Outdoor Retailer-Summer 2008 Report
I always enjoy going to Salt Lake for the biannual Outdoor Retailer shows. They are well done, full of great people and a treasure trove of information. The Summer 08 show didn't disappoint.
Here are the highlights.
General Impression From This Show
While the "green" machine continues to roll along, the overriding feeling I got from this show was children and dogs. Not products for children and dogs but actual children and dogs. Maybe it was because it was the summer show, but everywhere I looked there were little kids, strollers, double strollers, kid carriers and pet dogs. The kids don't bother me but is it really necessary to bring the mutt with you everywhere? Trade shows, shopping centers, restaurants. I know, this makes me a mean, nasty Grinch but my beloved Ranger, the greatest black lab ever to walk the earth stays at home. Where he belongs.
And as far as the green thing goes, hey, I am all for a clean, healthy planet but are bamboo socks really the answer? And it strikes as odd that for a group so seemingly committed to saving the environment, why is it that I come back from every show with a two foot stack of catalogs and workbooks. Only one company, Hi-Tech, gave me their product information on a thumb drive. So is it a heart felt, legit effort to save the world or is it just marketing? I am just asking.
The best info babe award for this show goes to Jessica from Superfeet. Now before you politically correct types get all bent out of shape and start calling me bad names, it is no secret that the marketing folks put attractive people in these booths to get attention. Well, I am telling you that it works but it is irritating when said attractive people don't know much about the product. Jessica was the exception. Pretty enough to get me to walk by the Superfeet booth every chance I got, professionally dressed, presented herself and the product very well, didn't pop her gum or call me dude once and she knew the subject backwards and forwards. Well done Jessica.
Tools-Knives-Lights
Surefire introduces the Saint Ultra High-Output LED Headlamp. I have been using and depending on Surefire flashlights for many years which is why I recommend several of their models in the Tools-Knives-Lights category of this site. The uber light maker pretty much owns the tactical and high end light market but they didn't offer a headlamp until now. Apparently, I wasn't the only person that was asking for one.
A scan of the Surfire Saint brochure
Word from the Surefire rep manning the booth was that the Saint will hit the retail market in about sixty days. It looked interesting and had some attractive features like the ability to run on two different kinds of batts and adjustable brightness of one to one hundred lumens. Because it is made by Surefire, I am positive that it will be well made and able to stand up to heavy use. Will it displace one of the Petzl headlamps from my pack? We shall see.
Shell Layer
Waterproof and Breathable. Is eVent really the better breathing waterproof laminate? I spent a few hours talking with reps from W.L. Gore, makers of market leader Gore-Tex, and challenger eVent, which incidentally is owned by a little company called GE. This might be another one of those subjects that requires an advanced degree in hydrology, physics and thermal dynamics but I simply can't swallow the marketing info from either side without trying to get a better handle on the facts. A much anticipated shell jacket from REI called the Shuksan uses eVent. However, according to my sources, REI wanted to use Gore-Tex in their product line but were turned down by Gore because there were already plenty of like products out on the market using Gore-Tex. The question I still have is, which is the better waterproof/breathable. I will let you know what I find out.
Another interesting tid bit is that hunting clothing maker Sitka Gear has successfully negotiated the Gore licensing process. That means that we will soon see Gore-Tex in the Sitka line which I am sure makes their recent hires from Arcteryx happy. While, in my opinion, Sitka has not yet created the perfect shell gear for hunters, the ability to use of Gore-Tex waterproof/breathable laminates is a huge step in the right direction. This is great news.
Editors Rant: The absence of a technically correct, modern mountaineering style shell that satisfies the specialized needs of the hunter is something I have been bitching and moaning about for many years. I mean in this day and age, how tough is it to make a lightweight waterproof/breathable jacket with pit zips, a detachable/adjustable hood and a quiet, camouflage exterior? My bet is that Sitka will be the first to get it done right and Cabelas will have to follow suit by finally updating their MTO50 Quiet Pack Jacket. We are that close boys and girls to having not one but two best-in-class shell systems that work for high end hunters. Wouldn't it be a fitting tribute to my efforts in this regard that the perfect hunting jacket be called the Hardcore Jacket? Just a thought.
Feet
Lowa, Scarpa, and Asolo continue to impress. Lowa fine tunes but makes no major changes to their line. They fix the stitching problem with the Renegade light hiker. Lowa continues to offer more narrow and wide width models than any other European maker I know of and that makes them even easier for me to recommend. Danner is the American maker that offers the most boots in widths.
Montrail makes the outstanding Hardrock 08 trail shoe and adds a mid version for 09. If you are a Vitasse fan, you better go out and buy all you can because they are discontinued for 09. Sorry.
Vasque offers up a really nice new trail runner called the Aether Tech.
Nike and Nike ACG may be making some organizational changes which make sense to me. You would think that the "All Conditions Gear" part of the label would be where all the off road and trail gear would be housed but you would be wrong. Frankly, despite a very fine adventure racing team, Nike ACG is not living up to it's potential and they have to be frustrated with the growth of competitors like Under Armour in that space. Stay tuned.
As a result of our ongoing boot and trail shoe evaluations, I was forced to also look closely at socks and after market foot beds. As far as socks go, I was already using Smartwool, Lorpen, Injinji and Danner socks but on this trip I was able to meet with Bridgedale, Teko, Thorlos, and Foxriver. On foot beds or insoles or whatever you call them, I have been testing Superfeet, eSoles, Lathrop & Sons, and Spencos but I picked up new samples from Sole, New Balance, Montrail. An article on the socks and foot beds is in the works.
Base Layer
Smartwool has expanded their collection of lightweight and micro weight t-shirts which I have been using and really like. They are extremely soft and comfortable and seem to do very well in all but the highest of temperatures (remember that I live in Phoenix).
MontBell has a couple of new lightweight technical t-shirts called the Cool T-Shirt Short Sleeve and Raglan Zip Long Sleeve.
Carhartt's WorkDry t-shirts are billed as having the ability to feel like cotton but wick moisture and dry like synthetics. I will let you know if that is true.
Other Stuff
I took a stroll through the new exhibitors section of the show, which was actually located off site, and I ran into a couple of nice guys that came up with what I call a C.A.I or crazy ass idea while surfing in Hawaii. This one makes sense to me and I think it will do at least as well as the "Baby On Board" signs that you used to see in every soccer moms car window.
It is called Xtreme Sports ID. You know those little rubber bracelet things that everybody wears now? Yellow is the Lance Armstrong Live Strong Cancer thing and green is to show support for environmental causes, are you with me? Xtreme ID uses the same kind of rubber bands but each one has a unique 8 digit ID and a common toll free telephone number molded into it. The idea is that your emergency information is entered into their site referenced by the serial number on the wristband. If you are ever hurt or otherwise incapacitated you can be identified by calling the toll free telephone number and entering the unique number on the wristband. It is a good idea for runners or hikers that don't have a good place to stash their ID so they don't carry one. It is better than the leather or nylon medic alert tags because it is rubber and won't wear out or get all dirty, sweaty and stinky. Pretty smart, huh?
I told them that it would be great for kids too and told them that when my kids were little we would take them to Disneyland. Being the anal retentive obsessive compulsive A shifter type I was worried about them getting lost or taken. My solution was to write their names and my cel phone number on their stomaches with a Sharpie under their t-shirts. Hey, I put my name on everything else, why not the things I value most. These guys just stared at me for a minute and then said that this was better. Take a look at Xtreme Sports ID and see what you think.
So that is about it for this trip. Oh, next time you are in SLC, try the Connect Rolls at Mikado Sushi. Not quite as good as the Yummy Crispy Rolls in Coronado, but still damn good. Domo.
Wade Nelson
Editor
Here are the highlights.
General Impression From This Show
While the "green" machine continues to roll along, the overriding feeling I got from this show was children and dogs. Not products for children and dogs but actual children and dogs. Maybe it was because it was the summer show, but everywhere I looked there were little kids, strollers, double strollers, kid carriers and pet dogs. The kids don't bother me but is it really necessary to bring the mutt with you everywhere? Trade shows, shopping centers, restaurants. I know, this makes me a mean, nasty Grinch but my beloved Ranger, the greatest black lab ever to walk the earth stays at home. Where he belongs.
And as far as the green thing goes, hey, I am all for a clean, healthy planet but are bamboo socks really the answer? And it strikes as odd that for a group so seemingly committed to saving the environment, why is it that I come back from every show with a two foot stack of catalogs and workbooks. Only one company, Hi-Tech, gave me their product information on a thumb drive. So is it a heart felt, legit effort to save the world or is it just marketing? I am just asking.
The best info babe award for this show goes to Jessica from Superfeet. Now before you politically correct types get all bent out of shape and start calling me bad names, it is no secret that the marketing folks put attractive people in these booths to get attention. Well, I am telling you that it works but it is irritating when said attractive people don't know much about the product. Jessica was the exception. Pretty enough to get me to walk by the Superfeet booth every chance I got, professionally dressed, presented herself and the product very well, didn't pop her gum or call me dude once and she knew the subject backwards and forwards. Well done Jessica.
Tools-Knives-Lights
Surefire introduces the Saint Ultra High-Output LED Headlamp. I have been using and depending on Surefire flashlights for many years which is why I recommend several of their models in the Tools-Knives-Lights category of this site. The uber light maker pretty much owns the tactical and high end light market but they didn't offer a headlamp until now. Apparently, I wasn't the only person that was asking for one.
A scan of the Surfire Saint brochure
Word from the Surefire rep manning the booth was that the Saint will hit the retail market in about sixty days. It looked interesting and had some attractive features like the ability to run on two different kinds of batts and adjustable brightness of one to one hundred lumens. Because it is made by Surefire, I am positive that it will be well made and able to stand up to heavy use. Will it displace one of the Petzl headlamps from my pack? We shall see.
Shell Layer
Waterproof and Breathable. Is eVent really the better breathing waterproof laminate? I spent a few hours talking with reps from W.L. Gore, makers of market leader Gore-Tex, and challenger eVent, which incidentally is owned by a little company called GE. This might be another one of those subjects that requires an advanced degree in hydrology, physics and thermal dynamics but I simply can't swallow the marketing info from either side without trying to get a better handle on the facts. A much anticipated shell jacket from REI called the Shuksan uses eVent. However, according to my sources, REI wanted to use Gore-Tex in their product line but were turned down by Gore because there were already plenty of like products out on the market using Gore-Tex. The question I still have is, which is the better waterproof/breathable. I will let you know what I find out.
Another interesting tid bit is that hunting clothing maker Sitka Gear has successfully negotiated the Gore licensing process. That means that we will soon see Gore-Tex in the Sitka line which I am sure makes their recent hires from Arcteryx happy. While, in my opinion, Sitka has not yet created the perfect shell gear for hunters, the ability to use of Gore-Tex waterproof/breathable laminates is a huge step in the right direction. This is great news.
Editors Rant: The absence of a technically correct, modern mountaineering style shell that satisfies the specialized needs of the hunter is something I have been bitching and moaning about for many years. I mean in this day and age, how tough is it to make a lightweight waterproof/breathable jacket with pit zips, a detachable/adjustable hood and a quiet, camouflage exterior? My bet is that Sitka will be the first to get it done right and Cabelas will have to follow suit by finally updating their MTO50 Quiet Pack Jacket. We are that close boys and girls to having not one but two best-in-class shell systems that work for high end hunters. Wouldn't it be a fitting tribute to my efforts in this regard that the perfect hunting jacket be called the Hardcore Jacket? Just a thought.
Feet
Lowa, Scarpa, and Asolo continue to impress. Lowa fine tunes but makes no major changes to their line. They fix the stitching problem with the Renegade light hiker. Lowa continues to offer more narrow and wide width models than any other European maker I know of and that makes them even easier for me to recommend. Danner is the American maker that offers the most boots in widths.
Montrail makes the outstanding Hardrock 08 trail shoe and adds a mid version for 09. If you are a Vitasse fan, you better go out and buy all you can because they are discontinued for 09. Sorry.
Vasque offers up a really nice new trail runner called the Aether Tech.
Nike and Nike ACG may be making some organizational changes which make sense to me. You would think that the "All Conditions Gear" part of the label would be where all the off road and trail gear would be housed but you would be wrong. Frankly, despite a very fine adventure racing team, Nike ACG is not living up to it's potential and they have to be frustrated with the growth of competitors like Under Armour in that space. Stay tuned.
As a result of our ongoing boot and trail shoe evaluations, I was forced to also look closely at socks and after market foot beds. As far as socks go, I was already using Smartwool, Lorpen, Injinji and Danner socks but on this trip I was able to meet with Bridgedale, Teko, Thorlos, and Foxriver. On foot beds or insoles or whatever you call them, I have been testing Superfeet, eSoles, Lathrop & Sons, and Spencos but I picked up new samples from Sole, New Balance, Montrail. An article on the socks and foot beds is in the works.
Base Layer
Smartwool has expanded their collection of lightweight and micro weight t-shirts which I have been using and really like. They are extremely soft and comfortable and seem to do very well in all but the highest of temperatures (remember that I live in Phoenix).
MontBell has a couple of new lightweight technical t-shirts called the Cool T-Shirt Short Sleeve and Raglan Zip Long Sleeve.
Carhartt's WorkDry t-shirts are billed as having the ability to feel like cotton but wick moisture and dry like synthetics. I will let you know if that is true.
Other Stuff
I took a stroll through the new exhibitors section of the show, which was actually located off site, and I ran into a couple of nice guys that came up with what I call a C.A.I or crazy ass idea while surfing in Hawaii. This one makes sense to me and I think it will do at least as well as the "Baby On Board" signs that you used to see in every soccer moms car window.
It is called Xtreme Sports ID. You know those little rubber bracelet things that everybody wears now? Yellow is the Lance Armstrong Live Strong Cancer thing and green is to show support for environmental causes, are you with me? Xtreme ID uses the same kind of rubber bands but each one has a unique 8 digit ID and a common toll free telephone number molded into it. The idea is that your emergency information is entered into their site referenced by the serial number on the wristband. If you are ever hurt or otherwise incapacitated you can be identified by calling the toll free telephone number and entering the unique number on the wristband. It is a good idea for runners or hikers that don't have a good place to stash their ID so they don't carry one. It is better than the leather or nylon medic alert tags because it is rubber and won't wear out or get all dirty, sweaty and stinky. Pretty smart, huh?
I told them that it would be great for kids too and told them that when my kids were little we would take them to Disneyland. Being the anal retentive obsessive compulsive A shifter type I was worried about them getting lost or taken. My solution was to write their names and my cel phone number on their stomaches with a Sharpie under their t-shirts. Hey, I put my name on everything else, why not the things I value most. These guys just stared at me for a minute and then said that this was better. Take a look at Xtreme Sports ID and see what you think.
So that is about it for this trip. Oh, next time you are in SLC, try the Connect Rolls at Mikado Sushi. Not quite as good as the Yummy Crispy Rolls in Coronado, but still damn good. Domo.
Wade Nelson
Editor
Sorting through the fads and fashion of the outdoor equipment industry to identify and promote the very best wilderness gear for high end recreational users, backcountry professionals and government agencies.
Hardcore Outdoor is dedicated to those who can't or won't turn back.
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