What's that Native American sled-carrier thingy?

[Tricky Grama]

The thread about the sled to pull wood out of the forest made me think of what I want to build.

Something like what the Native Americans used to pull supplies behind their horses. Do you know what I mean? It had long 'handles' like a rickshaw does & a flat part to put the stuff on. The long handles would go on each side of the horse & somehow attatch to the saddle, I guess.

What I want to do w/this is pile brush/logs/trunks on it & pull it to the various burn piles on the property. Useing our golf cart since we don't have a horse.

Thought I'd use a thin sheet of plywood w/caster-type wheels at the back of it. Have a hook & chain to attatch it to the cart. Or I could make a wooden frame & cover it in heavy canvass & pile the brush on top if that.
Who has ideas?

Patty

[Labrat407]

Travois

[wy_white_wolf]

http://www.travois.com/

[Filas are Prima]

Travois use began with dogs, transforming into horses when they became available. Often used were some of the tipi poles, with withes, or rawhide woven up for the load carrying spacer between the poles.
Travois is more useful in open, prarrie type terraine. You'd want a really smaller, narrower version of travois for trying to use them in the woods-logistics of turning a dragging object.

[Tricky Grama]

Wow-thanks...I've never heard the name b/4. Now to try to make one to haul brush...
Patty

[longshot38]

my dad and i went moose hunting a few years ago and we got 2 moose about 3 miles apart, we cleaned mine and quartered it, then dad and his buddy went to clean his, i was left to guard against bears. while they were gone, i few skinny birches and using a few nails and some light rope from my pack i built a light travios and hauled 2 quarters to the road by the time they got back to check on me. i could see the pick up and drop off spots as i went back and forth hauling the moose to the road. dad was quite impressed as he didnt think i could get anything out of that spot due to the weight involved with hauling moose.

dean

[Filas are Prima]

Originally Posted by longshot38

my dad and i went moose hunting a few years ago and we got 2 moose about 3 miles apart, we cleaned mine and quartered it, then dad and his buddy went to clean his, i was left to guard against bears. while they were gone, i few skinny birches and using a few nails and some light rope from my pack i built a light travios and hauled 2 quarters to the road by the time they got back to check on me. i could see the pick up and drop off spots as i went back and forth hauling the moose to the road. dad was quite impressed as he didnt think i could get anything out of that spot due to the weight involved with hauling moose.

dean

See there, what could be more instantly useful than a travois? Maybe the twine to bind it together?

[pheasantplucker]

We use an old toboggan.

[Valduare]

another term they go by is "Sulky"

I know it would be extra weight but could you carry a couple of those bicycle trainning wheels in your pack. Then when you need and make a travois you could tie or bolt the trainning wheels on to the ends and pull it along the ground a little easier.

[DavidUnderwood]

I'm pretty sure "travois" is a French word.
Wonder what the natives called it?
Would depend on which nation it was,
I guess.

[longshot38]

one note about travois, they dont work on rough and rocky ground, they need a relatively smooth surface to drag on if its too rough things just get harder to pull.

dean

[TexasArtist]

since it's going to be pulled behind a golf cart why don't you make a cart with whell similar to a cart for a bicycle. It would have wheels and would ride over rough surfaces.

[diamondtim]

Why not attach a ball to the golf cart and pull a small utility trailer? My friend does this with his ATV's.

[SteveD(TX)]

I've always called that a "litter".

[Tricky Grama]

Originally Posted by DavidUnderwood

I'm pretty sure "travois" is a French word.
Wonder what the natives called it?
Would depend on which nation it was,
I guess.

Maybe Iroquois?

[Tricky Grama]

Originally Posted by TexasArtist

since it's going to be pulled behind a golf cart why don't you make a cart with whell similar to a cart for a bicycle. It would have wheels and would ride over rough surfaces.

I have 2 heavy duty caster-type wheels to nail under the back end.

Patty

[HOTW]

Actually Iroquois is a french word that the French used to call the Nations..