Table of Contents* Featured Inuit Dog Owner: Brian and Linda Fredericksen * Lake Nipigon - Solo * Inuit Dogs in New Hampshire, Part II * The Inuit Dogs of Svalbard * Update: Uummannaq Children's Expedition * Update: Iqaluit Dog Team By-Law is Official * Poem: Instinct * The Homecoming: Epilogue * Product Review: Sock Sense * Tip for the Trail: Wet Equals Cold * Janice Howls: More Than Meets the Eye * Page from a Behaviour Notebook: Hunting Navigating This
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Tip for the Trail: Wet Equals Cold by Mark Hamilton The title of this article states something we've all come to understand: in the cold, being wet is a disaster. The insulating efficiency of our clothing is compromised by moisture. Wool loses about 70% of it's insulating value when wet, yet it's universally considered a good insulator because it retains much more of its insulating value wet when compared to the performance of most modern, synthetic materials. If you're wet you need to get into dry clothing or a sleeping bag, quickly, and find a way to dry what you were wearing (powder snow is a excellent desiccant). Of course it's best to find ways to avoid getting wet in the first place. Try this: spray your feet daily with anti-perspirant for a week to ten days before going out in the cold. Not only will your feet stay dry and warmer during the day, you'll spend less time at night drying your boot liners. To keep your hands dry, treat them every eight to twelve hours with a product called "Hand Sense". It's a barrier cream; surgeons often use it before putting on their latex gloves. A side benefit is that it prevents perspiration. Take a small bottle with you on the trail and keep it inside your parka so that it doesn't freeze. If you don't have a source for Hand Sense, call
1-800-589-6536. |