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.
RockyMounts SplitRail LS
Transport your bikes to the trailhead with confidence in RockyMounts’ new SplitRail LS. The hitch-mounted rack offers best-in-class ground clearance, and the brand redesigned the anti-wobble device — so you can drive knowing your bikes are solid. For this rack, RockyMounts also included deep wheel wells so you can place 20- to 29-inch wheels on the rack with tires up to 3 inches wide. RockyMounts released the SplitRail LS this season for $550.
Patagonia Danner Foot Tractor Wading Boots
Patagonia and Danner’s first collaboration is out now. The Foot Tractor Wading Boots, announced last summer, were heralded for Danner’s legendary boot craftsmanship and Patagonia’s extensive knowledge of the outdoor space. These boots offer heavy-duty support and protection and were designed to be the most durable and highest-performing wading boots out there. Available in sticky rubber and felt options, the $499 boot uses a full-grain leather upper treated with a PFC-free saline solution tanning process for improved resistance in all water conditions, including salt water.
CORDURA 40-Denier Ripstop
The latest in fabric technology is on display in Beyond Clothing’s K6 collection, courtesy of CORDURA. Fabric brand CORDURA placed a 40-denier ripstop face fabric on a waterproof jacket and pant for durability. Additionally, Beyond Clothing crafts the jacket and pants to be worn over clothing, so layering is made easy — be it boots, tights, or midlayers. The K6 Arx Rain Jacket and K6 Arx Rain Pant are available now for $489 and $389, respectively.
Diamondback Release 29 2
Diamondback expands the wheel size of its Release bikes with the announcement of the Release 29 2. It uses the same suspension platform, dubbed Level Link, as the Catch, Release, and Release Carbon models. Level Link enables riders to pedal efficiently with great bump absorption. Diamondback debuts the Release 29 2 in an aluminum frame with 130 mm of rear travel and a 140mm-travel fork. The Release 29 2 is available now, with builds starting at $2,700.
Küat Class 4 Rack
Küat enters the paddle market with two new racks for your kayaks, the Class 2 and Class 4. The Class 4 is Küat’s high-end model, designed to transport one boat on the roof with a hinged clamshell design that’s slim when not in use. Küat crafts the Class 4 with co-molded rubber to protect your boats, a magnetic store position, and easy-access folding with end pull levers. The Class 4 is available now for $229 and the Class 2 for $159.
Skratch Labs Anytime Energy Bars
Fine dining on the trail? Skratch Labs promises good eats on the run with its new line of Anytime Energy Bars. With flavors like Raspberries & Lemons, Peanut Butter & Strawberries, and (you won’t believe this) Parmesan, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Black Pepper, Skratch packs nutrients and calories into simple packages. Now you can eat your cacio e pepe on the trail. The bars are available now for $2.65 each.
Rapha Custom Apparel
Create a Rapha kit for your own cycling team designed entirely by you with Rapha’s new Custom program. You get Rapha’s respected high-quality garments with your own personal team flair. Through the design tool, you can apply patterns, colors, fades, logos, and more, all online. You can upload graphics to place on the jersey and really let your imagination take over. Check out the customizer here, with a minimum of five jerseys per order and an 8-week delivery time.
Merrell Wayfarer
High fashion in high-top: Merrell strays from its hiking boot core with a limited release of the Wayfarer Leather Waterproof Boot. Only 1,000 pairs of this heritage boot will be made for the low price of $400. Merrell dug up archival sketches and inspiration from the founders of Merrell for a classic-looking Horween leather boot. The Wayfarer is now available in men’s (black or brown) and women’s (black or burgundy).
YETI 24oz Rambler Mug
Sip almost double the amount of coffee (or margarita) from your YETI Rambler Mug, as the brand expands to a model that holds 24 fluid ounces. Originally available in a 14-ounce size, YETI expands the vessel and offers the Rambler Mug in Black, Seafoam, Navy, and Stainless Steel. This double-walled, vacuum-insulated Rambler is known to retain the temperature of your drink for hours and costs $30, available now.
National Park Watches
Show your outdoor pride on your wrist with a Dapper Dirtbag watch. Inspired by adventure, these wooden watches display iconic U.S. landmarks, like Yosemite, Arches, and Grand Teton national parks. Dapper Dirtbag places Japanese quartz movement in the watches and a leather strap. For $75, you can back Dapper Dirtbag on Kickstarter and get a watch.
TIME OSMOS Cycling Shoes
After 6 years, TIME re-enters the cycling shoe market with its OSMOS line. The brand sought to yield the best combination of comfort, support, and stiffness for maximum efficiency in its line of three shoes. The difference in TIME’s shoes is the brand’s use of the Sensor 2 system, which uses a foam specially designed for damping. Sensor 2 reduces the amount of vibration the feet are subjected to, thus increasing pedaling efficiency. The premier model, the OSMOS 15, is available now for $395 at TIME dealers.
Salsa Spearfish
Salsa launches a bike to go fast, fast, fast with its Spearfish Carbon GX Eagle mountain bike. Dubbed a progressive cross-country, endurance, and down country bike, the Spearfish is designed to crush climbs and handle flats well. It uses Split Pivot travel to make pedaling more efficient and offers 100 mm of travel and 29er wheels. Yet it’s not just uphill with the Spearfish — Salsa sought to elevate the standard for downhill travel on the Spearfish and claims it performs well. The Spearfish Carbon GX Eagle is available now for $5,199.
S'well Reusable Straws
In the spirit of reusability, S’well introduces a set of Stainless Steel Reusable Straws. For $12, you get four straws and a wire brush to clean them. The straws have a flexible neck and are crafted with 18/8 stainless steel and FDA food-grade silicone. S’well launches the Stainless Steel Reusable Straw Set on March 11.
