Get
Out
BY NAOMI
GOLLOGLY
FLEXIBLE SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
If you know a committed camper who also happens to be
a restless sleeper, this holiday give her a little taste
of freedom.
Sierra
Design's new Flex Sleeping bag ($184.95, U.S. Outdoor
Store, 219 SW Broadway, 223-5937) features a pliant, expandable
body and generous construction that allows greater freedom
of movement for those tossers, turners and splayed-leg sleepers.
Made of Polarguard 3D synthetic fabric, which insulates
even during wet conditions, the bag comes in burgundy "Sandman"
for men and shimmery ice-colored "Dream Weaver" for ladies.
The latter is tapered to silhouette a woman's body, taking
into consideration the fact that our lower metabolic rates
necessitate extra insulation in the torso and footbox. An
ergonomic nightcap hood allows two types of adjustment,
enabling elbow and head movement without heat loss. Best
of all, the Pad Lock feature secures bag to sleeping pad,
eliminating that frustrating slip-sliding night-time motion.
TEA IN THE WOODS
For the Nordic skier on your list, an annual pass
to Teacup Lake Ski Area ($50 family, $30 individual,
771-9660, www.teleport.com/~tcup)
is the gift of entry to one of the most enjoyable, laid-back
snow-sports appreciation places around. Operated entirely
by volunteers and supported by donations and membership
fees, Teacup is situated on Highway 35 one mile north
of Mount Hood Meadows. Twelve miles of groomed trails
provide varied terrain. If the swarm of nattily attired
scenemakers around most alpine resorts is not your cup
of tea, you'll like Teacup. The modest but welcoming Teacup
Lodge consists of a heated trailer with space to warm
up, eat lunch and stow extra clothes while you're on the
trails. Membership includes a key to the hut, unlimited
use of the trails, admission to races, clinics and an
early-season tea party.
QUICK COCOONING
Forget the complimentary chocolates on the pillow
and the free HBO--instead, find romance cuddling up in
the new REI
Clipper Tent ($175, REI, 1798 Jantzen Beach Center,
283-1300; 7410 SW Bridgeport Road, Tigard, 624-8600).
Lust in the great outdoors doesn't need to be put on pause
to pound in stakes and negotiate complicated folds; this
baby sets up fast and easy. It literally only takes a
minute. The specs: three-season, two-person, freestanding,
5 pounds, 13 ounces, small vestibule. The Clipper isn't
exactly spacious, but it's a lightweight and packable
little shelter. Perfect to grab and go whenever you're
in the mood. (Deborah Rossiter)
THE CIRCUITOUS ROUTE TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Even
for the most devoted outdoor adventurers, winter can suck.
It's dark and chilly by 4:30 pm, SAD saps our energy,
the motivation to work out that was so effervescent in
July is altogether absent. But then we start to feel gross
and guilty, our bad moods compounded by lack of exercise.
Make peace with the less-than-balmy season and sign yourself
and a friend up for a month's worth of circuit training
classes at the most welcoming, poseur-free gym
around--Tri-Level Fitness (4815 NE Fremont St., 493-2413).
This is ideal for people who hate lifting weights. The
fast-paced one-hour class pilots you through two laps
of 14 stations, combining strength training with aerobic
movement. Choose from two packages: 5:30 or 6:30 am Monday,
Wednesday, Friday for $60 per month, or 6:30 am Tuesday
and Thursday for $40 per month. There are no initiation
fees and enrollment is limited so overcrowding is not
a problem. Enhance the gift by way of a few personal training
sessions with perpetually cheerful owner-operators Steve
Schulz and Lori Rede ($50 per session) or Pilates classes
(7 pm Monday, Wednesday, $10 per class).
SEND THEM OFF TO SEA
If your role as a gift giver
is to encourage experimentation, consider springing for
sea kayaking lessons ($55, Alder Creek Kayak Supply
Inc., 250 NE Tomahawk Island Drive, 285-0464). Held Saturdays
and Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm in the winter and more
frequently during the summer months, these lessons involve
about an hour of classroom instruction followed by a visit
to the chilly Columbia. At the end of the lessons, students
should feel confident to take to the great expanses of
the wide blue sea. The price includes all necessary gear.
SEND YOUR LOVE A LETTER ON WHEELS
Since you can't put a price on love, there's really
no reason not to buy the cycling fanatic on your list
the best vehicle for his or her obsession. The OCLV
Trek 5200 ($2,399, The Bike Gallery, various locations),
the bike that Lance
Armstrong rode to his Tour de France victory this
summer, is also the lightest production frame ever made,
ringing in at a mere 18 pounds. Be warned, though: This
carbon-fiber road bike redefines fast, but "The Postal,"
as it's called in honor of Lance's U.S. Postal Service
Team, could actually slow your speed demon down--the paint
job is so eye-catching that three out of five passersby
will stop the rider mid-spin for urgent gear gab.
SNOWBOARDS ON WHEELS
Give the traveling shredder on your list a way to
keep it together--gearwise at least. The Burton wheelie
case ($169, Exit Real World, 820 NW Glisan St., 226-3948)
has storage capacity for board, boots, jacket, helmet,
gloves and any other boarding necessities (Discman, sunscreen,
condoms). Wheels are intended for those long airport treks,
not schlepping through the snow from car to lodge (maybe
next year they'll outfit this luggage with studded snow
tires). Made of a heavy-duty, waterproof, abrasion-resistant
nylon and ripstop fabric, it's sure to last longer than
the current board of choice will remain in fashion. An
excellent gift, not only because it's so practical but
because it gives you an excuse to visit this funky little
store, where the salespeople are so nice, you'd think
the sun was shining.
REVIVING AN ENDANGERED SPECIES
Although some say
skate skiers are a dying breed, give this incredibly aerobically
intense sport and you'll create a Nordic freak who will
never yearn for alpine pursuits again. Skate skis can
be expensive, but you will be saving your beloved recipient
significant moolah in the long run by negating the need
for alpine lift tickets and snazzy snowsuits. Oregon Mountain
Community (60 NW Davis St., 227-1038) stocks the Madshus
Trondheim ski ($249), an excellent choice for the
novice to intermediate skater, especially when paired
with the new bright yellow Salomon SNS Pilot boots ($199)
and bindings ($99), which feature a unique, spring-loaded,
double-peg system that you have to see to believe. OMC
does special orders, but if you need instant gratification,
the super-friendly staff at the Mountain Shop (628 NE
Broadway, 288-6768) will walk you through a bigger selection.
GIVING THE NEXT ADVENTURE
OK, so you have absolutely
no idea what to get that outdoor fiend who is already
up to his or her ears in gear. So go with the tried, the
true, the always successful--the gift certificate
(available in any dollar denomination). Next Adventure
(414 SE Grand Ave., 233-0706) is a veritable indoor garage
sale for the outdoors. Among the cache of new and used
gear for climbing, skiing, backpacking, hiking, cycling
and myriad watersports, your sporty pal will inevitably
find fresh additions for his graphite/Polarguard/Vibram
collection.
