A peek at emerging products from the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design. Explore the grid below or click through for a slideshow.
Danner Logger 917 Boot
The new Logger 917 boot for men and women ($230) was inspired by the classic pattern and lines of Danner’s original caulked logging boots made in the Pacific Northwest. For 2020, Danner designed the Logger 917 with a GORE-TEX waterproof liner and a Vibram SPE rubberized EVA midsole. The boot will be available online in the fall.
SHRED Notion Helmet
SHRED’s latest helmet has proprietary technology that absorbs both rotational and linear impact energy. It also made an improvement on weight with a hybrid construction: a hardshell upper with an in-molded lower shell and sidewalls. What else? The Notion has 16 vents throughout, a magnetic closure, and a RECCO reflector. It will be available in fall 2020 in three color options for $200.
Circular Smart Tracker Ring
Move over, watches and apps, you can wear this fitness tracker on your finger. Circular is a smart ring that can be worn by almost anyone and anywhere. It tracks everything from heart rate to sleep patterns. Circular will start at $220 and will include the smart ring, exterior interchangeable shell, a charger, and a one-year warranty. The ring is discreet, easy to wear to work or on the trail, and synchronizes with an app so all the activity data is at your fingertips.
Trailtopia Camping and Backpacking Foods
There are already tons of vetted backpacking foods on the market, but this Minnesota-based company is stepping up the creativity and flavor with its meals. Trailtopia offers dishes like sweet potato chili mac and chicken stew braised with beer from a local brewery. Meals range from $4 to $14 per pack. The brand also offers more traditional camping dishes like oatmeal breakfasts and ramen.
Snow Peak Home & Camp Burner
The Home & Camp burner ($91) is Snow Peak’s newest innovation. From an RV or home tabletop to a trailside kitchen, this stove offers a ton of features wrapped up in a compact design. It’s not bulky and folds away neatly into a circular tube when not in use thanks to the stove’s double legs and hidden compartment. The stove has an auto-igniter, heat controls, and can support the largest of camping pots due to the extra stability.
Nordica 2021 Women's Santa Ana 98 Ski
Nordica’s latest update to its women’s free skis includes the new Santa Ana collection. The line of skis is the first made with Nordica’s one layer of terrain-specific metal, tuned differently in each model to a specific type of terrain and performance. The 98 has a carbon-reinforced wood core and measures 131-98-118, giving it the perfect balance of playfulness and stability. It’s Nordica’s Goldilocks of skis. The 2021 Santa Ana 98 will retail this fall for $800-900.
Gaia GPS App-Updated Topo Version
The offline, route-tracking, and map resource GPS app called Gaia just got better with a new update. The new Gaia Topo brings together design and details to create a handy “tiny-to-download topo map.” Now, you can download a readable map for an entire U.S. state in minutes. The update includes more map detail, better contour lines, a new roadwork design, point-of-interest icons, and more. The app has both free and premium membership options.
LINE Pandora Women's 110 Skis
LINE Skis recently launched its latest version of women’s powder ski, the Pandora 110 ($800). This 2020 model has a refined rocker profile, a new 110 waist, and LINE’s new THC construction. (It’s not what you think.) THC stands for “triple hybrid construction”: LINE combines three different laminates for dampening that also cuts down on weight. That results in high performance capabilities but also a smooth ride. The skis will come in three lengths.
Hillsound BTR Stool
“Better than a rock,” this is likely the most packable backpacking stool on the market. Hillsound’s BTR Stool uses a central locking mechanism with pressure tension to make the stool balance and stand. It’s lightweight while still being able to support up to 240 pounds. The stool is available in two sizes and three different colors, and hits the market in February for $55-59.
Loon UV 'Hot' Colorful Fly Finish
Loon UV Fly Finish ($18) is the colorful companion to the brand’s environmentally friendly UV Clear Fly Finish — it gives flies an instant pop of color and complexity. The “Hot” colors specifically are perfect for adding hot spots and trigger points, providing a glow. Choose from over 16 colors to bring a real-life allure to your fly kit.
Kokopelli XPD Packraft
Kokopelli built its newest product to be durable enough for professional and rental use. The XPD Packraft (starting at $549) delivers on strength, with 1,000-denier sidewalls and floors as well as six tie-down points. It weighs 13 pounds and folds down to the size of a carry-on, making it easy to stow in your trunk or truck bed for adventure on the go. It’s live on Kickstarter now.
Voormi Wolf Creek Parka — Men's
Made from wool and down, this parka is the real cold-weather deal. Advertised as the world’s most rugged and versatile subzero-degree parka, Voormi made the Wolf Creek with a buffer of both 750-fill white goose down and wool insulation, an interior blended wool layer next to the skin, and a four-way-stretch, DWR-coated, waterproof woven wool laminate outer. The parka also has CORDURA elbow pads, pockets, and seat. All that goodness ain’t cheap, though: It’ll set you back $1,400.
T2 ISO-Trainer
This portable, multimode fitness training device requires no plates or pins. The T2 Iso-Trainer (starting at $129) is one device that can do the job of suspension trainers, weights, bands, cable machines, bow trainers, and more. The Trainer consists of a nylon anchor strap with a tensile strength of 3,800 pounds, a power bungee, a “force lock” resistance housing, handles, and a resistance strap. The device can be configured to almost any exercise on the go. And it’s compatible with an app for all your exercise needs.
Sweet Protection Boondock Goggles
Unveiled at Outdoor Retailer’s Snow Show, the Boondock Goggle is the latest model in Sweet Protection’s line for small-to-medium faces. The goggle has a semi-frameless design for greater field of vision, Retina Illumination Grading (RIG), new reflective technology to enhance low-light conditions, and plenty of ventilation. We haven’t tested it, but we’re looking forward to seeing how the new 2020 goggles (and helmet) perform on the slopes.
