Gear watch: The 25 coolest products at Outdoor Retailer

Didn’t make it to this year’s show? We’ve got you covered. We prowled the floor for three full days in search of new products that your customers will be scrambling for. Here are 25 of the most interesting products at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market.

A “scrappy” travel bag

Cotopaxi has its own angle on recycled materials. This travel bag, which converts from a backpack to a duffle via tuck-away hipbelt and shoulder straps, is made from other brands’ leftovers. Cotopaxi gathers those fabric scraps from the Philippines factory they share with other outdoor gear-makers. Then, factory workers get to choose which pieces to use in the bright, color-blocked pattern. That means every bag is as unique as its eco-friendly conceit.

$180; cotopaxi.com

Women’s alpine pack

This new women’s-specific mountaineering pack is fully featured for spring skiing and alpine climbing objectives. It includes a full U-shaped zip for easy gear access, as well as a padded back panel and lightweight U-shaped frame for maximum stability. Bonus: Like all Deuter gear starting this season, it’s completely PFC-free.

$130; deuterusa.com

A greener white gas

Maine-based company Foothill Fuels set out to find a greener alternative to camping stove fuel and found one: Their Bio-White Gas, manufactured from used agricultural and vegetable oils, produces 50 percent less greenhouse gas than traditional white gas without sacrificing performance. The fuel has been tested (and adopted) by guide services across the U.S., including NOLS Rocky Mountain, Alpine Ascents International, and Colorado Outward Bound School.

$14 per quart; foothillfuels.com

10-bottle sun shirt

Sustainability was a big focus of his summer’s Outdoor Retailer show, and GoLite’s new 50-plus-UPF sun shirt is a perfect example. Made out of 87-percent recycled polyester derived from post-consumer plastic, each shirt saves 10 disposable water bottles from the landfill. It stuffs into a pouch about the size of a deck of cards, making it an ideal layer to bring along for trail running or summer hiking.

$65; golite.com

Sleek double-burner stove

Consider this the Macbook Pro of stoves. GSI’s new 11,000-BTU Pinnacle folds down to just 1.4 inches in height when closed, making it the most packable full-power, two-burner stove on the market. The configuration and size of the burners also makes it excellent for simmering—ideal for folks who appreciate a gourmet camp meal as much as they appreciate good design.

$170; gsioutdoors.com

Fuel-saving cooking accessory

Sure, there are cheaper alternatives to buying a rehydration pouch, but Hyperlite’s take on the fuel-saving solution promises to be longer-lasting and lighter-weight than anything you can make at home. It works by holding in warmth while your meal rehydrates, letting you skim the simmer phase, turn off the stove, and attend to other camp chores rather than wasting time or fuel. Weighing just 1.4 ounces and filled with 3M Thinsulate, the Repack Freezer Bag Cook System is sure to be this year’s most popular gift idea for ultralighters.

$40; hyperlitemountaingear.com

Rescue-ready daypack

RECCO technology has long been used in ski and snowboard apparel to help rescuers detect avalanche victims from a distance, but this is the first time we’ve seen it in a hiking pack. Jack Wolfskin‘s new Orbit features a RECCO chip (it works via passive detection; no charging or batteries required) as well as plenty of pockets, a built-in rain cover, and a trampoline back panel for extra ventilation.

$180; jack-wolfskin.com

Budget family tent

Who says you can’t buy a mansion on a budget? Kelty’s new four-person Tallboy Tent sets up fast with an X-shaped pole rig, and folds away into an oversized duffel, no stuffing or re-rolling required. It boasts a 70-inch peak height and it’s only $150, making comfortable family camping more accessible than ever.

$150; kelty.com

Neat affordable lighting

Say goodbye to forehead slippage with KNOG‘s rechargeable, 100-lumen silicone headlamp. A series of snaps on the headband let you set it to the perfect size without having to worry about readjusting every time you put it on. Added perks: Its slim profile allows it to fit perfectly under the brim of a hat.

$35; knog.com/au

The ultimate bouldering shoe

Designed specifically for Olympic hopefuls, the new Solution Theory climbing shoe is purpose-made for competition bouldering. Covered in more rubber than any shoe La Sportiva has ever created, it effectively turns your entire foot into a tool—no part of it is off-limits for use on the rock. That makes the Theory ideal for the dynamic, gymnastic movement we’re likely to see in the bouldering division in the 2020 Olympics.

$190; sportiva.com

A stabilizing pack

This mountaineering pack balances overall weight with some slick features. Swivels at the hips and shoulders allow the Mammut Ducan Spine to move with you, and a central fiberglass stay stabilizes the load to keep you steady in tricky terrain. The 50-liter men’s version (which can expand to 60 liters via a voluminous roll-top), weighs less than 2.2 pounds. Perhaps the most impressive: A cordage system laced through the back lets you pull the whole load closer to your body with just one tug.

$260; mammut.com/us/en/

Budget-friendly winter sleeping bag

Mountain Hardwear’s new Bozeman synthetic sleeping bag is one of the most affordable zero-degree bags we’ve seen in a while. A full zip that extends around the footbox means you can vent your feet or turn the bag into a quilt in warmer weather. (Camping couples, no fear: You can still zip two Bozemans together to make a double bag.)

$140; mountainhardwear.com

Lightweight trekking poles

A hundo for two collapsible poles that weigh just 6.1 ounces each? With the new Andesites, Mountainsmith is offering perhaps one of the best deals on lightweight gear this season. The brand saves weight and cost (without sacrificing performance) by using an EVA grip instead of cork and a non-proprietary twist-lock mechanism.

$100; mountainsmith.com

Lightweight tent for all season

With the new Kunai, NEMO gives you two tents for the price of one. Zip-down panels let you interchange mesh panels with ripstop nylon to convert this double-wall 3-season shelter to a 4-season palace. Best of all: The tent weighs just 3 pounds, 12 ounces.

$500; nemoequipment.com

A long-distance runners solution

There’s a reason most people don’t run with a pack on if they can help it: A bouncy gait means bouncing gear—which can inhibit your form as well as your comfort. Patagonia tackled that complaint by designing the new Slope Runner to fit like a piece of clothing rather than a pack. The vest is complete with load-lifters and a shock-cord compression system that pulls the weight close to your body and can be adjusted while running—even with gloves on.

$149; patagonia.com

Do-all fabric

PrimaLoft’s new fleece-like fabric line utilizes biomimicry in a new manufacturing process, giving it the versatility and sewability of fabric, but with superior insulative properties. The bluesign-certified material is unique in that it combines long and short fibers (similar to mammalian fur) to retain warmth without sacrificing breathability. It’s already been used as a no-migration insulation layer in a few concept pieces (pictured). You can expect to see more of it—both as a standalone fabric and as insulation—in coming seasons.

primaloft.com

Uber-light rainshell

You just lost your last excuse to leave that emergency layer at home. Rab’s new windproof, waterproof, 2.5-layer shell weighs in at a meager 3.2 ounces—the lightest in its class. It saves weight by utilizing light-but-strong Pertex Shield 2.5L fabric and stripping all but the necessary features. Though pocketless, the hooded jacket includes a wired bill in the hood, a quarter zip for venting, and elastic darts in the cuffs and hem to keep out precip.

$200; rab.equipment/us/

Luxurious sleeping bag

Titanium-coated fibers line the interior of the Mythic Ultra 180, allowing the fabric to reflect heat without compromising breathability. The result is a boost in warmth without weight, allowing the 32-degree, 900-fill, RDS-down bag to pack down smaller than a Nalgene. Not impressed yet? How about this: It weighs just 14 ounces. 

$550; rab.equipment.com/us/

Just plain cool

This fully electric truck, on display in the Rivian booth, generated a lot of buzz at the summer show. Let’s face it: Your car is the biggest piece of gear you own. With tons of cargo space and a 400-plus-mile range, the R1T is the most eco-friendly adventure vehicle on the market. Coolest perk: No combustion engine means you can stash extra gear in the storage compartment under the hood.

$69,000, before federal tax rebates; rivian.com

Burly folding knife

SOG’s new everyday-carry blade offers all the safety of a folding knife with the strength of a fixed blade. Where most folding-blade knives break under extreme pressure, the larger version of this knife (the Seal XR, which utilizes the same crossbar closure technology) is “strong enough to hang a Toyota Camry off of,” according to one rep. That makes it ideal for everything from cutting veggies for camp dinner, to splitting logs and building emergency shelters.

$56; sogknives.com

No-mess chalk bag

Part of a line of climbing-specific bags made of 100-percent recycled polyester, The North Face’s new chalk bag features a roll-top closure designed to save your gym bag (And your living-room rug. And your car floorboard.) from spilled chalk. The roll-top tucks around the lip of the chalk bag to keep it out of the way during climbs.

$29; thenorthface.com

Next-gen rooftop camping

Finally: An overlanding tent that doesn’t take up all of your rooftop real estate. Born out of Thule’s recent acquisition of Tepui, this rooftop tent folds in half, leaving you enough room on your roof rack to bring along a mountain bike or kayak. Unfolded, it has an 84-by-48-inch footprint, leaving plenty of room for two. All folded up, it sits just seven inches above your roof rack.

$1,100; tepui.com

Super comfy trekking tights

Let’s face it: It’s hard to find durable ladies’ hiking pants that don’t bring the word “frumpy” to mind. Ultimate Direction offers a solution with the Duro, which combines the technical, four-way-stretch fabric usually found in hiking pants with the flattering, mobility-enhancing cut of a legging. It also has two roomy thigh pockets in addition to a small key pocket in the waistband.

$130; ultimatedirection.com

Featherweight pack raft

This Uncharted Supply Co. packraft stuffs down to the size of a loaf of bread and manually inflates in under 35 seconds. (We didn’t believe it until we saw it with our own eyes, either.) It’s only rated for flatwater use, but it can float up to 400 pounds and weighs less than 4 pounds. Think of it as a much lighter-weight alternative to lugging a 40-pound inflatable SUP to that alpine lake you love.

$400; unchartedsupplyco.com

Roof rack for anglers

Yakima is leaning into the growing angler market this season with three new offerings designed specifically for fishing in mind. Perhaps the most impressive is the DoubleHaul, a flyfishing-specific rooftop rod carrier that accommodates up to four fully-strung fly rods. It’s pricey, but the benefits are clear: The DoubleHaul protects your gear and gets you on the water faster.

$700; yakima.com