Steve,
Yes that is correct, self-rescue picks are very important. I have some that go around my neck, but am looking at altering them to strap each around my wrists so they are easy to access. I experimented by dropping them in my full bathtub and they sink! You would think a device made to keep you from drowning would naturally float. So I don't like to hang them on my neck anymore, best to lock them down on your body somehow, but still make them easily accessible. I also wear a life jacket and studied many self rescue videos and they briefly trained us on ice self rescue in a Whitewater Rescue class I took a while back. When I compiled a bunch of statistics on the use of self-rescue picks, it seemed to be the BEST prevention for drowning, extremely effective!
Also taking many different ice measurements across the water body is important as ice thickness can greatly vary...and going with a group of people, which is not something I do because I don't know anyone, but Trailcamp should have plenty of people.
