5 Unique Ways To Go Snow Tubing
It’s winter fun that’s fast, easy, and doesn’t require any expensive equipment. Snow tubing is an exciting winter activity that the entire family will enjoy. Are you new to snow tubing and currently scratching your head, trying to figure out what it is? We’ve got you covered!
Snow tubing is basically allowing gravity, the snow, and your tube take you on an exhilarating, jolly ride downhill. Still don’t get it? Go to the top of any snowy hill and ride an inflatable inner tube all the way to the bottom of the hill— that, my friends, is snow tubing.
You don’t have to be a mountain or slope expert to enjoy this winter activity. In fact, you don’t even have to have large muscles or incredible balance. As long as you can sit down and hold on tight, snow tubing is definitely for you. If you’ve ever gone down a water slide on a tube, then you can relate the same concept to snow tubing.
If you’re ready to have the best time of your life and arguably the most fun, keep reading to learn about five unique ways to go snow tubing.
Let’s dive in!
Snow Tubing After Dark
I bet you never thought about snow tubing after dark! Picture hopping on a tube and gliding effortlessly down a tubing track illuminated by colorful floodlights shifting from pink to purple, green to blue, and red to orange. These tracks are a blast and surely an experience that won’t be forgotten. When most people think about snow tubing, they think it can only be done during the day— let them think that. Snow tubing after dark is usually less crowded, meaning the runs are much faster, and you can avoid waiting in long, tedious lines.
Glow Snow Tubing
Get yourglow on and head to a tubing track that offers an out-of-this-world experience as you zoom down the hill to the glow of neon lights, laser lights, and black lights! Before you go, you can purchase glow sticks, glow accessories like necklaces, rings, and bracelets, or even glow-in-the-dark body paint to increase the fun as you blissfully zip down the hill on your tube.
Snow Tubing With Friends
Snow tubing usually involves a single rider on a tube sliding down a hill. However, there are some really cool tubes out there that allow two, three, even four people on at once. Multiple people on one tube will increase the fun factor and your downhill speed as well! After a couple of smooth runs with your pals, ask the tube operators to give your tube a super spin, so you careen down your tubing lane in a white wonderland vortex.
Snow Tubing On A Pool Tube Float
Don’t want to fuss with crowds and prefer to sled at the local hill around the corner? Go bananas and grab yourFUNBOY Pink Banana Tube Float and get ready for one heck of a time! Not really into bananas? Maybe theTie Dye Tube Float is more up your alley! You don’t have to drop hundreds of dollars on heavy-duty snow tubes to enjoy this winter activity. Any pool tube will do, but be sure it’s made of a durable vinyl material like the ones found atFUNBOY. This way, your tube will be able to withstand the snowy terrain so you can use it again for pool fun in the summer.
Snow Tube Racing
Last on the list but definitely not least— head to a track with multiple tubing lanes and race your pals to the bottom. Just ask the snow operators to push you and your racing buddy at the exact time for a fair race. Add a friendly incentive and have the loser buy drinks. Inflate yourFUNBOY ShotSki and let the good times roll!
Best Tips For Snow Tubing
Snow tubing sounds like a blast, right? We think so too! Before you go running for the nearest snow tubing track, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Choose The Right Snow Tubing Park
Picking the right park to go tube sledding is important, especially if you’re bringing the kiddos along! Most ski resorts and parks with tubing lanes require kids to be at least five years of age, and most of them stick with forty-two inches as the minimum allowed height for all kids. These conditions, however, aren’t set in stone and do tend to vary depending on location. Before making your family reservation, save yourself from disappointing your little ones, and always check the tubing requirements.
Furthermore, parks for snow tubing differ in terms of how you get back on the hill after you’ve gone down it. Some locations provide a conveyor lift or a handle tow that provides a much easier climb back uphill, while other tubing lanes require you to walk the whole way back up. If you have young kids, climbing a steep track just to go down it again could prove to be a bit challenging.
Book Your Snow Tubing Sessions In Advance
Once you decide where you want to go snow tubing, waste no time, and book it immediately. The moment the winter season begins, everyone and their mother will want to have fun snow tubing— and it won’t take long before they overwhelm all the sweetest locations in your area. Booking snow tubing sessions in advance is easy and will take the stress off your shoulders, knowing you’ve already got reservations.
Dress For Success
The secret to long-lasting snow tubing fun is wearing the right clothing. Wearing a hefty set of waterproof winter clothes is a must. Otherwise, you risk exposing yourself to the streams of cold air as you slide down the hill. Wind chill can lead to frostbite, hypothermia, and even more serious conditions. Wear long underwear, warm socks, and waterproof outerwear boots. Don’t forget your gloves and a cozy hat, either!
Have A Change Of Clothes On Hand
Snow tubing is not only a ton of fun, but it’s great exercise! By the time you’ve got your fill and are ready to call it quits for the day, you’ll be covered in sweat. This will leave you extra vulnerable to cold temperatures and wind chills. The best way to avoid this is to simply bring extra clothes and immediately change into them right after snow tubing.
Water, Water, Water!
We can’t stress the importance of this tip enough— keep your body hydrated and be sure to guzzle down plenty of H2O. Running back up the hill with your tube is a workout. It will leave you out-of-breath, tired, hot, and sweaty, even in below-zero temperatures! Hypothermia tends to set in much more quickly when you aredehydrated, so be sure to replenish your body with lots of water before, during, and after your snow tubing adventure.
Slather On The Sunscreen
Sunscreen is extremely important,especially in the winter months. Why? Because the sun’s harmful UV rays are reflected off the snow, so any part of your body that is exposed should have sunscreen applied to it. In addition, be sure to protect your eyes with sunglasses or goggles, because the sun can essentially give your corneas a sunburn too, which leads tosnow blindness.
Watch Your Surroundings
Most snow tubing injuries take place because of recklessness. While you don’t have control over what others are doing, you’re in charge of your own responses. When snow tubing at a park or ski resort, the risk of injury is minimized because tube operators are trained to do all that they can to ensure everyone enjoys a fun and safe ride down the hill. They monitor how many people go down at a time and make sure everyone is totally off the track before sending down the next rider. Some parks and ski resorts even offer helmets as an extra layer of protection.
If you are snow tubing at the local hill in your neighborhood, the risk of injury is usually much greater because there are no operators on duty— it’s just you, your pals, your tube, and your best judgment. This means you need to be extra cautious and super aware of your surroundings because someone may come flying down the hill a little too fast, a little too soon, and knock you right off your feet. If you have little ones or if this is your child’s first-time snow tubing, it might be a good idea to start at a snow tubing park that has tube operators to make sure their first experience is a safe and enjoyable one.
RECAP
Snow tubing is an exhilarating winter activity that everyone should experience in their lifetime. Although hopping on the tube and simply riding down the hill is fun, if you want to spice things up a bit, try one of the five unique ways to go snow tubing listed above. Whether you decide to get your glow on and ride the track after dark or get your besties together to race to the bottom, we promise that you’ll have a blast!
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086
https://www.beaumont.org/health-wellness/blogs/why-sunscreen-is-just-as-important-in-the-winter
