{"id":28255,"date":"2023-01-20T10:00:53","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T18:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=28255"},"modified":"2023-03-21T11:00:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-21T18:00:20","slug":"hands-toes-and-layers-toasty-tips-for-winter-touring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2023\/01\/20\/hands-toes-and-layers-toasty-tips-for-winter-touring\/","title":{"rendered":"Hands, Toes and Layers: Toasty Tips for Winter Touring"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of us northern hemisphere paddlers are still in the depths of winter.\u00a0 Thoughts turn to a comfy chair by a crackling fire indoors, hot chocolate and flicking through a favourite paddling mag or scrolling through YouTube in search of warm water paddling films. But if we muster up the motivation and have the right kit, going for a paddle in colder conditions isn\u2019t just a test of willpower and endurance\u2014it\u2019s something to be enjoyed.<\/p>\n

Think crisp winter mornings, your breath fogging in the sunshine as you slide off the beach into a still, misty ocean. Picture pulling up on a beach for lunch and warming up by the fire with hot coffee… Ok, it\u2019s not always that idyllic. While horizontal sleet and rain might not be everyone\u2019s cup of tea, you just need to pick your days!<\/p>\n

No matter the weather, the key to a great winter day on the water is the right clothing. After 20 years of working in the outdoors in some pretty awful weather, I have given a lot of thought to staying warm, dry and comfortable.<\/p>\n

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Hands<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Over the years, I’ve been plagued by cold hands when paddling, and, trust me, it can really dampen your spirits and detract from a day out. The ability to feel the paddle shaft is critical for fine-tuning strokes in more complex environments, but cold hands can become a safety concern. I’ve heard of sea paddlers unable to operate safety kit due to frozen digits.<\/p>\n

I find that once I have let my hands get too cold, it\u2019s hard to warm them up again, so I invest in making sure it doesn\u2019t happen. On cold days, I will chuck on fleece gloves whilst unloading boats, organising kit and moving bits down to the water. I also like to bring a pair of ski gloves in a dry bag on the water. Pop them on at lunch\u2014it\u2019s wonderful!<\/p>\n

There are a few different options for on the water. I chop and change between them depending on what sort of paddling I\u2019m doing, temperatures and the duration of the trip, and how much I want to compromise between dexterity, paddle feel and warmth.<\/p>\n