Boardman, Mahoning County
My clothing for yesterday's 20 degree paddle worked well except for my gloves. The NRS Hydroskin gloves that I had purchased at REI for $39.95 did not keep my fingers warm or dry so I went on the web searching for a sporting goods store nearby where I could buy new gloves. I lucked out and found that there was a store ten minutes away from my hotel. I was at Outdoor Recreational Equipment when they opened. I loved this store. It is a stand alone independent shop with a huge selection of kayaking equipment and a great staff. My husband and I bought Hanz Thermal Level H2 waterproof gloves at $39.99 each and my husband also bought Manuela Ultra Max Warm Lightweight Glove Liners for $19.95. I already had REI TC Liner Basic Hand Gloves that I had purchased for $19.50. We also bought two paddle leashes that I had wanted but no one else had in stock (they really come in handy when you are trying to take pictures). My husband also bought some additional base layer pieces.
Hypothermia
There are 2 basic types of hypothermia: type A exposure and type B immersion. Kayaking when the air temperature is 20 degrees is obviously a threat of type A. Capsizing into 50 degree water can cause type B: water draws heat from the body 25 times faster than air. This is a threat that I have not taken lightly when planning my BHAG project. I never under any circumstances paddle without my PFD. I also will not be doing any cold weather paddling alone. My husband has been dragged into this project for the "fun" winter months. In a perfect paddling in winter world I would wear a drysuit to protect me in case of water entry but drysuits are extremely expensive (starting at $1,000) and very cumbersome out of the water. The next best choice from a prevent hypothermia stand point is a wetsuit (which my husband wears). Here is a sore point for me. Sporting goods manufacturers do not think that anyone over a size 14 "wants or should" wear a wetsuit. I tried several different brands and sizes and none of them fit correctly. I am also cursed with only being 5'4" tall so when I found wetsuits that were large enough around they were about a foot too long. Therefore, I am cold water kayaking without a wetsuit. I am only kayaking flat water and I take along safety supplies. Like I said, I always wear my PFD and always kayak with a partner. I have a space blanket, an emergency kit (which includes fire starting material), a beach towel, a complete outfit of back up clothing, and a hot beverage.
What We Wear Cold Water Paddling
REI Midweight Base Layer and Patagonia 4 capilene expedition base layer
Wool socks
NRS Women's Carolina Pants and NRS men's paddling pants
Stan (husband) wetsuit purchased at Aquatic Adventures in Hilliard, Ohio
Two thermal tops over base layer or wetsuit
NRS Men's Endurance Jacket
Seirus Hoodz 3 in one relaxed fit hood ($24.95 at REI) (I like this because you can wear it loose or tighten it as the wind picks up); Stan wears a Seirus Combo Clava with a neofleece facemask
Glove Liners - Stan wears Manzella ultra max warm lightweight glove liners which help keep his fingers warm but are not touch screen friendly/I wear REI TC liner gloves which work with a touch screen so I can keep my liners on when I am taking photos with my iPhone 6 Plus
Gloves - Hanz thermal level H2 waterproof gloves; they really are waterproof so you can use your hands for pushing off shore and they are still warm
Our very favorite clothing items are our NRS neoprene paddle shoes - we cannot imagine paddling without them - they keep our feet dry and warm (we also look like batman or the creature from the black lagoon when we are wearing them - so cool)
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