Re: [Paddlewise] Ice Swimming

From: Richard Culpeper <culpeper_at_geocities.com>
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 16:32:21 -0500
----------
> From: Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com>
> Mark H. Hunt wrote:
> > 
> >      Well, it sounds as if several inner layers of bubble wrap might
> > privide that non-compressible dry suit insulation. I can supply a
> > make-your-own bubble wrap dry suit insulation kit for around $450.00 if
> > anyone wants to try it.....
> 
> Tongue-in-cheek, Mark's suggestion might be, but he may have hit on a way
> to achieve a FLEXIBLE noncompressible insulation material.
--snip--

In the mid-70s I came across a book promoting winter camping using closed
cell foam.  The author went into great detail as to how to cut and tape
pieces of ensolite together to make a winter suit, and then went on to
explain that it was imperative not to perspire.  He recommended that one
should put on the suit and then sit quietly in the snow, avoiding all
motion.

I thought that this was too dull an activity to become popular, but then
about fifteen years later I came across a study which found that sitting
was the most popular form of recreation -- not sitting while talking, or
reading, or watching the TV -- just sitting.  It was then that I realized
that the author of the winter camping book was a man ahead of his time.

On related notes, lately there has been a thread on the BWCA/Quetico list
concerning whether or not one should tote other parties' packs on portages
-- the consensus seems to be no.  Just a few minutes ago I received an
e-mail from a friend saying that he and his partner will be out skiing
tonight, even though the temperature will be -30 less an additional wind
chill warning, and that I should not be surprised to come across them
frozen into a snow drift like popsicles.

Putting all this together, I have come to the conclusion that snowbank
sitting will become a popular winter recreational activity as we end the
millenium (just as flag pole sitting was a popular summer activity in the
30s), and I would urge all PaddleWise readers to respect the wishes of
those whom they might come across laying about in drifts.  Please don't try
to warm them up or feed them.  Just let them commune with nature.

Richard Culpeper
Ring-ding-ding-ringa-ringa-ding-ding
www.geocities.com/~culpeper


>
***************************************************************************
> PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
> Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
> Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
> Website:         http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/
>
***************************************************************************

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/
***************************************************************************
Received on Wed Jan 06 1999 - 13:37:23 PST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:30:02 PDT