Recently, our editors published their 2013 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market BEST IN SHOW awards featuring the gear our team found to be the most exciting, innovative, and unique of 2013. However, when North America’s largest outdoor trade show boasts 1,000 of the world’s best manufacturers and distributors of outdoor gear and apparel, there are more than just a handful of items that deserve to be mentioned. Now that the snow flurries have settled, our team has taken the time to pour over pages of notes, emails, and PR pieces in an effort to compile a list of additional eye catching highlights from this year’s Winter Outdoor Retailer Show.
Fire Up Your 2013 Gear Wish List…
The annual Winter OR Show highlights the styles, trends and latest products emerging in the outdoor market for the upcoming season. Following are some of the additional highlights that stood out to our editors, and should be on the top of all gearheads’ wish lists for the year ahead.
Wolverine Sentinel Hiking Boot
From training hikes at your local mountain, to extended expeditions along the John Muir Trail, the Sentinel hiking boot from Wolverine has been engineered for comfort, performance and durability. A lightweight, well oiled leather adorns the upper while a GORE-TEX waterproof lining guarantees that feet stay dry. Technical features like a Wolverine ForwardFlex nylon insole board offers firm support from the heel to the ball of the foot, for support and protection when packing in several days worth of year. And did we mention every part of this boot is handcrafted in America?
Wolverine Sentinel: Available Now. MSRP $302
Vasque Arrowhead
Weighing in at 2 lbs 2 oz, the snowshoe-compatible, Arrowhead UltraDry from Vasque is an athletic, lightweight boot for snowshoeing and hiking across the icy tundra. Loaded with dedicated snow features and 200 grams of Thinsulate Insulation, the Arrowhead UD includes a full-coverage softshell shroud to shield gussets from ice and crud while an asymmetrically-zipped boot top and single-pull Kevlar® lace system allow for quick, on the fly adjustment while snowshoeing and hiking. As with all the boots in Vasque’s insulated collection, the Arrowhead UD includes a rubber heel kick for locking in binding straps and for quick and easy removal of the boots.
Vasque Arrowhead: Available Fall 2013 in men’s sizing only, in 2 colorways. MSRP $169.99.
Northern Lites Snowshoes
For 20 years Northern Lites has operated on a simple premise: Snowshoes should be built in a way that allows your mind to focus on your surroundings, not what’s on your feet. With a renewed vision for becoming the go-to snowshoe for snowshoe enthusiasts and family oriented adventurers, Northern Lites new line for 2013/14 is ready to turn heads. From the Elite to the Backcountry Rescue and the Tundra, each pair of Northern Lites features a technical design that allows for a lighter smaller shoe to provide you with the flotation of other larger heavier snowshoes, all at a price that is comparable or below other manufacturers. And did we mention, Northern Lites is yet another Made in the USA brand?
Northern Lites Snowshoes: Available now in an array of sizes and styles to match your outdoor adventure.
Smith Optics Vantage Helmet
The low-profile Vantage Helmet from Smith provides optimal dome protection when you’re shredding the park or slashing through the deep backcountry. New for 2013, Aerocore™ construction featuring Koroyd® simultaneously maximizes full coverage protection and increased airflow. For the most custom fit, the Vantage offers the all new Boa® FS 360 fit system, with a 360º halo design. Combine all this with the Smith pioneered AirEvac technology for goggle integration, and the Vantage delivers the perfect blend of technology and style.
Smith Optics Vantage Helmet: Available Fall 2013. MSRP $220
PETZL TIKKA RXP
It seems with each passing day our computers, tablets and phones get smarter and smarter. With a built-in light sensor that automatically adjusts brightness and beam patterns to meet the users needs, the Petzl TIKKA RXP shows that it’s no slouch when it comes to smart technology.
PETZL USA TIKKA RXP: Available September 2013. MSRP $89.95
Terramar Sports
For athletes and outdoor enthusiasts alike, layering your clothing is a tried-and-true way to ensure your comfort and safety in the outdoors. But finding the perfect layering piece can prove to be a challenge. Enter Terramar Sports, a brand dedicated to manufacturing products to perform in the most extreme environments and feature excellent breathability and odor/bacterial fighting technologies. At this year’s Winter Market Terramar launched the company’s newest line called CLIMASENSE™, a multi-level product line consisting of uniquely engineered PHASE CHANGE garments that are either heat generating (HG) and/or thermal regulating (TR). Each garment is designed to provide comfort and optimal moisture and temperature management. TR provides a warm effect when you are cold and provides a cool effect when you are warm. HG technology features hollow core yarn which captures the body’s heat and prevents warmth from escaping. Bottom line, these complexly engineered garments offer advanced performance features that go above and beyond your traditional baselayers for greater comfort, protection and functionality.
Terramar Sports: Available Fall 2013.
DARN TOUGH VERMONT Light Cushion Hike/Trek Socks
Most of us are guilty of overlooking the importance of the active interface between the foot and shoe. And while you’ve been out tackling the trail in sub-par socks wondering why your feet are uncomfortable, the crew at Darn Tough has been hard at work in Vermont making their best hiking sock even better. The Light Cushion technology that utilizes half the yarn weight of their normal Cushion socks, is what makes this sock stand out. High density cushioning on the foot bottom, custom shrink treated Merino wool, ventilation chambers along with reinforced heel and toe mean this calf sock is ready to keep your feet fresh for countless steps into the heart of the wilderness.
Darn Tough Vermont: Available Fall 2013 in men’s and women’s. MSRP $19
ECCO BIOM TERRAIN
ECCO believes that form follows function. This means creating shoes that combine freedom of movement with intelligent support that enables the foot to move naturally. Based upon these principles, the new BIOM TERRAIN hiker offers a lightweight, highly responsive and agile boot perfect for day hiking. So get ready to burn through the miles on flats, or scramble to the base of a vertical face, either way, the BIOM TERRAIN hikers are ready to move.
ECCO BIOM Terrain: Available Fall 2013. Low-cut MSRP $210; Mid-Textile MSRP $215; Mid-Leather MSRP $230
SKORA Phase X & Limted Edition Camo FORM
A year ago in our Q&A with Skora Founder and CEO David Sypniewski, we discovered a Portland, Oregon-based company founded in 2008 by self-proclaimed “ordinary” runners tired of the injuries caused by traditional running shoes. This year SKORA Running is innovating yet again with cutting-edge design as they take the visibility factor to a whole new level. The PHASE-X features 360-degree reflectivity for the ultimate in high visibility night running. The limited edition Camo FORM adds a unique lifestyle twist with the use of Pittards CIG (Custom Image Generation) camouflage pattern Armor-Tan Goatskin leather and additional reflective highlights.
Skora Running PHASE X: MSRP $120
Skora Running Limited Edition Camo FORM: MSRP $185