>> I want to know, will anyone else be trying anything like this? Any advice for the virgin arctic paddler? My teeth chatter just writing about it. I think I ought to make like a walrus and blubber up. Later, Phil >> The Minnesota Canoe Association has an annual New Year's Day paddle on the Mississippi River. See my write-up of last year's paddle at http://www.paddlewise.net/stories/holst.html. Wear your dry suit (with insulation, of course) and a neoprene or Fuzzy Rubber hood, and you'll be amazed at how comfortable you can be. You will probably find that you can work up a sweat even at 15 or 20 degrees above zero (F.) when you are dressed for immersion in ice water. Be sure you have adequate hand protection. I have found a combination of extra-large rubber gloves from the hardware store and Synchilla liners to be warmer than most neoprene gloves, though my wife says her Glacier Gloves work fine at eight above. The biggest hazard at colder temperatures, such as we had last year, is icing up of equipment. A layer of ice on a paddle shaft can make rolling or bracing a bit dicey, and a sprayskirt frozen to a coaming can make a wet exit harder if the roll fails. Release your spray skirt every so often to keep it from sticking, and you will probably be okay. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Nov 08 1999 - 15:17:33 PST
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