Homemade All-Terrain Dog Sleds

Flexibility and strength are the key components of a homemade dog sled built to glide smoothly over all terrain. A basic dog sled consists of two runners, a frame that holds the runners in position, a brush bow, handlebar, brake and a bed for a toboggan sled or a basket for a basket sled.

  1. Dog Sled Design

    • A homemade all-terrain dog sled is designed to be low and wide for stability. Strong suspension is also a key design feature so the sled can withstand all types of terrain. Finally, an effective braking system is crucial to the design of the sled. The braking system allows a musher to avoid damage to the sled from obstacles such as rocks and trees.

    Sled Dog Materials

    • Some dog sleds are made primarily out of wood while others use more metal and plastic. Whatever materials are used to make the sled, the focus must be on lightness, strength and flexibility. Too much flexibility can make a sled difficult to control and too little can cause the sled to break apart. White ash and birch are commonly used for the wood parts of a sled. Ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) plastic is typically used for the runners and for the bed of a toboggan sled.

    Runners

    • Building the proper runners for a homemade dog sled designed to cover all terrain is critical. Wider runners handle soft snow better and longer runners travel better over rough country. The plastic on the runners on the sled take quite a beating and have to be changed often. The quick change runner system (QCR) is an aluminum rail which is attached to the runners and new runner plastic slides over the rail. This system saves the musher a lot of time but it is expensive to install. The runners are bolted to the forward crossbar and to the handlebar struts.

    Toboggan or Basket Sled

    • The two types of dog sleds are toboggan and basket. The bed of a toboggan sled is made out of UHMW plastic, sits about 2 inches above the surface and is bolted to the runners. A basket sled has a raised bed made out of wood that sits about 10 inches above the ground. Basket sleds perform better on glare ice, hard-pack and side-hills. Loaded basket sleds are however, less maneuverable and stable than a loaded toboggan sled.