During our last year we had six new Norwegian sledges twelve feet long, brought down by the ship, with tapered runners of hickory which were 33/4 inches broad in the fore part and 21/4 inches only at the stern.  I believe that this was an idea of Scott, who considered that the broad runner in front would press down a path for the tapered part which followed, the total area of friction being much less.  We took one of them into South Bay one morning and tried it against an ordinary sledge, putting 490 lbs. on each of them.  The surface included fairly soft as well as harder and more rubbly going.  There was no difference of opinion that the sledge with the tapered runners pulled easier, and later we used these sledges on the Barrier with great success.

If some instrument could be devised to test sledges in this way it would be of very great service.  No team of men can make an exact estimate of the run of their own sledge, let alone the sledge which your pony or your dogs are pulling.  Yet sledges vary enormously, and it would be an excellent thing for a leader to be able to test his sledges before buying them, and also to be able to pick out the best for his more important sledge journeys.  I believe it can be done by attaching some kind of balance between the sledge and the men pulling it.

Other points mentioned by Nansen are as follows: 

Tarred ski are good:  the snow does not stick so much. [This probably refers to the Norwegian compound known as Fahrt.] But he does not recommend tarred runners for sledges.  Having had experience of a tent of Chinese silk which would go into his pocket but was very cold, he recommends a double tent, the inner lining being detached so that ice could be shaken from both coverings.  He suggests the possibility of a woollen lining being warmer than cotton or silk or linen.  I am, however, of opinion that wool would collect more moisture from the cooker, and it certainly would be far more difficult to shake off the ice.  For four men he would have two two-men sleeping-bags and a central pole coming down between them, and the floor-cloth made in one piece with the tent.  For three men a three-man sleeping-bag:  e.g. for such a journey as our Winter Journey.  He would not brush rime, formed upon the tent by the steam from the cooker and breath, from the inside of tent before striking camp.  The more of it the warmer.  He considers that two- or three-men sleeping-bags are infinitely warmer than single bags:  objections of discomfort are overcome, for you are so tired you go to sleep anyway.  I would, however, recommend the explorer to read Scott’s remarks upon the same subject before making up his mind.[285]

FOOTNOTES: 

   [280] My own diary.

   [281] My own diary.

   [282] My own diary.

   [283] See Amundsen, The South Pole, vol. i. p. 264.

   [284] Ibid. vol. i. p. 119.