 |
 |
|
|
|
W
e've all been there, those of us weathered types with an eye for the river. Some of us have paddled in the snow, some of us without enough gear, and even more in the middle of a summer run when the weather took a turn for the worse.
We've all got them as well: war stories. "I was so cold I couldn't even get my life jacket unzipped," "My hands were beyond purple," "I turned to him and said 'Are you shivering, or are you just happy to see me?'"
If you've heard these before, or the hundred of other stories like them, you may have a cold weather paddling problem, or more accurately, you may not have been as prepared for your river trip in cold conditions.
Let's face it, our cold weather paddling "problem" is not going to go away. It is one of those diseases like smelly neoprene or 'No, officer, what thirty mph sign?" speeding tickets. We are just going to have to deal with it. Especially in Maine.
Luckily, Rescue Johnnie is here with three techniques that you can employ on any paddling trip. That will increase your body's ability to battle hypothermia.
The first and most effective is
PROPER GEAR
As a beginning paddler I shunned all need for a lot of cold weather gear because a) I couldn't afford that $900+ drysuit, b) I was the spitting image of Grizzly Adams md could handle my own no matter what the conditions, and, yes, it's true, at the time, c) I just didn't know any better. My first experience with hypothermia during a paddling trip cured my naivete. I went right out and bought my first
paddling jacket shortly thereafter.
The shell layer is the first piece to think about. Isolate yourself from the cold water, like siding or roof shingles. Keep it away and off of you. Depending on the severity of the weather and conditions you should consider an appropriate waterproof shell. Full drysuit or the heaviest duty neoprene for the coldest conditions, dry top and water resistant pants for cool days in cold water, and paddling jacket for warmer days with lukewarm water.
You should prepare with water temperature in mind, that is, as if you are going to swim. (Especially if your roll isn't what you wish it was). Many paddlers think 'ah I'll just roll up in the middle of it,' but after a long hard day in chilly, windy weather, that last dunking could be the deal breaker.
Evaporation is one of the most effective ways to lose body heat. Lick the back of your hand. Blow on it. Cool, eh? Imagine a phat hole, paddling like Eric Jackson, cold water rushing past bare hand after bare hand as you carve your way toward, 'ah, man, caught an edge, upside down, but my hands are so cold, I'm having trouble setting up' ...dadundundun ...severe hypothermia... takes less than 15 minutes to set in in 32 F water. Cold water wicks heat from the body 25 to 30 percent faster than cold air. Have a bomber shell layer, including gloves or pogies.
The next piece of clothing is your insulation layer. Fleece, neoprene layers of polypro, and/or any combination of the above should be standard fare. Again, depending on the severity of the conditions winds, water, and air temperature insulate appropriately. Imagine a house for a minute. Two by four walls stuffed with insulation. On the outside, chilly cold, on the inside (provided you could afford your heating bill) nice and toasty.
One of the most underestimated forms of heat loss is radiation, that is, the transfer of heat from a warm environment to cooler one. Insulation is going to decrease the speed in which your body radiates heat to the environment. Not enough insulation can ruin your trip or your heating bill. Polypro cap, top and bottoms should be a minimum. Layering is key on colder days. Polypro or any other wicking material is going to help the body insulate itself from the colder outside environment and the wet sweaty, internal environment you are creating as you paddle.
The next technique to keep in mind...or maybe in belly... is PROPER FUEL. Imagine that house again with the furnace blaring away or the wood stove roaring. This is your digestive system on a full load while your muscular system runs the pumps. I paddled with a buddy who had just a small cereal bowl breakfast the day before a cloudy summer day on the Dead River. I had two egg-sausage-and-cheese breakfast sandwiches, snacked a few times on the way, and then a couple more times on the river. My buddy played more on the river than I did, but he was significantly colder at the end of the run then I was. You can't build a good fire without fuel. Your body is quite an effective furnace when it is exercising. However, if the conditions and level of fuel are not up to par, yout stand the risk of developing hypothermia.
The final technique, and undoubtedly, the most important, to consider when paddling in cooler weather is PROPER ATIlTUDE. One of the first, and most telltale signs and symptoms of hypothermia is absent minded or detached thinking. I remember one particular run on the Maury River. It was a cold and rainy day, things just didn't start out right, and they just didn't seem to get much better. Dropping into hypothermia and a nice Class IV boulder garden, I remember being much less than crisp in picking out my lines. They just, sort of, came together with more luck than a leprechaun on a rising tide. The cold got to my head, literally. Despite every effort you make toward being prepared, if you are appropriately aware of your environment and your own condition, you will be better equipped to make sound decisions and protect yourself from the elements.
Living in Maine, it is inevitable that we will paddle in cooler temperatures. However, do yourself and your buddies a favor; be ready, be prepared, and you're sure to have more fun.
Email nick [at] noumbrella [dot] com with your questions, comments and concerns.
Design and Content © 2002 to 2006 No Umbrella
