The 20 Most Important Products From Winter Outdoor Retailer Ranked

If you haven't quite had your fill of gear news just yet, I have yet another article sharing the best new gear from the Outdoor Retailer show, held last week in Salt Lake City. This time, the list comes to us courtesy of Men's Journal, which ranks the most important new products that were revealed at the conference.

All told, there are 20 different pieces of gear that earn a spot on the MJ list, and while I didn't have a chance to see all of these, I did see more than a few of them. Some of the products that make the cut include updated running shoes from both Hoka One One and Altra, a sweet new down jacket from Montane, and a non-technical crampon from Yaktrax. You'll also find a variety of new products that are on the cutting edge in terms of technology and design that helps these items stand out from the crowd and do some truly innovative things in helping us to stay outdoors longer and enjoy our time there more fully.

While I don't necessarily agree that these are the 20 most important products on display at Outdoor Retailer, I definitely feel that most of the gear on this list are impressive updates for sure. Depending on your own personal outdoor passions, you'll find a lot to love here, with some new equipment that will definitely spark your attention. In fact, there are even a few items on the list that may get you interested in an activity that you hadn't considered before. This is definitely the case with the number one item on this countdown, which I won't reveal here. Needless to say however, I have seen this product personally, and think that it is going to be a lot of fun to use next winter.

Most of the gear that Men's Journal shares here won't be available for months yet. In fact, the vast majority of the items I saw at the show are not slated to begin shipping until Fall/Winter 2017-2018. That's the problem with attending a show like OR. It gets you very excited for new gear, but than makes you wait for months before you can get your hands on it. Still, most of this stuff is going to be worth the wait. Trust me!

The Best New Gear From Winter Outdoor Retailer 2017

Last week, the biggest brands in the outdoor industry descended on Salt Lake City, Utah to show off their latest creations at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. As usual, there were more jackets, boots, backpacks, sleeping bags, and tents than you could ever hope to see in such a short period of time, although those of us in attendance certainly gave it our best try. Over the course of the past week, a number of media outlets have shared their selections for the very best new gear to make its debut at the show, allowing you the consumer to get a sneak peek at some of the great products that will be arriving in our favorite gear shops in the months ahead. Here is just sampling of what earned some of that recognition.

Over at the Gear Institute, we handed out our semi-annual Best New Gear Awards, recognizing 9 new products that we thought were innovative an interesting. Amongst them were a gas-powered generator from Goal Zero and a new way to create custom insoles for our shoes. Similarly, the crew at Outside magazine handed out five awards for their favorite new products, while Popular Mechanics discovered 8 items that their editorial staff found noteworthy too.

Interestingly enough, there isn't a lot of crossover between the items that make all of the lists, which should give you an idea of just how diverse the products on display at OR truly are. The general consensus amongst those attending the show was that there were few products that were truly revolutionary this time out, but a lot of really nice new gear that made strides forward in terms of incremental improvements.

If you're looking for a very comprehensive rundown of some of gear that was on display, Gear Junkie took a first-look at a wide variety of products. Their team went beyond just naming a few award winners, but instead gave a very good overview of a number of interesting products that were unveiled at the show.

As for me, I may well share my favorite items from Winter Outdoor Retailer over the next few days too. I'm still decompressing from the show and getting back on track at home, but I definitely have some thoughts on what stood out as the most interesting to me. I'll have more to come on this topic soon I'm sure.

Off to Outdoor Retailer

We've only just returned from a bit of a holiday break, and its time to hit the road once again. Tomorrow, I'll be headed off to Salt Lake City to attend the 2016 Winter Outdoor Retailer show where I'll get a chance to take a look at the newest outdoor gear scheduled for release later this year.

The show itself doesn't actually begin until Thursday, but I'll be joining a few other media folks on an overnight camping excursion tomorrow before some of the official festivities begin on Wednesday. This means that once again, updates are likely to be sparse for the week ahead, at least here on the blog itself. I will be sharing thoughts and images from the OR show floor on my Twitter feed, as well as on The Adventure Blog Facebook page. Follow either of those to catch a glimpse of some of the best new gear that I come across along the way.

If you'd like to read a preview of what to expect from the show, I've written three of them that will be going up at Gear Institute over the next few days. The first one is live now, and the others will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Each takes a look at ten interesting items that will be revealed at the event.

Hopefully things will get back to a normal pace around here next week. It's time to get focused on 2016, and some of the fun adventures ahead. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Winter Outdoor Retailer 2014: New Gear For Cold Weather Adventures!

It is that time of year again. The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market is underway in Salt Lake City, with gear manufacturers big and small showing off their new products to be released in the months ahead. As the name would imply, most of what is on display at the show is aimed at cold weather activities, although as usual with OR, there is plenty of gear for every outdoor sport.

While I'm not attending Winter OR this year, some of my friends are there and are doing an excellent job of sharing some of their favorite new products. For instance, the TrailSpace team is on hand and has already started posting their highlights from Day 1 of the show. Some of the items that have caught their attention include a new cooking system from a company called Baro that doesn't even need a fire. There are also some great photos of the first jackets coming to the U.S. from Berghaus, a company that has a great reputation in Europe. There are also new jackets coming from Icebreaker and Mountain Hardwear too, with the theme being lighter and warmer. The Trailspace coverage also includes a look at new boots from Keen and Vasque, as well as a new packraft from Klymit. Be sure to "Like" Trailspace on Facebook to get updates throughout the next few days.

Similarly, the GearJunkie is doing is usual bang-up job of covering the new gear as well. The GJ squad takes a look at the latest offering from BioLite, who make stoves that generate electricity from the burning of wood. They also found the new winterized toe shoes from Vibram of interest, as well as Outdoor Research's new high performance heated gloves. The GearJunkie's extensive coverage expands further, taking a peek at solar powered speakers from Goal Zero, a new pack from Dakine, and much, much more.

Expect some other great gear reports over the next few days with lots of attention being shown on the latest and greatest products, most of which won't be available until the Fall of this year. Still, it's great to start dreaming about all of these new items now.

More Gear From Winter Outdoor Retailer

Yesterday I posted a gear preview from the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, giving us a glimpse of new products that we'll all be wanting to add to our equipment sheds come next fall. Today, we have even more interesting gear to lust after, as manufacturers continue to unveil what they'll be offering in the months ahead.

First up, we have Outside magazine's picks for the best gear of the show, giving us their selection of five items that really stood out from the crowd. An innovative new jacket from the North Face earned a spot on Outside's list, as did an avalanche airbag from Black Diamond. A new fitness tracker from JayBird also gets a nod, as does the new energy-generating cook stove from BioLite. Scarpa's new ski boot rounds out the winners.

Our friends at Trailspace have posted a nice round-up of their second day at the show, giving us a first look at new ski packs from Osprey, Deuter and Gregory. They also share thoughts on new shoes from La Sportiva and various other great outdoor gear.

The OR gear show will go on for another couple of days, with plenty more to be revealed. Watch for a couple more "best of show" reports to come, with some thoughts on all the outstanding new products in our future.

Yet More Gear From Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2014

The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market came to an end this past weekend, bringing to conclusion the unveiling of another round of amazing gear that we'll all be clamoring for in a few months time. While the bi-annual gear-fest is now behind us, the previews of the what was revealed there continue to pop up. If you haven't gotten your fill of gear news lately, check out these options:

The Gear Junkie always has excellent coverage from OR, and this winter edition was no different. The GJ crew have revealed their choices for the Best in Show, with some fantastic products getting the nod. For instance, they liked the new North Face Origami jacket, which is impressively cut from a single piece of cloth. They also liked the Black Diamond Jetforce avalanche survival system and the Outdoor Research Lucent heated gloves, amongst other items. This is only part 1 of the Gear Junkie's "Best in Show" winners, so expect more to be posted soon.

Trailspace continued their excellent coverage of the show right through the final day. They posted not one, but two Day Three previews. The first gives us their take on a new headlamp from Princeton Tec, new mittens from Outdoor Research, and yet another look at the North Face Uno jacket. The second preview gives us a glimpse of women's apparel from Black Diamond, snowshoes from Easton, and packs from Lowe Alpine.

That ought to quench your gear-thirst for a few months. The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market is just seven months away!

Heading to Outdoor Retailer!

I know we've only just returned from the holiday break, and just started getting back to normal around here, but it is already time for me to head off once again. I'll be spending most of next week in Salt Lake City attending Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, where I'll spend several days getting a sneak peek at the latest outdoor gear and apparel. When I return, I'll write a couple of post sharing my thoughts on the show, and the best new items that I saw there. But, if you'd like to get a sense of what's happening while the show is going on, follow me on Twitter or like my Facebook page. I'll be posting updates throughout the event with thoughts on the things that catch my eye. 

Today and tomorrow I'll also be spending my time relocating The Adventure Blog world headquarters to its new, permanent location. While I'm getting my office set up and running once again, there may be some temporary disruptions in posting. But, I hope to be ready to get back on a regular schedule after I get back from OR at the end of next week. 

Thanks for being patient while we work through these busy couple of weeks. With the holidays now behind us, and Outdoor Retailer just about to start, 2017 is about to get rolling. Stay tuned for lots of great adventures and inspiring stories to come. It should be a great year.

2016 Winter Outdoor Retailer Round-Up

This weekend I returned home from the 2016 Outdoor Retailer convention, where hundreds of companies were showing off their latest gear designed to make our lives a lot easier on our adventures. As the name implies, this version of the show is heavily focused on winter activities, such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. As a result, much of what was on display is designed to help keep us warm in the cold temperatures, while enjoying our favorite winter sports.

For those who couldn't attend the show, I thought I'd share some of the gear round-ups that have been posted around the web, starting with the ones that I personally wrote over at the Gear Institute. Not only did we publish three show previews (read part 1, part 2, and part 3), we also shared our selections for the best new gear that was on display at the show. Those items were chosen because they brought something, new, unique, and exciting to the gear market.

But we weren't the only ones combing the halls of the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City checking out the new products. The Gear Junkie also posted their picks for the best gear they saw there too, as did Outside magazine, and even Popular Mechanics got in on the act, although I haven't seen their awards selection posted just yet. (Update: Here's the link to the Popular Mechanics awards)

Most of the gear that was shown at OR won't arrive on store shelves until next fall and winter. In some cases the products are still being developed, and they won't be ready to go for a several months. But that means you'll have plenty of time to save your pennies, because a lot of the really great pieces of gear won't come cheap. Still, there are some truly amazing things in the works as our gear continues to get more sophisticated and technical. It is certainly a great time to be an outdoor enthusiasts, as it is now easier than ever to be comfortable and warm, even in harsh environments.