Winter Geocaching

[+briansnat]

With the layer of ice up north making canoe caches available to those without boats, some of us will be wandering onto the ice this winter.

 

Here is a very good video about how to handle it if the worst happens and you fall in.

 

http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20020325-icewater.asx

 

Now the only thing is remembering this while you're panicking.

Edited January 24, 2005 by briansnat

[+cache_test_dummies]

Here is a very good video about how to handle it if the worst happens and you fall in.

Good video - some really useful info here. I especially like the trick where if you know you can't get out, you try to get your arms or beard frozen to the edge of the ice so after you become unconscious your head doesn't fall under the water. I've never heard of that before.

 

Might not help you, but makes recovering the body easier.

[CoyoteRed]

Now that's why I like living in the South!

[+briansnat]

I never would have thought about the kicking part.

[magellan315]

VERY useful. Especially the part about kicking and getting your arms to freeze to the ice. And yet another good reason not to go walking on the ice, I'd rather wait for warmer weather and canoe.

[Smaug1]

Brian, thanks for that potentially life-saving post.

 

I never would have thought about the kicking part either. I'll keep it in mind as it is definitely applicable up here.

[Tahosa and Sons]

Winter Geocaching, Ice Safety

 

That has more to do than a lake with solid ice. I went on a trail doing a setup for a future cache and because of the Ice on the trail, I'll have to wait till I get some crampons before I hike that one again. It was a little hairy with the long drop offs, so the cache placement will have to wait until I have the equipment to walk that trail again.

[TahoeJoe]

Very informative video, I had no idea that you could survive in cold water that long. I think I'll grow a beard now.

[+3jaze]

For what it's worth:

 

4" of ice is OK to walk on

5" minimum for snowmobiles

8" - 10" of ice Ok for small automobiles

12+" is fairly safe for all vehicles

 

From an old ice fisherman.

[+Divine]

I have seen similar videos of surviving from a hole in the ice before. I guess they show those here every year when the lakes start to freeze. The difference to those educational videos is at least that the test persons fell in through real thin ice, not to a ready cut square-shaped hole. The different shape and size ice blocks in the hole can cause some extra trouble when trying to get away.

 

The other thing I missed in the video was the ice picks. I actually bought a pair just because I started to move more on ice due to geocaching. With decent pair of ice picks it'll be much easier to pull yourself on thicker ice from the hole.

If you don't have ice picks when falling in, you could also try to push a wet piece of your clothing as long as you can and let it freeze on the ice. If the weather is freezing enough, it'll offer at least some kind of grip when trying out of the hole.

 

Another good tool is ice stick (I found also the word icepike meaning the same thing) for probing the thickness of ice. Hit the stick diagonally on ice at about 1 meter from your feet. If water doesn't come through after about three hits, the ice is thick enough to carry a horse. If the ice holds out one hit, but the second one goes through, the ice carries a human. If the stick goes through the ice with one hit, you'd better find another route.

 

It's also useful to pack your backpack so that there is something that floats. Like your extra Rubbermaid containers in your cache repair kit.

 

Basic things to do if you fall in:

- Shout for help.

- Turn towards where you came (the ice held out there, right?)

- Break the thin ice with your fists.

- Hit the ice picks (or knife, nail or similar) on ice, as far as you can.

- Pull your torso on the ice.

- Roll onto the thicker ice.

- Roll on the snow - some of the water will go to the snow.

- Crawl a bit further, just to be sure not to fall through again.

- Stand up only when you're on thick ice.

- Hurry up towards warmth (car, house) - keep moving.

- Do not take wet clothes off before you're inside a warm place.

 

Here's a chart of carrying capacity of ice (in metric):

Edited January 25, 2005 by Divine

[+briansnat]

For what it's worth:

 

4" of ice is OK to walk on

5" minimum for snowmobiles

8" - 10" of ice Ok for small automobiles

12+" is fairly safe for all vehicles

 

From an old ice fisherman.

Note these are only valid for solid "new ice". Late season ice, after some freeze/thaw cycles, is much weaker.

[+Divine]

Note these are only valid for solid "new ice". Late season ice, after some freeze/thaw cycles, is much weaker.

Good point. The chart I posted is also supposed to mean solid ice, we call 'steel ice' (direct translation) in Finnish. Wonder if there's an equivalent in English?

[+briansnat]

Note these are only valid for solid "new ice". Late season ice, after some freeze/thaw cycles, is much weaker.

Good point. The chart I posted is also supposed to mean solid ice, we call 'steel ice' (direct translation) in Finnish. Wonder if there's an equivalent in English?

I've seen the term "black ice" used.

[+Divine]

Note these are only valid for solid "new ice". Late season ice, after some freeze/thaw cycles, is much weaker.

Good point. The chart I posted is also supposed to mean solid ice, we call 'steel ice' (direct translation) in Finnish. Wonder if there's an equivalent in English?

I've seen the term "black ice" used.

That's what we call the (often almost invisible) frost or ice on the road, that makes roads especially dangerous during the season. My dictionary claims it being in that use in English too.