How to cross a river safely

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Eppo

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One of the most dangerous activities a backpacker deals with is fording a river. Hikers are swept away on river crossings every season. Former Outward Bound instructor and mountaineering guide John E Hiker demonstrates basic technique for safely fording a river in deep water with a heavy load. While there are many ways that can be employed for a ford this video shows the most common and accepted technique as described in the book Freedom of the Hills published by The Mountaineers.

Backpacking - How to ford a river with John E. Hiker - YouTube


During a recent several-year period more hikers were killed in the North Cascades by drowning—swept away while fording or after slipping from footlogs—than by falls from cliffs, falling rock, avalanches, hypothermia, and all other wildland hazards combined . . .
—Harvey Manning, Backpacking One Step at a Time
 
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Lamebeaver

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They're called "trekking poles" not "ski poles"

You'd think a guy with a name like "John E Hiker" would know this.
 
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ppine

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Oldtimers went to ski poles and never got to the cute little "trekking poles." Anything with the name Harvey Manning on it you can take to the bank. I went on some day trips with the Mountaineers when I was in Seattle. They are a serious bunch.

The Cascades are wet, really wet. Stream crossings are a fact of life and the water is cold. Some of the lakes have ice in July or even August. Follow the rule of ten. Do not wade if the depth in feet times the velocity in feet per second is more than ten. Unbuckle your waistbelt so you can dump your pack if you have to. Leave your shoes on but take of your clothes to keep them dry in cold weather. Look for a shallow wide spot with minimum current. Carry a rope. Have the first person go across with it tied in a bowline. Have the weakest members go in the middle. Strongest guy last with the rope around his waist. I have used these techniques in AK, and many other places.
 
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Esperahol

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Something I have always done (since I travel alone) is take a floater tied to a length of cord and throw it into the water. Depending on how fast it runs downstream I ain't going across. Of course, after learning of the Striad I now take weights and tie them to cord before tossing them into the stream just to check the depth. You can never tell and recently a mother with children drowned because certain areas were deeper then she thought they were - 12 foot drop in what should have been shallow water.
 
wvbreamfisherman

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I have a healthy resepct for moving water. Of all the training I took as a firefighter, it was the swift water rescue that scared me the most. One little mistake, and you can be in very very deep trouble.

I actually avoid doing those rescues if I can. There are plenty of folks out there that enjoy those challenges.
 
Grandpa

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We had some good water crossings this week. Us men would take the ladies packs over then go back and make sure they were okay crossing as the water was nearly waist deep for them.

My preference is still facing downstream rather than up. I have much better balance that way and also feel I can protect my head better if I do go over. One of the teen agers on this trip recently returned from a guided trip and the pros on that trip also advised facing downstream. just saying.

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