Rent for Winter Fun

© Lossings

Winter Gear Rental

Taking up a new winter sport can drain your discretionary funds, a risk if you’re not certain you’ll find the new activity to your liking. Renting can be a good solution to that, and also makes travel easier if you happen to be crowding a family into a small car or taking an airline flight. You might also need to supply guests with equipment so they can join you on an outing. Ely (and Babbitt) has rentals for just about any gear you could need for an hourlong trek or a week of camping. There is nothing like a snowmobile to get you into the heart of the winter forest. When you rent an easy-to-useeven-for-beginners model at Lossing’s in Babbitt you jump on a trail system right out the door without the hassle of a trailer. Go solo or bring your buddies along well-groomed trails that can take you to the door of your favorite Ely lunch spot, the Knotted Pine in Isabella for a remote cabin overnight, the North Shore to visit Lake Superior, or any number of lakes for ice fishing. Helmets are included.

Speaking of ice fishing, you can rent a fish house from Arrowhead Outdoors. No need to freeze your patooti off just to catch fish. They have it set up on Fall Lake for walleye and perch then on Burntside for trout, with a plowed ice road to the door.

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© Chris Ellerbroek

If you prefer a quieter mode of travel, you can find snowshoes and XC skis with poles and boots for the whole family at Piragis Northwoods Company. They also have Hok skis, the latest way to enjoy winter travel. Hok skis glide like skis, but with a layer of climbing skins on the bottoms, they go uphill and through unbroken snow like snowshoes. The bindings fit most winter boots. Definitely worth trying!

You might want to rent a beautiful classic wood toboggan to haul your gear for fishing or camping, or to take the kids to Hidden Valley for an oldfashioned sledding day. The friendly folks at Northern Toboggan Co. can set you up (next door to Wintergreen) and give you useful tips for any use.

Have you been biking since you were a kid, but never gave winter cycling a try? At Ely Bike and Kicksled you can rent a fat tire bike with helmet and lock for an hour, a half-day, or a full 24 hours. With the Trezona Trail just a block away, it’s simple to give it a try. Kicksleds are also for rent and great for kids and even toddlers. For less than the cost of lunch you can take a few of them for an hour or one to share for the whole day. Discounts are available for weekly rentals.

If you’ve been loving winter activities for a while, but want to take it to the next level, a camping trip may be just the thing. At Piragis’ you can rent all you need to travel during the day and stay comfortable at night. Tents are available in two sizes—1-3 person or 3-5 person models. There’s a lightweight woodstove and chimney for the tent; a sleep system for sub-zero nights with bag, pads, liner, and pillow; and a starter camping package that includes a compact shovel, pack saw, water pot, and fire-starter kit. Pack these, your food, personal gear, and maybe tackle for ice fishing (they rent an auger) onto the pulk sled and harness they provide, and you’re off on a cold-weather adventure that is sure to impress your snowbird friends. The experienced outfitters there can give you plenty of tips to make even the most frigid nights cozy and tough trail conditions manageable.