: Robert,

: Do you have a website for documenting your project? Sounds like a
: project more than a trip!

Sorry, no web site but I am writing a book about the adventure. I will post pics on my FB page complete with color so that y'all can look and read at the same time. The book will not only cover my own story about kayaking across western Canada but also be about my gggggrandfather, John Peter Pruden, who was a fur trader back in the early 1800's. He sailed from England on the Seahorse ll as at the age of 13-yrs. He started as a clerk/writer for the Hudson Bay Company, helped David Thompson (most prolific surveyor of all time in North America) survey parts of western Canada, entertained John Franklin before Franklin disappeared in the Canadian far north and served as a Chief Factor at Fort Carlton, Saskatchewan before retiring in Manitoba.He would have paddled wooden York boats on the North Saskatchewan River, Lake Winnipeg and Hudson Bay and so have/will I. Interestingly, it was his grandson, John McKay, who highly recommended that Canada create the western provinces of Canada, formerly known as Rupertsland, into Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Had he not made this recommendation, all of western Canada would have been sold to the USA. This land was originally owned by the Hudson Bay Company. The book will be a good read if I write it the way I think it should be written: at least the way I see it in my head. Getting it from head to paper is the tough part.

: If this suggestion was mentioned already, sorry. You might consider
: using hand-warmers as an antidote to hypothermia. You could put
: one in each armpit and one in your crotch where the arterys run,
: as well as gloves and boots. This can save your life. If you're
: camping on land you can heat up rocks for the same thing. But
: offshore, if you're in hypothermic trouble, the handwarmers
: might be welcome.

I have a few of those in my first aid kit. I also have some really decent clothing that sheds water well and dries quickly if it gets wet. As it goes, I have a body that has a very high gear for warming up when cold trouble happens. I don't wear a coat outside during the winter until temperatures drop below -20 C.

: Also, I'm sure you already know, don't drink cold fluids or eat
: snow, or cold food. That can start a hard to reverse internal
: temperature trend. Hopefully your stove works in your kayak.

No stove in the kayak. The only fluids I will have on the kayak are Gatorade in a bottle and water in my hydropack. They will both be kind of warm from my body heat. The only way I will suffer the risk of hypothermia is if I tip or it rains so much at the temps are so cold that I can't keep warm. I don't see that scenario happening and even if it does rain cold or snow: I haev a whack load of paddling experience in blizzard conditions while staying very warm. I am bringing my pogies with me just in case. The skull cap I bought will keep my head warm if the weather comes in too cold...that is where I can lose 25% of my body heat. I think I have the warmth base covered fairly well. Right now I am praying to the sun gods to keep the clouds away while I am away. Since starting this trip aross western Canada I have seen only two bad days out of 22: that's a pretty good record.

: Good Sailing and Godspeed

Merci, beaucoup, eh! I am looking forward to seeing what is around the next corner of this journey.

Robert N Pruden