Talking About Adventure In Small Boats
This year you guys are in for some of the coldest weather in several years. Sunday night is forecast to be in the 30's.
No one has asked this, and a prudent EC finisher, will have a plan. So I thought I would start a thread to get some conversation going about the cold weather.
Especially, for the FLA folks- what are your plans?
Puma
Member
Real concern , I am on a open Beach very wet. My plan
1. do not turn over
2. Dry suite layered to stay warm .
3. Water proof gloves
4. Head cover
5. Get as far south as possible quickly
6, I have a thermo blanket but I hope never reaching that point.
Maybe the weather will have alittle mercy
Puma
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I'm coming from Michigan and paddling a Sea Wind (class 1).
I will be wearing a drysuit with appropriate layering underneath. I tend to stay warm, especially if I'm paddling. The only issue for me will be stopping at the end of the day, but that is where staying dry will be a big help. Once stopped, I'll set up camp, change into my dry camp clothes (more layers!) and eat something hot.
From experience in the cold of Michigan (and Florida too!) a hot meal or hot drink can work wonders... shivers --> toasty in minutes.
(imagine those cups as coffee/hot chocolate)
A good layering system under the drysuit with excellent waterproof gloves (with backups) waterproof beanie.
Now if it dips into the 30's, my 40 degree bag even with my extra silk liner may be too cool for me. Maybe my down mummy bag should also come along this trip also because a shivering night means little sleep and a tough next day. It's pretty lightweight and I'm already overloaded so what the heck.
NorthernLight
Member
I just threw an extra Thermos into Macatawa's bag. (Worried wife gear creep!) An instantly available hot water source helped us after the front blew through on Sunday of last year. We were shivering from cold, wind and probably some nerves after we got past Sarasota Bay. I didn't even take the time to mix in the instant coffee, we just drank down the hot water. Warmed us up and calmed us down! We put down a lot of coffee that day too..I had to pump coffee water out of our boat at Checkpoint 2. It smelled great in there though, drowned out the wet sock smell.
Dry suit, neoprene boots, gloves, neoprene hat, fleeces, and hopefully a little sun. I will be carrying an Esbit 1 liter food thermos with a hot rice/lentil mixture in it (these are the meals that Feeding Children Everywhere, the charity I'm supporting, ships to needy children all over this country and the world.) so I'll have something warm on the boat to eat pretty much all the time. I put the ingredients in raw, add boiling water, and in less than 3 hours, it's done!
PaddleDancer is right about the hot tub... if you are hypothermic, that's way too much heat. Wrap up in blankets, preferably with another person, use Chief's poncho/candle lantern setup, or get into either the sun (in dry clothes and a blanket or two) or into a warm building. Be careful with hypothermia... often, the worse you are, the better you feel.
NorthernLight... it's good to know that was coffee water you were pumping out at CP2....
You guys are on the right track. Water should be around 70, but the top foot or so will cool quickly. Heaters are good, but where do you put them? I prefer femoral artery and even more the cartoid. The a hot pack on the artery to the brain both keeps it active and will transmit down to the core.
I know the Kruger guys will just put socks and shoes on, but how are the rest of you going to keep your feet warm???
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