The first November Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, held this week in Denver, will be gear central. Hundreds of brands will debut products for the coming year. Here’s our exclusive preshow peek at some exciting outdoor equipment.
Black Diamond Equipment JetForce Pro
An evolution to Black Diamond’s JetForce avalanche airbags, the JetForce Pro line integrates Bluetooth compatibility for easy firmware upgrades. It also redesigned the JetForce bag inflation technology to save weight, save space, and reposition mechanical elements for better carrying capacity. The JetForce Pro packs are modular and allow 10-, 25-, and 35-L bags to attach to the same frame. They will hit the market in 2019 for $1,400.
Helle Knives Wabakimi Knife
The Wabakimi Knife is Helle’s third in a series designed with Les Stroud “Survivorman.” It leverages Stroud’s mastery of primitive skills for a blade meant to tackle a wide range of tasks afield. It has a three-quarter partial tang reinforced with two robust pins, giving it a more burly build than many Helle blades. The handle is made from curly birch wood with a lanyard hole and a 3.3-inch drop-point blade using Helle’s triple-laminated steel.
PrimaLoft Bio
PrimaLoft will launch what it calls the “world’s first biodegradable synthetic insulation” at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. This is a major breakthrough in synthetic insulations. If it performs as well as other competing synthetics, this new insulation has the potential to shake up the industry.
Helly Hanson Odin Mountain 3L Shell Jacket
Celebrating 10 years of the Odin collection, the Odin Mountain 3L Shell Jacket for men and women is purposefully built for backcountry and touring skiers. The shell uses a new membrane with a durable woven backer meant to perform well in cold temps. The brand claims it’s perfect for high-output stop/start activities in unpredictable backcountry conditions.
Outdoor Research VerticalX Air
The Refuge Air Jacket introduces a new, higher-performing and proprietary synthetic insulation called VerticalX Air. Outdoor Research claims that VerticalX Air offers a better warmth-to-weight ratio than other synthetics. It also claims more effective breathability in active situations and better loft retention over time.
Dæhlie’s Airnet Wool Allnet Base Layer
Dæhlie calls this mesh shirt its “ultimate merino wool base layer.” The all-over mesh netting gives it enhanced breathability to assist in moisture transportation. Merino wool keeps is a great next-to-skin layer, with natural benefits including odor-resistant, wicking, fast-drying, thermal, hypoallergenic, and antistatic properties. The unique netting puts an interesting spin on this time-tested material.
Sherpa Adventure Gear Rukum Cardigan
The Rukum cardigan, made in Nepal, is 50 percent yak wool and 50 percent merino wool. Yak fiber is a high-quality, natural, sustainable, luxury alternative to wool and cashmere, collected by hand around the molting season when the animal sheds its soft undercoat. We’ve used yak wool and know it’s extremely soft and breathable. The blend of yak and merino is an interesting mix we look forward to handling.
Native Eyewear VIGOR AF
The VIGOR AF (Advanced Fit) has side vents, cam-action hinges, adjustable nose pads, and interchangeable lenses. At a price point of $120-140, that’s a lot of goodies. The adjustability of the VIGOR gives these sunglasses a more custom and comfortable fit. That, along with upgraded lens technology and temple boots, brings this frame to the forefront of Native Eyewear’s performance line.
Hults Bruk Sarek Splitting Axe
Meet a new blade from a 300-year-old brand. Hults Bruk designed the Sarek axe with a sole purpose: to split tough wood. While not the largest splitter, what it lacks in size it makes up for in efficiency thanks to a time-tested Scandinavian design that wedges wood open with explosive power. It’s hand-forged in Sweden.
Tundra Aerogel Booties
Outdoor Research uses the wonder insulation Aerogel in a whole new way in the Tundra Aerogel Booties. They deliver a combination of cold-blocking Aerogel under the sole and proprietary Outdoor Research VerticalX insulation everywhere else. Aerogel’s unique properties make it fit for the sole of a bootie, where weight compresses traditional loft insulation. In the uppers, VerticalX offers more loft, more stretch, and is more effective at moisture management than more standard synthetic insulation. A grippy outer sole ensures traction on snowy surfaces. Available in high cut for $89 and low cut for $69.
Adidas Terrex Primeknit Waterproof Jacket
Addidas brings knit into the traditional territory of woven materials with the Primeknit Waterproof Jacket. It has “body-mapped warp knit waterproof technology” with four-way stretch zones for a performance hiking jacket in all weather conditions. But what really grabs our attention is the texture of the knit surface. It hits the market in fall 2019 for $275.
Mammut Eigerjoch Insulated T-Shirt
Layer like a pro with a lightweight, packable down T-shirt. You read that right, Mammut introduces the Eigerjoch down puffy T-shirt to add extra warmth to your core. It uses 30 grams of 1,000 fill goose down blown into V-shaped baffles, packed into 5-denier shell — what Mammut calls the “thinnest fabric available.”
HOKA ONE ONE Rincon Running Shoe
HOKA ONE ONE shoots for speed and comfort with the launch of its Rincon running shoe. The brand claims to have packed “an amazing amount of cushion” into this race day shoe — and that’s saying something coming from HOKA ONE ONE. But despite its ample cushioning, the $115 Rincon still weighs under a half-pound per shoe — 7.7 ounces for men’s and 6.3 ounces for women’s.
Dickies X-Series Flex Flannel Shirt
The warmth of a flannel without stiff, restricted movement. Dickies X-Series Flannel shirt provides the timeless look of buffalo plaid with a 99:1 cotton-to-spandex raito for “maximum stretch and mobility.” This looks like a solid, warm button-up layer for shoulder seasons. And with extra stretch, it should prove more versatile in active pursuits than your granddad’s flannel. The X-Series launches in fall 2019 for $30.
LEKI Griffin Tune S Boa Glove
Dial in a closer connection with your ski poles — that’s LEKI’s goal with the Griffin Tune S Boa glove. The brand added a new Boa system to its goatskin Griffin S line to ensure better power transmission to ski poles and a “perfect fit.” And to create a cleaner look with better performance, LEKI tunneled the Boa laces inside the glove shell. Look for it to launch in the 2019-20 season for $170.
GoLite ReFill Eco100 Jacket
GoLite is back with a strong eye toward sustainability. Among its 2019 offerings is the ReFill Eco100 jacket, a winter coat filled with PrimaLoft Silver Eco Fill synthetic insulation. From the shell made of postconsumer recycled bottles to the eco-DWR finish, GoLite aims to establish its place as an environmentally progressive brand. The ReFill Eco100 Jacket launches in fall 2019 for $250.
Danner Arctic 600 Side-Zip Boot
Fit for “winter adventures both on- and off-trail,” Danner’s Arctic 600 Side-Zip packs 200G Primaloft Gold insulation inside a waterproof suede outer. Along with “hits of wool,” the Arctic 600 will sport a Vibram Arctic Grip sole, which is among the stickiest on ice that we’ve tried. Look for it in fall 2019 for $200.
Osprey Kamber / Kresta Ski Packs
A pack fit for the lift, Osprey’s Kamber 16 (men’s) and Kresta 14 (women’s) sport a low-profile design to reduce bulk that still allows for a little added gear storage. The $100 pack has an insulated hydration sleeve, main dry gear pocket, extra-large front panel pocket with internal organization, scratch-free goggle pocket, snowshed back panel, glove-friendly buckles and zipper pulls, and tuckaway diagonal ski and vertical snowboard attachment. Available in August 2019.
Royal Robbins Men’s Ultimate Travel Jacket
Keep travel necessities out of your pack and on your person. Royal Robbins launches the Ultimate Travel Jacket, a seam-taped, waterproof-breathable jacket coated with an eco-friendly, nonfluorinated DWR finish.
On the inside, the brand added numerous storage options for essentials, including dedicated stash pockets for a water bottle, iPad, sunglasses, cellphone, and passport. The jacket also features an adjustable hood with integrated eye mask for better shut-eye on planes and trains. The Ultimate Travel Jacket launches in fall 2019 for $179.
