2010 - Winter Outdoor Retailer and SHOT Shows
Once again your intrepid gear guy spent some hard earned money and much deserved personal time combing the shows in Vegas and Salt Lake City for signs that there are still a few hardcore outdoorsmen left in the outdoor equipment industry. Every booth, row and hall is checked for the very best the market has to offer. They are very long days but I have to admit, it doesn't much feel like work. I am still, after all these years, a devoted gear head and the Outdoor Retailer and SHOT shows are my place of worship.
I now have three objectives for these trips. First, I determine if my favorite gear, the pieces I recommend to you, are still in the product lines for the upcoming year. Second, I search for new products or old ones that have been modified in a positive way and are in my opinion worthy of closer examination and field evaluation later. These are things I think might have a chance to make it on the recommended gear lists. Third, I seek out and meet people I consider important to the business. Subject matter experts, product developers, designers, trend setters, market makers, industry icons, expert users etc, etc. I have collected hundreds of business cards over the years and there is not a day that goes by where I don't turn to that resource at least once for a contact or piece of information or an opinion. It is a fantastic network of people that keeps me from being tainted by the hype yet open to new ideas, technology and concepts. It helps to keep me objective and independent. In short, it makes me better. Hopefully, you benefit from that.
So, here is some of what I learned from the two shows. Bad news first.
Montrail-if you are a Montrail fan it is probably because you are a trail runner or adventure racer and have sworn allegiance to shoes like the Vitesse, Continental Divide or Hardrock (a Hardcore Outdoor recommendation). Unfortunately the suits at Columbia Sportswear who purchased Montrail in 2007 share neither your trail experience or love for the premium products that made it such a great brand and coincidently such an attractive acquisition target. That's right, the Hardrock and Hardrock Mid GTX are going the way of the Vitesse, Continental Divide and the Gooney Bird. They are being discontinued and will not be made for the 2010 year. They will be replaced by a shoe that looks just like it came out of the Salomon X line and will not be available in widths. Montrail has been neutered. No heart, no soul and no difference from anything else out there.
Marmot-the outdoor products company not The Big Labowsky movie reference, in another text book example of big corporate disconnect of product designer from actual product user, Marmot has decided to discontinue the TR6 liner jacket (a Hardcore Outdoor recommendation). They will replace it with a jacket called the Cauldron. The distinguishing feature of the TR6 and the principle reason we liked it was that it had pit zips. The Cauldron won't have pit zips so it is really no different than any of the other 20 or so liner jackets on the market. I will try to find something to replace the TR6, hopefully something with Primaloft or Climashield insulation which would be better than Marmaloft anyway.
Now for the good news.
Lowa Boots-continues to crank out improved and new models that impress me. The renowned German boot maker seems to be tuned in and turned on to what serious operators want on their feet when they expect the going to get tough even if they have to pay for them out of their own pocket. Here are three sure things from a very strong Lowa line.
The Lowa Tamok GTX. Fast and strong.
The Lowa Elite Desert. Being used in large numbers by the British military and now available to mere mortals.
The Lowa Ranger GTX, on the left, was named best all around boot by Hardcore Outdoor last year. The new boot on the right, called the Ranger GTX Hi, is the same boot with an eight inch upper for a little more protection and support.
Ortovox-I have always wondered why anyone would buy and carry a packable snow shovel that didn't have a hoe feature. I think the hoe allows you to move a great deal more snow and is easier to hollow out shelters. My favorite is made by Ortovox. Their latest convertible shovel is called The Beast. Simple, robust, and innovative.
The Beast snow shovel is new from Ortovox. The Beast Saw (not pictured) conceals a snow saw in the handle.
Leupold-the Leupold 12 to 40x60 Golden Ring Spotting Scopes have become very popular with those that need very good performance in a compact, lightweight and easy to use package. The HD version is even better. I had heard rumors about a higher magnification version but had not seen it until now. You can't see much detail because of the soft cover and the mount but all you need to know is that the scuttlebutt was correct. The new 20 to 60x80 is supposed to be out in a few months.
The prototype Leupold 20 to 60x80 spotting scope on display at the Leupold Tactical booth.
SPOT-Earlier this month I reported the pairing of the Delorme PN-60W GPS receiver with a new purpose built product from SPOT called the Satellite Communicator. I have not had a chance to use them in the field yet but I finally got to hold the pre-production models in my hand. At the very least, we now have an even smaller, handier SPOT unit. The trade off is that it only does one thing, send SOS messages, when activated.
Left to right, side by side for size comparison. SPOT Gen 1, SPOT Satellite Communicator, SPOT Gen 2 in orange, Delorme PN-60W and SPOT Gen 2 in silver.
Sitka Gear-Alright, last but certainly not least. I was fortunate to spend a good bit of time with Sitka Gear founder Jonathan Hart going through next years line. I am a Sitka Gear fan because they were the ones that took on the herculean task of bringing modern, technical, mountaineering grade clothing to the high end hunting crowd. The 2009 line was the first to feature Gore-Tex products including the new Optifade Big Game Open Country Camouflage. Their bold step forward paid off and hardcore outdoorsmen are better for it. The line continues to evolve and progress as evidenced by another new Optifade pattern called Big Game Forest designed for close in work, other new products, improved sizing, and better exterior fabrics.
However, the best thing I saw in the Sitka booth was a re-worked Downpour Jacket using a brushed polyester exterior to solve the noise problem that has vexed everybody but Cabelas and their MTO50 cloth. What makes the Sitka Gear Downpour Jacket leaps and bounds better is that it is a fully technical design with modern features and state of the art camo patterns. While Cabelas sat back on their laurels and coasted, Sitka busted their ass, caught up, and surpassed them with a superior product. I am betting Cabelas will stay true to form and play follow or copy the leader. To that I say, if you are not the lead dog, the view never changes.
And here is what made the trip worthwhile. The Downpour Jacket returns to the Sitka Gear line sporting the new Big Game Forest Optifade camo and a soft exterior shell. Gore-Tex waterproof/vapor permeable, efficient technical design, state of the art camo and class leading quiet. Could this be the one we have been waiting for? Yep, I think so.
Thank you to Jonathan Hart for taking so much of his valuable time to talk with me and for introducing me to Brad Yeomans of Gore-Tex who made the science easy enough so that even I can understand it. It is always a pleasure to talk great gear with people who appreciate it and strive to make it even better. Strong work guys. Keep pushing that envelop.
One last thing. A sneek peek at a new camo pattern.
Camo guy. Guy Cramer of Hyperstealth walking the SHOT Show in his Fratical Camouflage. Originally developed for Chilean Air Commandos but don't be surprised if you see U.S. or Canadian special operators wearing this pattern soon.
That's all I got for now.
I now have three objectives for these trips. First, I determine if my favorite gear, the pieces I recommend to you, are still in the product lines for the upcoming year. Second, I search for new products or old ones that have been modified in a positive way and are in my opinion worthy of closer examination and field evaluation later. These are things I think might have a chance to make it on the recommended gear lists. Third, I seek out and meet people I consider important to the business. Subject matter experts, product developers, designers, trend setters, market makers, industry icons, expert users etc, etc. I have collected hundreds of business cards over the years and there is not a day that goes by where I don't turn to that resource at least once for a contact or piece of information or an opinion. It is a fantastic network of people that keeps me from being tainted by the hype yet open to new ideas, technology and concepts. It helps to keep me objective and independent. In short, it makes me better. Hopefully, you benefit from that.
So, here is some of what I learned from the two shows. Bad news first.
Montrail-if you are a Montrail fan it is probably because you are a trail runner or adventure racer and have sworn allegiance to shoes like the Vitesse, Continental Divide or Hardrock (a Hardcore Outdoor recommendation). Unfortunately the suits at Columbia Sportswear who purchased Montrail in 2007 share neither your trail experience or love for the premium products that made it such a great brand and coincidently such an attractive acquisition target. That's right, the Hardrock and Hardrock Mid GTX are going the way of the Vitesse, Continental Divide and the Gooney Bird. They are being discontinued and will not be made for the 2010 year. They will be replaced by a shoe that looks just like it came out of the Salomon X line and will not be available in widths. Montrail has been neutered. No heart, no soul and no difference from anything else out there.
Marmot-the outdoor products company not The Big Labowsky movie reference, in another text book example of big corporate disconnect of product designer from actual product user, Marmot has decided to discontinue the TR6 liner jacket (a Hardcore Outdoor recommendation). They will replace it with a jacket called the Cauldron. The distinguishing feature of the TR6 and the principle reason we liked it was that it had pit zips. The Cauldron won't have pit zips so it is really no different than any of the other 20 or so liner jackets on the market. I will try to find something to replace the TR6, hopefully something with Primaloft or Climashield insulation which would be better than Marmaloft anyway.
Now for the good news.
Lowa Boots-continues to crank out improved and new models that impress me. The renowned German boot maker seems to be tuned in and turned on to what serious operators want on their feet when they expect the going to get tough even if they have to pay for them out of their own pocket. Here are three sure things from a very strong Lowa line.
The Lowa Tamok GTX. Fast and strong.
The Lowa Elite Desert. Being used in large numbers by the British military and now available to mere mortals.
The Lowa Ranger GTX, on the left, was named best all around boot by Hardcore Outdoor last year. The new boot on the right, called the Ranger GTX Hi, is the same boot with an eight inch upper for a little more protection and support.
Ortovox-I have always wondered why anyone would buy and carry a packable snow shovel that didn't have a hoe feature. I think the hoe allows you to move a great deal more snow and is easier to hollow out shelters. My favorite is made by Ortovox. Their latest convertible shovel is called The Beast. Simple, robust, and innovative.
The Beast snow shovel is new from Ortovox. The Beast Saw (not pictured) conceals a snow saw in the handle.
Leupold-the Leupold 12 to 40x60 Golden Ring Spotting Scopes have become very popular with those that need very good performance in a compact, lightweight and easy to use package. The HD version is even better. I had heard rumors about a higher magnification version but had not seen it until now. You can't see much detail because of the soft cover and the mount but all you need to know is that the scuttlebutt was correct. The new 20 to 60x80 is supposed to be out in a few months.
The prototype Leupold 20 to 60x80 spotting scope on display at the Leupold Tactical booth.
SPOT-Earlier this month I reported the pairing of the Delorme PN-60W GPS receiver with a new purpose built product from SPOT called the Satellite Communicator. I have not had a chance to use them in the field yet but I finally got to hold the pre-production models in my hand. At the very least, we now have an even smaller, handier SPOT unit. The trade off is that it only does one thing, send SOS messages, when activated.
Left to right, side by side for size comparison. SPOT Gen 1, SPOT Satellite Communicator, SPOT Gen 2 in orange, Delorme PN-60W and SPOT Gen 2 in silver.
Sitka Gear-Alright, last but certainly not least. I was fortunate to spend a good bit of time with Sitka Gear founder Jonathan Hart going through next years line. I am a Sitka Gear fan because they were the ones that took on the herculean task of bringing modern, technical, mountaineering grade clothing to the high end hunting crowd. The 2009 line was the first to feature Gore-Tex products including the new Optifade Big Game Open Country Camouflage. Their bold step forward paid off and hardcore outdoorsmen are better for it. The line continues to evolve and progress as evidenced by another new Optifade pattern called Big Game Forest designed for close in work, other new products, improved sizing, and better exterior fabrics.
However, the best thing I saw in the Sitka booth was a re-worked Downpour Jacket using a brushed polyester exterior to solve the noise problem that has vexed everybody but Cabelas and their MTO50 cloth. What makes the Sitka Gear Downpour Jacket leaps and bounds better is that it is a fully technical design with modern features and state of the art camo patterns. While Cabelas sat back on their laurels and coasted, Sitka busted their ass, caught up, and surpassed them with a superior product. I am betting Cabelas will stay true to form and play follow or copy the leader. To that I say, if you are not the lead dog, the view never changes.
And here is what made the trip worthwhile. The Downpour Jacket returns to the Sitka Gear line sporting the new Big Game Forest Optifade camo and a soft exterior shell. Gore-Tex waterproof/vapor permeable, efficient technical design, state of the art camo and class leading quiet. Could this be the one we have been waiting for? Yep, I think so.
Thank you to Jonathan Hart for taking so much of his valuable time to talk with me and for introducing me to Brad Yeomans of Gore-Tex who made the science easy enough so that even I can understand it. It is always a pleasure to talk great gear with people who appreciate it and strive to make it even better. Strong work guys. Keep pushing that envelop.
One last thing. A sneek peek at a new camo pattern.
Camo guy. Guy Cramer of Hyperstealth walking the SHOT Show in his Fratical Camouflage. Originally developed for Chilean Air Commandos but don't be surprised if you see U.S. or Canadian special operators wearing this pattern soon.
That's all I got for now.
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 won't or can't turn back.
Posted by Wade Nelson at 1/24/2010 8:21 PM 
Categories: Catch All
Tags: lowa boots montrail leupold spotting scope ortovox sitka gear SPOT marmot
Categories: Catch All
Tags: lowa boots montrail leupold spotting scope ortovox sitka gear SPOT marmot
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