Trailspace Blog November 2009

This morning Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2008 draws to a close. In addition to the few items I’ve reported on here, I’ve seen a plethora of boots, backpacks, sleeping bags, water bottles, and all manner of base layers, soft shells, and waterproof-breathable outerwear. None of it, to be perfectly blunt, has been earth-shatteringly innovative.

The story of this OR has been one of small, incremental improvements: lighter weights, more eco-friendly materials, and (dare I say) more urban styling. In the coming weeks and months we’ll continue to report about these and other trends, as well as detailed reports on a few additional products that caught our attention.

For now, though, it’s time to pack up, say goodbye to the beautiful Wasatch Front, and head for home.

The Flatterware Collapsible Cup

Fold it. Squish it. Flatten it. Packable backcountry dishes have come a long way from the traditional scout mess kit. Designers continue to experiment with different dish materials and innovate with ways of compactly storing them. The latest entries are the Sea to Summit X-Bowl and X-Plate, and the Flatterware Collapsible Cup.

The Flatterware Collapsible Cup is a 12-ounce capacity cup that collapses to the size of a hockey puck and stores within its own lid and base. The cup expands with a simple twist and collapses with a twist and push. The Collapsible cup weighs 3 ounces and will retail for $5.

For more info on the X-Bowl and X-Plate, available this spring, see our summer OR coverage.

Apparently nanotechnology – product engineering at the molecular level – has arrived in the outdoor industry. This week I’ve noticed several products or technologies being touted as “nano”:

• NanoSphere is a similar nanotechnology treatment applied to some of Schoeller’s soft shell fabrics, claiming to offer increased water- and stain-resistance.
• A company called NanoHorizons makes an anti-fungal treatment called “SmartSilver” that promises to control base layer body odor.
• Hi-Tec’s “ion-mask” waterproofing uses nano technology to encapsulate individual fibers of any fabric or material, creating a highly water-resistant barrier without impacting breathability.

All three technologies utilize tiny (nano-scale) particles that bond permanently to the fabric, providing their benefits (water-, stain-, or odor-resistance) without otherwise impacting the material’s performance.

In the demonstrations that I saw, both the Hi-Tec and Schoeller treatments appeared to provide more aggressive protection than traditional DWR (durable water repellent) finishes, with water beading up and slipping off treated surfaces very easily. 

Easton Aluminum, long a supplier of aluminum snowshoe frames for the likes of Atlas and Tubbs, will be launching its own line of snowshoes for winter 2008-2009. The Easton Artica line will include three different models – Trail, Hike, and Backcountry, for uses from recreation to expedition – in a number of different sizes for both men and women.

The Easton snowshoes include several design features not found in other snowshoe lines. Most interestingly, the asymmetrical frames are not made entirely of Easton aluminum tubing; rather, side rails of tubing are joined at the tip and tail by plastic couplings that allow the frame to flex in uneven terrain. Easton says this provides better traction on firm snow, especially sidehills, and less stress on ankles, knees, and hips. Likewise, on the Hike and Backcountry models, the left and right halves of the underfoot crampon pivot separately to provide additional grip in sidehill situations.

All the Easton snowshoes will feature PVC-free decking, and 80 percent of the materials used in the snowshoes will be recyclable. If recycling is not available in your area, Easton will take the snowshoes back for recycling.

Prices for Easton snowshoes will range from $160 to $260.

Ski maker Rossignol debuted a very interesting pair of pants at Outdoor Retailer. The Harness Pant is an insulated, waterproof-breathable ski mountaineering pant that features an integrated climbing harness.

The minimalist 3.3-ounce Cilao harness is sewn into the pants, with the belay loop rising above the waistband and a single gear loop on the right hip. A pair of inseam zippers provide ventilation and allow for adjustment of the harness’s leg loops, which are inside the pant legs. When not being used the low-profile harness, which complies with European, American, and Canadian standards, is mostly hidden and out of the way.

While the Rossignol Harness Pant is designed specifically for ski mountaineering, it could also have applications in alpine climbing and glacier travel. However, the minimally padded harness is unlikely to provide much comfort on a hanging belay, and the single gear loop limits the amount of hardware a climber could comfortably carry.

The fact that it’s insulated also limits the Harness Pant to winter activities, but the concept could easily be extended to other products. For example, a soft shell pant with a similar harness could be a nice option for via ferrata routes or for alpine scrambles that require only short sections of roped climbing or rappelling.

The Rossignol Harness Pant will be available in September with an MSRP of $295.

When boot- and shoemaker Merrell decided last year to enter the outerwear market, the company didn’t want to do so with a “me-too” collection of copycat clothing. What they came up with is a line of outerwear that fuses technical fabrics and features with a decidedly sophisticated urban style. But they didn’t stop there. Merrell’s product managers challenged their designers to create something entirely new and “out of the box” every year – a “concept piece,” similar to the futuristic concept cars that automakers roll out at the big car shows.

This year’s concept piece is the Merrell Gatherer: a lightweight insulated jacket with a surprising omission: the jacket’s sewn-though baffles don’t contain any insulation. Instead of coming filled with a pre-determined amount of down or synthetic insulation, the Gatherer features several strategically-placed zippers that allow the wearer to stuff the jacket with whatever insulation material they like: dried leaves, scraps of yarn, pine needles, shredded newspaper, and any other reused, recycled, or found materials.

The translucent nylon fabric gives a glimpse of whatever you’ve chosen for insulation, so the jacket becomes a vehicle for both self-warmth and self-expression. While the Gatherer concept – a combination of do-it-yourself creativity, exploration, and personal expression –may be a bit more art-school than outdoors, Merrell hopes that it will push designers, consumers, and other companies in the outdoor industry to think more creatively and to consider new approaches to designing technical outerwear.

Like many of Detroit’s concept cars, the Gatherer may never become a mainstream technology. But unlike those four-wheeled concepts, the Merrell Gatherer concept will be made available to the public in limited release. Men’s and women’s versions will be available in limited quantities this fall through the Merrell web site and select Merrell retail stores for $99.

When was the last time your water purifier smiled at you?

Probably never. The folks at Hydro-Photon are aiming to change that with the introduction of the SteriPEN Journey, an ultraviolet water purifier that smiles when you use it correctly.

The SteriPEN Journey’s LCD display will not only display a smiley face when you’ve finished purifying your water, it will frown if you remove the device from the water too soon. It will also tell you how much water you’re purifying, how long until it’s done, and whether the battery needs replacing.

In many ways the Journey is a hybrid of SteriPEN’s existing products, the Classic and Adventurer. The Journey combines the form factor of the Classic – allowing easy mating with a variety of water bottles – with the feedback of the Adventurer, but with a more informative interface. (The LCD replaces the Adventurer’s blinking lights.)

The Journey doesn’t really do anything that the previous models didn’t do, but it provides much clearer feedback about the purification process. This should make it easier to use and lead to fewer user errors.

The SteriPEN Journey will be available in April with an MSRP of $129.95.

Kahtoola FLIGHTdeck TS prototype

Last winter we reviewed the Kahtoola FLIGHTsystem, an integrated winter travel system made up of a snowshoe deck that mates with a neoprene overboot. For fall 2008, Kahtoola is doing away with the neoprene overboot and offering a more traditional snowshoe-type strap binding, while maintaining the step-in, step-out convenience for switching between snowshoe and traction device.

The new binding, dubbed the FLIGHTdeck TS (for Two Step), features the same underfoot traction as the original overboot, but allows the use of insulated winter footwear. When clipped together, the binding and snowshoe deck appear similar to many other modern snowshoe designs. The advantage is that once strapped in, you can quickly switch from floatation to traction by unclipping the binding from the snowshoe deck.

Whereas the original FLIGHTsystem required the overboot to be sized to your foot, the FLIGHTdeck TS has a wide range of adjustability, making it feasible to share the system between different-sized friends or family members.

The FLIGHTdeck TS will be available in October with an MSRP of $269.

Yesterday I mentioned that Outdoor Retailer includes a lot of small companies or individual inventors trying to get a foothold in the outdoor industry. Everlite is one such company, and their Solar Headlamp has been getting some attention at the show, including a Backpacker magazine Editors' Choice award.

At first glance the Solar Headlamp is a familiar item: a 5-LED compact headlamp along the lines of the Petzl Tikka. But unlike other LED headlamps on the market, the Solar Headlamp will never need replacement batteries. That’s because it comes with a small solar panel that charges the headlamp’s built-in rechargeable NiMH battery.

The 2.3 x 4.5 inch, 3-ounce solar panel plugs into the headlamp for charging, and can be attached to the top of a backpack or other sunny spot via the included Velcro mounting kit. When fully charged, the headlamp can run for 10 to 12 hours on its brightest setting, or longer in one of its other modes.

Other unique features including the ability to charge your other electronics, such as cell phones, iPods, and PDAs. Just plug into the headlamp with Everlite’s optional adaptor and your gadgets can power up from the headlamp’s stored solar power.

The Everlite Solar Headlamp retails for $50.

Patagonia’s fall 2008 clothing and outerwear  line, which debuted today at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, includes a staggering number of products that seek to “close the loop” by being both made of recycled materials and fully recyclable at the end of their useful lives. Fully 47 percent of products in Patagonia's fall 2008 line will be recyclable, up from 34 percent in fall 2007.

Among those products is the Ascensionist Jacket, a 19-ounce, water-resistant and breathable soft shell designed for alpine climbing and skiing. According to Patagonia’s Tim Rhone, the Ascensionist is the first soft shell that is both recycled and recyclable. The jacket is made of 45 percent recycled double-stretch polyester and can be recycled through Patagonia’s Common Threads recycling program.

The Ascensionist includes a helmet-compatible, 3-way adjustable hood, articulated arms, a draw-cord hem, two hand warmer pockets with DWR-coated zippers and zipper garages, and one internal pocket. It will retail for $225 and come in men's and women's models.

In twelve short hours the doors to the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City will swing open to thousands of outdoor retailers, media, and other members of the outdoor industry. Inside, manufacturers -- from behemoths like The North Face down to individual inventors looking to gain a foothold in the industry -- will be previewing their fall/winter 2008 product lines.

Over the course of the next four days, I’ll be cruising the show floor and meeting with manufacturers, checking out their new gear, trying to separate the hype from the substance, and keeping an eye on industry trends. Every day I’ll be reporting my findings here in the Trailspace blog. Tune in Wednesday night for the first installment.

Got an old dynamic climbing rope you’ve retired? Want to get it out of your closet, keep it out of a landfill, and avoid having to weave a rope rug in the process? Then take advantage of Sterling Rope’s Rope Recycling Redemption Initiative.

Simply send Sterling your retired dynamic climbing rope from any manufacturer. Sterling will send ropes to a recycling expert that grinds up, melts down, then repelletizes the nylon so it can be remade into items like carpet fiber, telephones, coat hangers, and even children’s toys.

Please note that Sterling only accepts nylon rope, webbing, and accessory cord. No dyneema, spec, or polyester/polypropylene materials. Sterling also is working toward having rope recycling available at all major climbing events and festivals. So keep an eye out for the program at your next climbing event.

In the meantime, send your retired dynamic ropes to:

Sterling Rope Company, Inc.
c/o: Rope Redemption Program
26 Morin Street
Biddeford, ME 04005-4413

Got a question? E-mail climbing@sterlingrope.com.

The entire collection of The American Alpine Journal (AAJ), the premiere annual record of significant mountaineering and long rock climbing ascents worldwide, is now available online and searchable by key words.

The AAJ Online debuted in 2007 with 40 years of editions, from 1966 to 2006. In January 2008, online access was expanded to include the entire 78-year history of the Journal, from 1929 through 2007.

This research tool is offered free to climbers worldwide. Users are requested to join the AAC or make a donation to support the club’s information resources.

The current edition of the AAJ is indexed but not available for free to the public. American Alpine Club members may read the 2007 AAJ online. The complete AAJ collection also is indexed; the index may be downloaded in PDF format.

Via American Alpine News

Is that organic cotton shirt environmentally better or worse than that wool baselayer or recycled fleece? And just how much emissions and waste are generated from your favorite Patagonia shirt?

While greener outdoor clothing options keep increasing, it can be next to impossible to know the total environmental costs of any one piece. But maybe not for long.

Read “Will Environmental Labels Follow Patagonia's Footprints?” in our News section.

Photo: Hugh Rose Photography

Congratulations to Radé Svorcan (aka mountainman333) and to the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. Radé’s December 11th review of the Leki Makalu Antishock trekking poles was randomly selected as the winner of our first 1% For the Planet donation contest, which we held at the end of 2007.

Radé selected the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) as the recipient of a $250 donation from Trailspace in his honor. Through science and stewardship, Y2Y seeks to ensure that the wilderness, wildlife, native plants, and natural processes of the Yellowstone to Yukon region continue to function as an interconnected web of life.

Radé is an engineer and lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. When he finds some free time he likes to spend it in the mountains, doing anything from mountaineering to photography. So far he has fit in trekking trips to Patagonia and Peru, and climbs up Mt. Whitney, Rainier, and peaks in the Rockies and Andes. Unfortunately Radé has been working off-site and couldn't send us a photo to share from his many adventures.

Congratulations, Radé! And thanks for helping Trailspace support a worthy cause.