You can tape over this to ensure your child's safety. Real inner tubes are definitely an option, but they are not great for full-grown adults and most teenagers. There's always the option to sled down on your stomach though, so if you have an inner tube laying around, go ahead and fill that baby up.