Open Discussion so please share your stories. Have you had a scary moment on the ice in past years?
 
Soon we'll be out on Hard Water and I thought I'd start a discussion on Safety and what we have learned from past years expierences.
 
Here are some of my "Must have Items"
 
a) 15 feet of floater rope (I sit on it sledding)
 
b) Home made  (I call them hand ice claws) hand glove grips. I took an old pair of ice cleats and studded them into a pair of work gloves I wear around my waist.
 
c) extra pair of socks/gloves and a few packs of hand and foot warmers.
 
d) handheld walkie talkie - dlip it inside my shirt. Used it once when I was really lost and in a bad way - CB radios can pic up the signal and there are people who leave them on day/nite - really worth the $$
 
e) A little back up dried packaged food - toss it at the end of the season.
 
Seems like a lot of stuff but not really.
 
Here are some of my ice to do rules:
 
Everyday I check my sled over, battery/oil etc much like a trucker checks his rig.
 
a) If I'm checking out a new area and there are no huts, no tracks, no nothing - 90% of the time I'll pass. When I do go I spud my way every 10 feet, especially in an area known for current.
b) If there's slush covering  the ice I do not sled out. I may think about walking out but always aware that there might be open holes left by other fisherpeople.
c) Weather and Winds report for the day
 
If I should break thru; Lot of old timers say "get on your back" and kick yourself over to the edge of the ice - then BACK yourself up onto the ice.
It's been said you create less direct stress by backing out than by using your arms (downward stress on the ice surface with a soaking body weight). Homemade hand cleats to grip a wet ice surface as you can see, just might save your life.
 
Okay I've given you mine. Let's hear more advice and comment,
 
bobby
 
 

I have plenty of stories over the years to tell of swimming in loon and moose shit while trapping beaver . Beaver houses if active have thin ice around them and my family jewels have gone into hiding till June their share . LOL
 
I won't venture out on any ice at anytime of the season without a chisel and I only trust myself to let me know it's safe .Tracks and reports can be a very general guideline and nothing I put faith into .
 
I also go on any adventure with the thought in my mind that it will only be by my own resources that will get me home safe . Nothing wrong with some of the new gadgetry such as cell phones etc . but outside help is not anything I stake my life on .
 
In this day an age everyone should have some kind of float gear on . It's cheap and warm in the long run .
 
I'll have to look into my pack but think it has much of what has already been listed along with my picks .
 
TD

 
I will post some Pic's of my gloves - as soon as I buy new batteries for my camera.....lol - tonite or tomorrow am.
 
bobby

regardless of what electronics you carry, I would recommend a compass as backup. You can keep it with your ice pics and always have it handy in case of emergency.

wow, great idea Bobby. thanks for sharing. I always knew about keeping ice pics in your pocket but first time I've seen this.

Ya your right Horseshoe - as you know I put the miles on - every day on the ice - gotta protect myself....
 
Another little item - maybe paranoia on my part - so what I did was take an old gaff and put a 90 degree bend a couple inches away from the point - the I slid a gill net float up the shaft - keep it resting on the console of my Polaris. If I bust thru - it floats!! I'll dig it out and post a Pic.
 
The big problem I see on the ice everyday, aside from the litter   - are the unmarked open holes. Most people will mark em when they move the hut - some don't - and some of those holes are huge - enough to swallow up a machine.
 
bobby
 
 
 

(for guys with ATV's or sleds) One more thing I thought about...you guys probably know this, but pay special attention to your fuel...discard old gas can gas at the proper dumping facilty in the local dump, they all have one, replace your fuel with fresh winter gas and if mix is required please ensure you follow the ratio's.
I cant tell you the number of times I have ran into guys who pay no attention to this and end up paying the price with no start problems.
The other thing is spark plugs...it is very easy to check the type of plug you need, get a few replacements, and carry them in a zip lock on your machine...remember to carry the spark plug tool in the same bag. It is very commom for 2 stroke engines to quickly gum up the plug, leading to misfiring and soon no start situations. Carrying a small piece of sandpaper has helped me help other guys out this past winter....
One more thing, it is always worthwhile to carry for insurance paperwork in a ziplock as well...I got pulled over a few times last year and that's the first thing they ask for...
TOW ROPE. you can buy these at Princess real cheap...sometimes helps you get or be gotten out of the cold....

I see a list coming together for the tacklebox page