Outdoor gear new '90s fashion trend
By Joe O'Brien Special to the Kansan
Outdoor sports such as backpacking mountain biking and canoeing require a different type of apparel than normal, everyday activity.
More and more outdoor enthusiasts are donning specialized gear such as Patagonia fleece pullovers, North Face hiking shorts and Timberland Gore-Tex boots before setting out into the wild. Some people, however, can take their look to the extreme.
Keith Rice, St. Louis senior, remembers the "caveman."
Rice, who spent the summer of 1992 as a canoe guide at the Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, said a fellow guide had his own style of outdoor gear. This guide would wear nothing but a loincloth unless the weather was too cold, in which case he would wrap himself in an animal skin.
"The rest of us just started calling him
caveman," Rice said.
Rice, like many KU students, is an outdoor enthusiast who knows the importance of having the right gear. While most sports enthusiasts do not choose to go the loincloth route, there is a variety available.
When searching for gear, Rice said, he starts by finding out what the top-of-the-line merchandise is made of. Then he searches various catalogs, such as REI and L.L. Bean, for similar items at lower prices. Rice said he thought that such catalogs were the best places to shop.
"Companies like Patagonia have really good stuff, but it can be expensive. I usually save $20 or more and still get quality equipment by ordering through the mail," Rice said.
Rice also said he believed that there was increased competition among manufacturers because of a growing market for outdoor gear, some of which he attributed to the desire to attain a "look."
"It seems like more young people are getting involved," he said. "It's kind of a grunge thing now."
Ethan Johnson, St. Louis senior, agreed with Rice. Johnson, who has been backpacking since he was 15, said he thought that some companies were trying to cash in on the fact that outdoor gear was an "in" thing to wear.
"Patagonia is definitely fashion-oriented now." Johnson said.
Sharon England, manager of the Sunflower Outdoor Specialty Shop, 804 Massachusetts St., said that manufacturers were trying to appeal to a broader audience.
"This industry has decided to become more competitive and is doing a lot more national advertising," she said.
England said that most people who came into the store were looking for such top names as Patagonia, Woolrich, North Face and Trek Specialized. She also said that the weather heavily influenced people when
shopping for outdoor gear.
"Last summer we sold tons of rainwear," she said. "But as the weather gets colder, we sell a lot more pullovers and jackets."
England acknowledged that the store's primary competition came from mail order catalogs but said that Sunflower was unique among stores in this region.
"We do carry a larger variety of merchandise than any other outdoor shop in this area,"she said.
England also stressed that people do not need to be Grizzly Adams to shop at Sunflower. She feels that the store's largest drawing card is high quality merchandise.
"The main thing we do is offer excellent quality clothing for whatever you would need it for," England said. "When you buy here,you pay for durability and manufacturers who stand behind their products."
College students strive for media's ideal body images
By Matt Irwin
Special to the Kansan
Sarah Swanson saw the swimsuit models in high school and decided she wanted to look the way they did. She became mildly anorexic by restricting her diet and exercising intensely.
Swanson could always hide her problem until the freshman 15 hit. The North Platte,
Neb., junior was so worried about gaining weight that her mild anorexia developed into a full-blown case of anorexia that
forced her to go into treatment. Luckily, she is now on her way to recovery.
Swanson is just one example of how body images, defined mainly through the media, have a strong influence on students.
Students are not alone. In all of society statistics from the Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia show, 36 percent of women and 16percent of men pay attention to the calories in everything they eat.
The statistics also show that 47 percent of women and 29 percent of men of normal weight think they are overweight.
Ann Chapman, Watkins Health Center's registered dietician said she thought that college students were a part of the age group most influenced by the media.
"The media is a huge influence on women," Chapman said. "The media helps define what is acceptable."
Swanson said that the media has projected a fit and thin body image for women. "The girls you see on television and in movies are perfect. They're almost too skinny," she said.
Mitch Lucas, Overland Park sophomore, said he thought that the body image men
have been directed toward is 6 foot tall, lean, very cut and moderately tan.
Lucas, who works out at Robinson gymnasium three to four times a week, said he thought that these body images have been created through television shows because people can relate to the characters and are more influenced by them.
If you are curious about what your ideal weight should be or whether your body fat level is considered fit , you can have your body-fat percentage checked at Watkins Health Center.