Re: Fleece
Kirk Barley (kbarley@EROLS.COM)
Thu, 27 Feb 1997 12:59:09 -0500
Hank
A similar fleece story
I took my Venture Patrol on a canoe trip early in the season to check
out a creek for the Troop to run overnight the next week. Forecast,
partly cloudy warming to 65. River temp 55, well over the 100 degree
wetsuit limit.
We camped at the ramp thenight before and entered at 0730. It was cool
and partly cloudy as per last nights forecast, about 55. I was at the
back with my JASM Eagle Scout who had canoed often with the Troop in the
past. We hit the first snag, and bumped, broadside, an overhanging
branch. He grabbed it and over we went. I bailed trying to prevent a
spill, but too late. Our gear went everywhere. The others returned and
helped. My Eagle was wearing all COTTON (cotton kills). I had supplex
hiking shorts, a gortex jacket and my poly-pro CAMPMOR FLEECE. I had to
give him my jacket and we rounded up spare clothes from the rest of the
crew.
It turns out that the Troop, though highly experienced on the water, had
never canoed in moving water, only blackwater, sluggish creeks of
Coastal Carolina. I was learning lessons of a New SM.
Well partly cloudy turned to a continual drizzel and the temp dropped to
45. 45 + 55 = 100, which is wetsuit water!:-O My FLEECE kept me warm
even under three hours of drizzel. My Eagle Scout was dumped again when
his canoe struck a log in a strainer and we had to do nearly emergency
warming. Luckily I had a chemical heater from an MRE, some food and more
spare clothes to warm him up. We got out, finished at our exit and
returned with nothing but some hard shivers.
I learned a lot about my limits, the limits of the boys, exit
strategies, the importance of POLY-PRO and FLEECE and to inspect even my
most esperienced Scouts before departing into the wilderness.
--
YIS
Kirk Barley
ASM T-121
MCB Quantico VA
SE-574
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
