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Emerging Gear: Outdoor Products This Week

From next-gen tech to ingenious innovation, our weekly peek at emerging products examines the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design.

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A peek at emerging products from the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design.

Electric Surfing Foil

eFoil electric foil

Cruise the open water, no waves required, with the Lift eFoil. An electronic hydrofoil, Lift uses a 5,000-watt brushless, submersible motor to propel you 25 mph. And because of its hydrofoil design, the board sits above the water, creating a unique surfing experience. The ride time is 40–60 minutes and it comes in two sizes: 5’ 6” x 28” and 5’ x 25.5”. While the eFoil looks incredibly fun to ride, it costs an arm and a leg. Lift eFoil costs $12,000 and are shipping now.

Angler’s Multi-Tool

Gerber shears

Gut, scale, clip, slice, and more with the Gerber Processor. A fisher’s multi-tool, the Processor integrates fish-specific functions. In total it has a gut hook, built-in scaler, cutting shears, fin clipper, and fine-edge knife blade. And for cleaning, you can take the whole thing apart. The Processor is available now for $42.

Belt-Drive eBike

Belts drive electric mountain bike

Bomb down hills and fly up challenging terrain in the high-powered XF2 Trail electric mountain bike. This full-suspension mountain bike from HNF-NICOLAI uses a Gates Carbon Drive with a spring-supported belt tensioner for a maintenance-free transmission. A Bosch motor sits on the down tube of the 7000-series aluminum frame, and it uses a RockShox Lyrik fork and Monarch rear-suspension. The XF2 trail is available now and costs roughly $9,800.

Micro Vibration Helmet Audio

Domio Pro Helmet sound system

Rock out to your favorite artist through your helmet with the Domio Pro. This wireless audio device attaches to the outside of motorcycle, ski, and bicycle helmets. It uses a simple button interface. With the use of what the brand calls micro-vibration technology, you can listen to music through your helmet and hear outside noise at the same time. The brand considers it a revolution in helmet audio safety, as many other options block out crucial external noise. The Domio Pro is on Kickstarter now for $199 retail.

Gasket-Equipped Sport Glasses

gyst sports sunglasses

A removable, foam-padded gasket on these sunglasses from GYST protects your eyes against dust and debris. The sealed-off frame also protects like glacier glasses, eliminating solar glare from the side. Remove the gasket for a standard sunglasses setup, including polycarbonate lenses and pivoting bows for a better fit. It has requisite UVA/B/C protection and costs $99, available now.

Duffel Bag Gym

Duffel Bag Gym

Work out your whole body with Finesse Fitness, a workout package that fits into a suitcase. Sold in duffel bags and backpacks, Finesse Fitness bundles more than fifteen exercise items into a compact bag. Inside, you can use the SomaSole Foot Harnesses to perform one-legged lunges with the help of a door. Or use the FreeWheels to do ab-wheel exercises. Finesse Fitness is on Kickstarter now, with the duffel available for Super Early Bird for $299.

Floating Morakniv

Floating serrated knife

Drop this knife in water and watch it float, thanks to a simple cork handle. The Floating Serrated Knife from Morakniv uses a bright orange polymer core surrounded in cork for the handle to ensure it won’t sink to the bottom of the water and is easily spotted. The blade is 3.7-inch serrated stainless steel designed to cut rope, nylon, and fibers. The rounded tip is to prevent finger injuries. Morakniv launches the Floating Serrated Knife at the end of 2018 for $27.

Never Bonk Again?

endur8

Hit the trail and get notifications for refueling thanks to the Endur8 app. Input your body metrics and Endur8 calculates optimal fuel requirements for one’s workouts. Endur8 uses peer-reviewed research to calculate proper carbohydrate intake so you can fuel properly when exercising. With the app, you can also plot a fueling strategy along a set course so you can refuel in a timely manner during major endurance events. Endur8 is free to download now on the Apple App Store, with future compatibility with Google Play.

Nuanced Buckle Backpack

boundary errant pack

Transition from home to office to commute seamlessly with Boundary’s innovative buckle system. The Errant pack is currently on Kickstarter and uses nuanced closures for fluid transitions. On the back are two magnetic buckles for quick access and inside is Boundary’s R.M.L. strap that secures gear quickly with the flick of your hand. With more than 40 days left in its campaign, the Errant pack is available for $110.

Double-Compression Packing Cubes

Qubix packing cubes

Fit a suitcase-worth of clothing in half the size with Qubix. With two zippers that compress, dubbed double compression technology, the Qubix can save a ton of space in your luggage. The brand also employed high-quality manufacturing, like reinforced stitching, YKK zippers, and an antibacterial treatment on the fabric to keep your clothes bacteria and odor free. Qubix is on Kickstarter now. A three pack costs $34.

Camo Fly Reel

Camo Fly Reel

Abel Reel and Ball and Buck team up to release a camo edition fly reel, The Original Camo Fly Reel. Every reel in the collection is hand painted, engraved, and crafted from 6061-T651 aluminum. It uses a quick-change spool, double pawl system, and user convertible retrieval system. This made-in-the-USA collaboration is currently available for pre-sale on The Hatchery.

Thermoregulating Down

Thermoregulating down climasmart down

Regulate your core temperature with a new blend of down and polyester from Downlite. ClimaSMART is Downlite’s latest blend and uses a mixture of down, polyester, and 37.5 particles. These particles attract and release moisture from your body when it heats up, then drive the moisture out and away. We have yet to test the claims, but a new advancement in insulation technology has us intrigued. The brand will launch Downlite at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show.

400mm Prime Sony Lens

400mm sony prime lens

Take pictures of faraway scenes with the FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS lens. From Sony comes its first large aperture telephoto prime lens to join its E-mount lineup. Sony calls the lens lightweight at 6 pounds, and thanks to its design, the lens is not front heavy, so you can have more control with your shots. Sports, wildlife, and nature photographers are sure to like this 400mm beast of a lens, that is available in September. The FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS costs $12,000.

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