Keeping Warm

I invested in some warmth at REI today. 

Bought this polartech stretch top... seems to be mysterioso-like but with a smooth nylon outer face to shed light rain and add wind resistence.  Very nice stretch and very cozy warm feeling without being bulky.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=48031803&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1&color=BLACK&img=/media/840030.jpg&view=large



Bought the matching pants to go with it... not listed on the website yet.

So this should keep me warm under my breathable waders and paddle jacket this winter, and provide good wicking of the perspiration that occurs during that paddle out to the "honey hole".

I'd like to find a good solution for keeping the hands warm now.  I've tried Sealskins gloves and they did not pass muster... waterproof my butt.   Neoprene dive gloves don't do a real good job keeping the hands warm either... once wet, they get cold like everything else.

Other options would be Pogies to wear while paddling... or finding some mittens or gloves that have a truely waterproof outer shell. 

Or else finding a muff that is somewhat water resistent on the outside... that always worked well during deer season back home and you can pull your hands out quickly without messing with gloves.

Anyone have good options for keeping the hands cozy warm on the water.

Erik

Sure would like to find some way to protect my hands from the cold.  In the late 70's I was salmon/steelhead fishing along the middle fork of the Eel in the winter.  It was one of those mornings when your line froze in the guides and you had to dip it to get the line free.  Suddenly my hands became exquisitly painful.  I ran back to my tent and warmed them up with my Coleman stove, but I think I got some kind of cold damage to my hands since then.  Probably damaged the small arterials or peripheral nerves.  Since then if I get them too cold--for instance, defrosting the ice in the freezer-- they blanch and then swell up and become very sore for days after.  A specialist told me he thought it sounded like chilblains.  Don't know what causes it but I'm sure my problem started after that singular event.

So if you want to avoid future problems, I  would take some care in protecting your hands, especially since we get them wet and then expose them to cold wind thus accentuating the chill factor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilblain

Erik,

Didn't you grow up ice fishing in the Great Lakes region like I did?  The way to deal with cold hands is to eat lots of salty foods and food with lots of cholesterol so that your blood pressure is nice and high.  I suggest a diet of polish sasuages.  This added blood pressure will force warm blood into your fingers in all but the deepest cold. You may die an early death, but you'll never have cold fingers.

Actually, I think your best bet will be pogies for paddling and some nice sheepskin mittens or a skeepskin muff for keeping your hands warm while waiting for that fish to bite.  Both the mittens and muff should keep your hands nice and toasty while sitting around and when it comes time to reel in that fish and release it, just pull your bare hands out and use them.   I doubt with all the excitement you'll even notice the cold.  When it's over, back in the mittens or muff.  This is basically the technique I use when ice fishing back home and conditions there are a bit colder than what we have around here.   



Brian

Yeah Brian... I don't know what I was thinking.  Polish sausage and salted sunflower seeds... that's the answer.   

Of course with ice fishing, you usually have a fire, a warm truck, or a sunflower heater to keep you warm in between fish.  I guess it all boils down to what will do the best job of keeping your hands dry when on the water. 

People around here may not know what "choppers" are, but a good pair of choppers with good treatment on the leather would probably be good for keeping the hands warm while sitting and fishing. 

Here's a couple more modern options that I might look closer at.

http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,4900.htm 

http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,3166.htm

Erik

Erik,

Let me know if you get them and how they work out.  I'd certainly be interested if they work well.

Ooohhh... heres another one... look at these bad boys.

http://www.chotaoutdoorgear.com/CyberMerchant/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=89

These are very, very nice:

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2415&deptid=944

I did a whitewater rescue class on the NF Yuba one April, and wore these. The rental drysuit started leaking the second day, so it wound up that my hands were the warmest parts of my body. The water temp was 43, air temp was 50, and raining.  These are head and shoulders above the lightweight neoprene gloves that are out there.

Also, the problem may not lie with the gloves. If you are losing too much heat from the rest of your body, your hands (and feet) will not stay warm. So put on a good warm hat, and wear additional insulation on the rest of your body, and your hands will stay warmer.

Regards,
Scott

Good call Scott.  I went and bought a pair of those NRS gloves tonight at Sonoma Outfitters in Santa Rosa. 

I also picked up a pair of these Acorn Versa polarfleece socks.  Been wearing them around the house all night... warm as toast. 

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39217663&memberId=12500226

We'll test it all out on Saturday... hopefully it'll be cold.   

This problem goes all the way back to our inuit Brethern. The would sew furlined sealskin mitts onto thier paddles allowing them to keep their hands warm and pull them out for dexterity in fishing. Today we have Pogies--Neoprene gloves that velcro rather than sew onto your paddle. It's a wetsuit for your hands and you can still pull them out and tie a knot in a #2 hook.

I grew up Ice-flowin in the Michigan UP and Wisconsin Northwoods. We Would break off sheets of ice on the Grand river during spring and float downriver piss drunk on Hott-Damn (cinnamin shnappes). You got to know stage 1 and 2 hypothermia real well and as far as my fingers I never felt anything after the first ten minutes anyway. A healthy dose of Brats and potato pancakes must have worked.

I have some of the pogues and they are real nice to paddle in.

J

I was asking the lady at Kayak Academy, WA, (that sells Kokatat dry suits) what gloves they recommend for kayak fishing.  She mentioned the Chota gloves, but also these by Glacier.  They look pretty interesting.

http://www.glacierglove.com/pages/gloves1.htm