Outdoor Retailer 2010 Summer Market: Easton, Tecnica, Suunto and Canada Goose
The Outdoor Retailer 2010 Summer Market is, by all accounts, a huge success. The show this year experienced a 28% increase in pre-registered attendees. In addition, the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau finalized agreements for the Outdoor Retailer Winter and Summer Markets to stay in Salt Lake City through 2014. That means the city may see a positive economic impact of over $120 million over that time period because of Outdoor Retailer visitor spending.
Beyond the money, this is great news because it means Utah will continue to be ground zero for new and innovative products being premiered to the outdoor industry. Below are some good examples of exciting new gear making its debut at this year’s show.
Easton Mountain Products
The single most impressive new gear I saw at Outdoor Retailer this week has to be the Kilo Tent from Easton. It’s a 2-person tent that weighs in at a measly two pounds, which drew a lot of envious stares from other companies that sell backpacking tents.
The amazingly light weight Kilo Tent from Easton Mountain Products.
So just how did Easton make a tent large enough for two people that weighs almost nothing? They did it by rethinking the way tent poles are built. Their new ION carbon fiber AirLock poles are 59% lighter than standard poles because they got rid of the shock cord. The AirLock connectors replace shock cord with a short monofilament tether that keeps pole sections together.
New ION carbon fiber tent poles from Easton with monofilament tethers instead of shock cord.
The Easton AirLock pole connector is a modular design for easy field repair or replacement.
Not only does the Kilo Tent weigh less, but the weight saved in the poles means the fabric can be used with more durable materials. The canopy consists of 20D nylon mesh that can be covered with a rain fly made from 20D nylon ripstop. The floor is a durable 30D nylon ripstop.
Proof that the Easton Kilo Tent weighs in at only two pounds.
After checking out the Easton Kilo tent, I have to say, this is going to be a game-changer for the tent industry.
Another game changer is the Vi-Brake Anti Vibration Pole. Easton came up with a way to use gel in the grip to reduce shock-energy transfer. It’s hard to explain, but using the poles on the show floor made it feel like the grip “floats” around the pole, which would mean much less stress on the hands and wrists on backpacking trips.
Easton Vi-Brake Anti Vibration Pole.
Tecnica
Tecnica is expanding their footwear line for Spring 2011 by entering into the trail running category with four new shoes for men and women. It’s called the SuperVeloce Max and Sprint.
Tecnica Inferno Max
Tecnica is taking a page from the powder skiing book and applying it to the Inferno and Diablo Max shoes. Just like a wide ski surfs on top of powder, the 30% larger footprint of the Inferno Max shoes gives them superior downhill performance. It also has an asymmetrical tunnel construction with race last, and a quick lace system. Plus, you won’t have any trouble standing out from the crowd at your next race with these bright orange runners on your feet.
Tecnica Inferno Sprint
Tecnica’s other trail running line is the Sprint, also with both Inferno and Diablo versions. The Inferno Sprint is a lighter version of the Inferno Max, but without the oversized sole. It features a carbon snapback core-tec plate and The Tecnica Rolling System (TRS) which transfers energy forward. You can read more about TRS from my review of the Tecnica Viper Low shoes.
Tecnica is also coming out with a new version of its best selling shoe – The Cyclone. The new version is the Cyclone Sport Mid, a light hiking shoe that breathes with mesh uppers as opposed to the classic, enclosed Gore-Tex version.
Suunto
Another Utah-based company, Ogden’s Suunto, has a few new wristop computers coming out, including the Core Extreme Edition Everest, which honors Utah resident, Apa Sherpa. Apa broke his own world record by climbing Mount Everest an incredible 20 times, and Suunto is producing only 8,848 of them in correlation with Everest’s elevation at 8,848 meters.
The Core Extreme Edition Everest has all sort of bells and whistles, including an altimeter, barometer, compass, storm alarm, altitude log, semi-automatic compass calibration, and depth meter. Plus it tells the time pretty good.
The Suunto Core Extreme Edition Everest that honors Apa Sherpa's record 20th ascent of Mount Everest.
Also new from Suunto is the M Series. It’s basically a personal trainer you wear on your wrist. The M Series come in three different models (M2, M4, and M5) The M5 is one smart cookie. It reminds you in the morning to do your workout routine, and as you start to sweat, it tells you whether you are working out hard enough to meet your fitness goals. It also tracks speed and distance, recommends recovery time after exercise, and will automatically adapt your routine for the next 7 days if you miss a workout. It also uploads your workout data to the Movescount.com website (Facebook for gym rats) so you can keep track of your progress.
The Suunto M Series.
Canada Goose
Hear the name Canada Goose and images of people wearing gigantic down parkas with oversized, fur-lined hoods as they trudge through arctic winds come to mind. But the company has been expanding beyond their borders to the north, and has recently seen a doubling of sales in the U.S. This is in part due to the release of jackets meant for more mild climates, like the winters we have in Utah.
One of these new jackets is the Hybridge. It uses Canada Goose’s thermal mapping technology to place down insulation in the right places based on gender, performance and flexibility attributes of the jacket. It’s filled with 750 fill Hutterite white duck down, covered with Polartec Power Shield O2 that’s treated with a DWR finish. Perfect for winters in Utah.
Canada Goose Hybridge Jacket
[...] You can see a picture of the bright orange ones over all utahoutside.com. [...]
[...] and winning awards with their new Kilo ultralight tent. We featured the Kilo last year at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, and since that time, the Kilo has earned top honors from the outdoor industry. Yea, the trophy is [...]