Trends » Outdoor Retailer News

OR delivers a fresh crop of lightweight, innovative, and useful gear. Read More...

We sorted through tons of apparel and footwear to find the lightweight standouts suitable for hiking and backpacking. Read More...

For those who like less on their feet, OR didn't disappoint. For those who like more on their wrist, OR didn't disappoint in that area either. And for those who venture in the outdoors as a family, there were a few nuggets worth noting. Read More...

We found lots of new lightweight shelters and sleep gear this time. We present them together in this article so you can compare them more easily. Doing so brings out some realizations regarding weight, roominess, and cost. Read More...

Since 2004, when Backpacking Light published Alan Dixon’s manifesto on Waterproof Breathable Fabric Technologies, we have been a “whisper in the wilderness” extolling the benefits of truly breathable fabrics, like eVent. Now we are seeing the beginning of a waterproof-breathable fabric revolution. Read More...

Enduring sleep deprivation and a cold, we roamed the show on the final day and found some very interesting gear – new trail crampons, very lightweight rain mitts, more collapsible trekking poles, a 9-ounce snow shovel, cool apparel and footwear, and more... Read More...

This is not our backpacking gear list (honest!); today we again report on a wide variety of new gear – a new bear canister, more collapsible trekking poles, an insulating skirt for your derriere, lightweight high output lights, an ultralight down jacket from an unlikely source, more footwear, etc, etc... Read More...

Lots of footwear today, for the trail and snow, plus an assortment of jackets, a to-die-for backcountry ski system from La Sportiva, Big Agnes introduces new lightweight trekking poles, a new Klymit skeletal sleeping pad, a 12 ounce sleeping bag from Terra Nova, a 2.3-ounce Quantum GL windshirt from Montane, and more, and more... Read More...

The show is underway and we are finding loads of new and interesting lightweight gear to report on. Enjoy! Read More...

New/upgraded snowshoes from MSR, Atlas, Tubbs, and Kahtoola; lightweight Kahtoola crampons; and a new “sidecountry” ski pack from Osprey. Read More...

The dust has settled, sleep has been snatched, and I've processed the more intriguing themes of the Show. Read More...

The daily perspective: NEED. MORE. ESPRESSO. Read More...

Columbia Thermal Reflective, Pertex Quantum GL, Polartec Power Shield Pro, Polartec Yarn applications, and a case against wool for hiking socks. Read More...

We present our final lightweight gear finds and summarize the trends we noticed at this Outdoor Retailer. Read More...

The daily perspective: Can I just live here? Hang out and drink... beverages, talking super-tech about gear with the coolest people in the world? Read More...

Lightweight gear – no problem. Innovation – yes. Things we would like to see – lots of 'em. Read More...

Depending on how tuned-in you are to current running trends, you may have noticed that there is a new movement starting to gain traction among runners: barefoot running and minimalist footwear. Read More...

The daily perspective: I wish that everyone could truly understand just how much brilliance and passion go into the outdoor products we buy and use. Read More...

Another productive day turns up another batch of truly innovative and lightweight gear. Read More...

The daily perspective of an industry vet on the show floor for the first time: "A fantastic all-systems overload." Read More...

OR never ceases to amaze – always something new, something different, and something bizarre! The gear just keeps getting better and lighter. Read More...

While the first day of Outdoor Retailer is dedicated to water sport, we found a few products that could carry over for backpacking as well... plus some that are just plain fun, no bones about it! Read More...

SPOT and DeLorme introduce the DeLorme PN-60w with SPOT Communicator, and ACR announces the SarLink View. Both allow text messaging via satellite from remote locations, which goes beyond just chatting, enabling you to provide important information to people on the outside. Read More...

Summer OR is underway! We begin our coverage with new products from small companies who specialize in ultralight backpacking gear, including some new names. Read More...

Pertex Shield rainwear is more breathable than polyurethane laminates and similar in weight and price. Read More...

Rab updates their line of lightweight sleeping bags. Read More...

After five glorious days of all the sweet new stuff retailers can offer, we're home and recovering from the high. Our last blog blizzard of some standouts. Read More...

Heineken beer can based Caldera system capable of cooking for two people. Read More...

Brooks-Range introduces some truly lightweight gear equally suited to winter camping or summer ultralight backpacking. Read More...

New cooking systems allow a hiker to use wood fuel when conditions are right and use alcohol or Esbit fuels as a backup. Read More...

Klymit launches their first products based on their noble gas inflation technology. Read More...

GoLite wants to give people a backcountry bedroom (with the emphasis on "room") in their new Eden tent line. These hoop-style tents boast fast set-up, big vestibules, and lots of space for living. Read More...

Lots of good stuff in our day 3 roundup: a 2.4-ounce day pack, a new integrated canister fuel cooking system, new 3-pound internal frame backpacks, and 11-ounce mid-height hikers, to mention a few. Read More...

Internal rechargeable lithium polymer battery, 60 lumen output, three main beam modes, IPX7 (1 meter, 30 minutes) waterproof rating, 3.5 ounces, strobing rear red “taillight," all for $80.00. Read More...

The Gorilla is a refined internal frame or frameless pack - the outcome of years of ultralight backpack evolution. Read More...

While boaters know that there is nothing worse than being up a creek without a paddle, backpackers might find it just as upsetting to be up a Creek without a Fly. Thankfully, the Fly comes with the Creek in Big Agnes' lightest two-person tent ever: the Fly Creek 2. Read More...

Wednesday's standouts and goodies - we continue to find lots of interesting gear and technology stories on the floor of the Salt Palace. Read More...

Nemo Equipment Inc. is busy at this year's OR show, introducing two new lines of tents, including the Espri series of lightweight double-wall that offer fast set-up, good protection from the elements, and a plethora of entry options. Read More...

McMurdo offers tried and true 406Mhz band Personal Locator Beacon performance in a 5.3-ounce package. How will it compare against the current crop of personal signaling devices? Read More...

Nemo Equipment Inc. throws their hat in the trekking-pole-supported-shelter ring with the Meta series of single-wall tents. Read More...

ACR's newest and lightest PLB includes a high performance GPS receiver, 5 Watt 406 MHz distress signal transmission, 121.5 MHz homing capability, and a high intensity LED strobe. Read More...

Personal locator devices (PLDs) are a hot, rapidly evolving area for the outdoor market. An overview of where we think it's headed (and why). Read More...

Open Air Demo consists of booths and boats – and there is always something new, something interesting, and something unique. Read More...

A bright and lightweight LED headlamp from battery giant Energizer that offers several attractive features at $30 and 3.1 oz with a lithium battery (as weighed by BPL). Read More...

New lighter and smaller SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger Read More...

A grueling first day at summer 2009 OR rewarded us with loads of lightweight goodies; here's a first installment, with more to come. Read More...

Henry Shires performs his magic once again – the new Tarptent Moment has one hoop pole, two stakes, sets up in less than a minute, and has loads of room for one person. Read More...

CamelBak introduces a complete and easy to use UV water purification system, marking the adoption of this proven technology by a big company. Read More...

What can you expect from our coverage of the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market next week? Read More...

There is a cost of doing business in the outdoor industry, especially as a collective whole. Can social media alleviate some of that cost, or is it simply a mechanism for increasing the clutter of information coming from OR? Read More...