Things to See at OR Winter 2012
There will be a lot to see at the upcoming OR Winter Market this month in Salt Lake City. Tons of new gear will debut including footwear, apparel and much more. A few industry trends will also emerge. Here’s a few things that caught our eye at GearGuide while preparing for the show.
Kids Stuff
Baffin Lily Boot
There should be no shortage of apparel and gear for the young outdoorsman or woman at OR Winter Market. Baffin – one of Canada’s big winter footwear brands – is introducing a new line of winter boots targeted at the little ones. See them at OR booth 5041. And GeoPalz (booth BR 727) will unveil a new series of pedometers/accelerometers targeted at kids and families tied to free online games.
Broadening Footprints
New Outerwear from La Sportiva
Shoemaker Adidas continues to add to its outdoor apparel line at OR Winter. Look for new members of the Terrex line in booth 3006. La Sportiva, long one of our favorite technical footwear brands, is also getting into the act by expanding into technical apparel “entirely dedicated to ski mountaineering race, alpine touring and free-ride” according to the company’s press release. See their new gear in booth 7013.
Apps and Accessories Take on the Outdoors
G-Form iPad Cases
Everybody wants to be in the iPad and Android app and accessory business – at least that’s how it looked at the CES Show last week. Dozens if not hundreds of companies swarmed that show with all manner of hard goods and software. Expect something similar at OR. Check out killer cases at the G-Form booth PV 114. And apps like the ViewRanger for trails and topo mapping will be out in full force as well. See the ViewRanger app at 32080.
Fabric Tech
New Fabrics and Apparel from Gramicci
Gramicci (booth 90001) expands its Natural Performance Technology (NPT) fabric line at OR. This offering is a blended proprietary knit that delivers anti-odor (antimicrobial), body temperature regulation, breathability, durability and UV protection. Sierra Designs will show their new DriDown insulation, which utilizes a hydrophobic finish to resist moisture, hold loft and dry faster than standard down. See Sierra Designs at booth 16017. The big names in fabric tech like Gore-Tex (booth 40033) and Cordura (booth 39217) also have announcements.
Cocktail Time
Liquid Solution SofFlex Bottle
There should be plenty of libations consumed at OR. But when you’re back home, you might need a new solution for hydration. CamelBak (booth 15027) has three new offerings including UV water purification, the Gambler low-profile, streamlined hydration pack, and Groove, a bottle with a filter built into the straw. Liquid Solution will launch a new soft and recyclable bottle and cup. Find them at booth 32059. And finally BlenderBottle (booth BR 711) will showcase their solution for making sure your sports drink mix gets thoroughly well mixed.
Certainly, there will be tons more cool stuff at OR Winter 2012. Let us know what you discover by leaving a comment below. Enjoy the show!
January 15, 2012
Base layers (and others for that matter) need not be cycling specific. It’s amazing how much rear pockets (or advertisements) add to the price of a garment! Smartwool make some nice zipped wool t-necks, which work quite well as a base layer. They also make nice wool socks. New Zealand, home of 44 million sheep and 4 million people, is also home to several makers of high quality merino wool clothing. Icebreaker is one of my favourites. Icebreaker have opened a few stores in North America – we’ve been in the store in Portland, Oregon and friends in Montreal have reported a store there. I’ve also recently seen Icebreaker gear locally at EMS. And despite the amazing amount of merino wool clothing in NZ (heaps of long and short and no sleeve tops, tights, undies, caps), finding cycle-specific items like arm or knee warmers there was an exercise in fuitilty. While living there, I actually ordered a pair of NZ made knee warmers from Salsa, a US company, to be shipped back to NZ! I did find that I could easily get things made if I provided samples. I literally walked down to our local Saturday market and went to one of the booths that had wool tops. I took an old pair of leg warmers and they made me two new pair based on the old ones! One of the great things about NZ was how easy it is to get things made to order.