Punch a hole in the top of your ice chisel and string a stout cord through it. Before trying to chisel a hole in ice, anchor the cord to something large or too heavy to be pulled through the hole so you will not lose your chisel in freezing water when the ice is penetrated. Always test the thickness of ice before venturing any distance from the shore. Since ice thickness can vary considerably, it is best to stay near the shoreline of large lakes. Use alkaline batteries in flashlights.
Standard batteries deteriorate quickly in cold weather.
This will prevent it from being turned on accidentally while in your pack or on your sled. Encourage everyone in your group to wear brightly colored outer clothing so that each person will be more visible, especially during severe weather. Small liquid-fuel stoves are much better for cooking in winter than fires, which are difficult to build with wet wood. Gathering wood that is frozen to the ground also can be difficult, if not impossible. Fuel evaporates at a high rate of speed and quickly removes heat from anything it touches.