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  1. #1
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    Hammocking on a frozen lake...

    I used to dread wintertime, and I know it's a bit early to start thinking about winter, but when I moved up to Western NY from Oklahoma, lots of folks up here told me that I would soon come to look forward to it. It seems they're predictions have come true.

    I'm already dreaming of spending time fishing out on solid water even though it will be several months before I can. However, my new interest in hammocking has me wondering about how I could actually set up and spend the night out on a frozen lake. Has anybody here done this? If so, how? I'm trying to think about different ways to set up.

    I'm a pretty minimalist ice angler, so I'm already thinking two aluminum poles through holes in the ice with a circular disk for a stop (keep the poles from slipping all the way through the ice) might be a good way. small holes drilled for the poles would freeze quickly and should make very solid hanging points. My initial concern about doing this is that I have no idea what the angular force on the poles would do to the ice - would hate to split the ice and drop in in the middle of the night!
    Last edited by BlueDaksi; 08-25-2012 at 15:06.

  2. #2
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    Sounds dicey but fun! I love how folks here push the envelope of what has been done with hammocks. Maybe a Turtle Dog stand?

    S

  3. #3
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BlueDaksi View Post
    I'm a pretty minimalist ice angler, so I'm already thinking two aluminum poles through holes in the ice with a circular disk for a stop (keep the poles from slipping all the way through the ice) might be a good way. small holes drilled for the poles would freeze quickly and should make very solid hanging points. My initial concern about doing this is that I have no idea what the angular force on the poles would do to the ice - would hate to split the ice and drop in in the middle of the night!
    How the heck would you get the poles out of the ice?

    When you say you are a minimalist ice angler, do you mean you have no shed/hut?

  4. #4
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    Retrieving the submerged (and now frozen) poles may take till springtime.
    But I'm fairly confident you could get it to work. It would some serious preplanning (drilling and setting the poles, and letting them freeze).

    Find two sturdy shanties and hang from those?

  5. #5
    Senior Member timabababaluka's Avatar
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    I agree with sidewinder--seems like the turtlelady or turtledog stand would be the way to go. I don't know how thick the ice is, but it seems like putting a lot of dynamic lateral force on two points in the ice might be unnecessarily risky when you can use one of the aforementioned stands which will rest on the ice rather than act like two giant pry bars.

    Out of curiosity, are you doing anything for a shelter? It sounds like a lot of fun--cold, but a lot if fun

    Whatever you decide, be safe out there
    You're gonna need a bigger hammock

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr View Post
    How the heck would you get the poles out of the ice?

    When you say you are a minimalist ice angler, do you mean you have no shed/hut?
    Quote Originally Posted by gargoyle View Post
    Retrieving the submerged (and now frozen) poles may take till springtime.
    But I'm fairly confident you could get it to work. It would some serious preplanning (drilling and setting the poles, and letting them freeze).

    Find two sturdy shanties and hang from those?
    Quote Originally Posted by timabababaluka View Post
    I agree with sidewinder--seems like the turtlelady or turtledog stand would be the way to go. I don't know how thick the ice is, but it seems like putting a lot of dynamic lateral force on two points in the ice might be unnecessarily risky when you can use one of the aforementioned stands which will rest on the ice rather than act like two giant pry bars.

    Out of curiosity, are you doing anything for a shelter? It sounds like a lot of fun--cold, but a lot if fun

    Whatever you decide, be safe out there

    Getting the poles out of the ice was my second concern, but I imagine that they could be chopped out or one could auger a larger hole adjacent to them and pull them out sideways. In the few years that I've ice fished up here, the maximum ice thickness I've seen is 16"-20".

    I just realized in my noobness that "minimalist" probably means something entirely different to some on here who work on shaving ounces off of their gear... Well, compared to Lots of other folks I'm minimalist - yes, no shed/shelter, no four-wheeler, no motorized auger, no massive sled, just a a couple of jigging rods - occasionally 1/2 doz. tip-ups, a small recreational sled, and a bucket or small camping chair to sit on.

    Large semi-permanent ice shanties aren't allowed on the lakes that I fish, so the option to hang between them is out. I'll check out the turtlelady and turtledog stands as suggested.

    Yup, staying warm will be a challenge with the wind whipping across the ice...

  7. #7
    Senior Member Bradley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BlueDaksi View Post
    Yup, staying warm will be a challenge
    with the wind whipping across the ice...
    That was my very first thought.

    Depending on the conditions you could build snow or ice block walls,
    kinda canoe shaped.

    or at least build up snow around the wind ward side or both to the height of your Hammock.

    But the sinking of poles and freezing them in and digging them out shouldn't be a problem.

    personally I might opt for fishing and then making for land/trees at the end of the day,
    and if there is no cloud cover even a sliver of a moon, or just starlight can be enough.
    Been there, done that . . . wandering under starlight through the bush that is.
    Bradley SaintJohn
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    "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show you great and mighty things . . ." Jeremiah 33:3
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  8. #8
    Senior Member timabababaluka's Avatar
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    You could also rig a tarp as a windbreak. Throw some beaks on it, and you take wind out of the picture--I imagine it'll be cold enough as it is
    You're gonna need a bigger hammock

  9. #9
    New Member Meat Hunter's Avatar
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    Now that sounds like a pretty cool idea.....BUT, a couple things come to mind.
    1. The holes for the ice. If the ice up there is anything like it is here in the dead of Winter, 2' plus, any lateral force shouldn't be an issue, however, if you are relying on the holes freezing over after they are drilled, well that can take several several hours, especially if daytime temps are in the teens or worse, 20's. Now if the temps are below freezing, much better for them to ice over and secure whatever poles you have in place, BUT, you now have the severe cold temps to deal with WHILE you are in your hammock. We haven't even mentioned wind yet LOL.

    2. Anyone that has spent a fair amount of time out on the ice knows, there are idiots out there. Idiots who DRINK....allot. Ice houses around these parts MUST have reflective tape on them so those who decide to go for a midnight drive see em. Then you have the ones who drive the 4-wheelers and snowmobiles. A soft body wrapped in a hammock wouldn't stand a chance colliding with either of them.

    3. If I were to do go about this, I would use the smallest auger possible, like a 4" and a couple of feet up from the bottom of the pole, weld some arms coming out to the side a bit to help spread any force across the ice as well as keep the poles from falling thru. OR even better, when we go out, sometimes we will use one of them plant bulb augers for a garden to drill small holes to test depths. They are like 2 1/2" across and only a few bucks at home improvement stores. Just need and extension and a cordless drill.

    My only concerns on this are the chill from the wind, and dipsticks drinking and driving 100 mph across the ice. (which they do). If you have a truck, park that along side your hammock, at least they would see that AND you could use the receiver to rig up at least 1 support for one end of the hammock.

    If you do it, take some pics. Would be pretty cool. Oh yeah, how are you going to connect your rattle reel to your hammock.
    “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
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  10. #10
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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