Since 1986, Granite Gear has been offering hikers and packers a wide array of storage and travel bag solutions. Creativity and innovation are the cornerstones of the company’s products, and at this summer’s Outdoor Retailer trade show, they continued to push the industry with some inventive new offerings. Many new packs and daysacks will be…
Category: Gear Reviews
Vasque Ready to Hit the Trail at 2013 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market
The Vasque booth at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market was a shoe fiend’s dream come true. Walls of snappy leather boots, fancy trail shoes and freaky looking running gear hung in neatly prepared rows. With so much to ogle, I was a bit overwhelmed. Luckily for me, the Vasque rep was happy to showcase four of…
Sierra Designs at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2013
When I sauntered up to the Sierra Designs booth at this summer’s Outdoor Retailer, I noticed a few changes. Okay, I noticed a lot of changes. Instead of asking “what’s new?” for SD in 2013-14, it might be easier to ask “what isn’t new?” The iconic brand has undergone a major redesign, ranging from the…
Swiftwick Socks review
Ah, summer. The time for backyard BBQs, getting outdoors, and sweaty feet. Sweaty feet? Yup, that’s part of the package out here in the high desert. When temperatures soar into the triple digits you need to take care of your feet while playing. The folks at Swiftwick just happened to send out a few pairs…
Discovering 650B mountain bikes at Dealer Camp with the Intense Tracer 275
DealerCamp 2013, just finished its fourth year, at Deer Valley, and the big deal was that 650b (or 27.5) mountain bikes are going to explode even more in 2014. If you’re not familiar with Dealer Camp, then just imagine Outdoor Retailer for bikes of every variety. Dozens of bike manufacturers meet with hundreds of retailers…
KEEN Bleecker Lace CNX shoe review
KEEN makes hiking shoes and closed-toe sandals, right? Well, yea, that and so much more! The company that touts a “Hybrid Life” has exponentially expanded their lineup of footwear to the point that you can wear KEENS for just about any occasion, even to a barefoot wedding. *record scratch* Barefoot wedding? Yes indeedy, so long…
Bergans of Norway Langli Shirt review
When you’re hiking, climbing or backpacking in the mountains, you need a good, quick-drying, comfortable shirt. And even though the moose don’t care what you look like, you still want to look good too. Bergans of Norway has you covered on both fronts with the Langli Mountain Sports Shirt. I got my hands on one…
WRSI Moment fullface kayaking helmet review
Several weeks ago I managed to break my nose while kayaking in Idaho. I flipped over in the middle of a rapid and conveniently placed my face right in the center of a solid piece of basalt. It was fairly minor as far as broken noses are concerned, but it was enough to convince…
Salomon Discovery Hz Midlayer review
Stretchy! That’s the best and only way to describe the Salomon Discovery Hz Midlayer. I’ll tell you what, midlayers have come a long way in the last decade. Used to be all our only options were flannel shirts and high-pile fleece. So I am thrilled to see ever-more versatile options becoming available, like this performance…
Bergans of Norway Microlight Jacket review
If you haven’t heard of Bergans of Norway, that’s not surprising. This company that makes high-end outdoor gear is, yes, from Norway, but their offerings have been somewhat difficult to find in outdoor stores in the United States. That’s changing. Just last year, Bergans has opened their own wholly-owned subsidiary in Longmont, CO, and has…