Pebble Test
Here is tip, should you ever be stuck on an island and need to test the ice.
- Select a set of progressively larger rocks.
- Starting with the smallest, throw the rocks onto the ice, creating the most impact possible. (Kind of an anti-skipping style throw.)
- If any of the rocks break through the ice and disappear… don’t bother stepping on the ice.
- If any of rocks break the ice, but don’t fall through – you need a couple of more cold nights before you should attempt to step on the ice (unless you are really really thin, or you can pitch a person-sized rock)
- If the rocks don’t fall through, you’ve got ice forming. For safety’s sake… give yourself at least another night of <-10, before heading out with an rubber boots, ax, lifejacket, and a 10′ pole.