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  1. Come join Carl Ladd and Matthew Smith at Osprey Sea and Surf Adventures for an afternoon information session on cold-water gear, rescue techniques, hypothermia prevention and on water group management. Whether you have a lot of experience paddling during the winter months, or are new to the sport, this is a great way to increase your safety on the water. We will begin the day in the shop, discussing theory and specific management tools, and then transition to the water and put our knowledge into practice. Call the shop to get signed up! 508-636-0300 Cost: $79 Meeting: November 5th 11am-3pm at Osprey Sea and Surf Adventures 489 Old County Rd Westport MA Paddling Suits available for use.
  2. Paddling the New England coast can be a challenge as the water struggles to get out of the sixties in the heat of the summer, let alone the freezing cold of winter. Hypothermia, or the loss of body temperature, is a constant threat to those of us who venture onto the ocean. I was recently asked about what gear I carry in a hypo-kit for the prevention and simple treatment of hypothermia. It is an ever-changing list, and I thought I would share my most recent iteration: Packable size XXL synthetic insulated jacket (preferably one with a hood) to wear on land (pre-launch, lunch, post-landing) Fleece gloves to wear on land Fleece hat to wear on land Extra size XXL down jacket Extra winter gloves (like a light-weight ski glove) or mittens Extra neoprene hood Extra neoprene gloves Extra synthetic shirt Extra synthetic pants Extra insulating layers Extra synthetic or wool socks A storm cag Reusable hand warmers Synthetic insulated blanket and/or down blanket A reusable space-foil bivy sack My camping bivy sack A small sil-nylon tarp The Terra Nova Superlite Bothy 4 shelter Half of a yoga mat (the one I use to stand on when changing to protect the dry suit feet) as a ground insulation layer A Crazy Creek camp chair (ground insulation layer when opened flat) A Pocket-Rocket stove, canister of fuel, and small pot for recharging hand warmers or making tea Extra food/snacks in my lunch bag Usually, when I paddle with Cathy or other friends that have similar gear, we will split up or consolidate some of the stuff since there is no need to carry duplicates of everything. Although my list is extensive, most of the stuff is compactable so it does not take up a considerable amount of room ("considerable" being subjective). If anyone has done the cold water clinics with Suz Hutchinson and Scott Camlin, you will understand where some of this obsession comes from. My own desire to have such a complete hypo-kit stems from my desire to be a future guide for groups that would not be as well prepared as some NSPNers usually are. Don't feel you need to rush out and buy a bunch of special equipment just for the hypo kit. If you are a camper (or want to be), then you are most of the way there. If you are purchasing specific equipment, determine where quality maters, and where economy is acceptable. A cheap sleeping bag may be difficult to pack (poor compression), however an inexpensive down blanket will pack well and quality is not a concern since it will not be on your bed every night. Here are some camp items that can be repurposed into a hypo kit: Sleeping bag used as a blanket or warming bag Tent footprint (the protective liner that goes under a tent) as a ground layer against moisture Tent fly (or outer layer that goes over a tent) as a quick pullover group shelter Tarp can be useful for keeping a group dry in a quick shower, or wrapping an individual to help keep them warm Sleeping mat as an insulating layer Folding camp chair (ie: Crazy Creek or something similar) as a ground insulation layer Another tip for hypo-kit gear is to look for the end-of-season sales and closeouts for items that don't sell well because of color or size. Getting a big discount on a down or synthetic jacket in an XXL or larger is typical as the spring approaches. Finding an inexpensive insulated blanket might be possible if you get a green one with yellow polka dots and purple unicorns. The point is, this is equipment you hope to never have to use. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to function if you should ever need it. Anyone looking to put together their own hypo kits needs to think in two separate terms. The first is to think primarily about yourself, and what you would want to have on hand to keep yourself warm, or for others to use to get you warm if you were to become hypothermic. Second is what you can use to help others stay warm or get warm if they were to be come hypothermic. That is why I carry two jackets: I will typically use the synthetic at lunchtime, but if someone else needs a jacket, they get the synthetic and I get the down (yes, I'm selfish, but it's MY jacket darn it!!). It is the same with the blankets: if someone else needs a blanket, they will most likely end up with the synthetic, and I will hold onto the down in case I need it. If I know that everyone on a trip is brining there own hypo kit, then the need for multiple items decreases and I might pare down a bit, depending on the conditions of the day.
  3. After arrival, we spent time on the beach talking about dry suits, cold water, signs and symptoms of hypothermia, etc. Rob had some excellent examples of items one can use to warm someone who has spent enough time in the cold to be very chilled, but not so bad off as to need medical attention. The ideas about layering for both ourselves as we dressed in our dry suits and for warming someone else were very good. Getting us all into the dry suits was an adventure. But once we were in with zippers done, we learned to burp. Then it was into the water, and more burping. This was my first time in a dry suit so the experience of going into the water and not getting wet was odd. Very odd!! After a few minutes, we were feeling the cold. We spent some time warming up and discussing various safety issues on the beach. Then it was into our spray skirts and PFDs and back into the water for some swimming. We didn't get far, but we all found some methods of moving ourselves through the water. And then it was back the beach. The brave amongst us (which did not include this author) took boats out and did some wet exits and rescues. I'll try it next time. Promise. Boats on cars, sometime in the sun, and we called it a day. An excellent day! Huge THANK YOU to Rob for a wonderful day!! I also send special thanks to Cathy for the use of her dry suit.
  4. At the last cold water clinic, I had my glacier gloves on and they just were not working. I've always had this problem with gloves and usually wear mittens on land. Jason lent me one of his pogies and that hand immediately warmed up, while the gloved hand did not. I was a convert. I now have pogies - did you know they come in pink? :-) However, it occurs to me that if you end up in the water unexpectedly and don't roll up or get back in. Your hands are going to get very cold very fast. Does anyone who wears pogies keep a pair of gloves on their person for this eventuality? Has anyone who wears them experienced this problem? Thanks,
  5. After the cold water clinic and as I've been preparing to join the crazies (Robert and Warren) on a camping trip in December, I found this wind chill chart from NOAA that I found helpful to put the risks in perspective and to know what I'm facing at any combination of wind/temperature. Hope you find it helpful . . . link here . . . http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/
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