4 | Snowmobile VERMONT LETTERS 26Vast Lane, Barre,VT 05641 • editor@vtvast.org • facebook.com/VTVAST Next issue...THEN & NOW Send in a photo of yourself, a friend or family member snowmobiling in the 60s, 70s or 80s and one of riding in recent years! Send your photos and captions to editor@vtvast.org ? What's your favorite piece of gear or accessory My family and I enjoy riding the VAST trail system and recently stumbled on a great new product called Toasty Tot Handlebars. I easily installed them on my Ski-Doo Renegade and it gives my daughter a place to hold on and keep her hands warm to enjoy longer family rides on VAST trails! – Ronald Miller, Green Mountian Trailblazers My favorite gear is my BIGFOOT cargo carrier. It is custom made and allows me to carry a great deal of stuff “just in case” I encounter a problem when snowmobiling. There have been a number of times where I had the opportunity to help a fellow snowmobiler out of a jam with the “stuff” I carry along on my trips, such as extra gas or oil, tools to help fix a machine, cable and come-a-long to get someone out of a ditch. The BIGFOOT is extremely lightweight, about 60 pounds, and tows significantly easy behind any snowmobile and can carry up to 18 cubic feet of stuff. – Charles Partridge Your request for a favorite piece of equipment made me think of my Polaris helmets. The one on the right is the original 1981 open face and half mask. By the time that wore out in the mid 90s, all the helmets were wild designs and colors, which was not going to work for me! I bought a solid black one and had it custom painted (middle helmet in photo) by Meyers Mask to match the original. A few years back, the open face electric shield became too scratched to use and because only us old guys still used open helmets, they no longer make open face electric shields. I reluctantly bought another black one and had them paint that to match the original. Meyers Mask is in Worcester, Mass. and has also done some NHL goalie masks. – Rick Ringgard, Lyndon Sno-Cruisers One of my favorite pieces of gear is called a SnowCoach. They come in many sizes and colors with a lot of options for the kids to have, such as heat and a radio! The one I use is a basic model, but I like it for the fact that my kids can get out and enjoy the trails in comfort with the family! – Brandon Phillips, Drift Dusters Snowmobile Club