The wooden ski sled for fish transportation originated in the Tamitsy village, Onega Uyezd of the Arkhangelsk Governorate. Such sleds were used widely by the Pomors — in fishing and agriculture. They were the main mode of transportation in the absence of hard-surface roads. The runners of winter sleds were made of birch, while those for summer use were made of spruce.

The manufacturing of sleds usually took place between March and May. During this time, the Pomors looked for trees with a natural bend in the forest that were suitable in size. Such trees were transported using horse-drawn sleds. The raw material was sawn or chopped into boards, which were soaked or steamed and bent into shape according to a pattern. To keep the runners in shape, they remained tied to the pattern for a long time.

In summer, winter sleds were stored under the roof, as locals knew that birch deteriorates quickly from moisture. In swampy and grassy areas, where runners could slide easily in summer, sleds with spruce runners were used.

In rare cases, logs could also be transported by sleds along the seashore after storms. Small sleds or travois were often used in such cases. A horse could only carry two logs at most. To preserve the birch runners in winter, they could be lined with metal strips, nailed from below, using either locally forged or purchased iron.

In addition to horse-drawn sleds, smaller ones were also used, which were pulled by people. These included toboggans, firewood sledges, and fishing sleds. Toboggans were used for sliding down snow-covered slopes. They were especially popular during Yuletide celebrations. They were usually driven by a girl, with a boy sitting in her lap. It was customary for every bride-to-be to have a toboggan, as it was necessary to invite a boy to ski down a hill. Such sleds were often decorated with carvings, paintings, and inscriptions, and were not typically used for household tasks.

Firewood sledges were used for transportation. They were larger than small sleds but not too big either, about the size of a person. They could be used to transport firewood from the forest, moss from the swamps for cattle, or hay.