Cold weather

[tx river rat]

It is in the 30,s here today BRRRRR hate it
I am going to be paddling a bunch here this winter and I need suggestions on staying warm and dry.
The camping part is no problem I have that down pat.
Sugestions Guys?
Ron

 

[oldsparkey]

Move to Florida , it never gets cold here except for two days a year if that much.
71 right now and will go to 60 tomorrow or so they say but then back up by noon.

Chuck.

 

[bearridge]

Friend Ron,

Stayin' warm on the bank iz one thing. Stayin' warm in a canoe iz anuther colored horse. I dont ever wanna ever be in the water in heavy clothes 'er boots....particularly in real cold weather. Polartec iz lite 'n soft. I dont worry bout my feet gittin' wet.....even wet they stay warm in my wool socks 'n river sandals, but before I turn in, I put on a dry pair. I got a pair of neophrene socks that I kin wear if it looks like it mite sleet.

If yer by yerownself, paddlin' on a cold day, be dang sho ya keep yer firestartin' tools handy....even if ya blow out. Ya'll got cane along the Brazos?

regards
bearridge

The chief objection to playing wind instruments is that is prolongs the life of the player. George Bernard Shaw

 

[oldyaker]

Ron.....Feet staying warm is important. A number of years ago when we was young and dum..we used to paddle the cold. It ain't so much about air temp as water temp. Well. we paddled the Cheat River in WV with snow on the ground. Everyone had Farmer John type dry suits and booties.....all except one fella who had a Farmer John suit but forgot the booties. That river water was ice cold and the only thing keeping it from freezing is it was moving so fast. Well, this fellas feet got his feet so cold from the water splashing in the boat it actually gave him one of those ice cream headaches except alot worse. He started throwing up and had chills. We only got him back to normal when we got off the river and got him dry and those two popsicle feet warm again. I don't know how cold Texas water gets but be careful. Hypothermia is very dangerous.....on old guys like us, VERY DANGEROUS!!!

 

[tx river rat]

The water temp here is not as extreme as where ya,ll live, I think in the fortys would be the low side , but that is cold enough and I always have a propane stove with me and several lighters in plastic in my pocket .
Ron

 

[bearridge]

oldyaker iz rite bout the feet. Feet, hands 'n head. Keep 'em warm 'n the rest aint that hard. I have some neophrene socks 'n gloves I picked up at Mister Sam Walton's Store....bout $3-5 each, but never have worn 'em. [Never felt it wuz cold enuff ta even take 'em cept ta the Nantahala.]

Frum what I read bout the Brazos, I'd think twice before I set out ta paddle when it iz real cold....cuz of that wind. Dont sound like somethin' ya wanna fight. Throw in some rain 'n tv begins ta look good. :wink:

I tried hypothermia twice. Didnt like it either time. Hard ta paddle when yer shiverin'. I wuz in the early stages, but hard paddlin' warmed me up some. I stripped off my polartec, wrung out the water 'n put it back on. Even after I come back, I felt like I moved in slow motion ever now 'n then.

Once my pals built a fire. I warmed up, but even after warmin' up by the fire, the cold hurt the rest of the way down the river. If that ever happens ta any of ya'll, be extra careful when ya git back on the water. If ya blow out, then git warmed by a fire.......be extra careful paddlin' cuz yer reactions wont be az good az they wuz before ya got wet/cold. If ya aint extra careful, ya mite find yerself back in the water agin. Not good.

regards
bearridge
sideways bound

Ignoranus: A person who is both stupid and an asshole

 

[buckisland1950]

Warm feet and hands are good.

I bought a pair of Chota Muclucks and though they are pricey, I think they are a great investment. Buy a size smaller than you need (or half size smaller) as they run large. They hug your calves (what for the smart replies........) and if you're quick when stepping in water over the boot, you can pull your foot out and not get water down your boot. Gloves are the other important part of staying warm for me. I bought some Sealskin gloves long ago, and again they are pricey but well worth it, waterproof but light enough to feel your paddle.

Head wear for me is not a problem as I produce a lot of heat up there and usually don't get cold, so usually some kind of ear muffs or band does me just fine. Really depends on just how cold it gets with the wind really adding to the mix. Just make sure your PFD will float you with whatever you decide to wear........

 

[Kayak Jack]

Franke,

I've worn Chotas for about 4 years now, and I agree they are great. Since I both canoe and kayak, I got the simplest ones without the laces. Too much stuff to catch during a wet exit on the lace-up models.

The lacers, though, are great for all around wear as they are good for walking portage trails and such. I change into hiking boots if I'm ashore and walking over stones and roots etc.

I wear one or two pairs of Dr. Scholl's gel pads to protect the bottoms of my feet. Their ads are dorky, but the product is darned good.