How can one cross a barbed wire fence safely?
Assumptions: Height of the person: 5.8 (172cm) Distance between barb wires is roughly 9 inches (20-22 cm), Fence is 4 to 4.5 (120-140cm) feet tall, not electrified. The guy is alone, hauling a backpack.
Lets not start getting into should one cross a barbed wire fence.
Maybe barbed wire fences are built differently in different parts of the world - at any rate, nobody really mentioned the way that we as kids learned to cross them safely.
Crossing on top in the middle between two posts:
Most often barbed wire fences are not very tightly strung, especially if they're not very new - meaning that the individual wires will have some slack to them.
This will lower the top wire for 20 cm easily, which should allow you to cross by swinging over one leg, then the other. Of course for a smaller person, or when confronted with a very high fence this could be infeasible. One possible way to cross in that situation is to cross between the wires by pressing down on the lower one, thus enlarging the gap. Otherwise you'll have to result to the methods in the other answers.
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FYI, this method was shown to me by the farmers who actually set up these barbed wires to fence of their mountain pastures. Seems they found crossing fences that way carried no/acceptably small chance of damaging the fence.
I'd climb the fence at a post. First, place /throw you backpack over the fence as climbing with it on is significantly more difficult, especially if heavy.
Climb the fence, with at least one hand on the fence post and your feet one the wires, in between the barbs, as close to the post as reasonable. Being close to the fencepost minimizes the chance of you breaking the fence and is more stable. With your other hand either hold the wire, being careful not to grab a barb, or put both hands on the fencepost. When you are sufficiently high swing one leg over being careful not to catch yourself on the top barbs and place your foot in the fence on the other side. Either twist your foot around or put your heel in on the wire if you are less flexible. Carefully get your other leg over and climb or jump down.
This method is easiest for lowish fences where you can just take one step on the fence and get your leg over. I wouldn't do it for anything over about 4 1/2 ft as the top of the fence may get quite unstable when you put your weight on it at that height.
The disadvantages of this approach is that it is quite easy to catch your leg/crotch on the top wire and rip your trousers as you don't want to climb higher than necessary (climbing higher is less stable). Also if you feel you are losing balance don't grab the barbed wire, jump off. It may sound obvious but your natural reaction is to steady yourself and the wire is generally the most obvious thing to grab.
We're assuming here that each wire on this particular fence is strung 9 inches above the lower wire - and that we want to cross safely.
It is not safe to climb over a barbed wire fence. Neither is safe to climb a fence post. The first carries a high probability of being snagged on barbs and the second carries a high risk of staple/nail/wire failure, resulting in injury to the hiker. Both of these methods will also potentially damage the fence or the post. This leaves two methods for safely crossing the fence - between the wires, or under the bottom wire.
If the wires are loose enough to easily spread apart, then it is possible to safely cross between the wires:
Option #1 - Crossing between the wires:
Using both hands, lift all of your gear over the fence, one piece at a time (backpack, walking stick, etc.), and place or drop gently on the far side. Do this near a fence post so there is no danger of tripping over any of it when crossing.
Then go to the middle point between two fence posts where there is the most slack in the wires. Stand next to the fence, facing down the fenceline (so either your right or left side is nearer to the fence than the other).
Pick a wire that is just above the height of your hip - this is the wire to go under. You don't need to touch this one.
Firmly grasp the wire directly beneath that wire, with both hands, and push down. Don't push hard and don't put your weight onto it - just push it down a few inches to allow room to pass between the wires.
Cross between the wires:
Just imagine bending forward and taking a high step to the side (by swinging the leg back and up) with the second leg following in an identical high step.
Remember to move slowly and maintain your balance. If a barb snags your clothing, stop, reverse directions and move back a few inches, lower that portion of your body a little more (or raise, depending on which wire snagged you), and try again.
If the wires are strung too tightly for you to easily spread them sufficiently to fit through, then you cannot safely cross between the wires. Then try option #2 below.
Option #2 - Crawl under the bottom wire.
Follow the fenceline, first one direction, then the other, looking for a low spot beneath the bottom wire. When you find one that you think you can squirm through, then lift your gear over (same as in Option #1 above), return to the depression, get on your belly, and crawl/scoot/squirm (whatever works for you!) under the bottom wire.
If neither option will work for you, then do not cross the fence! Look for a gate - while looking for a gate, keep your eyes open for a spot where Option #1 or Option #2 might work.
Barbwire fences are designed to keep cattle in or out of a designated areas. Barbwire intended to prevent human traffic requires additional measures. As previously mentioned it it may or may not indicate a boundary for a traveling human.
Where the wire is not intended to halt human traffic there is generally a people/vehicle gate in near proximity to where people are expected to cross the fence. A person should go to, and cross the fence at the gate.
There are a number of legitimate reasons for crossing barbwire fences where no gate is present. Assuming you are in one of those situations, consider this.
Barbwire is strung tight for a reason, that is what makes it an effective cattle boundary. Stretching it to allow a human to pass between/over strands or using it as ladder to climb a post will alter its effectiveness at being a cattle boundary. That alteration can make the fence an ineffective cattle barrier and/or increase the chance that cattle will be injured by it.
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
When you cross a barbwire fence, you are assuming liability for damage to it. If you are not prepared to correct that damage, don't cross
Crossing a barbwire fence is kind of like dropping a glass bottle from shoulder height, it probably won't break the first time, but it might, and if you do repeatedly it will, and it will create a safety hazard that needs to be addressed before it causes injury.
The implications of trespassing and or damaging another's property not withstanding. One can spread the wires by placing a long enough stick between the top two wires and twist, this will pull the top and bottom wire toward one another increasing the gap to the wires below this pair. If there are four wires, you can repeat with the bottom pair.
The stick needs to be long enough to get "stuck" behind the other wires when you push it to perpendicular to the wires.
I was taught during my Sea Cadet training days to remove my jacket or sweatshirt, and drape it over a strand of the barbed wire. Then knee beside the wire with the long axis of one's body parallel to the wire. Push down hard on the strand BELOW the one on which you jacket is hanging. You can see the barbs by your belly, and avoid them. Your back, which you cannot see, will be protected by the jacket from the barbs above.
I would look for rocks or branches and build a makeshift ladder.
Whether going under, between, or over the wires, I would cover the wires with my fleece jacket.
