Readers' Choice Awards — only three days left to vote for your favorites

There are only three days left to ensure your vote (be sure to get your friends to vote too) are counted in the SNEWS® 25th Anniversary Readers’ Choice Awards. These awards will recognize products you (our readers) think are the most innovative products from the last 25 years — ones that were real game-changers and category starters.

It will only take two to three minutes of your time to vote for your Top 25 products by clicking here (You must be logged in to vote). And it has turned into a horse race. Click here to see how your favorite products are faring in the vote and who’s been writing in what suggestions (choose the “SNEWS Top 50 Products 25th Anniversary Survey” from the list).

As of April 12, with only three days until the April 15 deadline, Smartwool socks had surged into the lead garnering 66 percent of the voting. The Petzl LED headlamp is right behind at 62 percent, followed closely by Teva and Leatherman each with 60 percent of the votes. Crazy Creek chairs, Patagonia Capilene, Nalgene Lexan water bottles and Powerbar, all have garnered more than 50 percent of the votes. Every vote counts!

We’ve even provided a place where you can write in a product or two that you may feel we missed in our zeal to recognize innovation. And we’ve been getting a lot of write-in votes (Arc’Teryx’s Theta jacket and MSR’s Hubba Hubba are apparent favorites). As for phone calls and emails pleading with us to add a product? It is not up to us. At this point, there’s only one way — go online and vote! This really is entirely up to you.

In addition, we want to know what you think the Top 5 materials and supplier innovations are over the last 25 years too — you know, things like waterproof zippers, welded seams, etc. In this category, as of April 8 at noon, Arc’Teryx waterproof zippers were leading with 72 percent of the vote followed closely by Gore Windstopper with 71 percent. Primaloft One and Patagonia organic cotton are in a dead heat at 54 percent.

Your Top 25 products — the ones that garnered the most votes overall — will be featured in our 2009 SNEWS Outdoor Summer magazine that will be sent to subscribers and distributed at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in July. The top five will find their place on the cover of that magazine for full honors. Your vote really counts…don’t delay. Responses must be in by April 15. Click here to vote now. Don’t have a SNEWS subscription and want to register your vote for a favorite? You’re just a few extra clicks away. Click here to acces a special Freebie SNEWS sub form (new subscribers only).

–SNEWS® Editors