Take a peek at emerging products from the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design. Explore the grid or click through for a slideshow.
Odlo Blackcomb Pro Shirt
Increasing temps usually mean sweatier runs. But Odlo could have a solution. The Blackcomb Pro T-Shirt ($65) uses a spiffy new bio-based polymer to fight against bacteria and odor. The polymer, plus the breathable polyamide and polyester fabric, helps to cool you off and reduce sweat. We’re still in the middle of testing, but we will say that Odlo’s new apparel tech is promising. It’s available for men and women.
SOG Aegis AT Knife
We held this knife at the SHOT Show, and it’s sweet. The SOG Aegis AT ($85) is an ambidextrous knife designed for outdoor use (we’re thinking along the lines of anglers and everyday outdoorspeople). The knife has a unique, cryogenically heat-treated D2 stainless steel blade with a GRN handle. It’s hand-sharpened, with a bevel angle around 17 degrees. The Aegis AT also has SOG’s new assisted-technology XR locking mechanism, designed specifically for its new 2020 blades. This knife is part of SOG’s 2020 FAT knife line.
Hydro Flask National Park Foundation Bottles
While the physical Hydro Flask bottle is nowhere near new, these designs are. Hydro Flask’s National Park Collection Bottles ($40) are a limited-edition run to celebrate our national parks. The 21-ounce bottles showcase designs of five parks: Yosemite, Acadia, Redwood, Yellowstone, and Hawaii Volcanoes national parks. The designs also come on the 32-ounce wide-mouth Hydro Flask if you’re looking for more volume. Hydro Flask donates portions of bottle sales to the NPF through its Parks For All program.
Reebok Nano X Shoe
Reebok has completely redesigned its Nano shoe collection with this Nano X trainer. The Reebok Nano X ($130) is a shoe built for track and field workouts, running, and training. The X has a high-density foam collar construction, lightweight and breathable upper, decoupled midsole, and EVA foam for cushioning and support. It’s available in nine colors starting on May 5.
Kenyon Smokeless City Grill
Stuck at home? Have a grill in! Even in the smallest studio apartment or city home, there’s room for a grill. The Kenyon Portable City Grill ($425) has a 1,300W heating element, eight different heat settings, grill and griddle attachments, and 155 square inches of cook space wrapped up in a rust-proof 304 stainless steel exterior. It can heat up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit and is electrically powered. Despite all the features, it’s a big investment at $425.
Monarc Recycled Duffel Backpack
This Kickstarted company is all about reducing waste. Each Monarc duffel backpack ($99) uses 50 recycled plastic bottles to make its water-resistant PET fabric. The 40L bag is designed with versatility in mind, from the airport to the campsite. The duffel includes internal storage compartments and reinforced D-rings and webbing handles for multiple carry options. (The Settra Series includes this duffel as well as additional travel pack and camera pack modular inserts.)
Ooni Fyra Portable Oven
Ooni’s newest kitchen product is this wood pellet-burning portable pizza oven. The Ooni Fyra ($249) is an improvement on Ooni’s previous model, with a chimney, pellet hopper, and burner that stack and pack within the oven unit for easy storage. It’s also over 7 pounds lighter than the previous stove and comes with a 10mm cordierite baking stone. This oven reaches 932 degrees F to cook a pizza in just 60 seconds.
Topo Designs x Danner Boots Trail 2650
Danner and Topo Designs’ new collaboration boot looks pretty cool. The Trail 2650 ($160) is a boldly colored, retro, low-rise hiker with a grippy Vibram sole and combo mesh and suede upper. The boot was inspired by the diversity of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. We haven’t tested it, but we like its features, like breathable mesh and a heel guard. The shoe is available in men’s and women’s sizing.
Chrome Industries Folsom and Anza Cycling Shorts
Chrome Industries has always been known for bike gear, but now it’s branching out into more bike-specific apparel. The men’s Folsom 2.0 cycling shorts ($120) and women’s Anza cycling shorts ($110) are an urban short made with four-way-stretch fabric, reinforced seams, large rear pockets, and a holster made of webbing designed to carry a U-lock-style bike lock. The men’s and women’s shorts are made of the same materials and both have a DWR coating.
Ortlieb Velocity 2020 Dry Bag Backpack
For 2020, dry bag brand Ortlieb decided to update its popular courier-style Velocity backpack. The Ortlieb Velocity 2020 ($140-150) has a new design, an added padded laptop sleeve, and now comes in two sizes (the original 23L and a smaller 17L). The Velocity is a roll-top style made with a waterproof polyester and PVC-coated exterior and has backpack straps and a waist belt. The bag weighs under 2 pounds.
Nikon Aculon T02 Binoculars
Available in both two different magnification models and three different colors, Nikon’s ACULON T02 binoculars ($70) pack a lot of optics into a tiny package. The binoculars have 8×21 or 10×21 magnification and weigh 6.9 ounces. The T02 has multilayer-coated glass lenses, rubber eyecups, and a focusing dial.
Biodegradeable JET Water Bottle
Elite just created a new bottle out of food waste. The biodegradable JET bottle ($10-12) is made from food-grade squeezable polyethylene and can break down in as little as 3 months (compared to plastic bottles’ usual decomposition rate of hundreds of years). The JET bottle comes in 550, 750, and 950mL sizes and has a standard 74mm diameter so it can fit in all commercial bottle cages. Find here or at your local bike retailer.
