We check out next year's kit at the US's largest outdoor trade show with interesting new stuff from the likes of Osprey, Scarpa and a GPS watch that'll get you home when you're paralytic...
Outdoor Retailer is the largest and arguably the
most important show for the outdoors trade in the USA. Each year
around eighteen thousand (18,278) industry participants descend upon
the city of the Salt Lake. Their challenge? To locate and order the
latest and most exciting products for next season (spring / summer
2005). With over 800 vendors (876), this can be quite a challenge,
especially when the second biggest challenge is to drink as much beer
as possible.
Unfortunately the Magicalia expense account doesn't run to
Trans-Atlantic air fares, so we did the next best thing and
dispatched erstwhile Karrimor pack designer and self-confessed gear
freak Larry O to check out what's new and interesting. Here's his
report... You'll also be able to read about his excellent en route
road trip on the site shortly.
On With The Show
For
a gear freak, attending the outdoor retailer show is like being a
child in a candy store. Here all the big names in the trade show
their newest and most innovative ideas and designs for already great
products. Retailers, designers, sales agents, writers, and almost
any person who is involved in the outdoors market shows up to discuss
product, and the continued developments in the market. I suppose
they might even have a few cold drinks at the same time...
There's a wide varieties of products on display at the show,
anything from kayaks, books, even whistles, to the more traditional
climbing and outdoors products one would expect. Of course, it is
far too much to discuss in a short article the products on offer, but
here are my highlights of the best products coming out in the market
(UK and USA) soon.
Clothing
As the summer market tends to be more of a pack and footwear show,
I did not expect to see much in the way of clothing. Therefore, I
was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon new technologies and
ideas developing from several companies, in some cases pushing the
boundaries of the "outdoors" in a traditional sense.
One of the most innovative companies for clothing at the minute is
Patagonia, which is truly pushing the boundaries of clothing
construction, as we know it. In the simplest form, Patagonia has
constructed a jacket with no overlapping fabric on the seams. The
fabric - a super lightweight breathable fabric and membrane -
"butts" up against itself and is held into place with seam-sealing
membrane tape. The result, one of the lightest jackets on the
market, will surely be worth looking at when it comes out in the UK
in 2005.
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Lightweight hardshell from
Patagonia uses non-overlap seams bonded with
seam-sealing
membrane tape. Worth waiting for?
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Look, no
seams...
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Arcteryx's new base layers and colour palette was fresh, and
provided a new infusion of style to the brand. If you need a new
base layer, you may want to wait a little while to see when it will
come out in the UK, as the fitting and styles were both improved and
better than any other brand I saw at the show.
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Arc'Teryx go funky with their
baselayer colours for next year -
you'll either love 'em or hate 'em but you won't miss
them...
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Lastly,
women-specific options and designs have become
mainstream, perhaps long overdue. There was an abundance of women's
clothing, both for technical and lifestyle usage at the show. In
fact, many outdoor companies are making clothing and equipment not
only specific to women's fashion, comfort, and function needs, but to
their personal lifestyles. The introduction of
performance yoga
clothing and sportswear was interesting, and I look forward to
hearing how it fares in the UK.
Packs
Certainly
close to my heart, I very much enjoy seeing the perspectives and
ideas people show at OR once a year. It is almost torture, knowing I
will have to wait for the packs to make it into the market to
purchase and use, but in most cases, it is worth it.
As my favourite (commercial) pack brand at the minute
Osprey has been moving up in the global market over the past
few years especially. They are unafraid to introduce new ideas and
go in directions that always seem just a little ahead of their
American competition at the minute.
This season was no disappointment, with Osprey introducing new
technology in the form of a twisting frame - right - that also
provides breathability and structure. Although two other companies
also have a "twisting" frame (there was a little controversy
surrounding this issue), in my opinion Osprey's is the most finished
and ergonomically correct.
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The new Osprey flex frame in
detail - not the only one around, but in Larry's
view, probably the best of the bunch.
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Another innovation introduced by Osprey was the
"customisation
oven" which should be in the UK next year. Simply put, the oven
is in the store, and after purchasing your pack, the sales associate
bakes the hip belt and places it on you. After ten minutes of
self-applied pressure, you have a totally customised hip belt (just
do not loan it to anyone). It seemed like an easy way to make the
pack fit your body as close as possible.
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This, believe it or not, is the
Osprey oven. An in-store hot box
that moulds your hip belt to fit the contours of your body
exactly
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This is the new Atmos 35 pack
from Osprey. It's a superlightweight, alloy-framed race
and
weekend-packing sac in three sizes that comes in at just
over a kilo, but promises loads
of detailed features and great load carrying at that weight.
Watch this space for an early
test of the new pack.
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Arcteryx continues to build on their technical reputation, and
although they had no "new" introductions, there were detailed
alterations to a few of the already great packs. Having spoken with
one of the sales agents at the show, he told me "if it ain't broke,
don't fix it." Which seemed to make sense…
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'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'
- Arc'Teryx packs get detailed alterations
rather than a full-scale overhaul
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Lastly, as previously mentioned
Mammut launched a new back
system frame called the butterfly system. As there is quite a bit of
controversy surrounding the products, I did not get to spend too much
time speaking to people regarding it. I suggest contactingMammut for
more information.
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Mammut's new butterfly frame
system, you can see the
frame hanging above the pack, just one of seveal
similar designs - see above.
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Footwear
Scarpa's new line of boots was probably the best story
going concerning footwear at the show. The fresh colours, new style
lines, and materials had me thinking that it was almost a new brand.
Then I picked the Charmoz boot up, and found that not only was it
great looking, but also this was probably the lightest fully
stiffened mountain boot I have seen. I definitely suggest looking
at their new line for mountain and technical boots in the UK market
in the near future.
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New from Scarpa is the Charmoz, a
super lightweight fully stiffened
mountain boot, the logical next step from a brand which has
consistently
lightened its technical boots in recent years. Looks great
too.
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Garmont also had great product introductions, and I was
truly impressed with the scope and level of technical details in the
new range. Their Anatomically directed design directive continues to
evolve into new supportive and stability avenues, making the upper
part of the boot a cohesive part of the ADD system. The new approach
designs are very technical in support and construction and light
(around 420 grams). I think these boots will be successful, and am
looking forward to buying some myself.
Accessories
The most impressive item that I saw at OR, and definitely worth
studying carefully is the new Suunto X9 GPS watch. Although
it will be quite pricy, no confirmed price for the UK at this time,
the watch has all the GPS functions needed to navigate.
Additionally, the heart rate, altimeter, barometer, and computer
interface builds on the existing Suunto technologies. My best idea
regarding the watch is the ability to drink as much as you like and
then just press home and show it to the taxi driver. Probably a bit
excessive, but seems like a fun idea.
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A watch complete with GPS, a
heart rate monitor, altimeter, compass etc.
That's just mad....
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The End
