Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for August 30, 2004

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, Aug. 30, 2004 | 8:13 a.m.

Happy campers?

And so another summer season bites the dust, its unofficial end marked by the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Summer lovers looking to stoke the fires of desire one last time might be tempted to spend the long holiday weekend holed up inside some swanky high-end hideaway. The folks at REI, however, are urging romantics to head for the hills, the woods anyplace a tent can be pitched.

The "outdoor retail co-op" which sells its gear and clothes at REI stores throughout the country, including one in Henderson recently sponsored a survey of 832 American adults to promote its expanded line of outdoor accoutrements (backpacks, bicycles, sleeping bags and the like) designed especially for women.

It should come as no surprise to learn the survey results concluded that 54 percent of females "who enjoy the outdoors also look to it for romance," while 70 percent said they prefer to spend alone time there with a significant other. The company queried 500 women who reported taking part in outdoor activities at least four times in the past year.

Turns out 75 percent of "younger" men and women are apt to sleep in tents while out in the wild, as opposed to their "elder counterparts"; and 68 percent of women reported experiencing "a sense of spirituality in nature" versus 62 percent of men. Armed with that info, we suspect the REI bigwigs are working furiously to develop some sort of soul-soothing canteen/flashlight-combo gizmo.

Road rules

Whether you're headed to the forest or the Four Seasons for the holiday weekend, you may have to hit the open road to reach your destination. If the kids particularly teens will be along for the ride, moms and dads would be wise to set good examples while behind the wheel.

It seems 60 percent of high schoolers point to their parents as having the greatest influence on their driving habits. The factoid comes courtesy of this year's Liberty Mutual/SADD Teen Driving Study, for which more than 3,500 middle- and high school students from throughout the nation were polled.

Other scarier stats: 62 percent of high school drivers reported chatting on a cell phone and 33 percent said they do not wear a seat belt while driving. Meanwhile 27 percent of the teens said they thought speeding was safe, despite the fact that speed plays a role in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, according to numbers provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission.

Sun block

There's not much safe about having to perform the old bob-and-weave maneuver with your head while behind the wheel, trying to shield your eyes from the late-afternoon summer sun as it comes blazing through the windshield.

Kevin Skunes, the Arthur, N.D.,-based inventor of a new device called the Wiser Visor, claims his product does what standard vehicle sun visors don't: The tinted, see-through shield blocks the glare from sun (and 99 percent of UV rays), oncoming headlights, and the reflection created by wet pavement kind of like a pair of sunglasses for your car.

But wait, there's more: Once it's attached to the car's existing visor, the Wiser Visor can glide across the windshield for additional coverage. At night, position it over the rear-view mirror to lessen headlight glare from vehicles traveling behind yours. Several styles of visors are available (ranging in price from $18.95 to $24.95 plus shipping and handling) at www.wiservisor.com.

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