#QUICKSAND WHERE DOES IT EXIST HOW TO#

Eliminate excess weight: Throw your backpack to the side, and take off your shoes, if possible.

If you can’t avoid it, you have to escape it. If the ground gives way under the walking stick, map another course.

Test Before You Step: Tap the ground in front of you with trekking poles or a walking stick.

Terrain with a rippled appearance is also a key indicator.

Eye Your Terrain: If water is bubbling up from below the ground, you may have stumbled upon some quicksand.

Be extra careful after a large rainstorm.

Know Quicksand Danger Zones: Be on the lookout for quicksand around wet terrain near riverbanks, lakes, swamps, marshes, tidal flats, glaciers, or underground springs.

Your best bet for surviving quicksand is to avoid it altogether. So where is quicksand found? It’s generally located near riverbanks, marshes, and beaches. Flowing water underground agitates the sand, which can create quicksand. Why? Because in order for quicksand to form, there needs to be water present. Where is Quicksand Found?Ĭontrary to what you may have seen in movies, quicksand is not actually often found in the desert.

It is not until a person tries to step through it that this ground liquefies under his or her feet. Unlike typical mud, quicksand can appear solid upon first glance. This quicksand then re-solidifies, trapping whatever may have sunk into its depths. The water turns the “sand” into a thick liquid mud that collapses under moving weight. Quicksand is a bit of a misnomer, because it isn't always, well, sand-it’s any mass of sand, clay, or dirt particles that contains trapped water.

Try to reach for a branch or person’s hand to pull yourself out.

Keep your arms up and out of the quicksand.

Make yourself as light as possible-toss your bag, jacket, and shoes.

#QUICKSAND WHERE DOES IT EXIST HOW TO#

Keep reading to learn how to get out of quicksand if you ever come across it. Keep calm and trek on, adventure travelers, because we’ve got the 4-1-1 on what it is, how to avoid it, and what to do if you find yourself sinking in quicksand. It’s nature’s version of pulling the rug out from under you, after all, and it's a rare enough occurrence that can cause even the most seasoned hiker to panic. Though it's not quite as deadly as it appears in movies, quicksand can still throw an unsuspecting hiker for a loop.

Quicksand where does it exist