Convertible pants are good, as are the convertible shirts (roll-up long
sleeves) that you can buy in the same kind of store that sells the
pants -- purveyors of camping and trekking gear, typically. Be sure
they are of synthetic material.

I like shorts and short-sleeve button-front shirts from Columbia
Sportswear and Ex Officio, usually available in the same stores or in
stores that cater to fly-fishermen. These are of quick-drying
synthetic material and I wear 'em with socks and underwear of a similar
material.

I wear Converse Chuck Taylor's All Stars in my whitewater canoe, but
I'm a decided minority on the river in that respect.

I always carry a paddling jacket in case of rain or other unexpected
chill, and if I'm paddling some stream so tame that I won't be wearing
a helmet, I wear a long-billed fly-fisherman's baseball-style cap --
also of a synthetic material, and with a bill stiffened by something
other than cardboard, so I can dip a capfull of river water to cool my
head, without ruining the cap.

I also always carry a drybag that contains a pair of polypro-like
longjohns, a fleece sweater, and a pair of rain pants. Pull all that
on over my shorts, along with the paddling jacket, and I can stand a
drop from 80 to 50 degrees in air temperature, or warm myself after
capsizing from 65 degree air into 50 degree water.

-Richard, His Kanubic Travesty
--

================================================== ====================
Richard Hopley Winston-Salem, NC, USA
Nothing really matters except Boats, Sex, and Rock'n'Roll
rhopley[at]earthlink[dot]net
OK, OK; computer programming for scientific research also matters
rhopley[at]wfubmc[dot]edu
================================================== ====================


wrote:
Since I live right on banks of Mississippi River I want
to take up paddling

My first purchases will be clothing since I can also
use the clothing off river

Need advice on the flowing:

1. hat for sun and rain

2. Rain cape?

3. Shorts and pants. Maybe zip off convertible pants
that can be made into shorts as needed

4. Proper sandals and shoes for muddy, wet, conditions.
They don't call it the big muddy for nothing

5. Floatation vest?

So..any advice what specific brand/models of clothing
to get?