Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

no no... top layer under dry top... lol.... union suit ... capilene or wool... the drytop... meant would it work as top layer of layering

thanks again lupe... im still waiting on the union suit... should be here any day... looks like a pretty good deal though, yeah?

http://www.immersionresearch.com/produc ... unionsuit/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


heres the link for anyone who may be wondering what we are talking about

Can anyone recommend a fairly unbiased website that compares some of the cold weather gear? I also have difficulty deciding between the IR union suit, wool(smartwool, icebreaker, etc.), capilene, polartec, etc., etc. The number of choices for base layer technical wear seems to be the most confusing aspect of choicing cold weather boating gear for me. Thanks

I'm not sure about a concise website for that information, but will tell you that even under a union suit, I would wear some type of moisture wicking/moisture transport base layer, such as capilene. Your synthetic baselayer, IMHO, is the most important piece of the puzzle. I've used capilene and others, such as under armor, etc... To me the capilene is heads and shoulders above the rest, with regard to wicking and transport of moisture and odor control. For paddling gear, anything that can handle the funk factor, gets my vote. Capilene also doesn't use silver thread for its odor control, because silver ion, is a heavy metal and an environmental contaminant. I've had a pair of Cap 3, thats going on its 8th season of use, for not only paddling, but hiking, fly fishing, etc...

After that then your midlayer, which would be your union suit or polartec fleece. If using a drysuit, the union suit, just makes sense because there are no gaps between tops and bottoms.

just my 2 cents...

For cold weather paddling, for about 5 or 7 years I've worn a heavy, stretch polar-fleece "union suit" that looks like a farmer john, has two zippers on the front for easy access, and a drop seat... that I've never had to use. I think I saw one on line over the holidays on a skiing site... It works very well under my drysuit. Jeremy is right that adding an under-layer of capiline is a better idea. I also add a heavy Patagonia capiline top I've used for probably 15 years... Smartwool socks on the feet in GoreTex booties sown to the drysuit and a pair of neoprene paddling boots finish it off... unless it's really cold, and then there'll be another fleece top under the drysuit. I always carry a fleece cap to add under my old-fashioned full foam-lined helmet. I just bought a stretch balaclava that works great for sleeping out, but haven't used it on the water, yet. I think it might help with wind chilling some areas...

duuude, just got my ir union suit in and it is freakin sweet... i didnt even know it was made with polartec...its super warm, had to take it off in the house cuz it had me sweating my butt off.... not sure i would want to wear something under it cuz the fleece lining on the inside is super comfortable... may just get a fleece vest or something to go over the top...

also, i got my 0 degree player and i cant wait to try it out... seems like it is going to relieve lots of stress of the forearm... dunno... my dry top n bottom will be here tomorrow, so looking to get back on the river... see yall soon...

hmmm

Now this is a good topic to Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Gee, what would you wear in Arkansas with teen temps and cloudy skies? Let's ask these guys (check the weather they are paddling in!).

http://vimeo.com/6009254" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I like that capilene comes in different thicknesses too. This fall I started with just capilene 1 under my dry suit. Then I slowly worked up to various combinations of capilene 1, capilene 3, and fleece. If I'm in a place that a swim is unlikely, I usually use a step down on my lower layers. That way my top is a little warmer for splashes and rolling, but I'm not uncomfortable inside my boat.

p.s. I wouldn't mind having a union suit, but I tuck my capilene shirt into my pants and I've never had a problem with a gap.

At one time, we had a very good discussion of winter paddle gear on this board.

If anyone with a better memory than I have can remember and find that thread, it covers just about the universe of cold weather outfitting.

Need to put this thread in the FAQ for sure.

http://www.lochsaconnection.com/stretchleaf.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I am considering one of the union suits shown in the link above.

As far as shoes, I bought some of the Stohlquist Caveman booties at OOO. The size 12 fit in my 4fun no problem. The have a very aggressive sole but are very flexible. They are so far the most comfortable paddling shoes I have worn.

There was a similar discussion on boatertalk recently. Here is the link

http://boatertalk.com/forum/BoaterTalk/1052132245/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This was a case of be careful what you wish for, but I own one of these and its actually quite toasty in this igloo I live in...

http://www.snugasabug.com/dropseat.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

c8mb wrote:This was a case of be careful what you wish for, but I own one of these and its actually quite toasty in this igloo I live in...

http://www.snugasabug.com/dropseat.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do you wear the bunny ears on the inside or outside of your helmet?

Sorry I couldn't resist.