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I can't wait until next year! Summary of the latest gears that interest you at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2017

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Written by Yasushi Hisatomi

my annual the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market . Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to the market this winter, so I'll just use my outside knowledge to fantasize about the latest outdoor gear for the 2017-2018 season.

Outdoor Retailer (hereafter referred to as OR) is the largest outdoor equipment trade fair in the United States (for retailers and the press), held twice a year in summer and winter in Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, USA. It is a huge event where over 1,000 outdoor manufacturers, large and small, from all over the world gather to unveil new products for the upcoming season. In addition to the main venue in downtown, the event is divided into a demo venue set up in a suburban field where visitors can casually try on and test ride products from various brands; this year's demo venue can be seen on YouTube

So without further ado, let's take a look at some of the new products that we think are the best out of the items announced today. Please note that the product information announced is for the North American market, so it is still not yet decided whether these will be released in Japan, nor when or how much they will cost, so please keep that in mind when reading

Apparel edition

Mountain Hardwear StretchDown DS Hooded Jacket

MHW itself has had a stretchy down jacket in its lineup since last year. However, I was never really drawn to its traditional look, but this next-generation model is obviously appealing at first sight. Its unique baffles are pressed together seamlessly, creating discontinuous baffles that have increased stretchability, improved breathability, and reportedly better heat retention than a typical down jacket. Of course, since it's down, it packs up very compactly. I can't wait to see it in person

Outdoor Research Alpenice Hooded Jacket

Outdoor Research, which is proactive in developing new materials every year, has released a new product: a high-performance insulation jacket that uses Polartec Alpha Direct, an evolved version of the recently popular breathable padding material Polartec Alpha. Its greatest feature is that the surface is brushed, allowing for maximum warmth and breathability without the need for a lining. Furthermore, the high-density Pertex Microlight placed on the outer layer ensures strength and durability in addition to wind resistance and water repellency. The upper arms, shoulders, and hood are combined with a unique waterproof and breathable fabric, making it suitable for both outerwear and mid-layers. *The reference image is item 6 in the electronic catalog below

ARC'TERYX Alpha IS

Arc'teryx, which always surprises everyone with its newest releases, has once again stumped us with a truly surprising idea. The new (belay?) jacket appears to be a so-called padded jacket, combining an inner synthetic insulation with an outer GORE-TEX shell. Combining the two layers into one supposedly reduces weight by 18%. However, based on conventional wisdom, wouldn't it get too hot on climbs? However, combining it with Arc'teryx's proprietary, highly breathable insulation, CORELOFT Continuous, apparently enhances breathability and sweat management. Or perhaps sweat management is secondary because it's designed for belaying? It's hard to say for sure until I see it in person, but with Arc'teryx's uncompromising reputation, I can only hope for a reasonable price!

THE NORTH FACE W SUMMIT L3 VENTRIX HOODIE

TNF's high-end Summit Series, released every year, is packed with eye-catching designs and features, and this mid-layer jacket features Ventrix, a stretchable insulation material that allows sweat and excess heat to escape when stretched, providing dynamic ventilation and insulation. Thick, abrasion-resistant fabric is used on the shoulders, and the slim silhouette allows for easy movement, making it ideal for intense cold-season activities

Montane Icarus / Phoenix (PrimaLoft Insulation Thermoplume)

The race for high-performance insulation materials has shown no signs of stopping in recent years, with Primaloft, one of the world's leading brands, announcing another groundbreaking new material for the upcoming season: "ThermoPlume." British outdoor brand Montein has already released an insulated jacket featuring this material. Unlike typical synthetic batting, which is sewn into the fabric in sheets, this material boasts a revolutionary fluffy structure that, like down, can be blown away with just a breath. In other words, it finally combines the best of synthetic insulation—retaining warmth even when wet and easily washable—with down's loft, lightness, and packability. The question remains: how much insulation it actually provides. In any case, the line between down and synthetic insulation will continue to blur, and it's nostalgic to think that one day we'll look back and say, "Wow, there was a time when we even cared about that."

Reference: PrimaLoft Insulation Thermoplume introduction video (English)

Gear

Crescent Moon EVA All-Foam Snowshoe

The biggest talking point at the event was a new, fun-filled snowshoe collection developed by a young Colorado outdoor gadget manufacturer seven years in the making! Its outsole is essentially a combination of different EVA foam compositions, like a running shoe, and its foot shape is wide and long enough to provide buoyancy, with a curved design that aids in smooth walking. And best of all, it's incredibly lightweight. While regular snowshoes use the toe as a support point, allowing the heel to move up and down, these shoes appear to have a fixed heel. Nevertheless, watching the video, it's clear that they're incredibly easy to walk in. While they're certainly not suited to tough terrain, they're incredibly comfortable for enjoying a walk on flat snowfields. It's hard to put into words, but this may be the new activity known as "snowshoeing."

 

Garmin fenix5

Although it was actually announced at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) before OR, this is undoubtedly the biggest surprise of the new year. Garmin's flagship model, the fenix, which has made a remarkable shift from a manufacturer of in-car and outdoor GPS devices to the fitness, multi-sport, and smartwatch fields, has evolved after a two-year hiatus. The previous model, the 3, was already packed with more than enough features, but this model has been significantly upgraded with improved map functions, communication functions, smartphone connectivity, heart rate measurement as standard, and longer battery life. What's most pleasing is the even more refined design. It feels natural to wear every day. I want a model that supports Japanese maps!!

Salomon S/Lab X-Alp Boot

The popularity of backcountry skiing is real. Major ski brands are releasing ambitious models of touring ski boots (also suitable for mountain skiing) one after another, something that would have been unthinkable in the past. At first glance, they the Prok line . However, this model is said to place more emphasis on rigidity and stability during downhill skiing. As a result, they are slightly heavier than the Arc'teryx models. As sister brands from the same Amer Sports Group, they have similar concepts, but each competes in their own area of ​​expertise. In any case, as someone who isn't very good at skiing, this is the one for me!

Yaktrax Summit

This newcomer to the spike crampon (or chain crampon?) genre, known for its ease of use on low winter mountains where 12-prong crampons aren't necessary, as well as on frozen roads, features a Boa closure that fastens with a wire and dial. Boa closures, which first appeared on snowboard boots, have gained remarkable momentum in recent years, but it feels like they've finally reached this stage. While previous chain spikes required a firm pull on the elastic rubber to fasten, these now fasten quickly, easily, and securely with just a simple slip-on and a turn of the dial—that alone is enough to warrant a purchase. I'm always in awe of the overseas market's relentless pursuit of better gear and their relentless pursuit of creating it

SUPERFEET 3D PRINTED INSOLES AND DIGITAL FIT

Perhaps we're finally entering an era where insoles can be easily customized. Superfeet, a leading insole brand that designs insoles based on podiatric medical theory, has partnered with HP and SafeSize to develop a system that allows anyone to easily 3D scan their feet at a retail store and order insoles tailored to their feet. While there are several stores in Japan that offer custom products, this system allows users to scan their feet, receive recommendations for the best shoes (though the selection appears to be limited), or even order insoles tailored to their foot shape, all on a single panel. For someone like me striving for a perfect fit, this system is a dream come true. It would be wonderful if this system could link recommendations to a database of all shoe manufacturers

goTenna Mesh

Hurricane Sandy, which struck the United States in 2012, destroyed telecommunications facilities. In response to this devastation, a Brooklyn-based startup developed goTenna in 2014. This wireless communication device allows users to send and receive text messages and location information even outside of carrier coverage. If you're a gadget enthusiast, you may have heard of it before. Simply put, this device allows users who are paired with a goTenna to send and receive text messages and share GPS location data, even when they're miles away from each other and without an internet connection

The Achilles' heel of the previous generation model was that it didn't work well in mountains, valleys, or around tall buildings, because the signal could be blocked by large physical obstacles. Mesh overcomes this issue, using the same underlying technology, but now allows devices to relay data between each other to create a mesh network, dramatically extending the communication distance. It's far more convenient than walkie-talkies for communicating with teammates in areas with no signal, and multiple teams working together can even relay the network from deep in the mountains to town. If it's constantly functioning in mountainous areas with many climbers, it could be a valuable disaster prevention tool

However, it seems that it cannot be used in Japan at present because the radio frequency band used is not compatible

   

Related reading

Summary of the latest gears that interest you at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2016
A summary of popular trends from the largest outdoor gear fair in the United States, "Outdoor Retailer Winter Market" (part 1)
A summary of popular trends from the largest outdoor gear fair in the United States, "Outdoor Retailer Winter Market" (part 2)
We will be participating in the 2015 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, one of the world's largest outdoor gear fairs!