You can always count on seeing the newest innovations and some serious brand overhauls at Outdoor Retailer, but no booth that I visited this year could boast more than Sierra Designs. The company is still dedicated to producing high quality adventure gear, but in 2018, they will be presenting consumers with all brand new tent options, redesigned sleeping bags, and a few new-for-them accessories. Why the big changes? SD is adopting a philosophy of helping ease decisions for every customer. Want a lightweight tent and don’t care how much you spend? They have you covered. What if you want a lot of space, but don’t have a fat budget? Boom, they have your back. Whether it works in the coming year remains to be seen, but I can tell you that based on what I saw, I like their chances.
The new tents cover every need from ultralight to car camping. The standout shelter for me was the Sweet Suite, a lightweight (under 4lbs) two-person structure that should be a snap to set up in the backcountry. The Sweet Suite features a hub pole system, large tub-style floor, and plenty of mesh for the walls and ceiling. Two D-style doors and a double-vestibule rainfly make for easy access and plenty of gear storage.
I was definitely impressed by all the new shelters; SD did a great job of keeping things simple, lightweight, and providing as many little extras as possible in these. Most of the backcountry tents come in three-person versions as well, so the lineup is quite inclusive.
I won’t lie: I’ve tested a few Sierra Designs sleeping bags and been a big fan of each. The old adage goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, so why is SD making changes here? Simple: going green and fixing the imperfections. Their Backcountry Bed has remained unchanged since it first rolled out several years ago (we tested and reviewed the original). This was a comfortable, warm sleeping bag with one big problem: the middle piece of fabric had a habit of moving out of place during the night, making the user lose valuable heat. Sierra Designs remedied the issue by affixing one half of the fabric to the main bag, and adding some extra length to allow for a “tucked in” feeling. Problem solved. The bags will continue to utilize SD’s DriDown technology, but all have been upgraded to more earth-friendly down harvesting and coating methods. Less chemicals=better sleep? I can get behind that.
I was surprised to see trekking poles hanging in the booth with Sierra Designs’ logo on them. Turns out, they are dipping their toes into the pole game. Two different poles will be available next year, and both are extremely lightweight. Cork handles, sturdy locking mechanisms, and supreme collapsibility are the standout features on the poles. Also, there will be new options for backcountry pillows, as well as their popular down pillow with the same upgrades as the sleeping bags.
40+ new/improved products represent a big gamble for Sierra Designs. New items, new colorways, and a new approach to the consumer process definitely says one thing: these guys aren’t afraid to push all their chips to the middle. If the new products keep with tradition, I think they will come away from their all-in bet just fine, but we will all have to wait until Spring 2018 to find out for sure.