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.
HEX Wireless Charging Carry-On
Whether you travel for work or fun, this new luggage aims to make the process smoother. The HEX luggage ($279) is the first case-top wireless charging suitcase. The HEX is made with a polycarbonate shell, YKK zippers, a TSA lock, and smooth, bearing-less rolling wheels. Get rolling right now for $279 or buy it later for the $349 retail price.
Vollebak Ceramic Hoodie — Men's
An elastic yet hardcore fabric, Vollebak’s Ceramic Hoodie has a unique abrasion-resistant coating of 60,000 ceramic particles within its stretchy fabric as well as a brushed fleece lining. The layer is meant to be high-wicking, breathable, and water-repellent, and has two side pockets and a drawcord hood. Wild tech comes with a wild price, though: The Ceramic Hoodie is $295 and comes in six sizes.
TrailKeg
The TrailKeg is on its way to revolutionize apres activities, whether you’re biking, hiking, or camping. The pressurized TrailKeg growler ($130-150) keeps a half-gallon of your beverage of choice cold for up to 24 hours and carbonated for weeks. Simply fill the half-gallon growler with beer, add a CO2 canister, and tap when ready. Choose between a stainless steel or black growler with either a chrome tap or lightweight picnic tap.
Rapha Pro Tour Bib Shorts
Cycling brand Rapha just launched a new line of bibs, jerseys, and more for female cyclists. The Pro Team Bib Shorts ($270) are made with a lightweight mesh and a breathable, high-stretch Lycra fabric. The Pro Team bib shorts also incorporate recycled materials, silicone leg grippers, and slimmer bib straps. The entire collection was developed with help from the Canyon and SRAM racing team. The women’s style will be available in March (the men’s bib is available now).
The Wishbone EDC Slingshot
Great for target practice, this Colorado-made “everyday carry slingshot” is made from solid aluminum with an anodized black finish. The Wishbone comes with a leather pouch, tin carrying case, and a band that has up to 40 pounds of resistance. The Wishbone is low-profile and weighs practically nothing for those who need a slingshot at the ready at all times. Get it for $69.
Morsel Metal Spork
The Morsel Metal ($16) is a new spork hoping to shake up the camp kitchen market. The 4-in-1 utensil is made with aircraft-grade 7075 aluminum and a high-temp food-grade silicone removable sleeve made for scraping up every last bite. The Morsel comes in a multitude of sizes from compact to XL.
BOB Alterrain Pro Stroller
BOB Gear has revamped its Alterrain Pro jogging stroller this year, and it’s awesome. The 2020 Alterrain Pro has a brand-new suspension system and other updates. It has a one-hand quick-fold latch that collapses the stroller to a self-standing position, a waterproof and windproof canopy, a padded compression seat, a cargo basket for gear, and more. At $550 it’s steep for a stroller — but worth it if you’re looking for a better way to incorporate exercise and adventure into your daily parent-child routine.
Spruce Grab & Go Leash Bag
If you have a dog, you know that finding an easy place to store all their pet gear is a pain. The one-stop-shop Spruce leash bag ($20-30) is the solution: The leash sleeve fits a leash, and the bag has an interior pocket, waste bag pocket, ID pocket, key clip, mesh pouch, cellphone pocket, and more. The Spruce leash bag comes with an optional 5-foot leash (or you can use the one you have).
Fresh Foam Hierro Boa Shoe
New Balance’s new 2020 runner is delivering on both function and style. The Fresh Foam Hierro Boa ($160) is the first dual-dial shoe in trail running. The Hierro shoe has a breathable textile upper with no-sew construction, a Vibram outsole for all-terrain traction, and two Boa dial closures. According to the brand, the Boa Fit System gives the shoe unprecedented stability and a more consistent connection to the midsole.
Axxis Hand Axe
Sometimes, high-tech isn’t the way to go. At least, that’s what BoneDaddy BladeWerx thinks with its new tool. The Axxis Hand Axe (from $135) weighs 14 ounces and is the “ultimate survival tool.” There’s no handle, meaning you attach it to any branch in the wild. The D2 steel tool with a titanium nitride coating works as a survival knife, axe, or sharp edge as needed. Basically, it’s meant to offer some of the functions of an axe for a fraction of the weight. If you can get past the brand’s ridiculous “boning” humor, it’s actually a fairly cool tool.
Sasta Taiga Pants — Men's
A spring 2020 release from Scandinavian brand Sasta, the outdoor Taiga Pants are made of a new cotton-based fabric called Ventile, a natural high-performance breathable material. The pants (men’s only right now) have polyamide-reinforced leg and knee patches, a cargo-style thigh pocket, and belt loops. The new Taiga collection consists of these pants and a women’s jacket.
GerTent 4-Season Tent
The GerTent launched on Kickstarter this month. What is it, you might be wondering? It’s a portable, four-season tent that can sleep up to eight people. Inspired by the Mongolian gers, the GerTent has all the functions and perks of a yurt with the added (relative) ease of transport. It can be set up in just 15 minutes, has telescoping poles, a floor sheet, a rooftop stove vent, and a front porch tent add-on. It’d be a little much to carry in just for a weekend, but we like the appeal of a yurt for a longer group camping adventure or hunting base camp.
Metolius Wood Rock Rings
A new item for spring 2020, the Metolius rock rings are perfect for indoor training, home gyms, and more. The set of wood rock rings ($35) offers three different edge depths and uses independent suspension to allow free rotation of your joints to reduce injury. They’re lightweight (one pound for the set) and can be hung virtually anywhere. The rock rings would make a great addition to a tiny apartment, campervan, or home office.
