#Quicksand cartoon plus
You can also use your pole to probe questionable ground as you hike and test if it's too soft to walk through.įor exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today. Use a trekking pole to create space between your body and the quicksand and allow water to trickle into the gap this will make it easier to slide out. Once you get on your back and can get your legs partially out, you'll be in a better position to work yourself free. Lean on your back, not your stomach in order to protect your airway. Because your body is less dense than the clay you’re stuck in, you can float. When you feel the sand loosen, begin to wiggle yourself out. Thrash around, and you'll just sink into it move very slowly so water can run between you and the sand and act as a lubricant. Allow water to trickle in the sand by making very slow movements with your body. The best way to defeat quicksand is by creating space within it.
Dying from quicksand itself is rare, but if you are caught in it, you can still drown, become hypothermic, or die from exposure. It was very fortunate that Osmun was able to get help in 2019, but if he had been hiking alone, his fate might have been different.
#Quicksand cartoon how to
The most important thing a hiker should know, Fagergren says, is how to escape from quicksand. It’s that rare mixture of just the right amount of water and sand and clay together that creates the formula for quicksand." "Also not enough water is also a good thing because it completely dries it out. "Too much water is a good thing when it comes to quicksand," Fagergren says.