Stay Dry and Stay Alive!

Hypothermia is a Nautical Nightmare:

I have to admit that although I'm not an addict, I love the Survival TV shows and Amazing Rescues genre as well.

I have watched a whole heap of them and I would have to say that in 99.9% of the water related suvival or rescue shows, the biggest enemy is hypothermia. A very quick, painless and silent killer.

These guys can go miles on a fried rat or lizard and they do well drinking just about anything, including their own urine! What they stress and what we see them suffering and dying with - is always hypothermia.

These experts always stress how to keep your body core temperature warmed up by drying their clothes thoroughly, sleeping with warm rocks and even stripping down in the snow to induce shivering and teeth chattering shaking, in order to keep their body temperature raised to a decent level.

For all of you who will be out boating, or kayaking in cold waters - be sure to have waterproof matches (I'd recommend a couple of BIC lighters) and a magnesium firestarter. I have a few and they really burn like the dickens, all you need is some very dry, light kindling and you've got fire.

In addition, leave an itinerary behind and a few emergency supplies like a space sheet (the silver sheets of plastic film) or a dry bag filled with extra clothes.

I doubt that I'd go anywhere w/o my GPS and a hand held VHF radio preferably in a waterproof VHF radio case. That will keep it floating and they come with a lanyard as well for tying off to your gear.

I don't mean to sound like some harbinger of doom or a survival fanatic, but without a few precautions your afternoon on the Pacific might turn out to be your last kayaking trip. We don't want that.

Let's use our heads and with a bit of foresight, turn a quick dunk in the freezing cold water into a fireside story and not an obituary!