Quick Dry Shirts and Apparel For Paddlers

A wet sleeping bag, wet tent, and not a dry article of clothing and it’s the first night on the river and I have two more days to go.

Even a day trip can be miserable under cooler wet conditions, so why don’t more paddlers take advantage of the new synthetic materials designed to make our outdoor outings more comfortable through their quick drying and moisture wicking properties. Maybe because most paddlers are occasional paddlers of one or two trips a year, and at the most, one overnight trip during warmer weather conditions. So their paddling season is so brief that time and consideration is only given to the essentials like tents, camping stoves, sleeping bags and pads. But if you do anything recreational, whether it’s hiking, walking or running you probably already own a few articles of clothing that have the quick dry moisture wicking properties.

When shopping for paddling apparel you should look for polyester, nylon, or even wool. These are really the same materials that most swimwear and sports bras are made of. These material are lightweight, breathable and most importantly quick drying. They also have the ability to wick sweat off your body and not absorb moisture, which helps regulate body temperature. In the heat, this helps cool you, and when it cooler you won’t catch a chill due to damp clothing. And if you do get wet, your shirt will dry within a few minutes of exposure to sun, or by hanging it on a line overnight. Paddling clothes are available in long and short sleeve tops, tank tops, shorts, pants, sports bras and even underwear. These clothes can be layered under heavier clothing during cooler weather conditions.

Here are some of the properties of synthetic clothing.

1. Synthetic clothing is water resistant and provides insulation when wet because it will actually shed water rather than absorb it, allowing the synthetic fill to retain its insulating properties when wet.
2. Synthetic clothing dries quickly because the moisture is trapped in the air pockets between the fibers rather than in the fibers. Synthetic fills will dry much faster, usually in a matter of minutes in direct sunlight.
3. Synthetic clothing are machine washable and dryable.
4. Synthetic clothing offers a greater range of options and price so there are more options available for beginners or children who quickly outgrow their clothes.

So maybe this apparel costs a little more than you would normally pay for canoeing and camping apparel, but you only need a few articles of clothing to last you a few years. And remember that this is the same clothing you’d wear while hiking, biking or working out at the gym so you’ll get more use out of it than you might think. Try adding a few of these items to your Christmas list so you will be prepared next canoeing season. I bet you’ll be amazed at the difference in comfort these clothes provide and you won’t be sorry the next time you are canoeing in cool wet weather.

You can purchase high performance clothing at any department store or outdoor store such as Cabelas. You can purchase it at the online stores such as Sierra Trading Post and NRS. Brands to look at are CoolMax, Under Armour and Hydrosilk, but there are plenty of other brands to choose from.