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Steve Bird
Steve Bird
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I recall one of his stories had everyone sleep out of the house on raised beds while in the tropics. Some issues for the notion, such as there were no guard rails and it was quite a fall, what if it rained, and bugs. TheThe mosquito trouble would be a big handicap.

Point is that we should analyze in detail, and other answers are pretty good as to prior attempts. Ice is far better on average since the base is much more uniform, thinning ice not-with-standing. Ice roads of Canada, Russia, and other locations in season heavily use lake, river, and even sea ice where suitable. ThereThere are three companies that make up most of that business in Canada, all in Alberta as recalled.

The land yacht was about the same, after its apparent invention circa 1600. It could be done on beaches, especially if the wind was right (see the painting 'ship of fools'), and maybe had some potential in the Basin & Range areas of the US, such as the dried mud Black Rock Desert or the Bonneville Salt Flats which are billiard table flat playa, but this type of topography is not the norm. Some dry places such as in the Salton Sink are of the Mojave Desert, land yacht were used to some effect. More recently the recreational activity of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasailingparasailing has become popular as a sport.

My guess is that the smuggling issue was the heyday of sailing overland with snowy ground. This is not unknown elsewhere, and indeed is nearly universal in advanced trading networks. For example, in the book Salt, A World HistorySalt, A World History by Mark Kurlansky, pg.165 mentions that the Austrian salt monopoly was used to maximize tax revenue. To circumvent this, smuggling networks were formed using a variety of high mountain trails and passes. This salt was sold at considerably lower cost since there were no taxes paid, and thus the tax revenue disappeared.

Pg 165 "Transporting on land was expensive because tolls were established along the roadways for wagons carrying salt. The inevitable response was a network of paths over rugged mountain passes for smugglers carrying illegal salt, which they could sell for less because they paid no tolls."

Transporting on land was expensive because tolls were established along the roadways for wagons carrying salt. The inevitable response was a network of paths over rugged mountain passes for smugglers carrying illegal salt, which they could sell for less because they paid no tolls.

Pg 163 "In the seventeenth century, an archbishop named Wolf Dietrich tried to dominate the salt market by dramatically lowering the selling price for salt from his mines, especially Durnberg. For a time Dietrich made tremendous profits, some of which were used to build grand baroque buildings in Salzburg. Bavaria retaliated by banning trade with Salzburg, and this eventually led to a "salt war", a conflict which Dietrich lost... after five years in prison, died in 1617."

In the seventeenth century, an archbishop named Wolf Dietrich tried to dominate the salt market by dramatically lowering the selling price for salt from his mines, especially Durnberg. For a time Dietrich made tremendous profits, some of which were used to build grand baroque buildings in Salzburg. Bavaria retaliated by banning trade with Salzburg, and this eventually led to a "salt war", a conflict which Dietrich lost... after five years in prison, died in 1617.

You get the idea. TradingTrading has always been potentially a dog eat dog-eat-dog world, and just because some onesomeone lived 5,000 years ago did not mean they didn't or couldn't trade.

Trading networks would be erratic, yet profitable to active, dynamic and weather hardened smugglers. For an active researcher, these trading networks are of key focus. Similar to the maroons runaway slave trading networksmaroons runaway slave trading networks done by Dan Sayers https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/deep-swamps-archaeologists-fugitive-slaves-kept-freedom-180960122/ areare another template. While hard to do excavations due to limited site presence and excavation presence, the potential is there.

I recall one of his stories had everyone sleep out of the house on raised beds while in the tropics. Some issues for the notion, such as there were no guard rails and it was quite a fall, what if it rained, and bugs. The mosquito trouble would be a big handicap.

Point is that we should analyze in detail, and other answers are pretty good as to prior attempts. Ice is far better on average since the base is much more uniform, thinning ice not-with-standing. Ice roads of Canada, Russia, and other locations in season heavily use lake, river, and even sea ice where suitable. There are three companies that make up most of that business in Canada, all in Alberta as recalled.

The land yacht was about the same, after its apparent invention circa 1600. It could be done on beaches, especially if the wind was right (see the painting 'ship of fools'), and maybe had some potential in the Basin & Range areas of the US, such as the dried mud Black Rock Desert or the Bonneville Salt Flats which are billiard table flat playa, but this type of topography is not the norm. Some dry places such as in the Salton Sink are of the Mojave Desert, land yacht were used to some effect. More recently the recreational activity of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasailing has become popular as a sport.

My guess is that the smuggling issue was the heyday of sailing overland with snowy ground. This is not unknown elsewhere, and indeed is nearly universal in advanced trading networks. For example, in the book Salt, A World History by Mark Kurlansky, pg.165 mentions that the Austrian salt monopoly was used to maximize tax revenue. To circumvent this, smuggling networks were formed using a variety of high mountain trails and passes. This salt was sold at considerably lower cost since there were no taxes paid, and thus the tax revenue disappeared.

Pg 165 "Transporting on land was expensive because tolls were established along the roadways for wagons carrying salt. The inevitable response was a network of paths over rugged mountain passes for smugglers carrying illegal salt, which they could sell for less because they paid no tolls."

Pg 163 "In the seventeenth century, an archbishop named Wolf Dietrich tried to dominate the salt market by dramatically lowering the selling price for salt from his mines, especially Durnberg. For a time Dietrich made tremendous profits, some of which were used to build grand baroque buildings in Salzburg. Bavaria retaliated by banning trade with Salzburg, and this eventually led to a "salt war", a conflict which Dietrich lost... after five years in prison, died in 1617."

You get the idea. Trading has always been potentially a dog eat dog world, and just because some one lived 5,000 years ago did not mean they didn't or couldn't trade.

Trading networks would be erratic, yet profitable to active, dynamic and weather hardened smugglers. For an active researcher, these trading networks are of key focus. Similar to the maroons runaway slave trading networks done by Dan Sayers https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/deep-swamps-archaeologists-fugitive-slaves-kept-freedom-180960122/ are another template. While hard to do excavations due to limited site presence and excavation presence, the potential is there.

I recall one of his stories had everyone sleep out of the house on raised beds while in the tropics. Some issues for the notion, such as there were no guard rails and it was quite a fall, what if it rained, and bugs. The mosquito trouble would be a big handicap.

Point is that we should analyze in detail, and other answers are pretty good as to prior attempts. Ice is far better on average since the base is much more uniform, thinning ice not-with-standing. Ice roads of Canada, Russia, and other locations in season heavily use lake, river, and even sea ice where suitable. There are three companies that make up most of that business in Canada, all in Alberta as recalled.

The land yacht was about the same, after its apparent invention circa 1600. It could be done on beaches, especially if the wind was right (see the painting 'ship of fools'), and maybe had some potential in the Basin & Range areas of the US, such as the dried mud Black Rock Desert or the Bonneville Salt Flats which are billiard table flat playa, but this type of topography is not the norm. Some dry places such as in the Salton Sink are of the Mojave Desert, land yacht were used to some effect. More recently the recreational activity of parasailing has become popular as a sport.

My guess is that the smuggling issue was the heyday of sailing overland with snowy ground. This is not unknown elsewhere, and indeed is nearly universal in advanced trading networks. For example, in the book Salt, A World History by Mark Kurlansky, pg.165 mentions that the Austrian salt monopoly was used to maximize tax revenue. To circumvent this, smuggling networks were formed using a variety of high mountain trails and passes. This salt was sold at considerably lower cost since there were no taxes paid, and thus the tax revenue disappeared.

Pg 165

Transporting on land was expensive because tolls were established along the roadways for wagons carrying salt. The inevitable response was a network of paths over rugged mountain passes for smugglers carrying illegal salt, which they could sell for less because they paid no tolls.

Pg 163

In the seventeenth century, an archbishop named Wolf Dietrich tried to dominate the salt market by dramatically lowering the selling price for salt from his mines, especially Durnberg. For a time Dietrich made tremendous profits, some of which were used to build grand baroque buildings in Salzburg. Bavaria retaliated by banning trade with Salzburg, and this eventually led to a "salt war", a conflict which Dietrich lost... after five years in prison, died in 1617.

You get the idea. Trading has always been potentially a dog-eat-dog world, and just because someone lived 5,000 years ago did not mean they didn't or couldn't trade.

Trading networks would be erratic, yet profitable to active, dynamic and weather hardened smugglers. For an active researcher, these trading networks are of key focus. Similar to the maroons runaway slave trading networks done by Dan Sayers are another template. While hard to do excavations due to limited site presence and excavation presence, the potential is there.

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Tim
Tim
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Basically we have 1) the need 2) apparent research already done 3) large profits available for past participants. I find it difficult to believe that were there a way, it couldwould be done. Low hanging archaeological fruit it is not, but in better understanding defused and decentralized clandestine activity is something to count on in the future.

Basically we have 1) the need 2) apparent research already done 3) large profits available. I find it difficult to believe that were there a way, it could be done. Low hanging archaeological fruit it is not, but something to count on in the future.

Basically we have 1) the need 2) apparent research already done 3) large profits available for past participants. I find it difficult to believe that were there a way, it would be done. Low hanging archaeological fruit it is not, but in better understanding defused and decentralized clandestine activity is something to count on in the future.

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Tim
Tim
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It is an interesting proposition, as Jules Verne is well known to have had some hits long before their time. Many or most of his creations were not fulfilled, though some like "steam balloons" are often reinterpreted with further refinement. Steam balloons were actually suggested first by an Englishman about 1817, so also it is hard to tell how much of Verne's creations are not adaptions based upon previous works.

I recall one of his stories had everyone sleep out of the house on raised beds while in the tropics. Some issues for the notion, such as there were no guard rails and it was quite a fall, what if it rained, and bugs. The mosquito trouble would be a big handicap.

Point is that we should analyze in detail, and other answers are pretty good as to prior attempts. Ice is far better on average since the base is much more uniform, thinning ice not-with-standing. Ice roads of Canada, Russia, and other locations in season heavily use lake, river, and even sea ice where suitable. There are three companies that make up most of that business in Canada, all in Alberta as recalled.

Sails complicate the technique. In the past there were few other options, though. Man sleds are well known, and not just in Antarctic and Arctic. I recall reading that sleds were a very popular way to transport goods in the steppes and taiga as there were no taxes collected. Roads and waterways are easily taxed. Sleds are almost impossible in most locations. Again as recalled, a sail of sort in open territory helped greatly when the wind was in the right direction.

However, there are difficulties. Rivers and lakes are usually easily crossed, providing it has been cold enough. Wind, though, is a double edged swords. If it is cold and windy enough, exposed flesh can freeze very quickly. As mentioned by others, snow and ice cover varies enormously. A sail and runners (for keel) complicates things still further. In some parts of Russia, such as west and south west of the Lena Delta, often do not get enough snow to support a sled. Since you have less options, the patchy ground and interrupting vegetation makes land sailing a trouble.

The land yacht was about the same, after its apparent invention circa 1600. It could be done on beaches, especially if the wind was right (see the painting 'ship of fools'), and maybe had some potential in the Basin & Range areas of the US, such as the dried mud Black Rock Desert or the Bonneville Salt Flats which are billiard table flat playa, but this type of topography is not the norm. Some dry places such as in the Salton Sink are of the Mojave Desert, land yacht were used to some effect. More recently the recreational activity of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasailing has become popular as a sport.

My guess is that the smuggling issue was the heyday of sailing overland with snowy ground. This is not unknown elsewhere, and indeed is nearly universal in advanced trading networks. For example, in the book Salt, A World History by Mark Kurlansky, pg.165 mentions that the Austrian salt monopoly was used to maximize tax revenue. To circumvent this, smuggling networks were formed using a variety of high mountain trails and passes. This salt was sold at considerably lower cost since there were no taxes paid, and thus the tax revenue disappeared.

Pg 165 "Transporting on land was expensive because tolls were established along the roadways for wagons carrying salt. The inevitable response was a network of paths over rugged mountain passes for smugglers carrying illegal salt, which they could sell for less because they paid no tolls."

Pg 163 "In the seventeenth century, an archbishop named Wolf Dietrich tried to dominate the salt market by dramatically lowering the selling price for salt from his mines, especially Durnberg. For a time Dietrich made tremendous profits, some of which were used to build grand baroque buildings in Salzburg. Bavaria retaliated by banning trade with Salzburg, and this eventually led to a "salt war", a conflict which Dietrich lost... after five years in prison, died in 1617."

You get the idea. Trading has always been potentially a dog eat dog world, and just because some one lived 5,000 years ago did not mean they didn't or couldn't trade.

I forgot the source of the sledding trading empire, open to half the year in places (some of the rivers availability periods are a couple of months or so). Further, the dominant river pattern in the Northern Eurasian Plain are north south instead of the preferred east west. The plain is nearly 5,000 miles (8,000 km) long east/west, and averaging about 600 miles (1,000 km) wide north/south. More than half often has sufficient winters.

An advantage of smugglers and traders are that they could move with the wind to a degree, stop at villages as the winds allow. Since the prices would be right, and large centers avoided, the otherwise isolated population would be
very supportive. Many would be client tribes, which had to pay resented tribute. We could label it a 'Robin Hood' economy, vaguely similar to pirate economies in the Caribbean in parts of the 1700's, but not the Port Royale, Jamaica type, rather the small outpost which does business with pirates to varying success in fencing the goods, supplying the industry, and other recreation services.

Trading networks would be erratic, yet profitable to active, dynamic and weather hardened smugglers. For an active researcher, these trading networks are of key focus. Similar to the maroons runaway slave trading networks done by Dan Sayers https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/deep-swamps-archaeologists-fugitive-slaves-kept-freedom-180960122/ are another template. While hard to do excavations due to limited site presence and excavation presence, the potential is there.

Basically we have 1) the need 2) apparent research already done 3) large profits available. I find it difficult to believe that were there a way, it could be done. Low hanging archaeological fruit it is not, but something to count on in the future.