A peek at emerging products from the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design.
Nanotube Smart Fabric
Ditch fitness-tracking wearables and measure your heartbeat through your shirt. Taiwan’s Far Eastern New Century Corp. unveiled its DynaFeed textile, made from carbon nanotubes that detect heart voltage and can monitor body mechanics. Look for it to appear in future apparel releases across brands.
24K Gold Massage Roller
Because why the heck not? Tiger Tail‘s five-pound, 24K gold-plated body roller shows that to feel like a million bucks, maybe you just need a $5,000 massage stick.
Donut Biking Gear
Because every cyclist loves “D’oh”-nuts, State launched a line of Simpsons-themed gear. Backpacks, water bottles, bar tape, jerseys, saddles, and more get the iconic pink-frosted coloring—with sprinkles!
Self-Cleaning Sunglasses
All cyclists know the hassle of an unexpected drizzle obscuring their vision. Sacuba solved this with its $79 R-Series frames, which employ a built-in squeegee—just push the lenses through the top of the frames, then back, and they’re clean! We look forward to testing a pair soon.
2018 Mukluks
Desert sand or snowpack, single speed or geared, rigid or suspension, Salsa’s 2018 line of Mukluks are among the most versatile fat bikes. From 6066-T6 aluminum, to carbon fiber ($5,399, pictured), the 2018 Mukluks have 100mm bottom brackets that offer varying Q-factors, are dropper-post compatible, and accept five-inch treads.
Machine-Washable Climbing Shoe
Spice up your gym climbing style with La Sportiva’s gym-specific climbing shoe. The Geckogym has colorful non-marking rubber, a fabric upper, and two velcro straps. Plus, you can throw the shoes in the laundry machine. Available spring 2018.
Flashy Hammock
Hang with pizzazz in the latest release from Kammok. The brand’s popular Roo hammock gets a bold-colored upgrade, thanks to a design collaboration with Topo Designs. The $99 blue-and-red Topo Hammock pairs with bright yellow straps ($29).
Everyman Packs
Run everyday errands with outdoors-worthy gear. Upstart EVERGOODS takes aim at “crossover equipment” with its debut 25L and 30L packs. The packs, designed by former Patagonia and GORUCK product developers, are lifestyle focused with few bells and whistles. But The packs have some rugged features, like side, top, and backpack straps, 500d weather-resistant nylon, and hydration compartments.
Fat-Tire Gyrocycle
Take the hassle out of learning to ride a unicycle. The Uno Bolt is an electric unicycle that has handlebars, gyroscopes, and a big tire. Live on Kickstarter starting at $1,000, the Uno Bolt can reach 22 mph, travel 25 miles on a charge, hold 280 lbs., has a 1,000-lumen headlight, and charges in 45 minutes.
Sub-100g Jacket
RaidLight goes ultralight with its most weight-conscious garments to date. The Hyperlight MP+ Jacket is a two-layer waterproof-breathable shell for ultralight runners and hikers. Available spring 2018, it weighs 90g and packs into a pocket.
Environmentally Friendly Shades
Reduce the impact your gear has on the environment, starting with your eyewear. Zeal Optics’ $149 Radium line use castor-derived resin to build the frames, and the world’s first plant-based lens bonding agent.
Probiotic Shampoo
Stay clean at the campsite without harming yourself or the ecosystem around you. Mother Dirt‘s line of shampoos, body washes, and skin cleansers get an upgrade with family-size options. We’ve been trying the products and can attest they work just as well as traditional body care offerings, but won’t strip the good flora from your body.
Deluxe Bike Tool Kit
Keep your ride tuned with a deluxe 100th-anniversary hex kit from SILCA. The $185 limited-edition kit ships in an American walnut box, comes with eight S2 steel hex keys ranging from 2-10mm, a ¼” adapter for torx bits, and flathead and phillips drives.
Lightweight Pack
Take this 14-oz. pack to the campsite or on your bike. Part of a collaboration between Garage Grown Gear and Superior Wilderness Designs, the Souped Up 25L pack has just enough features, and few enough ounces, to be a solid carry. It features a ripstop construction, mesh front stash, two water bottle pockets, and a Pa’lante-style bottom stash pocket.
Adventure-Assist App
Get peer-sourced trail conditions and hazard warnings, find beta on nearby trails and treks, and build a profile of your own workouts and adventures. The Mountain Hub app launched this week for free and could be a big innovation for sharing news, reports, and tips among outdoors enthusiasts.
