The long haul from car to rink to changing room and back to the car can be arduous. Ancient North Americans solved this problem by developing the travois. On it, they would haul their kids’ kit bags from coulee to coulee without the aid of wheels, often harnessing their dogs to pull it. Now that would make a grand entrance to your next practice! This travois is collapsible, holds a good load, and will surely make others talk about you as your kids drag their stuff across the parking lot, noisily and with panache.
To put a travois together, you will first need to select your beast of burden. If it is you, a harness is not required — your hands will do. A four-footed friend will require a belt around the midriff with an attachment on each side to fasten the sticks to it. This harness can be devised from duct tape and an old belt.
You’ll need two long lengths of stick for the sides of the travois and a couple of crosspieces between them to support the load. Attach the crosspieces by drilling holes and inserting bolts that have lock nuts on them, but leave the bolts loose enough that the pieces can still swivel and fold. Even if you don’t have a dog or a pony, this gizmo can really save your back. You carry only a fraction of the weigh of your load of hockey (or fertilizer) bags, while the travois carries the rest.