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16 thursday aug i 2002 economist sun stouffville tribune sports new hightech camping gear takes rough out of roughing it by mike hayakawa staff writer at one time camping was seen as roughing it in the woods a protective cover under which to shelter a ground mat and sleeping bag were the basic tools those furnishings remain the staples of survival in the wilder ness however a visit to a campsite or an outdoors store will unveil some startling changes that have taken place in this timehonoured outdoor activity through innovative techno logical and cosmetic updates new equipment enables year- round camping to be an enjoy able experience these changes might also be contributing to the increased popularity of the recreational pas time cotton and canvas are out and synthetics are in were now in the soft shell revolution at a recent western canadian camping trade show it was announced the camping market in canada has grown approxi mately 25 per cent over the past three years said peter durst spokesperson for coast mountain sports a markham retail outlet specializing in outdoor sports apparel camping equipment has def initely changed over the past five years mr durst said rodger taylor owner of campers place in newmarket said equipment today has reached the point where the bet ter quality items including tents and sleeping bags offer lifetime warranties theres always constant improvement in camping equip ment mr taylor said gone by the wayside are tents of heavyduty fabric these days tents are constructed of water proof material thats lighter more durable and breathes more easily cotton and canvas are out and synthetics are in mr durst said i were now in the soft shell rev olution mr taylor said the shape of tents has undergone a transfor mation once hexagonal they how are mostly square or rectan gular this makes for fee jbettet staff photosjoerd witteveen peter durst and jenn randall of coast mountain sports at the markville shopping centre display some of the latest in stoves tents sleeping bags backpacks and clothing utilization of space mri taylor said while todays tents still wont rival a room at the hilton mr durst said current models offer far more comfort the old adage of tents was when people went to sleep it was like sleeping in a plastic bag there was no attic or venting porch to allow improved air move ment tents now have sophisticat ed venting systems comprised of zippered panels that can be removed to enable air to move more freely ideally you want cooler air to come in and push out the hot air from above mr durst said not only is there a noticeable change in the design and durabil ity of tents those who have to carry them will benefit from more compact and lighter designs mr durst said there are one- person tents rolled into 18-by- fourinch packages weighing about five pounds a twoperson fullfly tent can come in a similarsized package that weighs even less accessories have changed too mr durst said the biggest knock on poles and pegs in the old days was that they were made of heavy metal material that were weak and could bend easily they are now constructed of highend aluminum or fiberglas as well poles are shockcord ed with a rubbertype of cord that enables them to be assem bled more easily- the time needed to put up a tent has also been dramatically reduced because newer models have a clip system or sleeves where poles slide through a fabric sleeve camping equipment has definitely changed over the past five years with higher quality tents you get better fabrics better stitching and an improved vent system mr taylor said tents arent the only camping items that have improved ground or floor mats previ ously made of heavy vinyl or rub ber are now constructed of heavy duty nylon they are far lighter in weight more pliable and come waterproofed modern ground mats or foot prints are specifically made for each tent design a far cry from the old onesizefitsall mats you buy one for your tent and it fits exactly underneath and clips qnto the fenc mr dursj saicj even sleeping bags designed to trap an individuals body heat have become specialized once bulky sleeping bags are now light weight and compact mr taylor said there are sleeping bags on the market that weigh as little as one pound when buying a sleeping bag mr durst said consumers should consider when they do the major ity of their camping some models are tailored for threeseason camping spring summer and early fall for temperatures as cold as 7 celsius or winter camping on days when the thermometer plummets to 18 c sleeping bags also come with different downfill material traditional goosedown mod els are still popular but there are also sleeping bags made of syn thetic material both have advan tages with goosedown bags mr durst said downsourcing has become more sophisticated modern models have fine soft plume the better the bag the softer the plume will be he said the big advantage of goose down bags is they offer the most compressible insulation however due to their delicate composition goosedown bags seequaimpayi mike adler been there done that hike in woods good escape the first thing i see at the pond is a boy with a net splashing in the water the second thing i see is a great blue heron standing in the stagnant pond patient and still a small reservoir for the black river in wwtchurchstoufrville the place isnt even on a map and is not featured in the new everyday guide to the york regional forest i carry on this hike plenty of people have found it though and theyve brought their dogs in a canine frenzy a golden retriever rubs against my legs repeatedly im wearing shorts and after the retriever is led away another dog owner john daniel of uxbridge has an interest ing thought im glad to be here at the eldred king forest tract in whitchurchstouffville where the air is cool and clean and bearable he tells me the retriever has probably been running through poison ivy and may have transferred the poison to my legs wash them right now if you can he advises gee there were pictures of poison ivy on a bulletin board near the entrance but i wasnt paying attention it would explain all those plants along the trail with leaves of three i step in among the tadpoles and minnows im glad to be here at the eldred king forest tract in whitchurch- stouffville where the air is cool and clean and bearable stopping for a second on the damp sand of the trail i can hear and spot chipmunks moving over needles of pine trees planted in 1924 to stabilize the blowsands of the oak ridges moraine the regions pocketsized forest guide available soon from york tourism 18884480000 contains event listings and maps for seven of the regions 18 tracts theyshouldnamefhenext tract after ej zavitz the provinces first chief forester whose 1908 report on the bar ren wastelands left by logging led to a reforestation movement the results of reforestation in york r r- sed easy paty 17