Adventure 16's top picks at Outdoor Retailer
In this retailer report, a buyer at a California shop dishes on what apparel and footwear excites him most from Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2018.
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Fifty-six years ago, in a garage in La Mesa, California, a backpacker and a group of adventurous Boy Scouts and their engineer dads decided they wanted to produce 16mm movies of their escapades into the mountains. To raise funds, they built weight-transferring backpacks—innovative at the time. They named their concept Adventure 16, which has become an outdoor industry institution in California, with three brick-and-mortar locations and an online store.
Each store has a woodsy vibe, and the San Diego shop even has its own little cabin inside, full of maps and books where customers can plan their outings. After quitting his job at an environmental nonprofit and thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Dan Byrnes came to Adventure 16’s buyer’s office.
“While I was on the trail and surrounded by mountains and trees, I ended up daydreaming a lot about the beach,” Byrnes says. “I decided that when I was finished hiking, I would drive across the country and move to San Diego.” He’s now a year into being the store’s hardgoods buyer.
What new gear are you most excited about so far?
1. Cutter Lyme Disease Test Kit
“I could’ve used it. I got Lyme disease a few years ago when I was backpacking. I also pulled so many ticks off of me while on the AT. To be able to put the tick in a bag, send it in, and know within 48 hours if you could be at risk is really helpful.” (See page 64.)
2. Montem Ultra Light 3K Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles
“I’m really excited to be testing them out when I get back. They’re carbon fiber, which usually runs between $100 and $150, but these retail for less than $100.”
3. DEUR waterproof denim
“Men deserve stretchy jeans too.”
This article was originally published in Day 3 of The Daily (Winter Market 2018).
