Northernwolf Siberian Huskies | Sleds | Runners, Hickory, Sled, Feet, Chukchis

Never appearing so heavy or coarse as to suggest a freighting animal, nor so light and fragile as to suggest a sprint-racing animal.

Take Action: MakePovertyHistory.org

Sleds

A Chukchi Sled

The first sled frames were made of whalebone or driftwood. If they could obtain it, the Chukchis preferred hickory wood for the sleds' tapered runners, because hickory is one of the hardest woods. These hickory runners ranged in length from5 feet to more than 30 feet, with the average about 12 feet long. In preparing for a trip, the Chukchis would dip the runners in water, and let them freeze. They repeated this operation several times, until the runners became encased in several thin layers of ice that would glide easily over the snow.

The sled baskets were composed of hides. The whole sled was then lashed toether with rawhide, which gave it a flexibility and tensile strength that cannot easily be matched, even by modern materials. In cases of extreme emergency, the Chukchis reportdely carved themselves sleds out of ice cuttings.

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]