Stardancer Mushing
Equipment
Early Period Toboggan:
Click on picture to enlarge
Toboggans were the
most common type of sleds used in Interior regions during the
eighteenth and early 19th centuries. Toboggans remained in
use in much of the Canadian Interior well into the 20th century.
A Native American / First
Nations' invention, toboggans were easily constructed with
simple tools and materials that were readily available in
wilderness settings. They were also very efficient in deep
snow on unpacked trails.
Stardancer Historical
Freight Dogs toboggan was custom built for our team by
Northern Toboggan and Sled of
Warroad, MN. It is made of steam-bent oak boards with
solid oak cleats. With it's tub-like enclosure it is a
type that was historically used primarily for transporting
passengers, called a "cariole". Our cariole is
about 12 feet long with an 8 foot long cargo area, but is only
18" wide - allowing it to fit within a track broken out on
snowshoes.
Although representative of
a historical cariole, dog safety dictates that it be equipped
with an modern efficient bar brake and synthetic lines.
Our toboggan is used most frequently for reenacting dog mushing
practices of the late eighteenth and early 19th centuries.
Basket or "Stanchion"
Sled:
Click on picture to enlarge
As more people moved into
the Canadian and Alaskan frontiers in the late eighteenth
century the demand for heavier loads of freight coupled with the
proliferation of hard-packed required a different type of sled.
With it's narrow runners that slide easily on packed trails and
elevated cargo bed, the basket sled evolved from the Inuit "kommatik"
to become the most common type of sled in use.
Built by my friend Terry
Riley at a time when he lived in the bush and earned his living
trapping furs, our team's basket sled is representative of a
type that was most popular among trappers, prospectors and other
bush dwellers from the late 1880s through the present day.
All of the wooden parts of this sled are lashed together rather
than using metal fasteners.
It has been modified with
the addition of a modern plastic brush bow, a bar-brake and drag
mat to prevent accidents that might injure the dogs.
Toboggan Sled:
Click on picture to enlarge
The toboggan sled is a late 20th
century innovation that combines the best features of a toboggan
with those of a basket sled to create a sturdy, durable and very
efficient dog sled. A toboggan sled has the broad, curved
bottom of a toboggan, but sits on 2" runners for more efficient
travel on hard packed trails. Modern toboggan sleds made
of ultralight materials are very popular among modern
middle-distance and long-distance sled dog racers.
Built by Terry Riley while
he lived a subsistence lifestyle in the bush, our sturdy
toboggan sled is used most frequently as a training sled to
prevent unnecessary wear and tear on our more historically
authentic equipment.
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