What Ralph said is true, you need not suffer wearing a PFD in hot climates ... I live in Florida and wear mine everytime I paddle ... The methods Ralph mentioned are universal and work ... One little trick I've learned is to buy one of the ribbed undershirts used by law enforcement under their vests ... The ribs keep the vest away from the body and the cotton material gives the cooling effect as air circulates ... They can be bought through catalogs or at police equipment stores and their not expensive ... Paddle safe. Bob R. Creager Sarasota, FL *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 8/8/99 6:48:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Bc1431_at_aol.com writes: << ribbed undershirts used by law enforcement under their vests ... The ribs keep the vest away from the body and the cotton material gives the cooling effect as air circulates ... >> I suspect we'll have another thread going on this one. It seems to me that since cotton is now considered not the best thing for backpacking etc.. perhaps we should think about using things like CoolMax. Anyone out there care to comment on this? Sandy Kramer *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Sandykayak_at_aol.com wrote: > I suspect we'll have another thread going on this one. It seems to me that > since cotton is now considered not the best thing for backpacking etc.. > perhaps we should think about using things like CoolMax. Anyone out there > care to comment on this? > > Sandy Kramer I'll bite. Generally, even in summer, I like to wear quick-dry T-shirts of things like Coolmax or Coolmax equivalent such as Intera treated polyester. But when it is getting really hot, then cotton is my choice unless I expect rain and sudden cooldowns in the weather even down to the 80s F. I was once wearing cotton on a trip in this area on a day in which temperatures hit 98 with horrid humidity until a severe storm caught us off guard on the water with no place to land for hours. (BTW, it started hailing pea size pellets that stung all flesh that wasn't protected by the PFD; another reason to wear one...cushioning against sharp raindrops and hail, :-) . My arms, head and neck developed little welts all over from the impact of the hail.) After the storm blow over, the winds remained strong and the temperature dropped into the 80s. All of us felt quite chilled in our cotton T-shirts even under PFDs. I was still wet at the end of the day when the sun dropped. And while I finally was able to get at my nylon wind breaker it took some time to warm up (I was wishing I had brought some light fleece; I since bring some even on the worse days of summer). If I had been wearing Coolmax or equivalent, I would have felt warmer and gotten dry in a flash. Of course, I would have also felt a bit warmer than I was in cotton at the high 90s temperature until the storm hit. So as a rule of thumb for myself I have found that Coolmax and the equivalent functions pretty well through into the mid-80s. But above the high 80s and through the 90s degrees, cotton is superior unless I think that I might get real wet in rain with no sun to dry out and temperatures dropping suddenly. (I also, as mentioned, always bring a warm layer of light fleece; and a change of shirts as well as rain gear.) A lot depends on your own metabolism and tolerance for cold and heat. You might want to wear a Coolmax singlet or tank top made for runners but also bring along a cotton top. (Some people don't cotton to Coolmax. :-)) If you find the Coolmax feels too hot on the water, then switch to the cotton when you get a chance. But wait until you are out on the water to determine how the Coolmax is feeling. Don't judge by its feel while sitting around on land at the launch site. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 8/9/99 5:48:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time, rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com writes: << If you find the Coolmax feels too hot on the water, then switch to the cotton when you get a chance. >> Thanks, Ralph. Sounds like we need to pack a wardrobe! My fabric of choice in the Florida sun/heat is a long-sleeved white cotton gauze shirt but they're not easy to find. Current one is bright yellow which is good for safety but feels psychologically hotter. Sandy Kramer *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:01 PDT