: Robert I never tried this, but a Russian scientist that used to go the Artic
: during the old war days said they found that eating a stick of butter made
: them warm and generated lots of body heat.

I read that when you eat blubber, you soon feel a rush of heat. I read that in a book about some guy who travelled to the Canadian north to paddle of kayak. So it makes sense that a stick of butter would do the same thing. (Note to self: bring butter during next year's push to Hudson Bay, or use that big knife to hunt a seal and chew the fat).

: Victoria Jason is my hero.

That is why my kayak is named the VJ Guardian Spirit.

:This tiny frail grandmother had a great sense of
: direction and was really never in trouble on her trips. She had a feel for
: the Artic that was joyful and full of life where as Johathan Waterman in
: his book "Arctic Crossing" did seem fearful to me. On the other
: hand Don Starkell "Paddle to the Amazon" and also Victoria's
: paddling partner for half the trip in the Artic seemed driven and not able
: to enjoy the nature around him. Victoria's kayak (Bluewater Huron kayak
: bought at Wave Track in Winnipeg) seemed to be perfect for the Artic
: adventure and was very safe in a verity of conditions. I tried to look up
: information on this kayak but never found it.

If Victoria ever felt any fear, I don't remember sensing it through her book, although I remember her expressing a hell of a lot of concern when that polar bear kept her and Don paddling for many hours. Respect where you are and who lives there and you live well with fond memories. That's a perfect tenet for survival under any conditions.

: I look forward to reading your book, hopefully that you will write Robert. Be
: careful.

Thank you for the encouragement, John, every little bit that I get helps push me along the road to completing the book. I am going out tomorrow to buy a simple writing table and the supplies I need to create picture boards that I will use to revisualize the trip sections I have already completed. Actual writing will begin once I feel rested up enough to start it.

I will alway sbe as careful as my experience allows, that and any sense of derring-do that might dull my hackles.

Robert N Pruden