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The Dangers of Dog Sledding

Lost in the mystique and romanticism surrounding dog sledding is the danger that comes with it. Dog sledding is one of the most dangerous activities out there, not because sledding itself is actually dangerous, but because the environment that dog sledding requires can be harsh and unforgiving. If you get stranded while dog sledding, even if you are only a few miles from civilization, things can quickly get out of control if you are unprepared. Getting stranded is a sled driver’s worst nightmare because in many cases there isn’t much you can do except to wait until help arrives, if help arrives. A dog sled team can get stranded for many different reasons and not all of them are easy to prepare for. If a gang line or a harness breaks those can generally be repaired or replaced easy enough but if you get hurt or the sled gets damaged you may not have many options.
Another danger of dog sledding is the wilderness itself. Wild animals can pose a significant threat to your sled team, especially if you find yourself having to stop for the night with no shelter. Wolves and bears are a constant concern for dog sled drivers in the wild and that is why most sled drives carry a rifle or some other weapon with them at all times. Another danger that most sled drivers don’t ever even think about is illness. If one of the dogs gets hurt or sick it may slow the team down but they can still go on but if the driver gets sick the sled team could lose direction. Getting sick while dog sledding tends to be one of the life endangering risks that most sled drives have already accepted because there isn’t really much they can do about it other than to keep themselves as healthy as possible.
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