On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 15:20:56 GMT, "Rick" wrote:

"Drew Cutter" wrote in message
...
Are their places that have winter sea kayaking classes ? clubs ?

If you are willing to travel, yes. In your area, I cannot comment. I am
willing to bet that Florida and other southern states, like California and
Washington, have year round classes and clubs. Up in the frozen north where
you live, I'm not so certain.

In New England, I am not aware of anything kayak related during the
winter months, excepting indoor pool rolling sessions.

My friend who teaches sea kayaking has no classes, and the outfit he
teaches for shuts down until March.

A winter camping class would help you, even if land-based.

People here tend to change activities as the seasons change, except
for the ones who hibernate all winter indoors.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 15:18:24 GMT, "Rick" wrote:

I put the down sleeping back into 2 dry bags. I stuff the bag into the nose
of the boat about as tightly as I can. This seems to do the trick, so far,
although getting to it often means a certain amount of unpacking. For this
reason, I tend to stuff the food and camping gear in the bow as well (at
least the stuff I'll be using that evening). Anyone have a better
method/location for theirs?

Think about your stuff in three groups:

A) What you only need in camp, which can be tucked far inside the
kayak. When you get to camp you would completely unload. For bad
weather, the tent might be one of the first items you want to pull out
of the boat at camp.

B) What you need during the day, which whould be easily reachable.

C) Emergency gear, which should be both easily reachable and extremely
secure if you dump.

Geometry may force you to modify this a bit.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Drew Cutter wrote:
I live in the great lake area. The sleeping bag concern me because of
its bulk.

A compression stuff sack will take care of much of that issue.

Do I carry more water for hydration?

It depends on what you have available. A water filter can help reduce
the amount you have to carry, but only if the temps are above freezing.
Snow and ice can be melted, if necessary. I don't typically drink as
much in the winter as in summer, but only because I usually sweat less.

Also my winter jacket when and if I'm spending the night on a island.

You need both insulation and shell gear. However, some garments can
serve double duty. For example, you could also consider carrying a parka
and matching foot sack, rather than a parka plus a full sleeping bag.

The tent would have to be a 4 seasons tent.

True, but that doesn't mean a huge increase in bulk.

I would imagine the length of time I can be out is limited , Less room for a week stay out.

The limiting factor is space to carry food and water, plus your
tolerance for being out in the cold.

I been ready the article in sea
kayak magazine (summer trip packing )to get an i idea of what i might be
running into . So i need more hints on what can or can't pack. My boat
has 7' of storage space.

That sounds small. What kind of boat is it?

Gary S. -
The cleveland club shuts down its out door activities for Dec, Jan . I
live a couple of hours from the lake. The reservoirs and one lake stay
partly open around here . Is it better to get a one piece or two piece
dry suit ? One piece are expensive. i will have to check the land
classes. The ski season around here is getting shorter . Allot of man
made snow. Lift ticket prices are getting out of sight . It now cost
75.00 dollars in vermont for one day.

Richard Ferguson wrote:

I assume you will wear a wet suit.

Are you kidding? A wetsuit is NOT suitable for the kind of conditions
one may find in The Great Lakes area in the winter. A dry suit is the
only thing he should be considering. In addition to the difference in
protection, a dry suit is MUCH less bulky and allows you to utilize
insulation that's also useful when you're not paddling. A wetsuit is
essentially useless when you're not on the water.

--
Regards

Brian

wrote in message
...
On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 09:12:10 GMT, Gary S. Idontwantspam@net wrote:

Bulk of a winter sleeping bag is a concern, especially a synthetic
material. Down would be better, but if it gets damp at all, it loses
significant insulation value for the rest of that trip.


I'd never take down personally when there a possibility of it getting
wet. In a boat the probability because almost a certainty.

I use a down bag in a Sierra Designs drybag & have never had a damp bag on a
canoe trip. I also had success years ago with double garbage bags, though I
wouldn't recommend it for winter paddling. Wet down is deadly in cold
weather.

Lloyd Bowles
www.madcanoeist.4ever.cc

In article ,
Brian Nystrom wrote:
Richard Ferguson wrote:

I assume you will wear a wet suit.

Are you kidding? A wetsuit is NOT suitable for the kind of conditions
one may find in The Great Lakes area in the winter. A dry suit is the


Brian knows already that this arctic wet/drysuit controversy is over.

This is now widely recognized as the ultimate truth on this matter:

http://www.kolumbus.fi/timo.noko/puku/INDEX.HTM

Brian ,

The boat is nc kayak - expedition . The boat is 19'2" long. It has the
ability of carrying 450 lbs.

wrote:

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 09:12:10 GMT, Gary S. Idontwantspam@net wrote:


Bulk of a winter sleeping bag is a concern, especially a synthetic
material. Down would be better, but if it gets damp at all, it loses
significant insulation value for the rest of that trip.

I'd never take down personally when there a possibility of it getting
wet. In a boat the probability because almost a certainty.

I've usually used a down bag on my kayak camping trips over the last 20
years and it has never gotten wet. But I do consider the options available
if the bag were to get soaked. Most of my trips are not so far from
civilization that this would be more than an inconvenience. On more remote
winter trips I use a synthetic bag.

....stuff deleted

Think about your stuff in three groups:

A) What you only need in camp, which can be tucked far inside the
kayak. When you get to camp you would completely unload. For bad
weather, the tent might be one of the first items you want to pull out
of the boat at camp.

B) What you need during the day, which whould be easily reachable.

C) Emergency gear, which should be both easily reachable and extremely
secure if you dump.

Geometry may force you to modify this a bit.

Gary,

Good advice and this pretty much sums it up. Still, with the down bag, I
really didn't want it wet. Putting it up, off the bottom of the boat, and
limiting the exposure of the top of the bag to water were pretty important
to me. I would put most of the soft stuff I'd need in camp into the bow
(clothes, food, bag, and water, which I located on the bottom, down near the
bulkhead). Stuff that I'd need only occasionally would tend to be in the
back. I'm probably a bit out of trim (light in the bow) as the water is used
up, but this isn't as much of an issue with a kayak as it is with a canoe.

And yes, geometry is, at times, an issue, but if you apply the old
backpackers draconian rules of what to bring and how to pack it, you are
much better off. People in canoes can be a bit more cavilier with their
gear.

Rick