Safety Kit Icefishing

Precautionary measures is crucial for your survival when entering thin ice. An ice chisel is of extreme importance and gives you an early indication of the durability and thickness of the ice ahead of you.
Always bring a buddy and a casting-line combined with ice spikes and dry clothes and you will increase your odds of getting out of trouble will increase tenfolded.

What happens if you fall through the ice:
When falling through the ice into freezing water you will have to fight yourself through the first shock from the extremely cold water. You will most likely start to feel urges to hyperventilate, cramping and panicking. Try to remain calm and force yourself to take as deep breaths as possible. As soon as you control your breathing you're ready to engage the next step.

Recap where you came from and turn yourself facing that direction. The ice will most likely be thicker from where you came and you know for a fact that it could withstand your weight just moments earlier.
Place your elbows above the ice and if it continues to crack just keep destroying the ice until it's no longer possible.
Now try to fill your lungs with air and remain buoyant as you kick your legs backwards and up towards the surface underneath the ice behind you. When you find yourself as horizontal as possible, grab your ice spikes and start pushing yourself forward while using your spikes to pull yourself up, sliding onto the ice. Keep doing this until your whole body is above water and make sure to keep crawling a couple of meters before standing up.
This specific method is the one preferred even if you happen to be without ice safety spikes.

The next step is of extreme importance and is unfortunately often overlooked by the majority. Cold water dangerously accelerates the onset and progression of hypothermia since the body heat can be lost 25 times faster in cold water than in cold air, so time is definitely of the essence. We can't stress enough how vital it is to bring a bag of warm new clothes and get rid of the wet ones as soon as possible.

Ice Safety Spikes:
Probably the easiest tool to bring and the one of most importance. A pair of Ice Safety Spikes hanging from the neck will most likely save your life if the accident is upon you. Used to pull yourself up from the water by hammering down the the pointy tippets of the spikes into the ice infront of you, pulling yourself onto the ice.

Ice Chisel: 
A tool developed to test the ice ahead of you giving you an indication whether you should turn back or choose another way.  -  (Optional)


Castingline:
A special made line which is used to throw to the person in the water, and with mutual force pull the person in need onto the ice.

Dry-Bag
A waterproof bag used to carry backup clothes in case of emergancy.