Best way to cross barbed wire fence?

This might seem like a simple question but....

Part of my worst-case scenario of walking home (alone) a very long ways requires laying up for rest along the way.

Getting away from the road for this is important.

It's also possible that getting off the road for travel could be necessary. It may be that travel at night is the best way to go as it would keep me warm from activity during the coldest part of the day.

There are a lot of barbed wire fences to cross if travelling off-road or short-cutting road corners.

I have a little experience with these fences (mostly dis-used and unmaintained fences in NFS lands) but not enough to feel confident about dealing with them.

I understand that the best-case is to find a clean, dry large gap between the bottom strand the ground and wriggle underneath. (pack might have to go over separately though not always) This is least-risk of injury and minimal snagging.

Next best is if the fence is saggy and slack so that two strands can be spread so as to slip thru. This pretty much requires removing one's pack and placing it over the other side before spreading the wires and easing thru trying not to get hung up. But the tightest, best fences I've seen have a vertical twisted stiffener between posts that prevents spreading.

Then there is climbing the fence at the post hoping the wire you're standing on doesn't slip off?

Cutting the fence might get me shot and I don't want to carry the cutters to do it.

So- anybody got some advice based on lots of practice?

You mentioned my techniques (going over or thru) although I've never needed to go under. It depends on fence specifics - width of gap, slackness et al. Cutting a fence is bad form.

If the fence or barrier is designed to keep folks (rather than livestock/animals) from crossing then you'll need some cutters, otherwise getting past an old fashioned simple barbed wire fence then you seem to have it figured out.

There are many different types of security wire/fence or barbed tape.

http://www.birminghambarbedtape.co.uk/index.php

Even then some are designed to be resistant to wire cutters such as the Park Tool CN-10.

I would never consider cutting a fence. But cutting fences happens, livestock (cattle, horses et al) get loose and then find themselves on a road where they are subsequently killed by a car/truck and they do a lot of damage on their way out. Really bad form for a hiker, survival situation or not.

The most common, and probably safest, technique is for one person to spread the slack wires while the other(s) slip through. Next best is finding a spot slack enough that you can step over - be sure and have a firm grip on the strand of wire because you don't want it to slip in mid stride. Most risky is climbing a post, especially if the fence is elderly.

A good pair of leather work gloves is a good idea....

It is usually worthwhile to scout some distance along the fence to find the easiest spot to cross. If going over, one might find a convenient tree or boulder to make it easier. Or, look for the most sturdy post to climb. Likewise, if going under, look for a spot where there is slightly more clearance.

Just to reiterate - I have crossed over and crawled under some fences over the years but thought I might have missed some clever techniques.

This is assumed to be done alone.

Thanks.

Its not been unknown for the wooden post to be pulled up from the post hole, leaving the fence just 1-2 feet high then walking across the post, then putting the post back in the post hole.

BTW there is a general rule that an area which is enclosed off will have at least one entrance called a gate.

Cutting your way through/climbing over etc an obscure fence may mean you could be getting yourself into some serious trouble if crossing a secure area such as a FEMA camp, prison, nuclear or defense establishment. Sometimes it is just better to walk around the obstacle. Oh and keep an eye for electrical insulators on the fence, it could lead to a shocking experience.

That's the technique I hadn't thought about. I'd only expect it to work with a saggy fence though. Not the taut metal-post-with-vertical spacers between posts modern fences.

I'm not looking to cross any Federal property. Just thinking about crossing semi-rural prairie pasture/crop lands so I can get to/from a good layup spot, or procure water, or stay away from the roads.

I forgot that Google is my best friend.
Here is a rather small solution to the problem.
Other searches indicate these things might be hard to find but it sure looks like a simple solution.
Ought to have a NSN for the SpecOps boys.

http://www.topratedadventures.com/Mfg/T-PostStepper.htm

Fascinating!

HJ

If only they were available.

Seems like they've been discontinued everywhere that lists them. Even Grainger lists them (discontinued).

Seems like the product liability would be high.
But could also be off the market for other reasons.

Just aword of caution. In coastal California and on the Channel Islands, T-posts do not last as long as wooden ones. They tend to corrode rapidly, due to the salt laden air, and form devilishly sharp impromptu pungi sticks, great for puncturing truck tires and bodies. I wouldn't risk using this device in my neck of the woods.

Sometimes you can find a big rock or something next to the fence, which you can climb up and then jump from over the fence as shown here by the SAS demo (Tip Number 2 minus the fence).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyIxCs8mCio

Here's one idea to try ...

let's imagine that the barb wire fence is about waist high, and that it's got three strands. Go to the middle section of the fence - equal distance from the fence posts on either side. This is the location where the wire has the most slack in it. Take out a piece of nylon cord from your backpack. Loop it over the top strand of barbed wire, then down under the bottom strand of barbed wire, then back up again. Now pull your cord very tight and tie a knot.

This arrangement causes the top strand to be pulled downwards to the maximum extend (takes out all the slack), and the bottom strand to be pulled up to the maximum extent. Now you've got a choice - gently step over the top strand (since you have more clearance), or get down on the ground and crawl under the bottom strand (also with more clearance).

Pete2

Bestway to cross barbed wire fence?#1-With the landowners permission!#2-See #1!

There is a tool called a fencing tool. It looks like a large pair of pliers that the 'head' (working end) sorta looks like a hammer. Any ranch supply store in an area where they use wood fence posts will have them. Too big/heavy for backpacking distances (and unnecessary). You can pull the staples that hold the wires out of the posts with the tool. Do this to 4-6 posts, lay the wires on the ground. You can now drive over the wires in the middle. Put the wires back up and the staples back in place. Do not do this near a corner or where there are double posts about 5 feet apart with crossbrace wires, if you do, you are effecting wire tension. If you center the dropped wires over a slight rise in the ground, you have to drop wires on fewer posts. In ranch country a lot of ranch utility vehicles carry this tool for repairing fences.
This is HOW you do it. NOT casually. Not without good reason. And typically only to your own fence. What it does is function as a temporary gate. Not quick to open or close, but sometimes a gate is a LONG ways away, and stock or a vehicle need to be moved through-sometimes repeatedly over a short time.

A little knowledge CAN be a dangerous thing...
gimpy

Mostly wooden posts around here.

You won't find them everywhere, but look for a stile, esp where wooden posts are used.

If you do carry some wire cutters, try cutting the barbs off the wire where you intend to cross, then lay some kind of padding over the wire.

People seem to assume that all fences are just to keep people out. It would also be a good idea to be aware of what the property owner is FENCING IN. A bull can run at least 20 mph, a Rottweiler is faster.

Sue

This little gadget looks like a really clever way to spread the wires if it's a t-post fence. I'm not so sure about moving the clip as easily as shown in the video.

http://www.thefencebuddy.com/index.html

I'm going to have to study on fences next time I go hiking on public land.

Ultimately it seems like a sub-optimal thing to be doing with many risks. But knowing how things work is always worth learning.

I spent some time searching the internet for the t-stepper. They are just plain gone!

Ah, this brings back chilhood memories from my grandparents' farm. My advice? All of the above. Carefully. Thoughtfully. Not at a full-tilt run with a ticcked-off bull charging you.

I've slipped through so many barbed wire fences it's almost secod nature. Just push down the strand that's crotch high and swing a leg and torso through in one smooth motion. I sometimes snag, but it's just a slow-down, not a stopper. On the tighter fences, I'll sometimes take off my Tshirt so it won't snag, even so, most of my ugly work Tshirts have little holes on the back.

I guess you could always carry a narrow 3 or 4 foot roll of carpet. Throw it over the top and slide over the top like all the prison-break movies. It could double as your sleeping pad.

I've gotten over barbed wire fences okay, but it's those hot wires that I thought were turned off that tend to be a surprise. Zzzzt!

Sue

The essence of this is true. Cover the wire with a jacket or something similar. That is the second thing that came to my mind. I opted out of number 1; cutting. As stated by others, that is bad form.

Carry wire cutters, but only cut the wire if life is at stake, as others point out, the wire is there for a good reason and cutting it might result in prosecution or being shot at.

To cross without cutting the wire, a forked stick to lift the bottom strand and keep it lifted whilst you wriggle underneath can help.

Another possibility is to carry a couple a pieces of expanded foam pipe insulation, slip these over two strands of the wire and squeeze between, with little risk of snagging.
The insulation material is rather bulky to carry, but very lightweight.

In many cases the barbed wire fence needs to be crossed without undue delay.
If however delay is acceptable, then cross at the hottest time of day since the wire will have expanded and be slightly less tight.

Been there and done that. Amazingly I don't even remember how I got over the fences when chased by a bull, and somehow I didn't get cut. It's amazing how a huge bull can materialize out of thin air just as you reach the midpoint of a field.

There is a large military base near my parents farm and you can always tell when they are out in the field because I would have to go restretch the top wire, its pretty easy to just puch down on the top wire and cross over.
To do the least damage, follow the fence to a corner or gate and if you can't climp the gate there should be a diagonal brace at the post or the corner post, you can step up over the fence using that brace without stretching the wire.

Sometimes a Bull can be a tremendous aid in getting over a fence as shown here by Peter Potter. I suspect he didn't know either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoYONW2kFPc @5:21

Probably enough adrenalin from being chased that you went over the fence without touching it. When I was in shape I could put my hands on the top of a post and jump over .

Humans can fly. But only for short distances..... :-)

And with limited directional control.

That's pretty much it.

Growing up where I did, we spent a lot of time tramping through cow and horse filled pasture trying to get to good ponds or creeks for fishing (or just hanging out), so we always scoped a field out closely before entering. Regardless of that effort, the bull would always appear from a small depression or group of trees. Usually it was kind of funny, but there has got to be an equation describing the relationship between the nearness of snorting bull and lack of humor.

I have to say that we trespassed like crazy as kids, but would have never thought to damage someone's fence. I'm pretty positive Dad would have wore me out. Never damage a fence, always close the gate. He wasn't too pleased about trespassing, but new the draw of Elkhorn Creek was too strong.

Seriously, there's no reason to cut a farm fence.

Nah, flying's easy. Landing gracefully is the real hard part

While on my Thurs PM run I stopped to take a close look at fences along my route.

It appears that the Fence Buddy assumes that the fence has been assembled using a pre-bent clip which has open ears and that the ears remain open after the fencer has moved on.

On the fence I looked at, the "clip" was made of fence wire wound around the barbed strand on both sides and had up to 4 turns on both sides. No way the Fence Buddy would work on those fences.

I also found a fence made of 8 horizontal strands on non-barbed wire. No spreading that one or going under. Didn't look closely to see what would happen if one were to put weight on any given wire.
At least it wouldn't bite while trying it out.

Yeah, I have experience, I grew up on a farm/ranch.

Just climb the damn fence

It must take some practice. I watched a guy in a silver flight suit climbing over the fence at McCarran Airport, and the barbed wire had caught the crotch of his flight suit. I dropped off my passengers and moseyed on back a few minutes later (I am nothing if not curious), and he was still there. I went back and notified airport security.

As I delivered my next load, there was a man using one of those tightener things on the fence in that spot.

OUCH!

Sue

i grew up on a farm too, when people climb my fence I had to go re-stretch it. Try to respect others property and don't climb on the fence, find a pole strong enough to support your weight.