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Monday, 04 June 2007

Keeping the feet warm on the yak

Merino lined Seal Skinz

I feel the cold a lot - more than most. I know this because I'm always the first to whine about the cold, but usually the last to whine about other matters of discomfort. I suspect that my aversion to cold has something to do with the fact that I only have one kidney. It would also have something to do with my classical ectomorph body type - I have no insulating layer of blubber whatsoever. So yes... I feel the cold more than most.

That hasn't stopped me from kayak fishing in some pretty ridiculous temperatures in Victoria and Tasmania. Throughout the past few years I've found many ways to stay warm and short of wearing a good set of waders (which many other kayak fishermen do, to good reports) and all of them involve neoprene. One item from my neoprene filled closet that has been both good and bad has been a pair of socks.

They have been pretty good at performing their intended role of keeping my feet warm. Adding an extra 2mm of neoprene underneath a pair of 5mm neoprene booties, my feet generally always stay nice and warm, regardless of how wet they get, water temp, or wind chill. A problem remains, however - they stink. Like nothing else I own. So much so, that I worry about carrying them around the coastline of Australia in the back of my Rav 4, for fear of stinking myself out.

Thankfully I have a backup plan. A backup plan with 2 alternatives - Waterproof Seal Skinz socks of two types. One pair is lined with cotton, the other with Merino wool. The latter of the two is newer on the market and thus a newer addition to my kit big. Obviously the cotton-lined pair get used on the warmer days whereas the merino-lined pair gets used on the cooler days.

Seal Skinz socks are laminated with a waterproof membrane fabric, Porelle, which is a lot like the well-known Gore-Tex membrane. It is waterproof and (to me) most importantly, wind proof. Of course, they are only as waterproof as they are high and they aren't terribly high, sitting only a four or five inches above the ankle. But if you can manage to keep your feet from being submerged, they will keep your feet dry.

I'm particularly fond of the merino woollen lined socks, which have proven to be a worthy surrogate to the neoprene socks. Not only are they warmer and more wind resistant, they stink a hell of a lot less. On the flipside, they cost a hell of a lot more, but considering how much I feel the cold and how much use I plan to give them, I figure it to be a worthy investment.

A post by AKFF member Milt on this very topic is what reminded to me to write this little review, so if you’re interested in more info on how to keep your feet warm while kayak fishing, sniff on over and check out what other yakkers are resorting to.