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Got Busted Gear?

Gear editor Kristin Hostetter is working on a new book and she wants your dirty, broken gear to fix up.

Our gear editor, Kristin Hostetter, has a book project in the works. It will be an all-inclusive gear repair manual, with step-by-step photos on how to fix everything. And we mean everything—including packs, tents, boots, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, shells, base layers, fleece, puffy jackets, cookware, stoves, water treatment devices, trekking poles, outdoor electronics, and hydration systems.

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Monday, February 14, 2011 in: Gear

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Outdoor Retailer Q&A: Rocker Grace Potter

BACKPACKER jumps the tour bus to talk music and the outdoors with the lead singer of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

If you’re Grace Potter, apparently the only way to follow up a Wednesday night appearance on the Tonight Show is to head to Outdoor Retailer for a show to benefit OIWC (Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition) and the Love Hope Strength Foundation. Before she tore the roof off The Depot theater with a classic-rock-sequined-dress-swagger that floored the crowd, BACKPACKER Deputy Editor Anthony Cerretani sat down with Potter on her tour bus to talk about the marriage of music and the outdoors, her efforts with 1% for the Planet, and the crossroads moment of picking a sequined dress over a slalom suit.... Read Full Story...

Monday, January 24, 2011 in: Outdoor Retailer, Gear, News and Events

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OR: Cool New Gear Patagonia Ultralight Down Shirt, Jacket, and Hoodie

Patagonia's latest line of down products may make you rethink how you layer from here on out.

Back in the day, down was reserved for big super-warm jackets that made you look like the Michelin Man. We all know that's changed in the past few years and Patagonia's most recent foray into down products has us salivating.
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Sunday, January 23, 2011 in: Outdoor Retailer, Gear, News

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OR: Cool Stuff--Geigerrig Hydration Engine

A new hydration system asks why suck when you can squirt?

It’s always after you’ve climbed something tough, sweat pouring off you, that the thirst seems the most powerful. That’s when the old kung fu between air and water ensues: You stop breathing while you suck from the hydration hose, then you inhale mightily through your nose attempting to build up enough oxygen surplus to swallow the mouthful. Repeat, ad hydratium.

But what if you could turn your hydration reservoir into a low power water gun? The Geigerrig Hydration Engine (available in two and three liters, for $48 and $50, respectively) does just that. Using the same pump the doc uses to measure your blood pressure, the reservoir inflates with enough pressure to force out a liters per minute.

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Sunday, January 23, 2011 in: Outdoor retailer, Gear, News

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OR: Cool Gear--Genesis Magik 1R Headlamp

Hands-free technology comes to the forehead

Part of the reason we so like headlamps is that they make life better: You don’t have to slobber up a flashlight while trying to open the Top Ramen package, or you can wield dual poles while keeping a beam of light on the trail.

But when it’s cold, you often have to take off a glove to work the buttons, or sometimes your hands arey too slop-covered to click on the lamp. With the Magik 1R by Genesis, consider those days over.

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Sunday, January 23, 2011 in: Outdoor retailer, Gear, News

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OR: Photos from the Floor

Half the fun of the Outdoor Retailer shows is the effort retailers take to get noticed.

The Mammut mammoth.
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Sunday, January 23, 2011 in: Outdoor Retailer, Gear, OR

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OR Gear Trends: Electronics

From OR Daily: High-tech gadgets emphasize simplicity

Spot Connect

Keep it simple--or rather make it simpler. At Winter Market, many of the new electronic products react that trend, with watches, as well as fitness and weather gadgets, plus other electronics getting upgrades and features that require thinner owner's manuals. Read Full Story...

Friday, January 21, 2011 in: Outdoor Retailer, Gear, OR

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OR Gear Trends: Pack Designs

In this report from OR Daily, we learn how distinct trends lead season's pack designs

1. Clean Designs

Comfortable and clean. Those two words sum up backcountry ski packs being introduced this winter. You’ll not only see high-tech suspensions that carry lots of weight comfortably and protect a person in a crash, but also very clean packs free of extraneous straps and pockets. Mountain Hardwear (#26011) beefed up the suspension on its new Wayback 30 ski pack (MSRP $120) to ease the burden of large loads. “It incorporates technology that we have developed over the last few seasons, most notably our Hardwave Framesheet,” said Paige Boucher, public relations director for Mountain Hardwear. “It’s super light and has a rigid horizontal support, so the pack won’t bow out with a big load.”

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Friday, January 21, 2011 in: Outdoor Retailer, Gear, OR

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New To OR: Hillsound Equipment and Rock On Apparel

OR daily sits down with two exciting new gear companies: Hillsound Equipment and Rock On Apparel.

Field testing the Hillsound trail crampon.

Kris Choi, sales manager, Hillsound Equipment

Describe your company’s product in 10 words or less.
➜ Superb traction on ice and snow. Easy. Functional. Flexible. Packable. Who is your target customer? ➜ The Hillsound Trail crampon is intended for the average hiker. It’s not too heavy or technical, just well-built, simple and well-priced for everyone. We are constantly innovating with feedback and suggestions from customers and creating new designs to better suit every need.

If you only had 1 minute with a retail customer, what is the one thing you would tell them about yourself and your company?
➜ We felt there was a need for versatile traction, something more stable than the spring coil design and less aggressive than a technical crampon. A device that will service the local mountains in North America and across the world.
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Friday, January 21, 2011 in: Outdoor Retailer, Gear, OR

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OR Gear Trends: Goggles, Glasses Get High-tech Upgrades

Straight from OR daily: The scoop on the latest winter-equipped glasses and goggles!

(l-r): Julbo’s Orbiter, Smith Optics’ Chief, adidas Outdoor’s Terrex Pro

Gone are the days of simple, one-style-suits-all eyewear. At Winter Market, a host of new goggles and sunglasses with high-performance lenses and feature upgrades like photochromic shading and eco-friendly materials lead the charge.
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Thursday, January 20, 2011 in: Outdoor Retailer, Gear, OR

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