Winter Paddling Tips

by Mary Ellen Zaborowski and Paul Woodcock

With winter approaching one thinks of what to do with cold weather ........ go and paddle the river.
Looking for specials in the Spring and Early Summer for winter paddling clothing is a must. Silk, fleece in jackets and pants with waterproof socks (I try and find me a sock that doesn't leak or sweat) with good waterproof shoes, gloves, fleece face wear makes for a good foundation for layering for any cold conditions.
A good dry bag for a quick change of the above is needed to be packed if one falls over in cold water. When the sun breaks through the clouds, you can always shed the layers to meet your need of warmth. One must do this because wearing one jacket can make you sweat and then get chilled on the river. Having adequate clothing, hats, paddling gloves will make paddling in the winter rewarding.
You must make yourself drink lots of water while paddling due to dehydration even on cold winter days. Having a small stove and pot handy to boil water is a treat for instant soup, hot cocoa, tea or coffee is great for cold winter day lunches along with crackers, cheese, and hard sausage. Making one pot supper meals makes it easier to clean before the sun sets.
Sometimes its best to start later in the day using the sun, yet you will paddle fewer miles. Yet, if it is a light drizzle of a cold day, somtimes it's best to paddle to keep warm, then use a lay-over day that is sunny to dry out your clothing and make sure the packet food is not spoiled.
While paddling the moving waters of a river, when you come up to large rapids, you might to have long portaging ropes so you can line your boats through instead of getting wet and cold. Another tip is to carry matches instead of butane lighters, due to them being hard to start.
At night when the tempature drops, it's best to place drinking and cooking water under your tent fly, under canvas bags or under dry leaves to keep these containers from freezing. Good lotions for the skin and lips are a must to keep these from chapping and drying out. Even sunscreen in the winter is a must to keep one from windburning.
Shutterbugs (camera people) keep the camera inside a dry box and inside your tent for protection at the night from the windchill. Road flares to start fires with wet wood are great.
Windy conditions come up at night so make sure you have the canoe/kayak tied down with paddles/pfd's and other gear that can fly away down the river. Sometimes it is great to add a few lay-over days for bad weather. Having a good bood along to read if you get confined to the tent because of bad weather that won't let you proceed down the river to your take out. Extra batteries and medicines are a must when you pack.
Instead of time (alarm clock) being for miles on the river, the sunrise and sunset, and all elements of nature now govern your paddling for the day. Now enjoy the beauty that winter can give a paddler on the lakes or rivers so you can see more wildlife through the trees. The Canadian Geese are more abundant at this time along the Texas waterways.