by Alicia MacLeay
Another day at Outdoor Retailer and here’s what struck my fancy today:
Isis Whirlwind Shell, a 2.4 ounce, full-zip, super light jacket that is highly breathable, water repellent, and windproof. Stuff it into its own pocket, throw it in your hydration pack, and you’re good to go for a long trail run or mountain bike ride ($79).
There's lots happening at GoLite. Last year they introduced all new packs. This year it’s shelters and sleeping bags. The 4-season, pyramid-style Shangri-La series weighs 1 lb 5 oz for the 1-person and up to 6 lbs 8 oz for the 8- to 10-person models. The Utopia series boasts the first free-standing backcountry tarps. The seven new 800-fill sleeping bags include the Ultra 20, a hoodless 1 lb 3 oz, bottomless, comforter-style sleep system that attaches directly to a sleeping pad. And the popular Wisp Wind Shirt, Ether Wind Jacket, and Whim Pant are now made with EcoWisp, a 22-denier 100 percent recycled polyester taffeta with DWR.
Kahtoola’s MicroSpikes traction devices come in four size ranges to fit over youth through men’s size 14 footwear. They’re easy and quick to get on (and they even worked with my Keen sandals, though I wouldn't suggest that setup for winter) ($59). I also learned that Kahtoola updated its FlightDeck to deal with the problem of occasional freezing in the deck’s binding (one of the few complaints from my review last winter). Kahtoola will upgrade any old FlightDecks sent back to them.
Sea to Summit is introducing the collapsible X-Bowl (2.8 oz, $14.95) and X-Plate (3.8 oz, $16.95) with flexible silicone sides. The side material is similar to the Guyot Designs Squishy Bowl, but the X-Bowl and X-Plate both collapse (rather than squish) to half-an-inch flat, double as cutting boards, and fit snugly together.
Sierra Designs’s Déjà Vu 20 and Winema 0 (women’s) and Nahche 0 and Verde 20 (men’s) bags are made with at least 90 percent recycled materials, including Climashield Green, Primaloft Recycled, Cocona lining, and EcoSensor recycled shell material. The bags are part of Sierra Designs’s “Green Effects” program. They’ve also brought back the Flex series of bags (I have an old one I’ve loved).
