2016 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Highlights

2016 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Highlights

The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market showcased a plethora of new and upcoming outdoor gear for both fall 2016 and spring/summer 2017. It was an overwhelming wealth of information on the latest and greatest in fabric technology, gear and gadgets to be released in the near future. Here are some highlights from the show.

The North Face Summit Series FuseForm Pack

The North Face Summit Series FuseForm Pack is the ‘Goldilocks’ of alpine backpacks, meaning it has just the right amount of space and features that will carry enough gear and necessities for your alpine climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing. This is the first time the proprietary FuseForm technology appears in hardgoods. The pack has durable Cordura yarn that is seamlessly reinforced in areas of high use. It features a removable waist belt and framesheet for summit pushes, a backcountry wand carry system, a top lid that doubles as a rope carry system and reinforced garages for ice axe tips. MSRP $239.

Petzl GRIGRI +

The Petzl GRIGRI + is the new and improved GRIGRI (belay device with assisted braking) that features a reduction handle that offers exceptional descent control. The durability has ramped up as the wear plate is made of stainless steel for intensive use. The GRIGRI + has a top-rope mode and a lead-belay mode which will allow for better rope feed for the lead climber. There is also an anti-panic handle, so if the user pulls too hard on the handle, the anti-panic function brakes and stops the descent automatically. It can be used with all single ropes, optimized for 8.9 to 10.5 mm diameter ropes. MSRP $149.95.

Arc’teryx Norvan VT

Arc’teryx took a hybrid approach when they made the Norvan VT trail running shoe. The Norvan VT has a 360-degree Support System and consists of an external skeleton which is a non-stretch, PU-coated synthetic wrap plus strands of interior webbing, and they’re adjustable with a single-pull lacing system. This allows for more precision and stability on steep, rocky ascents and scrambles. There is a mesh version of the shoe as well as a GORE-TEX version. MSRP $170-220.

Cotopaxi Inti 2 Tent

The Cotopaxi Inti 2 Tent was designed to adapt to the user whether they want to backpack, camp with a buddy or camp with a party of four. This unique tent consists of a two-person, standalone tent, its rainfly and a snap-in alcove that integrates with the tent which doubles the sleeping and storage space. So think of it as an ultralight 3-in-1 tent. Material consists of 15D water-resistant ripstop nylon for the canopy, 40D water-resistant ripstop nylon for the floor, and 20D water-resistant, PU-backed ripstop nylon for the rainfly. The Inti 2 is a 3-season tent. It has one pole and seven stakes. MSRP $560.

Omeals

Omeals knows good taste when it comes to precooked meals. The meals come in a pouch, and you can use any liquid to trigger a chemical reaction to start heating the precooked meal inside. Similar to MREs, a flameless reaction occurs in a separate chamber and does not come in contact with the food. After the liquid has been added to the pouch, it starts to steam and is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. Packaging includes utensils and is shelf-stable up to three years and biodegradable. MSRP $10.