I passed on the relief zipper when I bought my drysuit and haven't regretted it. Instead of having the zipper, I wear a thin nylon shell over my fleece and under the drysuit. Then -- when a couple of times a season I need to pee -- I can open the main zipper, and get partly out of the drysuit to do my business, without getting too chilled. This, of course, is done on land. I have worn a lightweight two-piece nylon shell under also. This lets me completely remove the drysuit outdoors without getting too chilled, even though my fleece is soaking wet. I am not saying that this is pleasant (the nylon does breathe), but it is better than standing in the breeze in wet fleece. As to relieving yourself at sea, I don't understand how a relief zipper helps. Opening the skirt, taking off your gloves, unzipping, finding your way through all the layers, all the while balancing the boat, is highly problematic. Then, you have the problem of not peeing all over yourself. Seems much easier to just get a $12 condom catheter and leg bag. Ladies can use an adult diaper. Ken Cooperstein *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Kenneth Cooperstein wrote: > As to relieving yourself at sea, I don't understand how a relief zipper > helps. Opening the skirt, taking off your gloves, unzipping, finding > your way through all the layers, all the while balancing the boat, is > highly problematic. Then, you have the problem of not peeing all over > yourself. Seems much easier to just get a $12 condom catheter and leg > bag. Ladies can use an adult diaper. The relief zipper, to me, is to make life easy on shore. I don't want to struggle with the main zipper and getting out of the suit*. If I had a _looong_ crossing to do, I'd probably go with a catheter. Most of my paddling is involves short distance island hopping, so I've never practiced the art of in-kayak peeing. Mike *(I'll never forget the time I first tried on a dry suit. I thought I'd die, trapped inside the partially removed suit in the change room at the store, with no one to rescue me!). *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Michael Daly wrote: > > Kenneth Cooperstein wrote: > > > As to relieving yourself at sea, I don't understand how a relief zipper > > helps. Opening the skirt, taking off your gloves, unzipping, finding > > your way through all the layers, all the while balancing the boat, is > > highly problematic. Then, you have the problem of not peeing all over > > yourself. Seems much easier to just get a $12 condom catheter and leg > > bag. Ladies can use an adult diaper. > > The relief zipper, to me, is to make life easy on shore. I don't want to struggle > with the main zipper and getting out of the suit*. If I had a _looong_ crossing > to do, I'd probably go with a catheter. Most of my paddling is involves short > distance island hopping, so I've never practiced the art of in-kayak peeing. > > Mike > > *(I'll never forget the time I first tried on a dry suit. I thought I'd die, trapped inside > the partially removed suit in the change room at the store, with no one to rescue me!). When I bought my dry suit it was from the old Klepper shop in NYC on Union Square. I studied the entry zipper and calculated that it could work as a relief zipper because the way it went down into the pelvic area. To see if it would work, I put on the suit and did a dry run by sitting inside one of the Kleppers on the showroom floor (making certain no one was around). While I prefer not to go through the maneuver on the water, I have on several occasions. It is awkward but doable. The Stohlquist dry suits then had the entry zipper positioned so you could with a bit of contortion, use that zipper for relief. I believe the zipper no longer comes down that far in the suits. The Kokatat ones never did; the zipper diagonaled down to the waist and then across rather than down far enough. That is why I decided against getting that grand. I never saw a relief zipper until much later. 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 - 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/ ***************************************************************************
For what it is worth... With Scuba Diving Dry Suits many people, well guys anyway, are using "overboard discharge valves". Essentially a condom catheter is connected to a discharge valve mounted in the suit. I suppose for a long crossing, this could be modified to dump into an empty bottle or something like that. An example of this can be viewed at http://www.gue.com/equipment/pvalve.html It was a "fantastic" addition to my diving suit. .Hal -----Original Message----- From: Michael Daly [SMTP:michaeldaly_at_home.com] Sent: den 13 januari 2000 03:24 To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Relief zippers Kenneth Cooperstein wrote: > As to relieving yourself at sea, I don't understand how a relief zipper > helps. Opening the skirt, taking off your gloves, unzipping, finding > your way through all the layers, all the while balancing the boat, is > highly problematic. Then, you have the problem of not peeing all over > yourself. Seems much easier to just get a $12 condom catheter and leg > bag. Ladies can use an adult diaper. The relief zipper, to me, is to make life easy on shore. I don't want to struggle with the main zipper and getting out of the suit*. If I had a _looong_ crossing to do, I'd probably go with a catheter. Most of my paddling is involves short distance island hopping, so I've never practiced the art of in-kayak peeing. Mike *(I'll never forget the time I first tried on a dry suit. I thought I'd die, trapped inside the partially removed suit in the change room at the store, with no one to rescue me!). *************************************************************************** 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/ *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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