End of the Week OR Gear Wrap-Up

The gear reports from the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market continue to roll in today, with a couple more of note. First, Outside Online's Gear Shed Blog continues to post a number of updates on the items that caught their eye in Salt Lake City. In part II of their wrap up, Outside takes a look at new gaiters from Outdoor Research and a pack for carrying your gear, and kid, from Osprey. Part III gives us a brief look at shirts from Mountain Khakis and multi-tool that doubles as a tripod for your camera, courtesy of Gerber Gear.

Not to be outdone, The Gear Junkie is back with his Best in Show Awards, Part II. Making the cut this time out is that same tripod multi-tool from Gerber, a new breathable "space blanket" from Adventure Medical Kits, and a pair of fast-hiking boots from adidas. There are a couple of other fantastic items on the list as well, so if you're in the market for a new gearbox for your car, a "high-heel" hiking shoe, or mountaineering boots, you'll want to give the story a look.

I was fortunate enough to see most of this gear on my way through the expo hall as well, and I have to tell you that I have serious gear lust over the adidas Terrex Fast R boots that GJ mentions. They're super lightweight and comfortable, yet still provide plenty of protection, and I can't wait to try them out on the trails when they hit store shelves later this fall.

I also spoke to the folks at the Adventure Medical Kit booth and had a chance to examine their new "space blanket"/bivy bag, and came away quite impressed. It is also super-lightweight, yet warm, and it packs down to an incredibly small footprint. It weighs in at just 10 oz and is due out early next year, and appears to be something you'll want with you on just about any trip. It is an emergency blanket brought into the 21st century, and seems like it's going to be a nice addition to your emergency supplies.

Yet More Gear From OR!

Still haven't gotten your gear fix in all the post-OR reports that have been hitting the web? Trying to absorb as much as possible from Outdoor Retailer this year? Then this post is for you, as gear reports continue to hit the web, each of them delivering glimpses of some of the unique and tantalizing products that will make our outdoor adventure better in a few months time.

The Gear Junkie continues to do his usual great post-expo wrap-up with great information on everything that he saw in Salt Lake City. The Daily Dose page has several new gear items on it again today, which compliments the Best of OR Awards that GJ handed out yesterday.

Similarly, Outside Online also continues to roll out updates, today they are focusing on the best cycling gear that they saw at the show. That includes a great jersey from Icebreaker, a jacket from Arc'teryx, and specially designed hydration pack from CamelBak. Good stuff for the road cyclist and mountain biker alike.

Finally, Branden from DailyHiker.com has posted about his OR experience and favorite gear as well. You'll find his thoughts on the show and his picks for gear to keep an eye on by clicking here.

I'll probably ease back on the OR coverage after today. There will continue to be more reports to come, but you'll be getting plenty of reviews and updates in the near future anyway. Still, it really was a terrific show, with lots of good things coming soon. I think outdoor enthusiasts will be quite pleased with the quantity and quality of gear that they'll have to choose from.

More Gear From OR!

As promised, I have more gear news and reports from Outdoor Retailer. With as much stuff that is shown at the expo, it is nearly impossible to see it all, even if you're there open-to-close, each day of the event. Instead, we have to content ourselves to relying on the Internet to satiate our gear lust and help us decide how to spend our money.

First, I've written and published a preview of my own today at Gadling.com. It has five of the items that I saw at the OR that were particularly impressive to me. They include a UV water purifier from CamelBak, a tent from Brooks-Range, and some amazing lightweight hiking boots from adidas. (Yes, I said adidas!). Each of these items had a definite appeal to me for one reason or another. For example, the CamelBak All Clear will be perfect for traveling in remote areas and developing countries, while the Foray tent weighs in at just 2 pounds, 10 oz.

Other sites are sharing their favorite bits of gear as well. For example, the Gear Junkie has posted his Best of Show picks, which can be found by clicking here. You'll also find part 1 of Outside Online's OR wrap-up by clicking here. Both lists are very diverse and give you an idea of just how much great stuff is there. I'm not sure if a single item is duplicated between the Gear Junkie, Outside, and myself.

As I make my way through the mound of press material that was handed out at the show, I'll probably be spotlighting a few more items in the days ahead. You can also expect a slew of reviews as well, as I've already heard from a couple of gear companies who are shipping some items out already.

It looks like my gear closest is about to get a bit more full. I may have to organize a gear giveaway of my own!

Outdoor Retailer Wrap-Up

As I mentioned, I spent last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Outdoor Retailer convention in Salt Lake City checking out the latest and greatest gear that is in the works from our favorite gear manufacturers. OR is an interesting event to say the least. It is part-gear nirvana and part-networking meet-up, with a liberal dose of party thrown into the mix. The 3+ days that I spent there were a bit of a blur, as I hurried from one meeting to the next, waving at old friends and new from across the hall as I went.

Today, I'm suffering from Post OR Syndrome in part because for the time that I was there, I was steeped in adventure culture. Everyone is constantly talking about the latest gear, some big trip they have planned, or the peak they just bagged. The attendees, for the most part, are fit, athletic, and excited to be there and shae their experiences. While I was there, I spotted Conrad Anker, met Ueli Steck, and had nice long conversations with both Everest climber Ben Clark and adventure racer Mike Kloser. After a few days in that environment, it is rough to return to normal life where most people are just worried about the weather. (It'll be 105ºF here in Austin today by the way)

While I was at the show, I saw a host of really great gear coming from a bunch of different companies. Over the next few weeks, I'll likely be sharing some of the things I saw there with you so you can put them on your radar for the weeks ahead, when they'll actually be on sale. If you followed my Twitter feed while I was away, you probably already got a glimpse of some of them. Needless to say however, there was a lot of innovative gear on display, some of which we should all be genuinely excited about.

While I didn't have time to post OR updates to my blog while I was there, I did want to offer a couple of websites that have posted some information about what was on display. Check out the Adventure Journal for instance to see a nice overview of a number of products and Trailspace.com did an excellent job, as always, with their coverage as well. You'll find day-by-day updates from them by clicking here. Outside magazine also has their list of the best gear of the show here.

Today, I'm working on catching up on e-mail and getting my feet back under me, while also posting updates from the world of adventure. I'll have more to share from OR in the days ahead, but for now, all I'll say is that if you ever get a chance to go yourself, take the opportunity. It is a complete blast and well worth the trip.

Outdoor Retailer Begins Tomorrow!

As many of you already know, the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market begins tomorrow, and later today I'll jump on a plane and head out to Salt Lake City, Utah to take part in the bi-annual event. The four day expo is an outdoor enthusiast's dream come true, with all kinds of new gear and travel products on display months before they hit shelves.

While at the show, I'll be taking part in a panel that is focused on media in the Digital Age and how things are shifting away from our traditional way of thinking about what "media" is and how social media have changed the way we interact. I'm hoping it will be fun, informative, and interesting, and if you're going to be at the show, you should drop by and say hello. The event is taking place in the SLC Downtown Marriott Hotel at noon in Salon H, and lunch will be included for those who attend.

If you're not fortunate enough to be at OR this year, but would still like to know what is going down there, I encourage you to follow my Twitter account, as I intend to tweet images and thoughts on a variety of new products while I'm walking the show floor and interacting with exhibitors. I think it is a great way to share things in realtime while the show is going on and new products are being unveiled, many of which won't hit store shelves for another few months.

My Twitter account is @KungFuJedi. Feel free to tweet back to me if you have questions or would like me to check something out for you while I'm there.

Are You "Durable?" If So, You Can Win A Trip From GearJunkie.com

Our friends over at GearJunkie.com are running another contest, and this time they're giving away an adventure trip to Utah that will include attending the Outdoor Retailer trade show this summer. That's right! You could win an all expense paid trip to Gear Nirvana, where all the latest outdoor products will be revealed for the first time.

The Gear Junkie, along with Cordura Brand Fabrics, is searching for "The Most Durable Person" to give the prize to, and if you think you are that person, or know someone who is, you can enter the contest by clicking here.  Simply use the form on that page to submit a quick story, photos, or a video and tell the GJ Crew why you or your friend/family member are among the outdoors’ “most durable” people. In this case, you are free to define "durable" in any way that you like, but be sure to get creative with your entry.

The contest will run through the month of May, with the best entries getting posted on GearJunkie.com over the next few weeks. A winner will be picked shortly after that, and that person will be traveling to Utah in August with their airfare, accommodations, OR attendance, and at least one adventure activity paid for.

Good luck and have fun with this!

More Best of OR From The Gear Junkie

A few days back I posted a rundown of some of the best gear at the Outdoor Retailer show that went down last week with a number of outlets weighing in on their favorite items from the convention. At the time, the Gear Junkie, aka Stephen Regenold, shared Part 1 of his Best of Show selections. Now, we have the second part, with even more items that will be luring money out of our bank accounts soon.

In Part 2 of his "Best of" series, Stephen takes a shine to a number of interesting looking items, including a "technical smock" that promises to be the first zipper-free eVent garment. That one comes to us from U.K. based Montane and is set to release in March. Also gaining attention is a new $80 camp pad from NEMO that has a pack weight of just 10 ounces and is about the size of a water bottle when it is rolled up. The new Dry.Q jackets from Mountain Hardwear also get a nod thanks to their ability to keep us warm while also breathing better than GoreTex.

Two other items of note from the Gear Junkie's list. First, the tiny little headlamp from Light and Motion known as the Solite 150 is getting tons of press. It seems that everyone has it on their list of favorite gear, so you know it must have been very impressive at the show. It looks very small and light weight, weighing in at just 125 grams, and can be recharged via the USB port on your computer. I'm definitely interested in this one, although it doesn't come cheap at $179.

The other item that I wanted to point out on the list is a new pair of winter gloves from Outdoor Research. Known as Ambit Gloves, these babies will keep your hands warm and dry while also allowing you to use your touch screen phone such as an iPhone or Android device. Not sure who will want to use those items while out in the cold on the mountain, but at least you have the option without taking your hands out. I recently put my Alti Golves to the test in Yellowstone, and they were incredibly warm even in very cold temps. I highly recommend a pair of gloves from OR. Really good stuff.

So, with most of the post- gear show reports out now, have you seen anything you can't live without yet? There seemed to be al of great evolutionary products coming, but I haven't seen anything truly revolutionary. Am I missing anything?

Outdoor Retailer: Best of Show

The Winter Outdoor Retailer show went down in Salt Lake City last week with gear manufacturers rolling out all kinds of new items to drool over. There were literally thousands of things to sift through and over the course of the coming months most of them will begin to find their way onto the shelves of our favorite gear stores and into our anxiously waiting hands. To get an idea of what we can expect, here are two list of the "best gear of the show."

First, The Gear Junkie has Part 1 of his favorite gear from the show posted. He gives kudos to a new cold weather active jacket called the HyBridge Lite which comes to us courtesy of Canada Goose. This looks like a fantastic piece of gear that will arrive in time for next winter. GJ also liked the Speed Climbing knife, endorsed by none other than Ueli Steck himself, which will be making its way to stores from Wenger. GoLite's new line of ultra-lightweight shoes alls gets a nod and looks like its going to be a real winner as well. Check out the article for the full list of gear items and stay tuned for Part 2 of the Gear Junkie's picks a well.

Over at the Outside Blog, the Gear Girl, Stephanie Pearson,  weighed in with her favorite items as well. She was especially fond of a new performance winter jacket from Patagonia, as well as tiny, but bright, new headlamp from Light and Motion. She also dug the new lightweight footwear offerings from Salomon and a great looking new women's vest from Klymit.

Finally, check out this great new bike tool, which Gizmodo found interesting. It is super small and lightweight and comes our way from Pocket Tool. Looks like a great addition to the tool kit on my bike.

Remember, most of this stuff won't be available for some time yet, so you can start saving now. Looks like even more refined gear in the works.

OR Winter Market Reports Abound

Yesterday I mentioned that the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market gear show was underway and that we could expect to see a host of reports from the event giving us a glimpse of the goodies we can expect in our favorite gear shops in the months ahead. True to form, we have a number of websites checking in today with the first look at a bunch of new stuff that we won't actually be able to buy for months yet.

The Adventure Journal also has some great previews up for a bunch of gear from companies like Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, and Camelbak, to name a few. The theme for much of the new gear seems to center around stylish, but functional, gear that uses high tech fabrics and design to make our outdoor experiences all the better. That's something we can all get behind I think.

First up, the Outside Blog has several reports posted from the show, including a look at the new super-lightweight snow cap from Outdoor Research that promises to be a down jacket for your head. As a fan of OR's gear, I have to say that that one looks quite warm and comfy.

Next up, Trailspace.com is doing their usual great job of posting from the show floor as well, including a nice sneak peek at the line of outdoor shoes coming form Adidas. Now, I have to admit, when I heard the sneaker company was looking to get into outdoor shoes, I was quite skeptical, but looking at the products themselves, and there are a lot of them, I'm definitely intrigued. They certainly look nice. We'll have to wait to see how they actually perform once they hit the store shelves. Check out the video below for an early look.

Finally, the Sierra Blogging Post is also in Salt Lake City for all the fun and festivities. They posted a nice Day One Trip Report with a variety of thoughts on the new offerings from several companies, including Adventure Medical Kits and Black Diamond Equipment.

Needless to say, it looks like there is plenty of good stuff in the pipeline once again. I haven't seen anything that I can't live without yet, but plenty of stuff I wouldn't mind having. I'm a sucker for this stuff!

Winter Outdoor Retailer Underway

The bi-annual Outdoor Retailer show has kicked off in Salt Lake City today with gear companies descending on the town to give us a glimpse of their upcoming product lines. The four day event gives the manufacturers an opportunity to show off what they have in the pipe-line for later in the year, when the new gear will make its way onto store shelves while outdoor enthusiasts gobble up the latest and greatest innovations.

The Gear Junkie posted a "teaser" for the show a few days back, letting us take an early look at what some of the companies will unveil while in SLC. Some of the equipment that earned a spot on the sneak peek list included an ultra-small headlamp from a company called Light & Motion, a new climber's knife from Wenger that is endorsed by Ueli Steck himself, and new offerings to the Vibram FiveFingers line of barefoot running shoes.

Of course, there will be plenty more to show as well and over the course of the next week or so, we'll probably be inundated with press releases and gear previews that will not only test your patience while you wait for their release, but may send you out in search of a second job to help pay for all the gear you'll want to buy. If you're a gear hound like me, it's like Christmas came a month later. Well, at least the Christmas wishbook came a month later.

I'll be sure to post any interesting items that come out of the show, but expect plenty of incremental updates on backpacks, clothing, shoes, and so on as well. Either way, it's always fun to see what's coming.