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Winter Canoeing

Winter canoeing can be beautiful but it can also be quite dangerous unless certain precautions are taken. Some rules that should be followed by open boaters are:

1. Canoe those streams on which you can walk to shore at any point. It is best to stay off the larger rivers and those nearing flood stage.

2. Always have at least three boats in the party.

3. Everyone should have a complete change of clothing in a waterproof container that will withstand the pressures of immersion.

4. Each paddler should carry on his or her person a supply of matches in a waterproof container.

5. Remember that the classification of any particular river is automatically upgraded when canoeing in cold weather. This is due to the extreme effects on the body upon immersion in cold water.

COLD-WEATHER SURVIVAL

With more and more paddlers going out in the cold weather to engage in their sport, a basic knowledge of cold-water and cold-weather survival is necessary. When immersed in water, the body loses heat much more rapidly and survival times without suitable clothing in cold water become very short. For instance, wet clothes lose about 90 percent of their insulating value and lose heat 240 times faster than dry clothing.

The following table gives the approximate survival times for humans immersed in water at various temperatures.

The greatest change in survival time occurs as the water temperature drops below 50° F.

Swimming in cold water increases the flow of water past the body, pumping heat out of the clothing so that heat production is outpaced by heat loss. If there is no prospect of getting out of the water immediately, survival time will be longer if one does not swim but relies on a life jacket for flotation. Better still, assume the HELP position (Heat Escape Lessening Position) in which the knees are tucked close to the chest. This allows one to retain body heat longer. It is, therefore, imperative that a life jacket with adequate flotation be worn. Swim only if there is danger downstream.

In recent years a number of new materials have been developed that make cold-weather paddling more comfortable and certainly safer. Materials such as polypropylene, pile, and fleece tend to wick wetness away from the body and dry very quickly. Wool has the ability to provide warmth when wet, but the newer materials do it better. Worn under a paddling jacket and pants, they can be very effective. For the decked boater who is more likely to get wet, a wet or dry suit is highly recommended. Also, a polypro or wool cap can help tremendously because a great deal of body heat is lost through an unprotected head or neck.

One should definitely carry dry clothing in a waterproof bag on all winter trips and change into it if one gets wet. Quite often you must insist that the victim change clothing and you must render assistance in changing because of his or her lack of coordination. The victim more than likely will be totally unaware of his poor reactions.

Symptoms of exposure occur generally as follows: uncontrollable shivering; vague, slow, slurred speech; memory lapses; slowed reactions, fumbling hands, and apparent exhaustion. Unconsciousness will follow, then death. The mental effects will be similar to those observed in states of extreme fatigue.

In cases of extreme exposure, build a fire and give the victim a warm drink, if he or she is able to swallow; strip him or her and put him or her into a sleeping bag with another person who is also stripped. Remember that the victim must be warmed from an outside heat source since victims cannot generate their own body heat. Do not give the victim any form of alcohol.