 As per last year Rose and I are off to Friedrichshafen for the huge European trade fair at the weekend where anyone who is anyone, will be displaying their wares and talking outdoor shop! Like 2007 we'll be recording interviews with people about their gear and so on, to produce another series of podcasts. I just thought it would be interesting to ask OM readers if there were any questions they would like answered by the 'trade' while I have them in a trapped cage? Can't promise to speak to everyone in the 12 massive halls, but I will be seeing the most well known suppliers you will be aware of or may be interested in. So over to you and we'll see what we can do .....
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To give you an idea here's the layout and exhibitor listings. http://www.messe-fn.de/html/en/index.php
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 A long-standing personal gripe of mine... I have to carry all sorts of plugs and charger units around with me when I go backpacking. If you come across anyone in the electronics field, could you twist their arm and get them to come up with a single unit that does everything? I guess the problem really lies with manufacturers who create non-compatible stuff, but someone should get onto the job and come up with a solution. Apart from that... enjoy the show!
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 Generally what does the increase in Chinese production costs mean for the industry. I see for example that Vibram sole prices are set to rise by 10 per-cent.
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 Sorry to hijack this thread slightly. Paddy - have you come across the PowerMonkey range before? It's basically a rechargeable battery with a number of adapters for most things, phones, ipods, PDAs etc. It also comes with a plug with interghangable heads for different regions of the world. I travel a fair bit with work and used to carry loads of different cables/plugs etc. Now I just take this and it is veru useful when out on the hills for charging phones etc. http://www.powertraveller.co.uk/ Jeff.
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 Yes the Powermonkey unit has been covered in the forum here before Jeff, a good few times. Some of the regular forum folks have these and say they are most useful indeed. They are available as a regular basic stock line at Cotswold outdoors now too. 
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I should indeed, as Paddy says too, like to know more about all of the upcoming technology products, that we have been talking about on here rather a good bit. From charger units to items of outdoors clothing and kit that have similar applications on a long trail walk. There is talk from America of both clothing and backpacks, as well as boots, that charge ones electrical kit as one walks the hill or trail; harnessing the generated energy of movement by the walker. I also want to know more please about the whole idea of front packs units for walkers, used to spead carried backpack weight around the walker's body. Cheers Bob! Have a great time there by the way, I shall look forwards to some good podcasts coming out of it all then!
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| Edited: 16/07/08 17:11 |
There's always one thing that these units won't work with... my Psion!
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Is that due to the fact that you reckoned before on here it was an oldish, outdated, and yet to yourself completely irreplacable bit of kit-unit you liked to use there, though Paddy? The units like PowerMonkey of course only come with charger inserts to the more up to date modern chargable kit you see. 
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| Edited: 16/07/08 17:20 |
Bob - Can you ask why the big names in tents don't do tarps? Although I am sure you are pleased they don't as it means more sales for your tarps. Talking of which, if I wanted a 3m or 3.5m square tarp, what do you offer? This it the flat area not the area it needs to cover.
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| Edited: 16/07/08 17:43 |
 Hi Bob, one for all those footwear manufacturers... I have odd feet; born with a club foot I have nearly three size differences between my feet. Most adults have a half size or more. Why is it currently not possible to order shoes by the foot rather than by the pair? I would imagine that this could be managed relatively easily through computerised stock control and would be a very useful midpoint between the current situation and being forced to order bespoke boots at bespoke prices! I would also imagine that the market would "average out" to having an equal number of each size sold so that the manufacturers could continue to produce pairs in equal numbers. On a tangent, allegedly Nike use a factory in one country to produce Left shoes and afactory in another country to produce Right shoes to prevent local corruption. If that is true, then it would seem completely natural to allow the market to determine how the shoes get paired up... Yours lopsidedly, John
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Wide/long sleeping mats please. My clothing size is XL for trousers and XXL (Montane XXXL) for jackets. At present I modify mats to 75cm wide and 2m long. I would like to buy a mat that is light and large.
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Ask the manufacturers or suppliers if they would buy their own products with their own cash if they didn't work there? Not well put but I wonder if the people selling the stuff actually have a sneaky stock of other manufacturers' or suplliers' products when out and about in their free time. Afterall, everyone has preferances with their gear. Just because you work somewhere doesn;t mean you have to get their stuff, but you'll use freebies if they are on offer. They won't answer truthfully or mention companies that are not competitors. Unfair question I know, but... Another question is do they have any good ideas that they could not make work that OM posters could help with? We have some very creative people why not use us?
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One thing which came as a big surprise when we went there for the first time 3 years ago, is the variety of products which manufacturers DO make but which the UK importers don't take!
Cash flow as ever is king, and the more 'traditional' and 'cautious' Uk distributor will steer away from such 'extreme' things such as tarps, as they have to train the reps to actually 'sell' them into retailers. Which for many is too much like hard work. So they take the easy option, more 'safe' products if you will, which they know they can sell, and hence the UK customer only has select choice, just like supermarkets. One of the reasons we were inspired to add value to our range and find products which we felt confident customers would (a) be interested in and (b) find of use. So we took the risk. But to keep this thread on track I am really seeking good questions. They have certainly started, re the foot size (I totally agree) and the China Prices Crisis. Please have a think as this will be my only chance to speak with MD's of these companies and if there's enough of them, it would make for a fascinating podcast. 'Questions from the outdoor UK consumer'
PS: PaulB there's 5 tarps on our site. If you want bigger look at Jeds from True North!
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I would also add to Al anon's post by asking about a wider, more flexible clothing sizes. They have options for short people, what about tall people. The average size for example withtrouser leg length is 32-33" with a 30" option in most sizes. What about a longer one for those of us tht are tall, slim and athletic of shape. Pet hate for me is the trouser leg length. Afterall I'm 6'5" tall, yet only a 32 or 34" waist and need a very generous 33" leg length. I've got some Lowe Alpine trousers that fit, indeed the leg length is perfect, I suspect is was seconds in that the leg was longer than standard. Can't find them now, or if I do the same size doesn't fit.
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Ta Bob, will check it out.
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 Why can't we buy goretex, e-vent, pertex(various), dyneema and other 'high-tech' fabrics in small quantities? The US customer has more opportunity to make their own gear. I would like to have a go at making things the way i want them, not the way the manufacturers THINK i want them.
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 Why, oh why, oh why do manufacturers all seem to feel the need to constantly update their ranges with the '08 model, '09 model, '10 model etc.? Time was when if a design was good then it remained unchanged and available for many years, and the punter could come back for an extra or a replacement and buy the same thing again. Now gear disappears so quickly that the chance of replacing a trusted item with the same is minimal, and even if an 'updated' version appears there's every chance it isn't actually an improvement!! (Grrrrr!  )
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 Why (oh why) do you persist in lining boots with Goretex and suchlike? Do you really think people use all those pockets on walking troosers?
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