Updated: Apr 17, 2019
At least once in the life of most, if not all sportsmen, there will come a time when one’s mortality sits up, grabs us by the collar and leers into our beings, demanding either our life or our action.
It’s a frosty December morning in northwest Wyoming. I’m standing on the banks of a river that is pushing slush like a 7-11 Slurpee machine, preparing to take a swim with John Barklow, Sitka Gear’s Big Game Product Manager. The morning is brisk to say the least, with ambient temps hovering around 19 degrees and the ever-present Wyoming wind howling down the river bottom, bringing the actual temp closer to -10 degrees Fahrenheit, and did I mention I’m preparing for a swim in 33-degree water? Well, more like a dunk, but still, I’m here to purposely get soaked to the skin in dangerous temperatures, all in the name of good fun and gear testing.