How to Get Water Out of a Frozen Stream Where the Ice is Several Inches Thick

Couple things… first a strategy question. How much water are you trying to get out of the stream? Are you looking for a way to not carry much in your pack and drink up as you cross multiple streams per day? Or are you looking to gather a bunch while in camp that you then carry? Seems to me that would inform the appropriate gathering method.

second, I haven’t seen anyone mention SALT. You could potentially use salt to either “bore” a small hole allowing a small suction  device to be used… or breakup a larger section to melt or gain access for a larger scoop. Obv you’d need to be careful not to “contaminate” your drinking water with it.

edit- just a quick note that I’ve  lived in FL less than 2 yr. Lived in IL & CO for 35 yr and did lots of winter camping so do have some snow experience :)

Will there be small lakes too or just creeks? If it’s possible to use an ice saw that will spare you a lot of energy. This guy really works the ice and has i BIG ice saw: https://youtu.be/7fVi7oz751U

Good luck!

Oslo, NORWAY

Forgive me for jumping in, here – especially to make my first post on this forum in response to a partial jest – but I thought I would include this little tidbit: bulllets shot into/onto solid ice tend to create small, explosive geysers of frozen shrapnel, and – as alluded-to – they try to deafen you in the process.  They usually don’t crack the ice or make large, easily-meltable chips.  The famous “bullet spinning on ice” video shows what happens; you get a vertical plume of fragmented ice chips and a possibly-interesting ricochet.

End of tidbit.  That said: I like the ice screw idea.  Couple that with a siphon filter and you’re done… unless there is no liquid water to be found.  A pick might be the best idea in that eventuality.

Roger bears are out in surprisingly cold weather, I believe lack of food triggers hibernation more then cold.

Bonzo yes there would be some issues shooting ice but I want Ryan to try it (on video).

Seriously though this is a tough situation. If it is like spots I’ve been there probably won’t be a lot of water. Shallow water can freeze completely. So unless there are significant rivers or ponds we need to think about melting ice. I still think a tool and a lot of fuel is the way. It might add a couple pounds but days are short in winter. Better to carry a bit more and move efficiently then spend an hour breaking up ice with a knife

I rather like the thermite idea. A short length of fine magnesium ribbon to start it. Yes, I have played with both in times past. Once the ice has been broken in one place, the rest becomes easier.

Cheers

@rcaffin – How about detcord?  That would make ice-carving very quick and easy!

Detcord – with or without blasting cap on the end. I would prefer without. In short lengths.
Laid out in a circle on the ice – not a bad idea in fact.
ASSUMPTION: that the user knows what he is doing! If not, DON’T.

Cheers

^^^^
Dunno about that. Consider weight of axe vs weight of solid G-pick vs weight of mid-calibre gun vs weight of 12″ of detcord.
Me, I think the detcord would be Light, if not UL.

But if you don’t know how to handle detcord, don’t do it! You could blow your hand (head) off.

Cheers

Ryan

You must have an Ice axe in your climbing bag.  Won’t that work?

<p style=”text-align: left;”>How about a titanium ice pick?!?!</p>

I literally never knew such a thing existed…much less multiple different options of it.

Funny story:

When I first said “pick” I was thinking of an actual pick, like a geologist’s pick/hammer, and then when I said “ice pick” I was thinking of one of those things that bartenders and sexy serial killers use…but then I thought that a conventional ice pick might be too light and small to chip solid river/stream ice.  So, I figured that there might be an industrial-duty pick, or some kind of tool that ice sculptors use, and I did a search for something like “heavy ice pick”…and ironically, the uber-light titanium model was the first thing that came up.  Furthermore, there there were several titanium ice picks on the market, from $35 to $85 just on that initial search…but I wasn’t sure if they would be 1) worth that money for the weight savings, or 2) that much stronger than a normal ice pick.  So, I weighed the regular ice pick that I keep under the pillow in case Sharon Stone comes over and discovered that it was a few ounces heavier and significantly smaller in diameter/length…but it has a WAY better grip than the handle-less vampire stake above.  It also has a metal end-cap that is the diameter of the handle, and which offers a surface for legit hammering.  So, the vampire stake kind of fails in that regard, but all hope isn’t lost: not only do we now live in a world where there are lightweight titanium ice picks, but also one in which there are tactical ice picks…most of which weigh in at no more than two or three ounces.  Seriously…look it up.  It’s both interesting and somewhat frightening, the amount of work that some companies have placed into perfecting what is, in essence, a prison shiv.