Trends In Woman's Gear

December 2004-January 2005

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Barbara Sherrill

Imagine that all your paddle gear offered a fit that contoured to your body, functioned to your expectation of performance, and had a style and color that made you look and feel great. That would be the future.

We aren’t quite there yet, but recent national studies show that women comprise 50% of the outdoor specialty market and are looking for different gear performance than men. In response to this reality, manufacturers are beginning to identify how we fit, paddle and use products.

A women-specific marketing wave is building, with products that have style, size, fit and performance just for us. Be aware of what your needs are and look at all products available because the manufacturer’s intended use may not be your use. A good example of this is Snap Dragon’s Glacier Trek Supratex/Nylon Sprayskirt with the safety-off strap option. This skirt works well for women who have kayaks with large cockpits and who can’t reach the exit loop or find the cord too hard to pull off. Yet it’s marketed as an instructional spray skirt. So have fun educating yourself and looking for products that work for you.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

New technologies are most evident in fabric and construction of apparel. 2005 will bring new base layers and liner fabrics that wick moisture from your damp skin, with a great feel and look. Added benefits such as odor-free qualities are in most fabrics. Fabric brand names to look for include Superfine Merino wool, Dri-Release wool, polypropylene and Thermal Pro.

Superfine Merino wool is produced from merino sheep. This 18.5 micron yarn is soft because a yarn which is this thin bends instead of pokes. Ibex makes the Norse Crew, an 18.5 micron merino base layer ($72.50—all prices in this article are US). Optimer Performance Fibers Dri-release®, a blended polyester and wool fabric, is hydrophobic, allowing moisture to be pushed out along the polyester fiber. You can find this exceptionally comfortable performance fabric in Outdoor Research’s Fusion Tee ($38). The Polartec Thermal Pro is a plush polyester fleece with a very high warmth to weight ratio. Lotus Designs has a beautiful blue pullover in this fabric named the Women’s Long-sleeved Ultra Khosi Top ($65).

Kokatat SuperNova

Banff Bodysuit

Odor-free, Xstatic®, Bacteriostat®, Freshguard® and wool are a few of the names to look for to keep odor under control. Freshguard® is a neutralizer built into dry release fabrics. Xstatic® and Bacteriastat® have silver fibers in the yarn. Wool is naturally odor free because the lanolin acts as a deodorizer.

Many paddling manufacturers develop their own fabrics which they have tested extensively and which offer outstanding performance. Kokatat and Patagonia are using more affordable waterproof/breathable fabrics for their paddle jackets and dry suits. Kokatat has designed the SuperNova Semi Drysuits with drop seat for under $500. This semi-drysuit offers comparable waterproof/ breathable performance as Gore-Tex® and has a neoprene rather than a latex neck closure that is more comfortable although not as dry. The SuperNova suit is suitable for mild water kayaking and single capsize scenarios.

Looking for more info on fabrics? While shopping in your local outdoor store, read the care labels to find a fabric’s content. Most manufacturers will place a fabric brand label or tag on the product to identify it. Check www.FabricLink.com on-line to learn more about the different types of fabrics, how they are constructed and their content.

New developments in seamless technology are appearing in the outdoor market in base layers and active wear. Seamless garments aren’t stitched, and so they eliminate rubbing and abrasion under the arms while paddling. Isis is introducing the Seamless Scoop Back Cami ($40).

RELIEF

Relief comes in many ways for paddlers, and most manufacturers offer a ‘split pee’ system with a base layer, relief zipper or pee zip. Base layers come with split seats or zippers that run the length of the crotch. Both Patagonia and Isis offer split seats. For dry suits with drop seats, you can layer underneath with a union suit/ bodysuit, such as Kokatat’s Polartec Liner with drop seat ($107) or with Outdoor Research’s Polartec Banff Bodysuit with pee system ($149). The OR Banff Bodysuit also works well with a drysuit front relief zipper. NRS offers the Ultra Jane Wetsuits with a pee zip system that runs the length of the crotch. The lining on this wetsuit is very soft and comfortable.

SIZING

Currently, each manufacturer has its own basic measurements attached to a size number or letter. Be sure to use their sizing chart. Women’s mail order and internet companies have excellent sizing recommendations and more manufacturers are now offering a women’s fit in XS–XL and some have select products in plus sizing. Here are some tips for searching out your size:

• Don’t assume you are ‘always a medium’.
• Ask friends about sizing on their gear.
• Use women’s mail order catalog web sites’ sizing recommendations.

 

Wilderness System’s Phase3 seating

KAYAK SEATS

Kayak seat design has improved to offer thigh adjustment, adjustable backrest angle and back height support. Phase 3 from Wilderness Systems has achieved this with high density molded foam and friction adjustments in their touring kayaks. Also, as a result of feedback from women, many manufacturers now have fiberglass seats that fit above-average size hips. Salamander Gear offers hip pads that allow you to custom fit your kayak.

SPRAY SKIRTS

Spray skirts have new tube adjustments that work well for women. Immersion Research offers the J-Lo Women’s Specific Skirt ($125). This is a neoprene skirt with a shorter tube and extra stretch in the hip zone for comfort. The alternative with neoprene waist tubes is to roll them down or cut them to size.

LIGHTWEIGHT BOATS

Getting to and from the water just got easier with an emerging focus on ‘light’. Outdoor specialty manufacturers are taking this tag line seriously and producing noteworthy products. A kayak by Firstlight Folding Kayaks can be found at under 20 lbs. And there’s a whole range of other folding and inflatable kayaks on the market.

Feathercraft Kahuna comes in a 14’ 9” model.

For women paddlers, focusing on lightweight and finding the correct fit is essential for better boat handling. Longer doesn’t necessarily mean better for you. A shorter, well designed kayak of 13’–16’ can be more efficient for you to paddle if it is relatively narrow in width, has a small-sized cockpit for bracing and reaching the spray skirt release, and a low back deck for rolling and re-entering. Impex, Nimbus, Pygmy, Wilderness Systems, Necky, Mariner and others make light kayaks under 16’ with efficiency and ease of handling for average and below-average height women. In composite, Impex makes the 14’ Mystic that fits women 5’–5’5” ($2050). In folding, Feathercraft makes a 14’9” version of the Kahuna ($2277).

You can shave pounds off a boat when you buy composite (fiberglass and carbon/Kevlar), carbonlite 2000 or fabric. Composite boats can be as much as 16 pounds lighter than rotomolded plastic sea kayaks. Eddyline makes the Merlin and the Night Hawk in carbonlite 2000 for under $2000 and Pygmy’s Arctic Tern 14 wooden kayak kit is under $700. Test paddle these kayaks at local shops or symposia. You will be sold as soon as you lift one and carry it down to the water.

PADDLES

Paddle manufacturers determined many years ago the importance of weight, and almost all offer great designs and quality with lightweight composite materials. Recent designs by Seven2 are pushing innovation by using a strong, short, small diameter fiberglass shaft for women, with a molded grip. They also offer a click lock system for 0–60 degree offset feathering.

RACKS

For 2005, Thule offers a rack attachment that slides off the top and provides a cradle into which to lift your kayak from waist height! You strap your kayak on and then easily push it up on the roof top. Currently, both Yakima and Thule have rollers or extension bars that slide out of the front crossbar. You lift the bow onto the extension bar and then raise the stern onto the rear crossbar. Slide the bow over and strap your kayak down—easy to do on your own.

ADVICE

If you are just getting started, use your local paddling club, friends or favorite instructor to find out about gear. Send manufacturers your comments on products. Many manufacturers have feedback forms you can complete on-line. For more information see kokatat.com, firstlightkayaks.com, orgear.com, nrsweb.com, lotusdesigns.com, feathercraft.com, impexkayak.com, wernerpaddles.com, seven2.com, ibexwear.com, wildernesssystems.com, pygmyboats.com, fabriclink.com.

© Barbara Sherrill is Apparel & Headwear Product Manager at Outdoor Research in Seattle. She has worked in the outdoor industry for thirty years as an instructor/ guide for mountaineering, skiing and now paddlesports. Check out the Outdoor Research website at www.orgear.com.

Editor’s Note: many of our advertisers have products and services to serve women clients, so be sure to visit their websites (most easily done if you download the PDF from our website and click on the ads) or contact them by phone or email with your questions.