Need info for winter paddleing

[southsidefire29]

I still very new to canoeing so far I love but I would like to continue into the winter months and I was wondering what gear I will need for my canoe and what type of winter clothing I should where. Also looking to meet up with people who canoe spring and white river regular. Also need to know where I can find lots of canoe supplies and gear. Ive went to both american sports and gander mtn in little rock and niether one had very much stuff for canoe sports. If you can tell me where on line i can buy supplies it would be very helpful thanks every one and happy canoing

[waterhog]

Quachita Outdoors Outfitters in hot springs they should have everything you need and someone to help you find what you need

[Al Donaldson]

Southside:

I'm probably out of order for responding to your post, as I'm now a native of Iowa, and our winters are a bit different than yours.

Nonetheless, we paddle whenever the ice is thin enough to break with an axe, so here is a bit of a list. Be aware that my list involves paddling with water temps at 33-40 degrees and air temps down to...


...well, never mind, but they are pretty cool...

Personal gear:

Layered clothing, including a two-piece wetsuit for warmer times (above 30 degrees air temp), a full one-piece wetsuit for cooler temps and/or a drysuit for the really cold ones.

Mukluks for the feet. Cold feet are the worst problem for winter paddling. I use NRS Boundary Shoe, an almost knee-high, really waterproof boot, sized large enough for two pair of socks.

Mitts. I've found that for cold weather, no glove will really keep the hands warm, so I use surplus Swiss military waterproof mitt covers over almost any wool glove liner. Both available at:
http://www.fatiguesarmynavy.com/store/item/SW0501" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The shell is water and wind-proof, but is thin enough to allow some "feel" of a canoe paddle.

Head coverings: personal choice, but ya gotta use something!

Emergency gear:

In addition to the usual first aid kit, rescue kit and such, you might want to carry:

A dry bag with many towels and at least two changes of clothing, sized large enough for the largest person who is paddling with you (including some kind of footwear.) If somebody goes into the water in cold weather, you will likely have to get 'em dried out completely if you are far from an access. A couple of "space blankets" are a good idea.

Firestarters, good knife and hatchet or pruning saw. Sometimes, you just have to build a fire!

Dry bag of extra high-calorie foods: in winter, if you have to walk out or spend the night, you'll use up energy at an astounding rate.

Extra water in a thermos.

In our area, the list expands to some really odd stuff:

cut off ski poles for "skidding" a boat over ice floes...

a grappling hook and 50 feet of line for gaining access at steep and ice-covered banks...

a sharp-tipped canoe pole for ice breaking and poling through slush...


...and so on..

The list can probably be shortened for Arkansas winters.

Perhaps the most important item is one that I'll not mention directly, but will suggest that you get hold of the DVD "Cold Water Boot Camp" from:
http://www.watersafetycongress.org/eduprograms.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They make the point better than I ever could!

Be well.

al

[Cowper]

I was wondering what gear I will need for my canoe and what type of winter clothing I should where. Also looking to meet up with people who canoe spring and white river regular. Also need to know where I can find lots of canoe supplies and gear. …Ive went to both american sports and gander mtn in little rock and niether one had very much stuff for canoe sports. If you can tell me where on line i can buy supplies it would be very helpful thanks every one and happy canoing

Folks could (and do) write books on this subject!

http://www.outdoorplay.com/kayaking-kayak-clothing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; has a good discussion; it says “dressing for kayaking”, but there really isn’t that much difference – cold water is cold water, it doesn’t matter what kind of boat you fell out of.

Google the terms “dressing for paddling” and you will find many other similar articles on the topic.

Places to buy here in Arkansas – Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters (Hot Springs, and our Central Arkansas favorite), Pack Rat (Fayetteville), Lewis and Clark (Springdale), Ozark Outdoor (Little Rock)

Online – http://www.outdoorplay.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://store.noc.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or figure what you want, then google the specific product to price shop. A lot of times “best price” is really just who has “free shipping”

Another thought – you’ll find winter paddling opportunities on the Spring limited because so many of the outfitters shut down during the winter, forcing much longer trips between public access points. If you’re in Batesville, think about some of the “Big Woods” or “swamp paddling” opportunities. The Cache and Bayou DeView are on your side of the state; watch for DeBo’s “swamp tours” on the Touring board.