norshor
Observer
This is a long shot here, but I need some help. I spend quite a bit of time, during our long winters, out icefishing. Being that I have a fully equipped rig for self-recovery on land, I keep trying to figure out how to get myself unstuck if I do get buried on the lake by alone. I have recovered quite a few other rigs this season so far. It's just amazing how people will find the one guy with a winch on the entire lake, and assume that they would prefer to get them out, than to fish at that moment:wings: Not that I mind that much. It's a good way to promote safe recovery, and promote overlanding.
The problem this year is slush. We got 2 feet of snow on top of a foot or so of ice. That caused the ice to sink, water to come up, and the slush to form. I have hit spots where I drop into a foot of slush thru 2 or 3 inches of ice with no warning. There is still a good foot and a half or 2 good feet of ice underneath. (although I have not stopped to check ) So the vehicle has to drag itself until I can find solid ice again, maintaining momentum in order to pop up onto the next shelf of good ice. It will get the heart pumping!
Lot's of rigs are getting stuck. When you get into this stuff, traction sand is useless as is kitty litter. It's standing water with chunks of ice mixed in. Shoveling is an incredible amount of work, and sometimes worthless. Getting another rig out there to anchor to with my winch is not much of an option because I'd be hard pressed to get someone else to pull ahead of me in the stuff that just stopped my rig so I can hook a winchline. A Pullpal would work, IF there was enough snow on top, but that is not the case.
So, I keep trying to figure out how I could drill a hole in the ice, anchor a bar or hook of some kind, hook my snatchblock up, and pull myself off. I have thought about drilling 2 holes a foot or so apart (they are 8" holes) and looping a treesaver to attach a shackle and a block to. The problem is that the ice is a good 2 and a half feet thick, and that water is cold. I also thought about dropping a chunk of barstock, or pipe down the hole with the sling attached in the middle and a light rope on one end. That way I could pull straight on with it, and when finished, loosen the tension from the center, and pull the one end out of the ice. I have no idea how thick/strong that bar would have to be.
So there, that's my late-night rant. Any ideas?
The problem this year is slush. We got 2 feet of snow on top of a foot or so of ice. That caused the ice to sink, water to come up, and the slush to form. I have hit spots where I drop into a foot of slush thru 2 or 3 inches of ice with no warning. There is still a good foot and a half or 2 good feet of ice underneath. (although I have not stopped to check ) So the vehicle has to drag itself until I can find solid ice again, maintaining momentum in order to pop up onto the next shelf of good ice. It will get the heart pumping!
Lot's of rigs are getting stuck. When you get into this stuff, traction sand is useless as is kitty litter. It's standing water with chunks of ice mixed in. Shoveling is an incredible amount of work, and sometimes worthless. Getting another rig out there to anchor to with my winch is not much of an option because I'd be hard pressed to get someone else to pull ahead of me in the stuff that just stopped my rig so I can hook a winchline. A Pullpal would work, IF there was enough snow on top, but that is not the case.
So, I keep trying to figure out how I could drill a hole in the ice, anchor a bar or hook of some kind, hook my snatchblock up, and pull myself off. I have thought about drilling 2 holes a foot or so apart (they are 8" holes) and looping a treesaver to attach a shackle and a block to. The problem is that the ice is a good 2 and a half feet thick, and that water is cold. I also thought about dropping a chunk of barstock, or pipe down the hole with the sling attached in the middle and a light rope on one end. That way I could pull straight on with it, and when finished, loosen the tension from the center, and pull the one end out of the ice. I have no idea how thick/strong that bar would have to be.
So there, that's my late-night rant. Any ideas?
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