Putting in ice screws

[PikeTipper]

I would like to be a bit more mobile with my hub house but if there is any wind I find myself just sticking to 1 spot if I already have 1 or 2 ice screws in. I don't care to carry an electric drill with so does anyone know of an easier way to get the screws in by hand?

Has anyone heard of an attachment that would connect to a hand auger handle or something like that?

[DTro]

Check out the Ice Angels by Digger. If I had a hub, they would be a no brainer to me.

Simply drill a few extra (partial) holes with your auger and plunk em in.

[chad austin]

I bought some ledger board screws from menards with a 5/16" hex head on them, then welded a washer on edge just under the hex part of the screw head and use carabiner clips to attach the rope to the screws. I use a 1/4" drive speed wrench with a 5/16" socket. The ledger screws are about 12" long but I only drive them in about 6".

The ledger screws have a stop on the head that only allow the socket to go on so far so I used a grinder to get rid of that so a deep well socket will bottom out and keep the socket on the screw.

[TroutYammer]

I carry a small battery powered Milwaukee screwdriver with a drill bit in it and use it to drill a pilot hole in the ice. Then I screw the ice screw into the pilot hole. Fairly fast and works pretty good.

[bobbymalone]

My QF6 - an older green one - came with ice screws and I don't know what the problem is. They dig in really really easy by hand, crank, crank, crank, locked in solid. and they back out just as easy. Maybe a little bit harder than opening a bottle of pop, lol.

I always wondered why people have such a hard time with these things???

Then I tried screwing in the ice screws that came with a newer eskimo pop up... what the heck??? Huge pain. I don't know what happened, but they need to go back to the old design.

[hamms-scooter]

My brother bought a quickfish 6 and returned it the next day. The screws were junk and the pop out frame came apart on the first setup. I told him to just get a flip over was not impressed at all. Maybe the fatfish is better...

[PikeTipper]

The diggers look good but it sounds like Mr Austin made just what I'm looking for.

I bought some ledger board screws from menards with a 5/16" hex head on them, then welded a washer on edge just under the hex part of the screw head and use carabiner clips to attach the rope to the screws. I use a 1/4" drive speed wrench with a 5/16" socket. The ledger screws are about 12" long but I only drive them in about 6".

The ledger screws have a stop on the head that only allow the socket to go on so far so I used a grinder to get rid of that so a deep well socket will bottom out and keep the socket on the screw.

Problem is I'm not very handy with the welder. How much would you charge to make me a similar set up?

[buzbunni]

Check out the Ice Angels by Digger. If I had a hub, they would be a no brainer to me.

Simply drill a few extra (partial) holes with your auger and plunk em in.

I own three types (4 brands) of ice screws.

1) Ice Screws supplied with my Frabill Headquarters

2) Ice Angels

3) Ultimate Ice Anchor

4) Black Diamond Turbo Ice Screw (16cm)

All have there place, but if I had to choose one based on versatility and affordability it would probably be the Ultimate Ice Anchor.

The ice screws supplied with my hub are nice enough (much better than Frabill's previous offerings), but on glare ice it is helpful to have a cordless drill w/installation tool to get those suckers to bite properly. They are also nice as they will fit in the grommet holes provided in all hub shelters.

Ice angels are nice as well, but they are not great for thinner ice conditions, especially in the cold. Earlier this season on one of those cold and ridiculously windy days on glare ice I tried to use the ice angel. Problem: the ice was too thin (bout 5-6") to drill a chute that would allow for proper ice angel purchase and also not allow the water to fill the hole. Water + Ice Angels + Cold = Not Good. Of course the Ice angel is of no use with the grommet system in hub shelters.

The Ultimate Ice Anchor is basically a poor mans Black Diamond Turbo Ice Screw. These things bite glare ice and they bite and hold well. The only drawback to these vs. the Turbos is that the Turbo's are made of steel, come in longer lengths, and also have a handle/carabiner clip point on the outside of the shaft that allows the core to remain unobstructed, thus allowing for the ice core to exit easily when you screw into hardwater. With the Ultimate Ice Anchor, though you can screw it in for a bit by hand, at some point it is helpful to insert the eyebolt (into the holes provided) in as a handle, and while this helps for leverage, the eyebolt also blocks the ice core from exiting as you screw into the ice. The eyebolt is also used as the terminal anchor point for your line. The diameter of the Ultimate Ice Anchor is too large to fit thru the grommets in the hub style shelters, but I have made adjacent anchor points (attached thru the grommet) with loops of parachute cord, and this worked well enough for me.

Black Diamond Turbo Ice Screws: Expensive. Not Practical. Oh yeah, and AWESOME for anchoring anything in ice. These things screwed into glare ice so easily that for the first couple of moments I didn't think I was gaining purchase. At $40/screw they ain't cheap, but they are amazing. Again, will not fit thru grommets, but shelter can be adapted to make these useful.

I'll try to post photos later when I have time.

[griff321]

What's the word on some of the cheaper climbing screws? Better off with the UIA?

[JIM C]

I use Black Diamond Turbo's as well. They are awesome, but you will have $100 into a set with some tie down rope and biners. They screw into the ice effortlessly. My buddy has a set of Irbis titanium ice screws (Russian). They work great and you can usually pick them up cheap because most serious ice climbers don't trust them. But for anchoring your ice shelter Irb's are just fine, and they don't rust like steel does.

Another cheaper ice screw option is CAMP Vertige Ice Screw. I've seen them recently online on sale for around $20.

Any climber's ice screw is going to be far better than a shelter company's cheapo anchor.

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

[lispeej]

Me on the other hand am ok with what came with my eskimo qf4 and qf6. They've never let me down.

[cichlid_baby]

Try this.... Google...

"super easy solution for getting ice anchors to bite"

[mrpike1973]

i use spax powerlags from menards bolts 3/8 size 5 inches long. they have a torx head about 2 bucks for the bit. they were about a buck a piece work great they have a fat head on them so you dont have to weld a washer to it. check it out i use em all the time easy in and out.