Winter wading and boating safty.

[MikeA]

As temps cool off wading and boating safety should be the number one topic.

KNOW CPR!!! It’s easy and cheap to learn it. The Shops might even sponsor a class. If not find a class and take it. I don’t know the details but someone trained in CPR might have saved that man from drowning Sun.

Take a friend with you. If you know someone who was trained in cold water combat he would be a good friend to take for a winter fishing trip.

WEAR A PFD! The new inflatable jackets are super comfortable and can easily be worn when wading.

Carry a wading cane.

Carry spare jacket and pants. (rain gear make great spares and can save your life if you fall in far from the take out).

Waterproof system to make fire.

Flashlight.

Cell phone

Means to reenter the boat should you fall out and are alone. In low temps your body shocks easily. You may not have the strength to pull yourself up into the boat. Transom steps or folding ladders.

Wear warm clothing. Keeping the core temp up can prevent a lot of accidents. When the body gets cold it starts restricting blood flow to the outer extremities. When your core temp drops your cognitive skills diminish. I wear layers of Polyproplene, fleece, windstopper, Gore-Tex. Windstopper over fleece is unbelievably warm, even going down the lake at 50mph.

[Glenn Hawkins]

Great advice Mike.  You can never be over prepared.  Everyone wants to think this will never happen to me.  Sunday's drowning should be an eye opener for everyone.

[Steve H]

I echo Glenn's comments. Good points and good items to have. I would rather be over prepared and have to unpack stuff when I get home than cold or worst, injured or dead.

[kingfish]

Things I have learned in the past year:
1. Never tie a drag chain to the back or side of a boat.
2. Wader belts do help prevent water from pouring into your waders if you take a dive.
3. Exit the boat on the upstream side.
4. Make sure your cell phone is in a waterproof bag.

[RSiegmann]

I'll add a couple of lessons learned from experience as well ... a couple of "baptisms" in a northern Michigan river during winter steelheading will make you learn real fast ...

1) FLEECE is a wonderful material, light weight and will keep you warm even when wet ...

2) Lose the vest for a chest pack or waist bag ... if you do fall in, it's easier to undo shoulder straps to get extra weight of trapped water away from your chest ... besides we all tend to carry too much stuff then you need for a few days worth of fishing in a fully loaded vest ...

3) Always throw a change of clothes into the truck ...

[Glenn Hawkins]

I all most forgot to mention a really important lesson I had to learn the hard way.  Always bring spare clothes in large enough sizes to fit your fishing/boating partner.  The image of Grumpy's mid-drift hanging out of my size medium jacket still haunts me.

[fairweatherfish]

Good thread, and timely.  When I get out in the boat in the cold weather, I've started wearing a semi-dry suit.  It's kind of pricey, but keeps everything but your head dry, if you take a dunking.  I've also started using one of the Spot locators.  It lets me send an "ok" message with my gps coordinates to my wife when I'm on the river and there isn't any cell service.  It also has "help" and "911" messages, but I haven't had to use them.

Be sure to check your lighter and flashlight in your ditch bag.  Last year, during my pre-season test, I discovered that my waterproof matches were incompatible with the striker.  It wouldn't have been pleasant to discover that in a difficult situation.

I carry this stuff in a ditch bag that I wear attached to my waist:
thin buck knife
storm waterproof lighter
rei waterproof matches in orange case
flint for matches in a small plastic baggie
Pelican small yellow flashlight
squeeze disposable flashlight
whistle
candle in a small plastic baggie
3 light sticks
3 tinder sticks
in waterproof dry bag
3 trash bags
small rain poncho
small emergency blanket
 

[jarrod white]

I carry a quality First Aid kit , 2 fleece blankets, 4 small fire starter logs, cell phone, sharp knife, and a change of clothes, atleast 1 bottle of whiskey. The whiskey will make you feel better once you get dried off.


                              JW

[grumpy]

This year, i plan on not having any unplanned exit's, ya'll will just have to get your kck's elsewhere's & start some other kind of pool besides my unexpected dives

Grumpy

[RonS]

This year, i plan on not having any unplanned exit's, ya'll will just have to get your kck's elsewhere's & start some other kind of pool besides my unexpected dives

Grumpy

This is sad news.  Downright depressing.  Making me blue just thinking about this development. Dangit!

[toddro]

A buddy of mine that did a lot of expedition climbing used to carry one can of Alpo with him all the time.  I asked him why, and he said he figured he would never bust that can of Alpo open until he was near-death starving - and then it might just be enough to save his life or last him that extra day or two waiting for rescue.  Makes sense...  I'd have to be pretty damn hungry to start chowin' down on some Alpo! 

[grumpy]

A buddy of mine that did a lot of expedition climbing used to carry one can of Alpo with him all the time.  I asked him why, and he said he figured he would never bust that can of Alpo open until he was near-death starving - and then it might just be enough to save his life or last him that extra day or two waiting for rescue.  Makes sense...  I'd have to be pretty damn hungry to start chowin' down on some Alpo! 

yuk, i'm thinking Slim Jims or beef jerky, quite a few to equal the weight of a can of Alpo

Grumpy

[Travis C.]

yuk, i'm thinking Slim Jims or beef jerky, quite a few to equal the weight of a can of Alpo

I learned the hard way that bags of slim jims and beef jerky only work if you have water to drink. My whole body was shutting down after a day of eating jerky and not thinking to drink water while doing a float trip in a 19 mile stretch of backwoods.