Off Road Trash Sledge

the Methuen Rail Trail is in its infancy so there is lots of off road trash and the rail bed is not yet wheel friendly.
I needed some way to get deep inaccessible unbaggable trash out to the trail head without breaking my back. This sledge should slide over the rough surface, gravel and rail road ties. Because it's made of recycled low grade materials I expect it to only last a couple of years but when it goes to the great recycle bin in the sky, another one can be made in a pinch.

Step 1: Assemble Materials

Luckily one of my tenants had tossed a couple of children's sleds. Because of their lightness, I just left them stacked 2 deep, hopefully it will last longer than a single sled.
I wanted to use a heavy gauge rubbermaid bin, but i couldn't find one to recycle.
I did have to buy the nylon rope and the fasteners. By using longer bolts and wing nuts and soft washers, the lightweight plastic bin can be removed when it gets broken and replaced with another one.

Step 2: Drill Bolt Holes

Line up the bin where you would like it to rest. I could have gone with 2 short bins or a long short one. But I wanted something deep but not so tall as it would tip over to the side while being dragged.
By using extra long bolts I can remove the bin and replace it with something else. the bolts should be smooth side towards the ground and the wingnut end towards the inside.
I used a drill bit the same size or slightly smaller than the bolts, so that the bolts have to be screwed into place. If the hole is too large the bolts will wiggle in place and worry the hole larger and the bin will end up wiggling loosely.

Step 3: Secure Bolts

for this case I used wingnuts and soft washers for easy removal, say out on the trail in case i need the sled without the bin. I almost used lock nuts. Perhaps after I have used this awhile I may decide the next one needs lock nuts. I was also concerned that this brittle cheap plastic will crack and tear from the stress. If that happens the next bin will be made of a higher grade Rubbermade plastic.

Step 4: Add Tow Rope

Thin nylon rope hurts, but a heavy soft weight would have been too expensive for the project. MY solution is to loop the rope into a triple thickness which is easier to hang on to and pull without making my hands red.
This 'crochet' type knot also makes available an unbroken 24 foot length of rope should i need it. All I need do is cut the knot off the end of the rope, pull the knot and turn it back into a single length. Then cut off a small section to reattach it as a tow rope. Of course any sort of rope can be used as a tow rope.

Step 5: Go Pick Up Trash

We have a clean up day May 2nd, and I will test drive this puppy and add some images of it being used.