How to overcome water obstacles. Wading rivers and water obstacles, wade crossing methods, fording external signs b) abrupt change in weather conditions, self-ignition and spontaneous combustion of combustible substances and materials, precipitation

On the slopes of hills and mountain slopes one must be very careful. The slightest mistake - and you can slip and fall down. An additional point of support is needed here. To do this, use an ordinary stick. Tourists call it alpenstock.

Sometimes it is more convenient to walk along the stream or straight along it. But caution is needed: streams often either go into narrow gorges or canyons, or are cut off by waterfalls. In such places, you can expose yourself to great danger.

In the mountains, you often have to wade through rivers and streams. The desire not to get your feet wet, to cross to the other side, jumping from one stone to another, often ends badly. By jumping on a stone, you can slip, fall into the water and get completely wet. In addition, when falling, not only damage to the leg or arm is possible, but a person can be caught by the rapid current of the river ...

When moving on a slope, tourists rely on a stick (alpenstock)

It is better to choose a convenient place and ford the river. Wide and shallow places are suitable for this. If there are stones on the river, then the area above the stones (downstream) should not be chosen as the crossing point. There the water looks calmer, but the water pressure is the greatest.

If there is only one person, you need to use an alpenstock for the transition and lean on it.

Alpenstock helps to cross the river

You can cross the stream in two or three, placing the weaker ones in the line downstream. Then the stronger of the passing ones takes on the main pressure of the water and cuts it.

In no case should you cross the river barefoot: you can injure your legs on sharp stones or slip. You can shine in front of the ford socks and put them on on the other side, pouring out the water from the shoes. Before crossing, you should loosen the straps of the backpacks so that they can be quickly dropped if necessary.

In the mountains, if the terrain allows, it is better to go along the ridges. In this case, the view increases and it is easier to go.

Extremely difficult transitions in the forest and taiga in winter time without skis. Deep and loose snow greatly complicates movement, making it almost impossible.

To move around deep snow you can make skis and snowshoes. They are made in the form of a frame of two branches 2-2.5 cm thick and 150 cm long. The front end of the ski, steamed in water, is bent up, and the frame at least 30 cm wide is braided with thin flexible branches. In the front of the ski, a leg support is made from four transverse and two longitudinal strips according to the size of the shoe.

In winter, you can move along the beds of frozen rivers. But attention! In places where there is a strong current, the ice is thin, you can fall through. Especially dangerous is the movement along steep banks. Often under the snow there is water that has come to the surface of the ice due to freezing (on the shallows) of the water to the bottom.

When driving on ice, it is necessary to increase the intervals between people, stretch or loosen backpack straps, unfasten ski bindings, and prepare a rope.

Many unpleasant minutes can be delivered by the swamps encountered on the way. Their surface is deceptive. Small swampy areas can be passed by stepping on bumps or rhizomes of shrubs, laying a path of poles. It is extremely dangerous to ford sections of the swamp, and only local residents who know safe places well can do this.

The most common type of crossing over small rivers and other water obstacles- fording the river. The main condition for forcing a river is the choice of a ford site. External signs of a ford: the expansion of the river in its straight section, ripples on the surface of the water, reaches, shallows, rifts, islands, paths and roads descending to the river.

The exception is lowland rivers. Here, when choosing a ford, it is necessary to establish the absence of whirlpools, deep pits, silt, mud, snags, flooding of trees and other objects that, when crossing, can cause serious complications.

It is much more difficult to determine the place of a ford on a mountain river by external signs. In this case, you should start to survey the general character of the river. Determine the width of the channel possible depth, the state of the bottom and the speed of the current. Then choose the place of approach and the conditional place of exit to the opposite bank. To ensure security, mark the places of interception posts, determine the availability of local crossing facilities, the number special equipment(main and auxiliary ropes, carabiners and harnesses) for guiding the crossing and organizing insurance, the size of the group, its physical and psychological condition, technical training. Only after that they determine the tactics of overcoming the water obstacle.

Crossing over mountain rivers with a flow velocity of more than 3-4 m / s with a rocky bottom is possible: for a person - at a depth of the knee, for riding horses - at a depth of the belly, for a cart in a harness - no higher than the axis of travel.

Methods for crossing the river and fording water obstacles.

The impassable sections of the river are characterized by the inaccessibility of the approach to the water barrier: steep or steep slopes, rockfalls, canyons, many deep channels, heavily swampy, viscous, muddy banks and the bottom of the river, pits and whirlpools. The river has a large width, depth and a strong current. Signs of impassable water areas are a wide floodplain of the river, a strong current, low swampy or steep banks. Unfavorable meteorological conditions (rain, snow) affect the passage of water barriers. Passable rivers have a shallow depth and medium current, they are forded alone, in pairs and in small groups.

Ways to wade through small rivers and other water barriers.

After choosing the place of the ford and determining the speed of the current, they begin to conduct reconnaissance. It is carried out by one of the members of the group with compulsory insurance, which can be a strong pole (stick) 2-2.5 meters long. The person crossing begins to move somewhat at an angle to the current, leaning on a pole. At the next movement, it is rearranged upstream (it will be pressed to the bottom by the pressure of water). Putting a pole downstream and leaning on it is a gross mistake. In this position, it is not an insurer, it can easily be thrown off by the current, after which an inevitable loss of balance will follow and a fall into the water may occur.

When carrying out reconnaissance and subsequent transitions downstream, an interception post should be set up 20-30 meters (in case of demolition by the passing current). For 100 meters from the crossing point downstream, the riverbed must be free from protruding stones, fallen trees and other objects that can cause injury to a person who has fallen into the water. The most experienced and physically strong participant crosses the river first. After he came ashore, all the other participants pass in turn. For safety reasons, it is recommended to ford the river in one place and along one path. Unauthorized choice of a ford site is unacceptable.

When fording a river, flat or mountainous, the first person to cross must pass without, in shoes. The passer must be able to swim well. The tourist who crossed the river first should be ready to help his comrades. If one of the participants is not very confident in overcoming the water barrier, he must be insured by allocating a more experienced participant to help him. On a difficult section of the river, in addition to the pole, the crossing person uses a safety rope. The insurance of the first is carried out by the main and auxiliary ropes, which are fastened from the side of the chest with a carabiner to the chest harness. When moving, the safety ropes are at a certain angle relative to one another - the main one is upstream, the auxiliary one is lower.

Each rope is held by two tourists and, as needed, is given out. When the guide is broken, the main rope is not selected, but only held or slightly protruded. Pulling the fallen to the shore is carried out with an auxiliary rope. After the crossing of the first tourist, the main rope is fixed to a reliable object and pulled by the insurer at the chest level of the crossing. Thus, the rope serves as a railing, with the help of which the safety of the further crossing is carried out. The movement is carried out with side steps, while supporting the stretched railings with your hands, facing towards the flow.

In case of a strong current at the crossing, before starting to move, the tourist is attached to the railing (main rope) with a carabiner or a safety loop located on his chest harness (on the chest side). The last participant unties the rope and attaches to it. Auxiliary and main ropes are fixed with a carabiner from the side of the chest. Leaning on a pole, the tourist crosses the river.

Crossing over complex rivers in pairs and rows.

This method is as follows; two or three to five people, tightly embracing their shoulders, move somewhat against the current. The safety of such a crossing depends on the coordination of the movements of those crossing. At the moment when one takes a step, the other supports it. With the next movement, you need to find a comfortable place for the foot so that it does not slip. It is desirable to carry out the movement with side steps. To improve insurance, the first one in line leans on a pole. When crossing in a circle, those crossing, tightly hugging their shoulders, form a circle and move counterclockwise.

To ford the river, you can use another way of crossing - a column, which is as follows. The group lines up on the shore along the river, at the back of each other's heads. The strongest participant stands in front with a pole in his hands. Behind him - the second, not inferior in strength to the first. Less strong and inexperienced members of the group stand in the middle. Tourists hold each other tightly with both hands. The column, at the command of the first, enters the water with side steps, facing towards the current. The first one assumes the main force of the water pressure. He leans heavily on a pole held forward upstream.

The second in the column holds the first by the belt, pressing him down, preventing the flow from overturning the leader, etc. Everyone insures the one in front. The column slowly crosses the river with side steps. The leader commands the movement of the column. With this method of crossing, a clear interaction of the movements of all members of the group is required.

The following basic safety rules must be followed when fording a river.

– When choosing a crossing site, it is necessary to take into account the approach to the river, the condition of the channel, the depth and strength of the current, the time of day and climatic conditions, the availability of the necessary special equipment, and it is also necessary to conduct reconnaissance with mandatory insurance.
- Cross the river in a place chosen by intelligence. It is forbidden to cross yourself in other places.
- When crossing with the organization of rope railings, move on the side of the railing, downstream, with side steps.
- Do not use loops with grasping knots for self-insurance - attach to the rope railing only with a carabiner, through the chest harness or loops from it.
- When moving in a line, circle, column, the grip of each other by the shoulders must be strong.
- For insurance downstream, it is imperative to set up interception posts.
- Crossing the river ford at any time of the year must be carried out in clothes and shoes.

During crossings behind enemy lines, scouts will encounter rivers, channels, canals, streams, lakes, swamps, which will have to be overcome immediately, without preliminary reconnaissance of these obstacles and lengthy preparation, without special crossing facilities (devices), in different time year and day. Therefore, scouts must know how to short time and in compliance with security measures to overcome water barriers, how to equip crossing facilities, using for this purpose the simplest materials at hand.

To ensure safety, it is important to be able to choose the right place for the crossing. Circumstances will not always allow the group to explore the water line in advance, but it always has the opportunity to pre-select a suitable place on the map. On the map, you can determine the direction of the flow of the river, its width and depth, general character shores.

Having determined the direction and speed of the flow of the river and its width, it is easy to find the amount of possible drift when crossing on improvised means or by swimming (multiply 2.5 by the speed of the current (m / s) and by the width of the river (m).

Having calculated the amount of drift, one can choose from the map the most favorable landing area on the opposite bank.

For crossing water obstacles, it is necessary to choose the narrowest sections. Approaches to the water line and the area of ​​access to the opposite bank should ensure maximum secrecy of the group so that it can prepare for the crossing and quickly bring itself to combat readiness after the crossing. The shores at the crossing point should be convenient for approaching the water and leaving it after crossing the line.

For reconnaissance of the landing site and approaches to it, if time and situation permit, one scout must first cross, and only at his signal should the rest cross.

The procedure for crossing the water line can be very different. It depends on the stop, the availability of time and crossing facilities, the nature of the water line, the time of year.

Crossing water lines can be carried out:

- swimming;

- using improvised means;

- on rafts;

- on boats;

- on ice.

Fording

A ford is a section of a river that allows crossing from one bank to another along the bottom of the river.

The presence of fords is determined by topographic maps, according to local residents and by outward appearances. The signs of a ford are:

- roads, paths and ruts converging near the river on both banks of it and losing track in the water;

- places with sloping banks, where the river expands and forms spills;

- places with a small wave surface of the water (ripples).

When crossing a ford, it is necessary to take into account: the depth and width of the ford, the speed of the river, the bottom soil, the presence of holes, snags and obstacles in the water and on the banks. It is necessary to wade an unfamiliar water barrier carefully, be sure to have a pole with you to feel the bottom of the river with it. It is best to ford the river in the shallows. If one scout crosses the river and he has a rope, then it must be used as follows. Tie a stick to the end of the rope, throw it on the opposite bank into a pile of coastal stones or bushes and, holding on to the rope, carefully cross the river.

If a group is crossing, the most experienced scout usually goes first. The rest should follow him, holding on to each other, moving carefully to the opposite bank at an angle, up against the current of the river. It is necessary to rest against the pole from the side of the water pressure. Do not look into the water as you may lose your balance. You need to look at the place of exit from the water.

You can cross mountain rivers on stones and masonry, and you need to be very careful, as stones are usually slippery and you can easily fall into the water and get serious injuries.

When you have to cross very fast mountain rivers, at the crossing point you need to pull a rope (wire, rope), holding on to which you can safely overcome rapid current. It should be borne in mind that it is possible to wade through mountain rivers and streams waist-deep. If their depth is greater, then ford such rivers without special devices dangerously. It is safest to ford mountain rivers early morning, since at this time they have the smallest depth.

If the bottom of the river is covered with sharp stones, thorny bushes, which can injure your feet, you should cross the river in shoes worn on bare feet in order to keep footcloths (socks) dry. Move the bushes and reeds encountered on the way with your hands, do not take your legs out of the water, but move them carefully in the water. This will ensure noiseless movement and masking of traces.

Swimming

Swimming is carried out in the absence of crossing facilities or time for their preparation, mainly on narrow rivers (up to 60 m) with a weak current. Through rivers with a width of more than 70,100 m, it is possible to swim across using improvised floating equipment (boards, logs, car cameras, bags of straw, floats from raincoat tents.

When reconnaissance of a water obstacle in a particular place, it is necessary to determine (for an accurate calculation of the drift of the floating) the width of the river and the speed of the current.

The width of the river is determined in the following way: stand on your bank opposite any local subject on the opposite bank, then from the point of your standing, measure some distance along the coast, for example, 60 steps, and put a milestone in this place, then again measure along the coast a distance equal to half of the previously measured one, i.e.

in this case, 30 steps, and at this point move away from the shore at a right angle until the milestone is in alignment with an object seen on that shore. The distance traveled from the shore, doubled, will be equal to the width of the river. If, for example, 34 steps have passed from the bank, then the width of the river will be 34 x 2 = 68 steps.

The flow rate can be determined as follows. Two stakes are hammered on the shore and the distance between them is measured. Having thrown a float or some other object into the water, they observe how long it takes to swim this distance. Divide the distance (in meters) by the time (in seconds) to get the speed of the current of the arm. The current is considered weak at a speed of up to 0.5 m/s, medium - at a speed of 0.6-1 m/s, 8 Scout training fast - at a speed of 1-2 m/s, very fast - at a speed of more than 2 m/s .

When crossing through wide rivers with a current of more than 0.5 m / s there will always be a large drift of those crossing. This drift can be reduced by increasing the crossing speed, which is possible for personnel, well trained in swimming and rowing with small sapper shovels. So, for example, with a river width of 100 m, a current speed of 1 m / s and a swimming speed of 0.5 m / s, the drift value O will be equal to: 0.5 x 100 \u003d 200 m.

The person crossing should take this drift into account in order to designate the place of departure upstream from the place of the berth (out of the water).

The crossing must be done in an organized and fast manner. During the crossing, complete silence is observed, all commands and orders are transmitted only by conventional signals and signs.

The methods of floating on crossing facilities described below are based on the following provisions:

– specific gravity water is accepted equal to one, and the specific gravity human body- from 0.935 to 1.057 (depending on the volume of the lungs, the amount of adipose tissue, bone mass, etc.);

- to keep a person on the surface of the water, an additional lifting force is required (taking into account the fact that 3/4 of the volume of the body of the swimmer is in the water), only for 1/4 of the volume (mass) of the swimmer, since only this part of the body is on the surface of the water;

- to lift 1/4 of the volume of the body of a floating soldier weighing 80-100 kg, it is necessary to have a floating facility with a lifting force of 20-30 kg.

Swimming across narrow rivers

Scouts without improvised and standard equipment swim across rivers up to 60 m wide and with water flow up to 1 m/s.

Swimming can be done in uniform and equipment. The most comfortable style for swimming in clothes is the breaststroke, and for poor swimmers - crawl without reaching out. When crossing by swimming in full gear, it is necessary to untie the braid on the trousers, turn out the pockets, and unbutton the buttons on the sleeves and collar. The boots are tucked under the belt so that the heels point inward and the toes point outward. The contents of the backpack are compacted, a raincoat is placed under its cover and the cover is tightened. The weapon is placed on the satchel from above, with the butt to the right side. A gun belt over the head is worn under the armpits or on the right shoulder. The belt should not press under the armpits.

To ensure that weak swimmers can swim across, their equipment and weapons can be transported on rafts made of logs, boards, and poles. The scouts, having laid equipment and weapons on the rafts, push them in front of them and swim themselves, holding on to them. In addition, poorly swimming scouts can use various improvised means (boards, logs, car cameras, uniforms, etc.)

If the current of the river is fast, then it is advisable for the scout to tie a raft (knot) to his hand with a rope, since the raft can quickly separate and float away along the river.

You can cross over on a rope stretched from coast to coast. To keep the rope afloat, logs, barrels, floats and other means are tied to it. The scouts swim, holding on to the rope, at a distance of 10 m from each other. If the current of the river is more than 1 m / s, then the rope is strengthened with one end on the shore, and logs, floats and other means are tied to the other end, for which the scouts who swim across are holding on.

The rope with floating equipment is pulled back with a specially tied rope, the end of which must remain on the original bank.

Swimming across wide rivers

One of the main means at hand when crossing by swimming is a cape. When using a cape in a structure as a support, it is important to be able to roll it up correctly, since only this will achieve the maximum lifting force of the raft. The dimensions of the raincoat tent are 1.75 x 1.75 m. The pocket in the raincoat tent at a distance of 2530 cm from the edge makes it 30 cm narrower (shorter) on one side. In fact, its dimensions are 1.45 x 1.75 m. The raincoats used for the crossing must be intact (without gusts and holes). When wrapping bulk materials (hay, straw, etc.), the raincoat must be rolled up so that water does not seep into it.

There are two ways to roll the tent lengthwise. The first way is that the edges of the tent are folded and wrapped at the same time.

In this case, the edges of the tent cloth are rolled up in strips of 5 cm each. The carrying capacity of such a raincoat is up to 60 kg. When crossing wide rivers, where possible big waves, such folding ensures that water does not seep into the raincoat.

The second way is that one floor (without a pocket) goes behind the other with the expectation to block the pocket by 15-20 cm. The carrying capacity of such a raincoat is up to 80 kg.

The ends of the raincoats rolled into a roll (stuffed with bulky materials) are tied into a knot.

Swimming is also possible on two logs or on two to four sacks. Bags are stuffed with pine bark, reeds, straw or other materials that have lifting power and do not quickly absorb water.

IN modern period one of the best available tools for swimming is considered a rubber bag (football camera). Such means are very light and can always be in a backpack during long transitions. Before crossing, you need to take off all your clothes, put them in a backpack, inflate a couple of football cameras (not very much) and put them in your backpack as well. A tied backpack should be put in a large (not torn) plastic bag and tie at the top. You can put all your things in such a bag, and put the bag in a backpack, then only the backpack itself will get wet, and all things will remain dry after the crossing.

Special ferry structures allow a swimmer to take a horizontal or vertical position with respect to the plane of the water (with horizontal - lying on the structure or next to it on the water, with vertical - sitting or standing in the structure). With a horizontal position, the water resistance is less than with a vertical one. The crossing speed in this way can reach 45 m/min, however, the area occupied by the sailor (in terms of construction) is three to four times greater than when crossing in a vertical position. In arranged structures, floating facilities are taken at the rate of 20-30 kg of lifting force for each crossing.

The swimming of four scouts can be carried out on long logs or boards with a carrying capacity of 100-200 kg (at the rate of 25-30 kg of lifting force for each crossing). To hold those who cross over the logs, pole strips or rope belts tied to the logs are used. On fig. 159 shows a log equipped with a frame of poles, on which the crossing is carried out with the help of shovels. Such equipped logs are used to ferry non-swimmers or poorly swimming scouts.

In a vertical position, the crossing person must overcome greater water resistance compared to the horizontal one, so the crossing is carried out at a speed of 15-30 m / min. However, the area occupied by the crossings (in terms of the raft design) is two to four times less than in a horizontal position. In addition, it is more convenient to fire from a vertical position than from a horizontal one. Crossing in the structure, the scouts are located in it in a sitting or standing position (on specially suspended longitudinal or transverse poles). The distance from the upper frame of the structure, on which the scouts rest under their armpits, to the lower pole on which they sit is 45-50 cm, and to the pole on which they stand is 0.8-1 m. All structures of such support rafts in mainly consist of pole frames and floats, arranged from different floating facilities and materials. Below are the designs of support rafts for the crossing of scouts by swimming in a vertical position.

A raft of pole bundles. The scout enters the structure on the shore and carries it into the water with both hands. Having entered the water to a depth of 1 m, he sits down on a suspended pole and begins the crossing, rowing with scraps of boards, a sapper shovel or palms.

Rafts can be arranged for the simultaneous crossing of two or more scouts in each. Floating facilities in this case increase accordingly.

A raft of two raincoats stuffed with bulk material for the crossing of two scouts.

Cloak-tents at a great distance of the enemy from the crossing point can be filled with uniforms and equipment of those crossing, supplementing them with a little hay or straw.

Assembly order: first, the supports of the structure are knitted (cloak-tents stuffed with bulky material, then a frame is made of two longitudinal and four transverse poles. Two poles for sitting are tied to the longitudinal poles of the raft frame, the frame is laid on supports and tied to them.

A raft of two barrels is arranged for the crossing of scouts and cargo.

(The number of reconnaissance and cargo transported depends on the lifting power of the barrels.)

Assembly order: first, a frame is knitted, and poles are hung from it, on which the crossing people stand. Then the frame is laid on the barrels and tied to them. After that, arrange a platform for cargo.

The design of the raft-support of barrels allows you to cross a large number scouts, so those who are crossing can easily carry them from the place of assembly.

Our next lesson will be about overcoming water obstacles. This may come in handy at the most unexpected moment. I will bring a prime example from personal experience.

We went to the forest for berries. Not far, about 5-6 km. from the nearest village. On two cars UAZ-31519 (mine) and UAZ-452 (friend). In the process of driving along the “wolf road”, we crossed a stream 50 centimeters wide and ankle-deep. We arrived at the place, set up camp, had breakfast, set off to collect the gifts of the forest. Toward evening it suddenly began to rain. Moreover, it was difficult to call it rain - drizzle, heavy fog. Declined. The rain continued to fall. In the morning, returning back, we saw in front of us .... Yes, as you may have guessed - a turbulent stream 4 - 5 meters wide and about a meter deep. And it kept raining. Looking ahead, I will say that the creek was crossed by both cars for several minutes without any loss. But ... We were prepared and had great experience. And what impression will this seething stream make on a beginner or an inexperienced jeep?! In addition to convulsive forcing attempts, we are very likely to get a drowned car. By the way, none of our cars was equipped with snorkels and had no special training.

Well, you presented the picture. We start forcing. The first is intelligence. It is desirable to have for this Wellingtons(swamps) or, which is generally ideal, waterproof semi-overalls (the so-called "chemical protection"). Why so serious? Yes, because sometimes you have to wander in spring, waist-deep, icy waters to find some kind of loophole for a jeep. If you come back and remember the bottom topography, it's one thing. When you storm an unknown place, it's different. We take in hand the rope with which your friend will insure you. If it so happened that you are alone, or your fellow travelers have no strength (women, children) - tie a rope to the car. This is a safety measure in case of strong currents, convulsions, pits, etc. If the current is severe, tie yourself with a rope. Carefully probe the bottom with your feet. Stones, pebbles? Fine. It remains only to choose a trajectory without boulders, so as not to damage the suspension and engine. Sand? Worse, but not so critical - we feel the maximum firmament. Silt, clay, organic carpet? It's already much worse.

I will not describe the first two options - it is understandable and so, without prompts. I will describe how to act in the most difficult situation - a shifting, unstable day. We hook the cable to the car in advance, wind it up and throw it on the roof or hood - we fix it, in extreme cases - we throw it through the window into the passenger compartment. It's great if you have two cables - you can fasten them at once both in front and behind! It's great if you have a winch! Determine the anchor (a boulder, a tree, sticking out strong snags, poles, etc.) and unwind the winch cable in advance to a length reaching the anchor, or to the maximum length if the anchor is too far. Wind up the rope and secure it in an easily accessible place. Before driving, close all windows and vents - excess water we don't need anything. We remove all things from the floor of the cabin, place them as high as possible. If there is a heater, we remove it, or simply roll it tightly.

If, as in the UAZ-31519, the fan has a belt drive (it spins from the engine), then remove the belt or completely loosen the tension. There are several reasons. Firstly, a rotating fan will flood everything around (read - the engine) with water. Secondly, having hit the water at high speeds, the fan blades (due to the existing positive angle of attack and water resistance) can bend forward, winding the radiator cells and the radiator itself. In the latter, I, of course, exaggerate, but I hope you understand the danger.

Whether or not to expel your passengers is up to you, at your own peril and risk, depending on the uniform, age, and the degree of danger of the water barrier. It is possible to cross a calm stream all together ... But it is very risky to force a roaring rain stream with children in the cabin. It all depends on the situation, make a decision according to the circumstances.
Let's go. The first thing to understand and remember by heart is that we drive slowly, but evenly, at about the same speed. If you have a UAZ, close the radiator shutters.

It is strictly forbidden to fly into the water with acceleration! In addition to the fact that you can get water hammer in the radiator, the car will behave like a leaky float. The jeep will first hit the water, losing some of its speed. The rear wheels hang out and lose traction, the car starts to turn. A wave of water will fill the engine compartment, fill the candles and the variator, possibly reaching the carburetor, and, if there is no snorkel, the air intake. Then the car will suddenly pop up, the wheels will lose the ground and it will be carried away for more deep place. There, starting to sink, the car is guaranteed to stand up forever.

Overflows are not allowed. As soon as you see a wave in front of the car - adjust the speed, try to catch up with it (or, conversely, so that it catches up with you). The reason for this is simple - when the wave goes in front of the car in accordance with the graphic sinusoid, the water level in the engine compartment is MINIMUM!

Stops are NOT ALLOWED. Especially if the bottom is sandy or muddy! The reason is simple - a standing car is quickly washed away by the current into the sand, falling lower and lower.

If suddenly you feel that the car is about to get stuck and the depth becomes much greater than the calculated one, do not panic. Engage reverse very quickly and begin to move backward along your path. Attention! DO NOT allow SLIP when starting!

At the same time, take into account such a thing that people say: Fear has big eyes! Namely, when moving forward, you collect water in front of you and the wave, naturally going in front of you, visually raises the water level!

Next danger. In a strong current, the car can turn around or drag sideways. Get ready for it! In this case, you must immediately open all the doors wide open. The cabin will fill with water and the car will anchor in place. If the engine does not stall, proceed carefully. The salon, of course, will get wet, but this is the lesser of evils. After all, "auto-floaters" in most cases, the water flow simply Flips.

When submerged in water, get ready for a sudden release of a cloud of steam! Don't be scared, it's normal.

If the engine suddenly stalled and you understand that it stalled through your fault (for example, due to careless manipulation of the controls), try to start it right away. If the engine "grabbed" - increase the speed smoothly and immediately continue moving. If the engine does not start after two attempts - do not continue further - you are out of luck. You will have to extract the car with someone's help!

On the shore you can try to revive the engine. On gasoline - open the variator cover, dry it. We unscrew all the candles, drive the engine with a starter to expel water from the cylinders. Attention! Do not forget to short the high-voltage wires to ground, otherwise there is a risk of burning electrical equipment. By removing the coarse filter (usually located near the tank), we look at the presence of water. We wipe everything, dry it, screw it in and try to start it. In most cases, the engine starts without any problems.

Diesel is a little more difficult. If the crankshaft rotates with difficulty, we probably received a water hammer in the cylinders and bent the connecting rods. A tug or tow truck is already needed here and a very serious repair is ahead.

According to the statistics of seasoned off-roaders, in the vast majority of cars they cannot overcome the ford and get stuck tightly not because of technical problems or difficult terrain of the day, but due to elementary crew errors.

Finally, a few tips just in case. If you understand that crossing the fords may not be a rare occurrence, you just need to equip your car. Despite the formidability of the event, it is simple and inexpensive. Necessary activities:
- Install the snorkel (removed air intake).
- In addition, we isolate the wiring. Electrical tape will not work, it is advisable to tighten it in a special mastic. The waterproofing of the wires is not critical, especially if the wiring is intact and not old (without transverse microcracks).
- We bring under the hood the ventilation tubes of bridges, gearboxes, "razdatki" (and other nodes that have breathers - depending on the brand of car). Maybe this will be a discovery for you, but the gearbox or the rear axle have so-called "breathers" - a mechanical bypass device for connecting the internal volume with the atmosphere. The purpose of breathers is to relieve or add internal pressure so that seals and gaskets do not squeeze out. During operation of the unit, the oil in it heats up and expands. If, say, the gearbox is made absolutely tight, the expanding oil will look for a way out. And the exit is in weak spot which are seals. The reverse process also occurs - when immersed in water, the oil cools sharply and a negative pressure is created in the unit. The breather "sucks in" air to equalize the pressure. And when immersed in water, the water will be “sucked in”. I will not explain to you about the consequences of finding water inside the unit, this is understandable to any sane person.

I will devote a separate article to the above topics with illustrations using the UAZ as an example. The design on other vehicles is fundamentally similar.
I wish you good luck and successful assaults on water barriers!

• To cross the river correctly, you should:

• a) swim across the river, use air mattresses and cameras;

• b) choose a place where the water looks calm and ford the river using inflatable tubes;

• c) choose a convenient place and ford the river using a pole or alpenstock.

• Correct answer: in

• a) a bluish glow of the inner surface of houses, sparking of closely spaced (but non-contacting) electrical wires, the smell of gas in areas where this was not previously noted, flashes in the form of scattered light lightning;

• b) a sharp change in weather conditions, self-ignition and spontaneous combustion of combustible substances and materials, heavy precipitation in the form of rain or snow;

• c) a short circuit in the mains, an incomprehensible rumble, a swinging chandelier and trembling of glass in the windows.

• Correct answer: a

• a) contact with each other of several electrical wires under voltage;

• b) touching the electrical outlet with wet hands;

• c) touching a faulty disconnected electrical wiring.

• Correct answer: b

a) complete combustion of gas;

• a) complete combustion of gas;

• b) incomplete combustion of gas;

• c) a power outage in the apartment

• Correct answer: b

• If there was an explosion in a neighboring apartment, the door to your apartment is littered, the light went out, the phone does not work, then you should:

• but) turn off gas, electricity, turn off water, wait for rescuers, give signals from a window (balcony), knock on metal objects;

• b) open the front door and try to clear the blockage in order to go to the landing or to the street;

• c) give signals, knock on metal objects until the building collapses, and then climb down from the window on a rope.

• Correct answer: a