Adventures with Lloyd


Adventures With Lloyd
on CanoeCanadaEast.Com
Gear and Kit


Clothing I have been out of fashion my whole life except for a few weeks back in the Brooks and Dunn days when cowboys were popular. I may be eternally out of fashion but I am always comfortable regardless of the season. My first rule is never wear short sleeves on an adventure, my definition of an adventure being anything more than two hours in length. I may wear a t-shirt on a trip to the reservoir for an hour, but not on longer paddles. I am starting to like those zip off legs and sleeves you can get on pants and shirts, as usually its just the lower legs of your pants that get wet and need drying. You just never know when even a summer day can get chilly on a lake or river so I like to wear long sleeves. The other bonus to long sleeves is no sunburn or bug bites. I am skeptical that sun screen is of any value as it only works for about fifteen minutes on me, and as for bug dope, if it is poison do I really want to be spraying it on myself? I have seen bug dope that would eat through plastic so god only knows what it will do to my body. Below are my general outfits based on the season. There are some variations for weather but usually I dress the same all the time. Remember there is no such thing as bad weather; just inappropriate clothing.
	Spring Winter Hat or Toque will prevent most of your heat loss Lifejacket keeps a lot of heat in the body core where it is needed the most Polar fleece jacket, lightweight and warm but a rain jacket is needed in rapids and rain as polar fleece is not water friendly Quick dry fabric shirt, will wick water away from the body, often they have zip off sleeves to control temperature and aid drying Under Armour shirt, a specialty shirt worn by the military and pro athletes which wicks moisture away from the skin and holds body heat in Quick dry fabric pants, will wick water away from the body and dry fast, most come with zip off legs to aid drying Under Armour leggings, a specialty form of long underwear used by the military and pro athletes to wick moisture away and stay warm
Wool Socks, warm even when wet and will have a tendency to dry quicker and safer under a heat source than synthetics Hiking shoes with a good sole or Anphib dive boots, if wearing dive boots I don't bother with the socks until the trip is done
	Summer Australian Light Horseman Hat, military issue hat that will keep off most of the sun, any wide brim hat will do Quick dry fabric shirt, will wick water away from the body, often they have zip off sleeves to control temperature and aid drying. This type of shirt is cool to wear in high temperatures and is loose enough to stop biting insects Quick dry fabric pants, will wick water away from the body and dry fast, most come with zip off legs to aid drying. This type of pants are cool to wear in high temperatures and is loose enough to stop biting insects Silk Boxer shorts, will dry very fast when wet and still provide the best insulation value for the weight on colder nights
Wool Socks, are the best even in the summer wicking sweat away and keeping feet dry and healthy. Cotton socks under wool are a good combo Hiking shoes with a good sole or Anphib dive boots, if wearing dive boots I don't bother with the socks until the trip is done
	Autumn Scottish Balmoral Hat, warm wool with typical canoeist style! Lifejacket keeps a lot of heat in the body core where it is needed the most Polar fleece jacket and vest, lightweight and warm but a rain jacket is needed in rapids and rain as it is not water friendly Quick dry fabric shirt, will wick water away from the body, often they have zip off sleeves to control temperature and aid drying Under Armour shirt, a specialty shirt worn by the military and pro athletes which wicks moisture away from the skin and holds body heat in
Neoprene Gloves keep the hands warm even when wet Quick dry fabric pants, will wick water away from the body and dry fast, most come with zip off legs to aid drying Under Armour leggings, a specialty form of long underwear used by the military and pro athletes to wick moisture away and stay warm Wool Socks, warm even when wet and will have a tendency to dry quicker and safer under a heat source than synthetics Hiking shoes with a good sole or Anphib dive boots, if wearing dive boots I don't bother with the socks until the trip is done
Neoprene Gloves Neoprene gloves can be found at any diving store or can be ordered on line from a number of shops. They can be expensive and will wear out fast as they were never designed to be used by canoeists and kayakers. I go to department stores in the fall just before
hunting season where they have Bushline neoprene hunting glovesin green, black, and camouflage for about $12. They can be found in the hunting fishing section. Some neoprene fishing gloves are not suitable for paddle sports. Look for the ones with Velcro wrist closures; they are an excellent addition to the design. They also have a rubber palm grip which makes paddling with wet hands a piece of cake.
Rain Jackets Most rain jackets are unsuitable for canoeing, they are constructed using the heat-seal method with no sewing. They are heavy, crack when cold and will probably drag you to a watery death if you go for a swim in one. Other rain jackets sewn together with a waterproof nylon are more
appropriate. The best way to tell is to lift it up. If it weighs a ton then it is best used by motorcyclists and fish plant workers. If it is light and compresses into a small storage bag, then that is the one for you. They vary in price from about $20 to over $100. If I win the lottery someday I will go and get one of those Helly Hanson micro fiber rain jackets but for now I will use my surplus Canadian army rain jacket. It cost me $5 at the war surplus and crushes up into its own internal pocket for storage.
Under Armour So what is this Under Armour stuff anyhow? They are beginning to be a bit too commercialized but still have a great product. It is expensive but it is the best long underwear money can buy, and in the water its the closest thing to a wetsuit you can have without actually wearing one. I once took a dip in the Pollet river on the second of April as ice flows went past me and was warm again and mostly dry in under three minutes after getting out. Of course you have to get out for this to work, it won't help you any in the water. You can get this stuff online and at Sports stores here in Canada. The long sleeve shirts and leggings are about $70 each. Make sure to get the Cold Gear type though as they have several lines. ColdGear, their most technical line, uses the Moisture Transport System in a double-sided fabric that wicks moisture from the skin and circulates body heat. The inside fabric is a waffle-weave while the outside fabric is a smooth synthetic sheen. It's designed to fit tight to your skin. These lightweight Leggings feature a drawstring waistband and grip strip ankles. They are ideal for training and playing in cold weather.

Quick dry fabric clothing. Some of the best quick dry fabrics are available in brand names like Colombia and Wind River. I have had Wind River pants that cost about $60 a pair. They are good pants but there are a few issues with them. They fit a bit too tight for my liking, and the internal belt clasp is weak and broke on my first trip. That had to be replaced, and then the nylon belt is too thin so it would not stay tight. The tight fit of the pants came back to haunt me one day when jumping a fence when the side of the leg ripped out as my quadriceps
flexed. In spite of everything that went wrong with them, I wore them a fair amount and they are not too bad as far as pants go, but for the price they are not worth it. I like the $17 special cargo pants at Costco. I go through a pair every few years and they see a lot of abuse. The belt system is better, they are a looser fit, and the fabric is more robust, plus they have Velcro adjustable lower legs that can be unzipped and removed without taking your boots off first. I managed to ruin one pair after three years of abuse but with a bit of needle and thread time, they are still serviceable. The great thing is that later in the year, Costco brings in a lined winter version for the same price. The rule to follow is a logo means nothing, test the fabric in your hands and if it feels like you can rip it then chances are you can, so don't buy it. Try the item on and see if it provides a full range of movement, if it gets tight or binds up when you flex, it will eventually rip on you. Its better to find this type of thing out before you pay large sums of money on an item that may not survive one trip.
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