Water in winter

[bb07]

Getting water in the winter can be challenging. If you're lucky you'll be near a river where the ice is thin or non existent in places. If you're on a lake things are a bit tougher depending on ice thickness. There's about two feet right now so getting through is not too bad- at least compared to four or five feet!
Definitely not axe work though!

Here's getting to the cabin in the dark. Two things are priority: fire and water. One guy gets going on fire, I go for water.
Here I'm using a chisel to punch a hole after shoveling the snow away down to the ice. The skidoo gives me light.

Here's a full pail of water. The water is so clear it's hard to see it in the hole, especially in poor light.

Another occasion, this time using a needle bar

Getting close

Good water! This ice cannot be beat in a drink!

Hard to see but this hole is full

To keep the hole from freezing out overnight, I cover it with a piece of plywood and one inch styrofoam.

Even after the temperature drops to close to -30, a few taps with the pot I'm using as a dipper is enough to break through the thin layer of ice that formed overnight.

Shoveling snow on top gives extra insulation against freezing.
When needing to get more water it's easy enough to shovel the plywood off to gain access to the styrofoam and hole below.

 

[Ruvio]

~Looks absolutely amazing. One problem though, there's a lighter in the ice of your pristine lake!

Great idea with the plywood/styrofoam btw. Is that a common thing or is it just something you thought of? I don't do much when it's cold...anywhere

 

[WeThePeoplexfbm]

nice ^^ but you couldnt you just have melt the ice in a billy?

 

[jtbutcher]

nice ^^ but you couldnt you just have melt the ice in a billy?

Melting ice costs a considerable amount of fuel, if your not short of food calories to make up for the effort of getting to the water then preserving fuel is sometimes the more reasonable choice.

 

[FreddyFish]

Really nice piccys, thanks for sharing.

 

[bb07]

~Looks absolutely amazing. One problem though, there's a lighter in the ice of your pristine lake!

Great idea with the plywood/styrofoam btw. Is that a common thing or is it just something you thought of? I don't do much when it's cold...anywhere

So that's where I lost my lighter! I've seen people use plywood before but the styrofoam was something that just popped into my head at the last minute. A lot of people use styrofoam on their outhouse seat in the winter(instant toasty warm). No, the piece I used is not from the outhouse:yikes:
Lacking anything else, covering the water hole with snow works too.

 

[bb07]

nice ^^ but you couldnt you just have melt the ice in a billy?

It takes a lot of time and effort to melt enough ice to get a good amount of water. Had I just wanted a drink for myself I would have just melted some snow but for a cabin a lot of water is needed for washing, cooking, dish washing etc so although initially it's a lot of work to get water, in the end it's actually less work.