Hiking-oriented dispatches from the 2014 OR Summer Market, Day 1 #orshow #orsm14
Welcome to my coverage of Outdoor Retailer's 2014 Summer Market! Once the show is over I'll publish a "Best Of" list; in the meantime, this is the first of my updates on gear that caught my eye on the showroom floor.
Don't miss the rest of my coverage:
Vasque has "taken a bit off the top" of the ever-popular Vasque Breeze 2.0, which you voted the best backpacking boot in last year's Reader's Choice Awards. It's now available as a shoe, both with and without a Gore-Tex bootie. And, of course, the regular Vasque Breeze 2.0 boot is still rocking the market.
The Gore-Tex version is priced at $140; the non-Gore-Tex version should run somewhere in the neighborhood of $120.
Also from Vasque for Fall 2014, a new boot: The Vasque Inhaler. On first impression itt looks a lot like the La Sportiva Boulder GTX but is built for breathability, with air-permeable heel and toe counters for extra airflow.
The Vasque Inhaler comes in a mid-cut GTX version and a low-cut version that is available in both GTX and non-GTX versions.
I didn't expect to be thrilled by any of the socks I saw at the show because, hey, they're socks. But it turns out there's a lot more to building socks than I gave the manufacturers credit for, and brands from two family-owned, USA-based mills caught my eye.
Pictured: An inside-out Darn Tough sock's extra-dense terry loops (that's the construction technique, not a reference to cotton content) help keep your foot warm and dry, and help the sock retain its shape (and performance) throughout heavy, constant use. Even more surprising -- they come with a lifetime guarantee. Who does that with socks?!
Not pictured: FITS socks, which have four patents on their sock manufacturing methods(!) They use a tapered calf and Y-shaped seams at the heel and toe to help the sock maintain full contact throughout your foot (no slipping or bunching). And a proprietary weaving technique created an unusually lightweight, tough fabric.
5 Minute Meals have been getting lots of attention for household/emergency preparation applications. (The latter is how they got their start.) But they also produce backpacking meals (the foil packet on the counter).
All but their fish/chicken salad products are preservative-free, with a short and easy to understand ingredient list. They're also tasty -- oh, and did I mention that they don't contain any freeze-dried food?
Gram-counters and long-haul hikers without a resupply probably won't love these since they don't offer the same calories-to-weight ratio you get from freeze-dried. But I can see them being a great fit if you are camping high and dry (since there's no need to add water) or in a place with high fire hazard, since the included magnesium pad does the cooking -- no stove needed. And of course they'll be great for anyone who just likes tasty, non-dehydrated food.
If you like the meals but don't want to use the magnesium heating pad, you can always boil the pouch in water heated by your stove.
Here's another category that's turned out to be a lot more interesting -- and competitive -- than I expected. After all, everybody needs water. Right? Right.
Hydrapak's collapsible soft flask (pictured) was a bit hit last year, but customers wished the soft-bottomed bottle would stand up on its own. Problem solved: The updated version not only stands on its own, but the round base snaps into the cap to keep the whole thing neatly collapsed at about 2 inches tall, including the cap. These will be available in November, selling for around $18.
Hydroflasks's insulated flasks (not pictured) already keep cold drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 12. For February 2015, they're adding an insulated sports cap (available separately for around $6) to keep the top from getting warm and insulate your drinks for a little longer. They also come in a pretty remarkable size range, all the way up to a half-gallon growler.
AceCamp's Fix 'n Zip corrosion-resistant replacement pulls don't require any tools, thanks to a thumb screw that helps them latch on to the zipper's coils, and they work on both closed-end and open-end zippers.
They're available in three sizes: Small (Usually for purses and other accessories someties ultralight gear); medium (most hiking and backpacking gear, including most tents and sleeping bags); and large (wetsuits, marine applications, and so on).
Price point is $10 for a single Fix 'n Zip, or $25 for a three-pack that contains one of each size.
PrimaLoft has created an interesting blend of DWR-treated down and Primaloft fibers that retain 95% of their insulating power when wet. The blends are available in 70/30, 60/40 and 50/50 down-to-PrimaLoft ratios, identified as Gold, Silver and Black respectively. (Heads up: These labels are also applied to their textile insulation.)
Another interesting development: Merino wool mixed with PrimaLoft yarn thread, now showing up in socks from Fox River and Lorpen.
Mountain House is introducing three new flavors in January of 2015: Chicken fried rice, Italian-style peppered steak with rice and tomatoes, and precooked scrambled eggs.
That said, for me the most interesting aspect of our talk was hearing how they're working to update the company, responding to consumer demand by working to refine their ingredient lists and exploring avenues for starting an organic line. (They don't have a specific ETA for that yet.)
The folks at Mountain House haven't just imagined the demand for what they're doing; they have been polling their customers and would like to hear from you, too. The best ways to reach them are on Facebook, tweeting @MtnHouse, or via this contact form.
Surprise! Bushnell has expanded beyond their well-known optics lines and started producing solar cells and batteries meant for use in the backcountry. The PowerWrap Mini uses amorphous thin film solar panels that are tough and flexible, almost like paper.
The film functions well in reduced-light conditions, and the panels wrap around a small, cylindrical power cell that can get you several charges for a smartphone. The panels are wired so that the unit will keep working even when pierced or damaged.
The whole thing is also built to be tethered to the outside of your pack so it can charge while you hike, and it only weighs about 3.5 ounces (not including the USB cord you'd need to connect your device to it).
The PowerWrap Mini is priced at about $60; larger and more powerful options are available. All in all, the durability, (literal) flexibility and small size/light weight make this a great first foray into solar.
And finally, Bushnell has also entered the headlamp market at a very nice price point: Around $30 for a 150-lumen lamp that runs on three AAA batteries, including a red-light mode that you can access without cycling through the white modes. A 250-lumen model sells for around $50.
Don't miss the rest of my coverage:
1. The Breeze just got shorter!
Vasque has "taken a bit off the top" of the ever-popular Vasque Breeze 2.0, which you voted the best backpacking boot in last year's Reader's Choice Awards. It's now available as a shoe, both with and without a Gore-Tex bootie. And, of course, the regular Vasque Breeze 2.0 boot is still rocking the market.
The Gore-Tex version is priced at $140; the non-Gore-Tex version should run somewhere in the neighborhood of $120.
Also from Vasque for Fall 2014, a new boot: The Vasque Inhaler. On first impression itt looks a lot like the La Sportiva Boulder GTX but is built for breathability, with air-permeable heel and toe counters for extra airflow.
The Vasque Inhaler comes in a mid-cut GTX version and a low-cut version that is available in both GTX and non-GTX versions.
2. Socks are sexy! Who knew?
I didn't expect to be thrilled by any of the socks I saw at the show because, hey, they're socks. But it turns out there's a lot more to building socks than I gave the manufacturers credit for, and brands from two family-owned, USA-based mills caught my eye.
Pictured: An inside-out Darn Tough sock's extra-dense terry loops (that's the construction technique, not a reference to cotton content) help keep your foot warm and dry, and help the sock retain its shape (and performance) throughout heavy, constant use. Even more surprising -- they come with a lifetime guarantee. Who does that with socks?!
Not pictured: FITS socks, which have four patents on their sock manufacturing methods(!) They use a tapered calf and Y-shaped seams at the heel and toe to help the sock maintain full contact throughout your foot (no slipping or bunching). And a proprietary weaving technique created an unusually lightweight, tough fabric.
3. Tasty, self-heating meals
5 Minute Meals have been getting lots of attention for household/emergency preparation applications. (The latter is how they got their start.) But they also produce backpacking meals (the foil packet on the counter).
All but their fish/chicken salad products are preservative-free, with a short and easy to understand ingredient list. They're also tasty -- oh, and did I mention that they don't contain any freeze-dried food?
Gram-counters and long-haul hikers without a resupply probably won't love these since they don't offer the same calories-to-weight ratio you get from freeze-dried. But I can see them being a great fit if you are camping high and dry (since there's no need to add water) or in a place with high fire hazard, since the included magnesium pad does the cooking -- no stove needed. And of course they'll be great for anyone who just likes tasty, non-dehydrated food.
If you like the meals but don't want to use the magnesium heating pad, you can always boil the pouch in water heated by your stove.
4. Battle of the bottles
Here's another category that's turned out to be a lot more interesting -- and competitive -- than I expected. After all, everybody needs water. Right? Right.
Hydrapak's collapsible soft flask (pictured) was a bit hit last year, but customers wished the soft-bottomed bottle would stand up on its own. Problem solved: The updated version not only stands on its own, but the round base snaps into the cap to keep the whole thing neatly collapsed at about 2 inches tall, including the cap. These will be available in November, selling for around $18.
Hydroflasks's insulated flasks (not pictured) already keep cold drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 12. For February 2015, they're adding an insulated sports cap (available separately for around $6) to keep the top from getting warm and insulate your drinks for a little longer. They also come in a pretty remarkable size range, all the way up to a half-gallon growler.
5. No-tool zipper repair
AceCamp's Fix 'n Zip corrosion-resistant replacement pulls don't require any tools, thanks to a thumb screw that helps them latch on to the zipper's coils, and they work on both closed-end and open-end zippers.
They're available in three sizes: Small (Usually for purses and other accessories someties ultralight gear); medium (most hiking and backpacking gear, including most tents and sleeping bags); and large (wetsuits, marine applications, and so on).
Price point is $10 for a single Fix 'n Zip, or $25 for a three-pack that contains one of each size.
6. PrimaLoft's down/fiber blends
PrimaLoft has created an interesting blend of DWR-treated down and Primaloft fibers that retain 95% of their insulating power when wet. The blends are available in 70/30, 60/40 and 50/50 down-to-PrimaLoft ratios, identified as Gold, Silver and Black respectively. (Heads up: These labels are also applied to their textile insulation.)
Another interesting development: Merino wool mixed with PrimaLoft yarn thread, now showing up in socks from Fox River and Lorpen.
7. New flavors from Mountain House
Mountain House is introducing three new flavors in January of 2015: Chicken fried rice, Italian-style peppered steak with rice and tomatoes, and precooked scrambled eggs.
That said, for me the most interesting aspect of our talk was hearing how they're working to update the company, responding to consumer demand by working to refine their ingredient lists and exploring avenues for starting an organic line. (They don't have a specific ETA for that yet.)
The folks at Mountain House haven't just imagined the demand for what they're doing; they have been polling their customers and would like to hear from you, too. The best ways to reach them are on Facebook, tweeting @MtnHouse, or via this contact form.
8. Going solar with Bushnell
Surprise! Bushnell has expanded beyond their well-known optics lines and started producing solar cells and batteries meant for use in the backcountry. The PowerWrap Mini uses amorphous thin film solar panels that are tough and flexible, almost like paper.
The film functions well in reduced-light conditions, and the panels wrap around a small, cylindrical power cell that can get you several charges for a smartphone. The panels are wired so that the unit will keep working even when pierced or damaged.
The whole thing is also built to be tethered to the outside of your pack so it can charge while you hike, and it only weighs about 3.5 ounces (not including the USB cord you'd need to connect your device to it).
The PowerWrap Mini is priced at about $60; larger and more powerful options are available. All in all, the durability, (literal) flexibility and small size/light weight make this a great first foray into solar.
And finally, Bushnell has also entered the headlamp market at a very nice price point: Around $30 for a 150-lumen lamp that runs on three AAA batteries, including a red-light mode that you can access without cycling through the white modes. A 250-lumen model sells for around $50.
Source...