Swimming sleeping bag

[islandpiper]

Just a follow up note to something that happened on the GREAT PIROGUE EXPEDITION. By being careless I managed to pry my sleeping bag out of the stern of my pirogue, right into the water. It is a good down bag in a standard nylon stuff sack. It floated like a cork and really didn't soak up much water, mostly just the sack got wet.

Now the rest of the story......I was packing out to leave the campsite. Had taken my paddles, both, out of the pirogue to let me wash some of the tracked in mud out of the boat. I left the paddles leaned up on a tree. I set my pirogue seat down in the boat, put my sleeping pad behind it, and tossed the sleeping bag on top. No problem.....till i slid the seat back a little. The bag popped out into the water, of course on the opposite side of the boat. The wind wanted to carry it away pretty fast. So, i stepped into the boat, and moved back to where I should have been able to reach it......nope......so, i grabbed thke gunwales and gave a tug, floating me out to where the bag was. Yup, caught it......and the paddles were still up against the tree. Well, Joey appeared with a load of stuff for his boat and was kind enough to toss me his canoe paddle. Just to keep it interesting he tossed it about five feet too short to reach me. I never did reach the paddle or get to shore......I'm still out there paddling around with my hands in that snakey/gator infested water.......

Man, we had a good time.

But, I thought I'd just share the fact that sleeping bags don't soak up water like a BOUNTY BRAND paper towel. I was surprised.

piper

 

[jdupre']

I swear that paddle was precisely aimed to fall right into your outstretched hand. Some fickle swamp wind must have got ahold of it and knocked it off course. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :twisted:

It WAS kind of fun to watch you dogpaddle that UJ pirogue though.

 

[bearridge]

Reminds me of seein' the High Sheriff's fancy handmade boat off checkin' out the bank on the other side of the St. Mary. I called out ta the crew 'n cameras wuz clickin' like that time Paris Hilton climbed outta her truck but she fergot ta put on any drawers. Ole Rotten Hat Mac wuz the only one who wuz able ta jump inta hiz canoe 'n rescue that ornery boat. The rest of us woulda been able ta help in 5-10 minutes. Hard ta paddle when yer sides hurt....like that time Art egged hiz pal Buddy on ta whup that bear like Buddy would always claim after a few cold beers.

Good on ya Joey. Next time ya'll take piper, please take video camera. lol

regards 'n thanks fer comin' clean
bearridge

I've got a special message for you little pardners out there. I want you to finish your oatmeal at breakfast and do as your mom and pa tell you because they know best. Don't ever tell a lie and say your prayers at night before you go to bed. And as our friends south of the border say, 'Adios, amigos.' Bronco Billy McCoy

 

[oldsparkey]

I'm not sure but I thought I noticed someone ( Name withheld to protect the guilty party ) near the canoe before it decide to go paddling on it's own. Naturally it would want to go over to the deep side of the river , dam canoe. :lol:

That's Mac in the red canoe going over to tow mine back to where it belonged. Someone else was laughing to hard to get out of his chair. :roll:

Chuck.

 

[bearridge]

chair hell.....the rest of us wuz rollin' on the sand....hurtin'.....tears rollin'....hard ta breathe...

 

[Kayak Jack]

I try to protect my sleeping bag. Here's a technique that works for me, you may or may not like it. First, ram the sleeping bag into its nylon stuff bag. Put that bag into a plastic trash compactor bag. Trash compactor bags are much stronger than a common garbage bag, which really isn't worth much on a rough trip. I also put my fleece cap into the plastic bag. Squeeze out excess air, twist the top of the plastic bag, and goose neck it. Finally, put the goose-necked bag down into another nylon stuff bag. I put my water proof headlight in on top of the plastic bag so I know where it is, and it's handy for evening use.

The first nylon bag compresses the sleeping bag. The plastic bag waterproofs it. The second nylon bag protects the plastic bag. I've carried like this a few years now, and have had the bag laying in water for a few hours with no moisture into the sleeping bag yet.