THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2011
PAGE 5
RECREATION
Costly outdoor gear cheap at rec center
The Outdoor Pursuits program makes it easy for students to get outside. A two-person tent costs $3 per day or $9 per week to rent. Check out Kansan.com for more information.
BY CHRISTY NUTT
cnutt@kansan.com
Programs at the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center offer tools to get students and faculty active outside. Students and faculty can rent equipment for camping, hiking, canoeing, kayaking and Frisbee golf through the Outdoor Pursuits program. The rock climbing wall is also part of the program. Groups can also get active outside while developing skills as a team at the Adams Campus Outdoor Education Center.
Outdoor Pursuits doesn't provide the type of workout you will get on a treadmill, but it lets students relieve stress by getting outside and exercising in a cost effective way, said Mike Dickey, assistantdirector of the program.
The program makes expensive items like tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, kayaks, canoes and even propane stoves available for students and faculty to rent.
"It's nice to have the option to rent equipment at an affordable cost," Ben Fishman, a senior from Overland Park, Kan., said.
"Somebody who wants to try it out for the first time can come and rent a backpack and go backpacking somewhere or they can rent a canoe and if they like it enough to get involved they can go down to Sunflower (Outdoor and Bike Shop) and purchase stuff," Dickey said.
A two-person tent costs $3 per day or $9 per week, and tents and canoes are the most popular items for students to rent, Dickey said.
To rent equipment, students must
make a reservation in person and pay in full at that time. Students have to be current members of the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center to rent equipment. Students who want to rent but aren't enrolled in summer classes must purchase a summer membership.
"Those who are taking classes in the summer are paying a fee for it," Dickey said.
The Outdoor Pursuits staff asks students to return the equipment in the same condition they rented it in. Students can get hit with a
$15 cleaning fee if equipment is returned dirty.
Dickey said students don't need a
Although the 42-foot-climbing wall is indoors, it is still considered part of the Outdoor Pursuits program.
"The equipment is really nice and kept in good condition," Fishman said.
Hartman said, many students avoid paying the cleaning fee by using hoses, drains and rags that the program provides at its office before returning the rented gear.
friend with them to try the wall and that the Outdoor Pursuits staff does a good job of making the experience relaxed and fun.
Different student and community groups use the Adams Campus to improve their abilities as a team.
"People don't try the climbing wall because they are intimidated to try something so different by themselves, but they shouldn't be. The staff will take care of everything," Hartman said.
The challenge course is more mental than physical to get group
thinking together to solve problems Dickey said.
The course is made of 12 "challenges" with names such as Wild Woozy and Trust Fall. All 12 challenges are considered low element, meaning they are no higher than four feet off the ground.
Groups learn how to communicate with each other differently because the challenge course is testing their team performance outside of the regular office environment Dickey said.
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