Spoiler Alert: You are about to see me carve a hole in a frozen lake and jump in the freezing-cold water—twice. After both jumps I’ll take the necessary steps to pull myself out, change clothes, and start a fire to get warm as fast as possible.

I performed this stunt last weekend (in a controlled environment where help was close by) because this is exactly the type of survival scenario I could encounter on my upcoming snowmobile adventure. After I cross Great Bear Lake, I’ll be traveling on stretches of rivers as I make my way to the Arctic Coast. If there’s one section of the trip where I’ll be most at risk of falling through the ice, it’ll be on these rivers. Frozen rivers are the most dangerous to cross because they’re the most unpredictable.

With that out of the way, enjoy the video and be glad you aren’t the one getting dunked.

What I Learned:

1. How my body reacts to the initial shock of freezing-cold water, so I know what to expect if it happens for real.
2. How my body reacts to the cold, so I have a better understanding of how fast I’d loose my core heat.
3. That I would have been OK if I had been in the ice water longer, because, although I was very cold afterward, I was not shivering.
4. That my ice spikes work. It would have been very difficult to crawl out of the water without them. They could be a lifesaver.
5. That fleece, although better than most fabrics, doesn’t do a great job of insolating you when wet; my legs were freezing cold under my fleece pants.
6. That it would be much tougher to get out of the hole if the surrounding ice was weak; I put a good amount of pressure on the ice while climbing out.
7. That I can survive. Being able to think rationally in a situation like this is what saves you, and after this test I gained confidence knowing that I could rescue myself if this happens for real.

Comments (12)

from MissMuley wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Great and informative video, Jim! I shivered just watching you jump in. Quick question-- how did you have your ice spikes so handy when you "fell" in? It didn't look like they were in a pocket.. Were they through your jacket sleeves or something like that?

Looking forward to the next video!

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from spiaailtli wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Don't forget to account for the flow of the water in the river under the ice. Lakes, ponds and rappid water flow are two different things. You may need to be prepared for that later with a rope and a few friends. Also be prepared for crashing into the ice on your way down if the machine is moving forward when it happens.

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from Dog Face Clown wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Lame! His ice hole should have been bigger and he had his ice spikes all ready in hand. I feel like I am watching a really bad imitation of Man vs Wild.

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from Musket4412 wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Great video. I'm really looking forward to following this blog

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from AJMcClure wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Bunny boots dry faster, and a higher quality camera will make for more enjoyable viewing, but good times mate. Cheers.

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from bberg7794 wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

That was great-I don't even like jumping in cool water in the summer! I also noticed the ice spikes were pretty handy (Wrist lanyards?). Falling through the ice is a big fear of mine. That fear, so far, has kept me from trying winter beaver trapping. Three years ago on the last day of deer season, I was tracking a large buck for several hours and my tracking came to an end after I put him out of his bed and he went across a stretch of ice where I wasn't willing to follow.

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from GGNYC wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Jim, That is great stuff. I think it is so essential that people practice different scenarios in "controlled" environments prior to venturing out into the wilderness. Thanks for the great educational piece.

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from wisc14 wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

to all those saying lame: lets see you jump in a frozen lake.

yea the hole was small and a river is different but i don't think anyone would "purposely" fall through ice in a very dangerous situation. i think he was just trying to get a feel of what it would be like and how he would react to the freezing cold.

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from backcountryguide wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

I like the extensive training your doing to prepare for your upcoming trip. Some excellent tips there.

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from Will Wilkinson wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

Keep these awesome videos coming! cant wait to see more.
How long do you think it to before your body temp got back to normal?

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from Jim Baird wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Hi Will, It took me no more than a half hour to warm up. Conditions obviously make a big difference; it would have taken longer if it was windy and colder out.

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from Real...BigBass wrote 2 years 10 weeks ago

Crazy and i loved the second jump. It really puts into perspective how prepared you have to be. Good luck getting out of the ice if you had ice picks in your pocket or backpack!

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from spiaailtli wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Don't forget to account for the flow of the water in the river under the ice. Lakes, ponds and rappid water flow are two different things. You may need to be prepared for that later with a rope and a few friends. Also be prepared for crashing into the ice on your way down if the machine is moving forward when it happens.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from wisc14 wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

to all those saying lame: lets see you jump in a frozen lake.

yea the hole was small and a river is different but i don't think anyone would "purposely" fall through ice in a very dangerous situation. i think he was just trying to get a feel of what it would be like and how he would react to the freezing cold.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MissMuley wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Great and informative video, Jim! I shivered just watching you jump in. Quick question-- how did you have your ice spikes so handy when you "fell" in? It didn't look like they were in a pocket.. Were they through your jacket sleeves or something like that?

Looking forward to the next video!

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from Musket4412 wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Great video. I'm really looking forward to following this blog

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from AJMcClure wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Bunny boots dry faster, and a higher quality camera will make for more enjoyable viewing, but good times mate. Cheers.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from bberg7794 wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

That was great-I don't even like jumping in cool water in the summer! I also noticed the ice spikes were pretty handy (Wrist lanyards?). Falling through the ice is a big fear of mine. That fear, so far, has kept me from trying winter beaver trapping. Three years ago on the last day of deer season, I was tracking a large buck for several hours and my tracking came to an end after I put him out of his bed and he went across a stretch of ice where I wasn't willing to follow.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from GGNYC wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Jim, That is great stuff. I think it is so essential that people practice different scenarios in "controlled" environments prior to venturing out into the wilderness. Thanks for the great educational piece.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from backcountryguide wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

I like the extensive training your doing to prepare for your upcoming trip. Some excellent tips there.

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from Will Wilkinson wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

Keep these awesome videos coming! cant wait to see more.
How long do you think it to before your body temp got back to normal?

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Jim Baird wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Hi Will, It took me no more than a half hour to warm up. Conditions obviously make a big difference; it would have taken longer if it was windy and colder out.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Real...BigBass wrote 2 years 10 weeks ago

Crazy and i loved the second jump. It really puts into perspective how prepared you have to be. Good luck getting out of the ice if you had ice picks in your pocket or backpack!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Dog Face Clown wrote 2 years 14 weeks ago

Lame! His ice hole should have been bigger and he had his ice spikes all ready in hand. I feel like I am watching a really bad imitation of Man vs Wild.

-3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

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