Water/winterizing tunnel bags

[knittingdog]

This should be a relatively easy question to answer!

I recently bought some of the Salty Dog tunnel bags and plan to fill them with water.  How are people keeping them from freezing in winter? 

I know some people add isopropyl alcohol - how much do you need?

The Salty Dog people told me about someone adding a full coffee cup of rock salt and that worked.  (Not sure how big the coffee cup was.)

I know I’m in Texas where it only gets down to around 0 Deg F, but I have no problem with winterizing for lower temps.

Thanks!
Robin

[Jeannie Biggers]

In MT no way to keep them from being a PITA so I put corn or peas or whatever is the cheapest at the feed store in mine for training.  I put it right in the salty dog plastic bags.  Works great really.

[MoabDiane]

Southern Utah:  I do nothing!     It does get cold enough here to freeze the water, and I've had them freeze.  But they're not so full that they expand and break.  Once in awhile, I've picked up a bag that was frozen and just not used it.  I have a few that are filled with soft sand, and if we should happen to be practicing in winter, I'll use those. 

diane

[KellyDittmar]

Our club uses those bags and fills them with water for each show and then dumps them at the end.... takes forever, but saves weight & space in our equipment trailer.

Depending on how many you have & when you want to use them... dumping them may be the easiest option.

Kelly from MN

[knittingdog]

Our club uses those bags and fills them with water for each show and then dumps them at the end.... takes forever, but saves weight & space in our equipment trailer.

Depending on how many you have & when you want to use them... dumping them may be the easiest option.

Kelly from MN

We are a working agility training facility, so fill once and leave them is my plan!  Just don't want them busting when it freezes!

Robin

[Jeannie Biggers]

Robin I would do the peas or corn.  It is the next best thing to water as it gives more than sand and does not freeze and get hard.

Jeannie

[Amy McGovern]

Wouldn't it rot?  Or attract rodents?  I know if my tunnel bags had food in them, they would quickly have holes in them from the gophers finding them.  And if that didn't happen, once the stuff melted and molded, it would reek...I guess you all live in places where it is constantly cold in the winter? 

[Vicki Storrs]

Wouldn't it rot?  Or attract rodents?  I know if my tunnel bags had food in them, they would quickly have holes in them from the gophers finding them.  And if that didn't happen, once the stuff melted and molded, it would reek...I guess you all live in places where it is constantly cold in the winter?

Would think if it’s sealed in the Salty Dog interior bag with the screw tops they’d be air tight and since you’re talking seed corn or peas, they’re dried so would not get moldy or rot. Should keep indefinitely in the bag.
Now as far as gophers or mice or rodents of any type, I don’t have any idea.  Sealed in the Salty Dog bags and then (maybe, or maybe not, depending on the type) velcroed into the regular tunnel bags, I think there’d still be a risk that critters here in VA might find the food. And if they gnaw their way in both bags are destroyed. Am thinking about ordering some to try, but probably use them with the treated water.
Vicki

[Jeannie Biggers]

I have had corn in about 8 pair for over a year.  They are in Salty Dog bags.  They lay out in my yard pretty much all summer and get sprinklered and have opportunity for rodents and have not had any problems... but your rodents might be more determined  LOL Then in the winter they go inside my trailer and get packed around for classes.  Still the opportunity for mice to find and knock on wood have not had a problem.

[Amy McGovern]

haha, for some reason I was thinking bags of frozen corn.  Not dried corn!!  Dried corn seems like at least it wouldn't rot.  Now Oklahoma rodents are quite determined though and I wouldn't put it past them to find their way in :-P

[knittingdog]

I have a deer herd living onsite.  I wonder if they would be attracted to the deer corn.  Lol!

Robin

[Jeannie Biggers]

The corn is sealed air tight in the salty dog bags.  I really dont think any animals would be a problem... unless one of the bags got a hole in it or something.