The first order of business is to obtain a plastic sled.  The sled should be designed so that it tracks straight, rides up over and doesn't plow through soft snow, holds the amount of gear you intend to bring and has a lip on the front to mount your hitch hardware.  My favorite sled is made by SLM (Saint Lawrence Manufacturing) in Canada.  But unfortunately, these perfectly shaped sleds that once were sold for 10 dollars a piece in sports and grocery stores in the 80's and 90's are no longer made.  So you will have to search to find something that will work for you.

To protect the plastic on the bottom of the sled from ice and rocks I attach dog sled runners to the base of the sled.  I do this by using the QCR (Quick Change Runner) runner system.  Mushing supply stores or web sites will have access to QCR or the equivalent.  The end result with QCR are plastic runners with no holes or screws showing on the base.

The single-pole aspect of this sled is defined in the hitch and harnessing arrangement.  Attached to the sled is a rigid pivot that moves up and down.  I make this using Hollaender "Speed Rail" parts.  These are parts that are used to make metal railing like you might see for industrial hand rails.  You can buy them off the web.  A six foot section of aluminum tubing is used to run from the hitch to the harness.  Aluminum tubing can be bought at local hardware stores.

The six foot pole is attached on the other end to a universal joint that is connected to a hip belt.  For a universal joint - I use a metal sheetrock pole sander head.  I modify the connector of the pole sander had to fit the tubing (see below).  I then pop rivet the sanding head to a weight lifting belt.  I like weigh lifting belts for this application instead of packframe hip belts, they are more comfortable and easier to attach the sander head to.

Here you can see a piece of white plastic I used to reinforce the sled tip.  This helps keep the sled tip from cracking or breaking in situations when the sled is stressed heavily.  (If you want to get really fancy - you can reinforce the sled lip with carbon fiber like the picture of the green sled up higher on this web page).  For fastener hardware I use stainless steel.  And the nuts are all nylon lock nuts so they don't jiggle loose.

For a waist belt, I like to use nylon weight lifting belts.  The nylon webbing that goes around the belt is great for attaching the pole sander head.  Above (on the left) you can see the metal pole sander head pop riveted to the waist belt.  On the photo above and to the right you can see how the attachment of the aluminum tubing to the sander head works.  The aluminum tubing slides over the threaded stub of sander head (note: you may have to grind down the threads to make the tubing slide over the stub).  Covering the the tubing I make a sleeve from aluminum pipe.  This gives extra strength to the connection (I've never had this part break or fail, at least not yet!).  Through the sleeve, the tubing and the pole sander connection stub I drill a hole and connect it all together with a clevis pin.