Cotton is a Killer

I just returned from vacation in Seattle. We spent three days kayaking in the San Juans. These days the only time you really clear your mind is when you ditch cell and email communication. We talked to Megan at the tour company (ok, Anacortes Kayak Tours, www.anacorteskayaktours.com, I'd definitely recommend them), and she gave ussome tips on what to bring. I'm sure other things were said, but the real take-away from the conversation was that we needed to get headlamps for me and Eliza, my fiancee.

I'd gotten one of these headlamps before when I went camping with Laura, James, and Theodore a few years back in Colorado. At the time, these guys mocked me for actually buying one of these headlamps. To see what I'm talking about, check out REI's fine selection of headlamps:

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Search?category
RestrictionList=4500596&storeId=8000&lang
Id=-1&vcat=REI_EXPERT_ADVICE_CAMPING

They mocked me until one night it was POURING rain and we all had to go into James' tent to play cards, and it was totally dark until I put my headlamp on. Then they were all jealous.

So I got the point from Megan. I HAD to get headlamps, though Eliza and I are kindof broke (we just bought a house), so we only got one.

So at REI in Seattle, we talked to this dude who made some suggestions about what to wear. We live in Miami, and because we were so broke and stressed out from work leading into this vacation, we didn't really plan anything except hanging out in Seattle for a week, so we didn't bring appropriately warm clothes, layers, etc. So we went to REI to get our headlamps, without which we might die, and to get some clothes.

This REI guy, let's say Harvey, basically told me that if I wore cotton out on the open sea, cotton anywhere, I would die. Not in so many words, but basically dead. Who knew cotton was so deadly? I thought cotton was a good thing, soft, natural. Now certainly I knew cotton doesn't have the best wicking properties. Armed with this information, I made the case to Eliza that I needed an $18 pair of super-duper travel underwear (no cotton, totally wicking).

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=
12034639&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=
-1&color=OCEAN&img=/media/483501.jpg&view=large

Eliza shut me down. We were already over budget, and though I didn't tell her this, I just thought the idea of "wicking underwear" was cool (more on this later). Thus my etched into my brain was the idea that cotton is a killer.