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Contents
Gift
Guide 2
clothing
guide
Scene
Stealers
It
Girls
4th-Grade
Somethings
Little
Women
Action
Jacksons
Shredding
Bettys
Boys
to Men
Edge
of 17
Dads
Who Dig
Hip
Mamas
Gift
Guide 1
$35 and
up
Fun
and Games
Literary License
Windows Shopping
Kitchen Aid
Get Out
Gremlin-Free Gizmos
Discmen
Skintillating
Eat, Drink and
Be Merry
Gifts That Keep On Giving
Child's Play
Well-Furnished
Gimcracks and Geegaws
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action
jacksons
BY CHRISTINA
MELANDER
Try to get men of the rugged, blustery persuasion to talk
fashion and they'll start in about ice screws and GPS toys.
Doug Striker, vice president of Portland Mountain Rescue and
outdoor-activities program coordinator for the Multnomah Athletic
Club, corrects me when I suggest that such tools have nothing
to do with what a person wears. "You can fully accessorize
with ice screws," he argues.
For these guys, it's all about gear--action-ready clothes
and accouterment made from the same materials used by NASA
and sophisticated cookware companies. They are concerned
about function and enthralled by details. Binoculars must
be waterproof. Sunglasses need glacier flaps. Anything made
of fleece should be Windstopper. Gloves have to be black--"Anything
else is intolerable," says Striker. "Black absorbs solar
rays; blue or red just looks lame."
If Striker isn't out combing Mount Hood for wayward adventurers,
he's usually there anyway, climbing or Telemark skiing.
He's got the outfit down pat: short-sleeved shirt, fleece
vest, fleece zip-T if necessary, Gore-Tex guide jacket and
a balaclava, of which he notes, "You look like a doofus,
but you stay so incredibly warm."
Steve Schulz, a personal trainer and co-owner of Tri-Level
Fitness, isn't as snowbound as Striker but has ample reason
to be concerned with staying warm. A year-round competitive
rower, Schulz also keeps busy mountain-
biking, skiing, scuba diving and backpacking. Such endeavors
are facilitated by staples like polypropylene shirts, fleece
(natch), waterproof pants and sturdy hats. But both Schulz
and Striker have lives that extend well beyond their athletic
pursuits. "Every Christmas I ask for flannel shirts, something
I can knock around in on the weekends," says Schulz. And
Striker? He's been known to wear a coat and tie to work
and even owns what he dubs his "Berbati's shirt," a shimmery
number by DKNY.
the
goods:
taylor made
The short-sleeved David Taylor broadcloth shirts
at Sears, in all their crisp, Scotchguarded glory, reminded
one male shopper of Vince Lombardi. Doug likes short sleeves
because they help insulate the body's core without being too
bulky underneath legions of layers. I like these shirts for
their year-round availability and dimestore price. $14-$16
(solids and stripes) at Sears, various locations.
thermonuclear
If J. Peterman actually designed clothes for a true safari,
not a safari-themed fashion show, he might produce something
like these Ex Officio Thermal Pants. It's more likely
they were crafted with a mother's concerns and a 6-year-old
boy's habits in mind. The specs: stain- and wrinkle-resistant,
lightweight, breathable, fast-drying, durable. There's more.
The pants boast an indestructible button system (just try
it, Cro-Mags!), mesh pockets and a quick-release belt, for
those times when taking your pants off just can't wait.
$69 at Oregon Mountain Community, 60 NW Davis St., 227-1038.
fleece
over easy
In high school, all the rich kids had Patagucci deep-pile
jackets; they were fuzzier than three thick lambs and more
expensive than cashmere sweaters. I finally got one, but
by then, fat fleece was on its way out. Marmot resurrects
the sheepy stuff with this Poacher pile vest. The
snuggly collar is its best feature--good for drying wind-whipped
eyes--and the zippered breast pocket is its worst--too small
to get your hand into. $109.95 at U.S. Outdoor Store, 219
SW Broadway, 223-5937.
gainly
Besides the ice screws, there are a few other alpine accessories
that Doug pines after--a French-press coffee mug, a "taco"
bag for toting skis or boards and an altimeter watch. A
necessity (well, also a bit of a luxury) for serious climbers,
an altimeter measures atmospheric pressure to determine
altitude. The Suunto Vector watch also shows one's
vertical ascent and descent rate and reports the temperature,
absolute atmospheric pressure and barometric trends--and
it stores the information for up to six hours. Want more?
There's a built-in compass, too. $199 at Oregon Mountain
Community.
craftwork
Patagonia has sort of cornered the market on underwear
for active people with its Capilene Phundamentals series
of utilitarian yet comely undergarments. But have you seen
Craft's work? This Scandinavian outfit has been fine-tuning
that which goes next to your skin since 1977. I've never
seen long johns like these. Made of some impossibly
supple polyester knit--hypoallergenic, no less--the whisper-light
garment is reinforced with silky windblocking panels and
non-chafing seams. Of course, such quality comes at a price.
$58.50 at Oregon Mountain Community.
can
you feel the energy?
Moonstone is made for you. The mountain-equipment company
gets its inspiration from the "wet and wicked" conditions
of the Pacific Northwest. Moonstone also seems to draw upon
the universal snowboarder aesthetic that mandates arced
vertical stripes on all above-the-torso garments. Its Kinetic
Zip T is certainly one of the best-looking fleece overshirts
I've seen lately. Ah, but it's also got the hard tech to
back up a pretty face: It weighs only 9 ounces, has a double-thickness
collar and is made from Malden Polartec. $85 at The Mountain
Shop, 628 NE Broadway, 288-6768.
alpine
architecture
Arc'Teryx doesn't make jackets but rather builds them, as
if constructing bridges. And it shows. The Alpha SV Jacket
is a bombproof sculpture of polymers and practicality--water-tight
zippers, seams trimmed to 3/16 of an inch (to shave ounces),
easy-grab pullcords. It's amazing that the coat only weighs
a pound and a half and is easily compressed; the high-tenacity
ripstop nylon is pieced together in such an articulated
fashion that one longs to store the garment loosely on a
mannequin, not crammed into a stuff-sack. $475 at U.S. Outdoor
Store.
if
the shoe fits...
Socks made for sandboarding? You got it. Fingerless gloves
for off-season disc golf? Sure. Snowshoeing-specific boots?
Bien sûr! We knew it wouldn't be long before
the snowshoeing renaissance inspired its very own accompanying
gear. So along with scores of webbed styles (Tubbs ain't
the only game in town anymore), '99 brings boots made with
the snow walker in mind. Yes, Sorels and hiking boots get
the job done, but why muck about in those when a pair of
lightweight, ankle-supporting Vasque Arctics awaits?
The nubuck upper features Thinsulate insulation, a grippy
sole and in-house waterproof system. $89 at Oregon Mountain
Community.
pulling
their weight
Being the generous and gracious gent that he is, Schulz's
interest in gear trappings extends beyond what he puts on
his own back. With his shiny black labs in mind, Schulz
requested puppy panniers like the ones seen here on Kayla.
You'd be surprised by how many models there are to choose
from. I picked the Walkies Dog Pack over Ruffwear's
pooch pouch because it was much lighter. Built in five sizes
to accommodate most canines, the Cordura sacks are joined
by a mesh saddle and fleece-lined harness. The pack comes
with fit instructions and guidelines for loading up Fido--for
example, he shouldn't carry more than 25 percent of his
body weight. $69.50 at The Mountain Shop.
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