A hand-pulled sled differs from a travois in having distinct runners that ride on the surface, which cuts friction sharply on snow, ice and smooth terrain: a person can pull 50-100 kg on one, and a horse 200-400 kg. For a 100 kg load, the pull on waxed-wood runners over snow is roughly 29-98 N, against about 490 N to drag the same load over dirt.
Part of Sled & Travois Construction
A hand sled is a low frame on two runners, pulled by a rope or harness, that slides over snow, ice or smooth ground carrying 50-100 kg for a person.
Runners Replace Rubbing With Gliding
A travois drags its pole ends over the ground, with all the roughness that implies. A sled puts the load on smooth runners that ride over the surface, and the friction coefficient drops. Pull force on level ground is the coefficient times the weight. For a 100 kg load (981 N), with the coefficients used here recalled from textbook tables and meant as orders of magnitude:
| Surface | Friction coefficient | Pull on level ground |
|---|---|---|
| Wood dragged on dirt (sliding, from The Wheel) | 0.4-0.6, say 0.5 | 0.5 × 981 = 490 N |
| Waxed wood on wet snow | about 0.1 | 98 N |
| Waxed wood on dry snow | about 0.04 | 39 N |
| Ice on ice | about 0.03 | 29 N |
Compared with dirt, wet snow needs 490 / 98 = 5 times less pull, dry snow 490 / 39 = 12.6 times less, and ice 490 / 29 = 17 times less. A sled on good snow is one of the most efficient ways to move a load by muscle. The coefficients vary with snow temperature and condition (Snow Conditions).
What A Sled Looks Like
- Length: 150-180 cm
- Width: 60-80 cm
- Runner height: low, 5-8 cm above ground
- Capacity: 50-100 kg pulled by a person, 200-400 kg by a horse
Construction is in Basic Sled Construction, and runners and ice-coating in Runner Design & Icing.
When To Choose It
A sled is best where there is snow on the ground, and also works on wet meadows. On bare, rough ground a travois is better (Travois Design), and on a usable road a cart (Cart & Wagon Construction). The parent article’s guide is repeated in Terrain & Technique.
What You Need
- Runners and cross-members of hardwood
- A floor of planks or poles
- A pull rope or harness
- Cordage and tools to lash and repair
Common Mistakes
- Using a sled on bare ground — the runners grind and the friction is that of dragging.
- Overloading — 50-100 kg is the person-pulled range.
- Runners left rough — the smoother the runner, the lower the pull.
- Forgetting the brake on a downhill — the sled overruns the puller.
Safety
Cold, wet hands and runaway sleds
Pulling in snow and handling wet runners in freezing weather risks frostbite and hypothermia; see Frostbite: Warm Water Soak Treatment and Hypothermia Recognition and Rewarming. A loaded sled on a slope can overrun the puller and strike the legs: keep a rope you can drop, never stand downhill of the load, and stay off slopes steeper than you can hold it on.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Basic Sled Construction — how to build it
- Combine with: Dog Sled Design — the animal-powered version