Trailspace Blog (page 3)

Grower's Cup Brews Fresh Coffee Anywhere

Grower's Cup Coffeebrewer, a hybrid between a filter dripmaker and a French press, is filled with a solid dose of pre-ground beans and brews three cups of gourmet coffee anywhere.

Easton Offers Foldable Compact AL5 Poles

Easton's Compact AL 5 trekking poles combine clasp-lock and cord lock technology in the same pole, along with a sliding length adjustment.

Sierra Designs Mojo UFO Weighs Less Than 2lbs

The two-person Sierra Designs Mojo UFO tent weighs a scant 1 pound 11 ounces, uses cuben fiber fabric and carbon fiber poles, and costs a whopping $1,800.

SlingFin Makes Serious Tents for Serious Users

SlingFin doesn't care for bean counters, product managers, or marketing departments. What SlingFin co-founder Martin Zemitis does care about is making serious expedition tents for serious users.

Big Agnes Replaces Tent Zippers with Magnets

Tent zippers can snag, wake your tentmate, and be a warranty issue. So how about a tent without zippers? Big Agnes gives it a shot with the Fishhook SL.

Stoves Burn Up, Canoe Folds Up at Demo Day

With stoves that can desalinate salt water or charge your iPhone, plus a 16.5-foot canoe that packs down into a compact bundle, this Open Air Demo at Outdoor Retailer didn't disappoint.

Paddling, Cooling, Logrolling at Demo Day

Today we checked out paddling and logrolling at Outdoor Retailer's Open Air Demo. Cooled off with polymer action. And checked out the many ways to protect accessories.

All-Natural Hydration from Skratch

Skratch Labs doesn't make "orange" sports drinks. It makes exercise hydration drinks from real oranges, and also from real freeze-dried lemons and limes, raspberries, and pineapples.

Outdoor Retailer: Hiking Gear Preview

Companies offer a plethora of new hiking and backpacking packs. Apparel not only keeps you warm and dry, but can also cool you down. Trekking poles get lighter and more compact.

Outdoor Retailer: Climbing Gear Preview

Companies vie for "lightest helmet ever" honors. Plus, ropes with two diameters and touch-sensitivity, new double-axel cams for tight, tricky placements, a crevasse rescue device (no Z-pulley necessary), and bags to keep all your climbing gear organized.

Outdoor Retailer: Backcountry Camp Gear Preview

From stoves to shelters to headlamps, new equipment promises to make your backcountry campsite warmer, lighter, safer, and more comfortable. Here are a few highlights that make their debuts at Outdoor Retailer next week.

Rab and Westcomb Debut eVent DVL: Lightweight, Waterproof-Breathable Shells

A super lightweight, packable rain shell that’s air permeable, highly breathable (even when running or climbing), and 100-percent waterproof? That's what eVent promises with its new unlined laminate, eVent DVL.

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2012 Coverage

Trailspace is at Outdoor Retailer to check out the latest outdoor gear and news. Follow along with us for daily show coverage from the outdoor industry show.

A Flood of Water-Repellent Down for Sleeping Bags

Down that keeps you warm, even when wet? A flood of hydrophobic DownTek, DriDown, and Q.Shield Down insulation promises to repel water while maintaining loft, insulation, and breathability, even when wet.

Renowned runners design Ultimate Direction hydration vests

Renowned distance runners Scott Jurek, Anton Krupicka, and Peter Bakwin know a few things about hydrating on the go. For Spring 2013, Ultimate Direction turned to the trio to design three Signature Series running vests.

Cloudveil Founder, Soft Shell Pioneer Starts Stio

Stephen Sullivan, co-founder of Cloudveil and soft shell pioneer, returns to the outdoor apparel scene this fall with Stio, a new technical and lifestyle mountain apparel brand.

Klymit Air Beam inflates your pack's frame sheet

Klymit's Air Beam backpack frame sheet is made of lightweight fabric and inflates with pressurized air. It claims to be stiffer, more comfortable, and offer optimal load transfer over regular frame sheets.

L.L. Bean and Point 65 build longest kayak ever

In June, 100 L.L. Bean employees paddled a 407-foot 7-inch long modular Point 65N kayak, as part of the company's ongoing 100th anniversary celebration.

Justin Lichter Publishes "Trail-Tested" Hiking Tips

Justin "Trauma" Lichter has learned countless thru-hiking tips, techniques, and gear know-how in more than 35,000 miles traveled across North America, New Zealand, Iceland, Africa, and the Himalaya. He shares those insights in "Trail Tested."

How to Paddle a Canoe: Strokes and Techniques

Learn how to use that canoe paddle properly. From the J stroke to the sweep, draw, and pry, here are the basic paddling strokes and techniques you need to know for any canoe trip.

Nemo Offers Limited Edition Sleeping Bags

No need to wait till 2013 for the launch of NEMO's inaugural sleeping bag line. This summer, NEMO is sewing about 600 limited edition sleeping bags, including their new Spoon Shape for sidesleepers, an ultralight quilt, and several down-repellent models.

Ibex to move all production to North America

As part of Ibex's "big commitment to American-made products," the outdoor apparel company will move its remaining Asian clothing production to the United States and Canada by 2014.

Salewa Snow Trainer puts cotton-Kevlar in sole

Cotton kills, right? So, what's Salewa doing putting cotton in a snowshoe mountaineering boot? Relax. The small amount of cotton in the Snow Trainer Insulated GTX is in the bottom of its Vibram Icefriction outsole.

Touring Swiftwick's Tennessee Factory

Swiftwick, maker of compression socks for running, hiking, skiing, biking and other outdoor sports, offers up the following video to showcase its domestic production. Does seeing where, how, and by whom products are made make a difference to your buying decisions?

Honey Stinger brings chocolate to Stinger Waffles

What made me pull a 180 in the crowded, gear overloaded halls of Outdoor Retailer in January? A chocolate Honey Stinger Waffle wrapper. The new flavor comes out this week.

Avalanche airbags explode into spotlight

The number of avalanche airbags available to backcountry skiers and riders has exploded in North America in the past few years. And you've likely noticed that the safety devices are also getting more media attention this winter, not just in the outdoor world.

Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp for light, fast, local runs

The Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp is all about light, fast and local. The 75-lumen light might be your pick for your next two-hour trail run or quick skin up a local peak.

A Photo Tour of Winter Outdoor Retailer

The Outdoor Retailer trade show ended last month, but here's a final post on the show itself highlighting outdoor gear, outdoorsy people, and random sights. Stay tuned for backcountry gear news and information all year round on Trailspace.

Crescent Moon calls its Black Kilo snowshoe a "complete carbon fiber solution”

When Crescent Moon launches its carbon fiber Black Kilo snowshoe next winter, not only will it be the lightest on the market at 2.2 pounds per pair, it could herald a new direction in snowshoe design, says Jake Thamm, company president and co-founder.

Black Diamond goes Pro with FlickLock redesign

For 17 years, Black Diamond's FlickLock mechanism set the standard for adjustable pole locks. The new stainless steel FlickLock Pro improves upon the classic with twice the holding force and a lower profile design.

Bizarre OR (or don't take it all too seriously)

Walking granola gars? Prosthetic beards? Sign of the horns? Sometimes Winter OR gets a little bizarre or reminds us to stop taking it all too seriously.

Hi-Tec dyes its down with Color-Tec

Yet another company aims to improve upon the natural state of down. This time it's Hi-Tec as the first company to offer dyed down in its insulated clothing, which it will show off inside a new transparent shell.

Vibram's FiveFingers Lontra made for winter running

Cold-weather running can pose a challenge in minimalist footwear. The insulated, water-resistant FiveFingers Lontra is Vibram's answer to "running in wet, yucky conditions."

Black Diamond Icon-Polar lights up cold-weather climbing

Black Diamond took its professional-level Icon — a waterproof headlamp with impressive 200-lumen output — and for winter use moved the battery pack from behind the head and into a separate compartment for the Icon-Polar.

Brooks-Range offers water-resistant DownTek

Down is getting some techy attention for fall 2012. To deal with its major drawback — susceptibility to moisture — Brooks-Range is offering water-resistant DownTek insulation. Plus, an expanding Cirro synthetics series.

Sierra Designs launches water-resistant DriDown

Backcountry enthusiasts know down and water don't go well together. Wet down loses its lofty insulating power and takes too long to dry, right? Not anymore, say Sierra Designs and Brooks-Range. Both outdoor companies are launching water-resistant down insulation.

Trailspace Blog