Pick the sled for snow, the travois for rough bare ground or forest floor, and a cart or wagon for any usable road or track. For a 100 kg load the pull is about 36 kgf on a travois over dirt, 4-10 kgf on a sled over snow, and 3-8 kgf on a wheeled cart on a dirt road, so the right choice for the terrain matters far more than the effort put in.
Part of Sled & Travois Construction
Terrain and technique cover choosing between sled, travois and wheel for a given surface, and handling slopes and crossings with each.
The Choice Is Mostly Made By The Ground
| Condition | Best option |
|---|---|
| Snow on the ground | Sled |
| No road, forest floor | Travois |
| Rough trail, no snow | Travois |
| Any usable road or track | Cart or wagon |
| Crossing open meadow (wet) | Sled or travois |
| Emergency evacuation of an injured person | Travois (fastest to build) |
| Long-distance winter freight | Dog sled |
This is the guide from the parent article, and the sections that follow put numbers on it.
What 100 kg Costs On Each
Using the friction figures already used in this set (the dirt and rolling values from The Wheel; the snow values recalled from textbook tables and offered as orders of magnitude only):
| Vehicle and surface | Coefficient | Pull for a 100 kg load |
|---|---|---|
| Travois on dirt (ground carries 71% of the load, friction 0.5) | 0.5 × 0.71 | about 36 kgf (Travois Design) |
| Sled, waxed wood on wet snow | 0.1 | 10 kgf |
| Sled, waxed wood on dry snow | 0.04 | 4 kgf |
| Cart wheel on dirt road | 0.03-0.08 | 3-8 kgf |
Against the travois, a sled on snow or a cart on a dirt road needs 36 / 10 = 3.6 to 36 / 3 = 12 times less pull. The travois earns its place where nothing else can go.
Handling Slopes
- Downhill with a sled: a sled runs away on any grade steeper than its friction coefficient: about 4% on dry snow and about 10% on wet snow (Sled Frame Construction). Use a brake or a rope held from behind.
- Downhill with a travois: the load pushes forward on the poles and can overrun the puller. Take it slowly and keep a way to drop the harness (Human-Pulled Travois).
- Uphill: the pull rises with the grade; cut the load or make two trips.
- Side slopes: loads slide sideways; keep them low and lashed.
Crossings
Do not cross ice of unknown thickness with a loaded sled. Test ahead on foot with a pole or axe and spread the load. Streams: lift a travois out of the water, since wet rawhide lashing loosens, and cross at fords you have tested.
What You Need
- A map of the route with grades noted (Route Planning)
- The right vehicle for the main surface
- A brake or drag rope, spare lashing and cold-weather gear
Common Mistakes
- Using a sled on bare ground — it drags like a travois, with worse wear.
- Using a wheel off the road — a cart on rough ground or soft mud is worse than a travois.
- Ignoring the grade — loads that suit the flat do not suit the slope.
- Starting from a ford without testing it — wet loads, wet lashing and cold water compound.
Safety
Ice, slopes and loads
A loaded sled on a slope or on thin ice can overrun, break through or drag the puller in. Test ice, keep slopes gentle, never cross unknown ice alone, and carry a release for any harness. For cold injuries, see Hypothermia Recognition and Rewarming.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Snow Conditions — adjusting for the snow
- Combine with: Non-Snow Dragging — sleds without snow