Gear Check. What's your zipper doin'!

Cycling the Waterfront Trail, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
This is the most important girl zipper check when cycling.

With cooler spring temperatures and wind this year, I forgot how many layers I had put on before I ran out of layers and shouldn't zip down to the belly any more to cool down.

Zippers are on my mind.

The big zips. The monsters of all zippers. Dry suit zippers! The terrors of paddling. You have nightmares about getting yours open. No? You have strong wrists and big biceps maybe? Even so, it's not easy to get outta that dry suit by yourself?

When a paddle buddy turns red, purple, then blue in the face and gasps, "Can you help me with my zipper . . . ", he really needs help with it, and probably so will you!

I've resisted buying a dry suit year after year because I can't get the zippers to move when I test them in the store.

The store assistant says, "But they have this wax . . . it helps."

So I asked which brand I should try. "Level Six or Kokatat?"

Store assistant: "Level Six doesn't make dry suits for girls. They say there isn't a big enough market for that."

Me: "How sexist!"

Maybe it's because we have trouble with the zippers? And I have lots of Level Six gear! Then, I remembered the easy and ironic chuckle of the 14th Dalai Lama who was just in Ottawa April 28th.  He has a big message for compassion.

OK, here's my compassionate take on this situation, "How nice that Level Six has left the female dry suit market to Kokatat."

Store assistant: "And Kokatat dry suits are the best anyway."

Me: "Awesome! So let's try one on!"

Now what about size? I'm a 5'6", 125 pound girl and the small is a bit too short. I'll have to try a medium. If that doesn't work - out of luck!

Any suggestions for colour? The purple is no longer available. The blue is nice. Or do you go with the bright orange that everyone can spot!

Now, how is that zipper? 
All good. SNAP!

Happy paddles!
The BaffinPaddler

Comments

  1. DerrickMay 4, 2012 at 1:08 PM

    Of course, I have to tell you Kokatat.. .:) And in the end, you can always get the right fit.. even if it has to be made especially for you. :) Just remember that you need to keep plenty of room for layers.. Especially if you are going to stay out as long as there is open water.

    Oh, and personally I like black.. but you could have guessed that :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. BaffinPaddlerMay 4, 2012 at 3:48 PM

    LOL! Thanks for the reminder about leaving room for extra layers. That was another problem with the "small" that I didn't want to admit. I had another layer of my own from strawberry ice cream cones this winter! I may have lied about my weight a little bit too!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Poison Ivy and Your Pet!

Image
So, you've taken the doggie ashore on the mainland or an island for a little exercise. "Hey, you look so cute in the bush." The final flowers of fall are still standing. You've got to get a shot of the beautiful field of six-foot tall yellow wildflowers before they're gone. Suddenly, your early warning system clicks on and you remember to look down instead of up to see what you're tromping through on that barely there trail to the flowers. Poison ivy starting to turn red in the fall along the Ottawa River, Quebec, Canada.  Ah, ha! Of course. There are a few strands of poison ivy creeping out under the tall stuff! And you manage to avoid it. But where's the doggie? She's romping right through all that poison ivy you've just avoided and now her fur, paws and collar may be full of the oil, called urushiol , from the poison ivy plants - the oil that can cause a nasty rash if it gets on your skin, especially if you're one
Read more

One cigarette butt contaminates up to 50 liters of water

Image
Oddly enough, the first time I saw this type of sign was on a super busy beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico this winter. I wonder why I haven't seen more signs like this when I travel to waterways:  One cigarette butt contaminates up to 50 liters of water. In Spanish, una colilla de de cigarro contamina hasta 50 litros de agua . The sign was posted by a local restaurant.  I wonder why cigarettes are still allowed anywhere anymore. They are banned from more and more public places world wide. Bravo! I wonder why cigarettes are even produced when you can wear a toxic patch or chew toxic gum and not bother anyone or anything with this disgusting, toxic habit. But I do know one thing, now when I make travel plans, the first thing I will look for are completely smoke-free resorts. The resort we stayed at in Mexico did not allow smoking in rooms nor in the dining areas, lobbies, gym, etc. Even though there were open areas where people could smoke, this type of all-inclusive re
Read more

The magic of camping and kayaking at Bon Echo Provincial Park, Mazinaw Rock, Ontario, Canada! Get your bug suit on!

Image
This is one of my favourite "easy to paddle" little magic spots! Bon Echo Provincial Park is in the south central part of Ontario, Canada. It's a pretty nice place to camp! You have amenites here. Even on the back country sites - where you'll have more bugs - but more privacy. Take your pick. More people or more bugs? It's hard to choose sometimes! Mazinaw Rock is on picturesque and easy to paddle Mazinaw Lake . Mazinaw Rock is 100 metres high. If you call out, it echos three times - hence the name, "Bon Echo". In French it means, "good echo". I'll agree! I tried it - three times. It's true! Mazinaw Lake is the second deepest lake in Ontario, Canada. It averages 135 feet deep, and its deepest parts are 476 feet deep. Wow! Suddenly, I feel so small. You might want to think about a float for your camera here! If it goes overboard, you'll never find it again. I'll admit - I love rocks. Doesn't everyone?
Read more

Love the Valley Avocet!

Image
I love the Valley Avocet . . . for fun. But didn't buy one . . . yet. I'd like one . . . if they make improvements to some basic design elements! I'd like Valley to work on making their seats something I'd like to sit in! So far, I don't know anyone who likes their seats! And it's a well known complaint. Come on Valley! When I buy a new sea kayak, I shouldn't have to redo the seat before I can paddle the boat, although lots of high end paddlers do just that with every sea kayak they buy. I already have two sea kayaks: The Boreal Baffin and Maelstrom Vital . And I'm perfectly happy in the factory installed seats in each one. Although in the Boreal Baffin, I had to add a bit of foam for a tighter fit. The Baffin is a bit big on me. I'm a 5'6", 125 lbs. girl. I also didn't like the short awkward coaming around the cockpit of the Valley Avocet. It was next to impossible for me to get my skirt on this thing. Not something I have ti
Read more

Cycling one of America's most beautiful beaches: Fort De Soto Park, Florida

Image
Yes. I felt it. I felt like I was on one of the most beautiful beaches at Fort De Soto. Wow! The big beach cruisers float and roll over the hard sand at low tide so easily. It's a funky feeling. Perched on a wide, overly soft, bouncy seat, holding on to high handlebars with all your stuff packed into a big wicker basket, you feel goofy as you pedal in bare feet or sandals. You know you look goofy, and don't care. It sets you free. Great. It was the first week of January 2014 and we picked the coldest week of the year to visit southern Florida from Canada's deep freeze. It was 34 degrees Fahrenheit (1 Celsius) when we woke up and looked out the patio door of a beach front rental on St. Pete's beach on the Gulf of Mexico, Florida. By noon the temperature climbed to 58F (14 C) according to the thermostat in the rental car. The stiff blowing nor’easter made us think differently. Let's go to Fort De Soto beach . . . in our ski jackets!  Why not. We're
Read more