Quicksand Fans

Hello forum, I'm trying to research making my own mini pit. I'd really love feedback from anyone that has experience with this, so I don't end up with a horrible mess and/or wasted money.

I plan on getting one of those 50 gallon totes and filling it with peat moss. I also plan on storing the peat in the 50 gallon tote for a long time. I have some specific questions:

- About how much will it expand when I water it? Trying to gauge how many cubic feet to get.
- To reduce the tote's weight for storage, how would I best dehydrate the peat? Is that practical?
- Is the peat going to lose absorbancy after being watered and dried over and over? I assume it's basically just like a sponge.
- Does peat get moldy or anything? I assume not.

Let this post become a discussion for all those with experience helping out us novices

klib21 wrote:Hello forum, I'm trying to research making my own mini pit. I'd really love feedback from anyone that has experience with this, so I don't end up with a horrible mess and/or wasted money.

I plan on getting one of those 50 gallon totes and filling it with peat moss. I also plan on storing the peat in the 50 gallon tote for a long time. I have some specific questions:

- About how much will it expand when I water it? Trying to gauge how many cubic feet to get.
- To reduce the tote's weight for storage, how would I best dehydrate the peat? Is that practical?
- Is the peat going to lose absorbancy after being watered and dried over and over? I assume it's basically just like a sponge.
- Does peat get moldy or anything? I assume not.

Let this post become a discussion for all those with experience helping out us novices

Peat will not expand when wet, as will some kinds of clay. It might have that appearance, however, in the sense that the total volume will increase as you add water.

Peat will not lose absorbency except perhaps very slowly as it decays. It does not get moldy when left in an anaerobic environment (in a bog that stays wet). However, any organic material will decay in an aerobic and wet environment. It will dry fairly quickly if spread out in the hot sun but that could take a lot of space. How much peat you need for a 50 gallon pit will depend on how thick you want it to be. Its not that expensive so get a 3 cubic foot bail and experiment. Three cubic feet is about 10 dollars.

Thanks for the reply! I guess I'll get started then (when time allows). Hope to get some footage. Has anyone had any experience mixing peat with other substances?

I have mixed it with regular natural swamp mud. The peat tends to make it less sticky and more sinkable.

klib21 wrote:Thanks for the reply! I guess I'll get started then (when time allows). Hope to get some footage. Has anyone had any experience mixing peat with other substances?

A few times I've considered turning my backyard mud pit into a full-fledged sinking pit. Problem is, the ground turns into hard clay at around knee-deep. And I don't have any space to put the dug up material. So I guess I won't be turning it into a peat pit anytime soon unless I get some heavy tools and/or machinery. In the event that I do end up making a successful peat pit, how does one winterize a peat pit? In my mind, perhaps just putting a sturdy tarp over it would work. However, the ground might get so cold that it freezes the pit anyway. In the areas where a lot of the QS community is based, to my knowledge it doesn't really get that far below freezing. However, where I live it can get down to nearly -3 F. So, how does one "winterize" a peat pit? Or can a peat pit freeze and thaw without many problems?

101927700 wrote:In the areas where a lot of the QS community is based, to my knowledge it doesn't really get that far below freezing. However, where I live it can get down to nearly -3 F. So, how does one "winterize" a peat pit? Or can a peat pit freeze and thaw without many problems?

In my area, my sinking spots start to freeze in November, and don't thaw until March or April, and they are perfectly fine. There are plenty of bogs in other parts of Canada where the temperatures can drop to -40˚C/F in the winter, and they are perfectly fine too when they thaw out.

However, the material you line the pit with to prevent the water from draining away could be affected by cold if it becomes brittle when cold, and cracks. You would have to choose something that is of a good quality that will be okay when exposed to cold temperatures. There are pond liners (polypropylene and epdm rubber for example, but I may be uncertain of durability of pvc) that would work well with freezing temperatures and pressure of ice expansion. But, you would have to make certain there is nothing in the pit to puncture the liner.

It can get down to about 0'F here at Studio 588, although not every year. All the pits freeze - clay, peat, and sand, at least near the surface. It does no harm whatsoever. As for winterizing, I spread a plastic tarp over each pit to keep out most of the falling leaves.

The only damage that occurs is due to the clay drying out to the point where cracks form. This has resulted, most years, in the loss of some of the clay to erosion. I'm not sure where it goes. I think I have that problem fixed now but I can't be sure until next spring.

101927700 wrote:A few times I've considered turning my backyard mud pit into a full-fledged sinking pit. Problem is, the ground turns into hard clay at around knee-deep. And I don't have any space to put the dug up material. So I guess I won't be turning it into a peat pit anytime soon unless I get some heavy tools and/or machinery. In the event that I do end up making a successful peat pit, how does one winterize a peat pit? In my mind, perhaps just putting a sturdy tarp over it would work. However, the ground might get so cold that it freezes the pit anyway. In the areas where a lot of the QS community is based, to my knowledge it doesn't really get that far below freezing. However, where I live it can get down to nearly -3 F. So, how does one "winterize" a peat pit? Or can a peat pit freeze and thaw without many problems?

My employer has like little less than 55 gallons drum, I may consider taking one and use it as sinking pit. I dont plan to do it anytime soon but when the time and place is right, I will ask boss if I can have one and take it with me.. Once that happens, I will ask for a receipe of the peat bog. I have to be careful that the drum do not pop bec when they used it first time for the glue and once the press runs out and if they make their own glue and try to use it the second time it could pop sounds like bad gunshots. So .... Once I hear the reply then I will let you guys know once I moved to the right place and then I get it. I could use it during the winter.

Fred588 wrote:It can get down to about 0'F here at Studio 588, although not every year. All the pits freeze - clay, peat, and sand, at least near the surface. It does no harm whatsoever. As for winterizing, I spread a plastic tarp over each pit to keep out most of the falling leaves.

The only damage that occurs is due to the clay drying out to the point where cracks form. This has resulted, most years, in the loss of some of the clay to erosion. I'm not sure where it goes. I think I have that problem fixed now but I can't be sure until next spring.

Ever pay much attention to how much is lost sticking to the bodies of people who get out? With the number of entries/exits you have in the course of a shooting season that's got account for some loss. Right?

Duncan Edwards wrote:Ever pay much attention to how much is lost sticking to the bodies of people who get out? With the number of entries/exits you have in the course of a shooting season that's got account for some loss. Right?

That's why I always scrape the mud off my body back into my sinking spot when I emerge/exit. For me, mud loss equals less time mud is exposed above water during the year.