# Insulation!



## CaptainNorthwood (Jan 3, 2006)

I was talking with a guy who was watching a trapping video and on the video they showed the trapper putting a piece of insulation under the pan to keep your bedding material from falling under the pan. Anyone ever done this or have a similiar method?


----------



## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

Thats the only method I use.

Since I nightlatch, my pans only drop 1/16" or so before firing....so I dont use the "underall" so much to keep dirt from interfering with pan travel, as I do to keep dirt from eroding into the void during a heavy rain.


----------



## Dave Lyons (Jun 28, 2002)

Cap,

I only use a pan cover or nothing. When I was using the little traps I would use something under he pan. Because if you use a pan cover on the little traps the likely of holding a coyotes is very low. When using the little traps you need that coyote to step right square on the pan to hold them real well.

I was wax paper or good wire screen for pan cover

When using Peat Moss for bedding this time of year there isn't much to worry about at all.

Dave


----------



## Joe R. (Jan 9, 2002)

I use un-scented poly-fill under the trap pan. This is the stuffing that goes in pillows and can be bought at just about every fabric or craft store.

Joe


----------



## wmduckman (Jan 25, 2003)

Are we supose to bury the trap for fox and coyote?


----------



## Dave Lyons (Jun 28, 2002)

OOOO Bernie,

You are somthing else 

No Comment 

:help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: 

Dave


----------



## wmduckman (Jan 25, 2003)

Dave,
What???


----------



## Avidhunter (Feb 23, 2004)

I haven't tried it, but it seems regular fiberglass insulation could have the potential to absorb moisture and freeze up.:yikes: Especially with this weird weather we are having.

I have just used wax paper for pan covers. worked for me last Friday JJ


----------



## wild bill (Apr 20, 2001)

i've been using poly fill all year and havent had any problems yet.


----------



## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

Fiberglass doesnt absorb or wick water, thats the beauty of it.

Try this. Submerge a wad of fiberglass 1/2 way down in a cup of water, then set outside to freeze. Since there is no absorption or capillary (wicking) action, the insulation above the water will remain dry, soft and flexible.

In the field, since your pan is a "roof" for the wad, the rain wont drain vertically through it...and since it doesnt wick...it wont pull moisture from the side. 

For those of you that respect the opinion of Charles Dobbins, he wrote that fiberglass insulation works great.


----------



## crittergetter (Feb 14, 2005)

Coffee filter works!! covers entire inside of trap, and since they drain, coffee thru them, figure water would do the same.


----------



## wmduckman (Jan 25, 2003)

Here is my test results.


Insulation Floating:










Insulation Sunk:


----------



## Dave Lyons (Jun 28, 2002)

Bernie,

Insulation absorber water like crazy. Everything will absorb water that you put under the pan of a trap. IT just a matter of buying the right traps for the right animal. You will have better results night latching your traps and pan covers and if you use peat moss no need for anything.

Dave


----------



## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

Bernie,

You did not set up the test that I described (though, I dont know if you were trying to or not).

The test I described will demonstrate capillary (wicking) action. An example of this is when you place a cotton wick, or strip of paper in water *partially*, but leave 1/2 of it up in the air. If the water defies gravity and pulls itself up above the waterline, then it is exhibiting capillary action.

All that your test proved is that glass is heavier than water.

Try it again with fiberglass insulation and you will see that it does not wick.

The test was described in a Charles Dobbins book and like you, I had to run the test and prove to myself that its true....and it is  

I have pulled alot of traps out wet and muddy sets...and never found the fiberglass wad to be soaked, ever. I'm sure that polyfil, being a monofilament polymer, will work the same as fiberglass.


----------



## wmduckman (Jan 25, 2003)

I use table salt and wax paper pan covers to keep the traps working in the winter. Never a frozen trap. 

NC, 
I don't care what Dobins said about fiber glass insulation. I won't use it. To each his own. What I did was show that the lighter glass insulation will demonstrate capillary (wicking) action, and it sink. Get from it what you want.
Bernie


----------



## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

wmduckman said:


> Get from it what you want.


 
Hehehe...alrighty, then!


----------



## Dave Lyons (Jun 28, 2002)

Bernie,

What NC wants you to do is hold up the piece of insulation and put just the end of it in the water. Not just throw the insulation in the water. And Bernie your way on anitfreeze will only work down to about 20 degrees maybe a little more. Just salt is good for early season. but If I just had salt a few nights ago up here it would have been frozen solid. I wish I had a camera to take a pic of what one of my traps looked like this week. On friday there was no snow around this trap. Just a puddle of water over the trap. Then it got cold and then snowed. YEsterday I pulled the traps everything is now on the other side of the river. This trap with the puddle fired just like if I just set the trap and this trap was set for three weeks never touched. The animals like the other trap better.

Dave


----------



## wmduckman (Jan 25, 2003)

Dave,
Kayla and I did that and the water wicked up the insulation 1/2 inch above the water line. Then we put a ball of it on in the water. I will talk to you more about the peat moss next time we meet.
Bernie


----------



## Dave Lyons (Jun 28, 2002)

Will with the smaller traps you need something under the pan for canines. Everything I have ever used froze on me. I am talking about different soils then where I trap now. The thing that I see up here is the soil drain very quick!!

So NC has a valid point with the Insulation under the pan. Up until this year I never got to trap well draining soil, unless doing ADC work up around Freesoil.

Bernie up here I don't think the water stays at a set very long like down in the Big Farm country where I was at. Down state you would dig a trap bed in total clay and after it rained your trap bed would be flooded. Even doing the trick of punch a hole in the bottom of the bed didn't work. 

I won't use this anymore only because it burned me once on most of line in one night.

This state has a lot of variables thoughout. I spend a week in Great Falls MT in Oct. it was 90degrees when I got there and looking like it hadn't rain for two years. Everything was like powder. Then the rain started and then snow and then rain some more. That gumbo would stop even a 4x4 in its tracks. I asked John Gramham how they dealt with this stuff he said they don't and just wait a few days and it will be back to normal. I also spent sometime in Kaycee Wy. just trying to dig a trap bed was next to impossible. But having the right tool to do it isn't so hard. I guess the big thing here is it may work up here in the well drained ground but down state no way been there done that. I changed to a system that is universal and I think wax dirt will do the same. It just easier to go spent 10 bucks then mess with all this crap.

Dave


----------

