New Gear Highlights From Winter Outdoor Retailer 2011

Outdoor Retailer, that magical time of year when a man’s fancy turns to…gear? I guess that’s what it’s all about, on the surface anyway. Really it’s more fun to hang out with friends you only see every now and then, sharing stories of adventures past and big plans in the year ahead. But we were indeed there to check out all the fancy new widgets and whosamabobs that are coming out in the fall of 2011. Overall, there wasn’t a whole lot of oohing and ahhing on the climbing side of things. In fact, it felt pretty stagnant in the innovation department, but I guess that’s the state of climbing for you. Aside from everything getting lighter and lighter, there’s not much groundbreaking news from the front line of product development. That being said, there was some cool new stuff, and here’s a few things that stood out.

Black Diamond

The new Half Dome helmet is pretty snazzy looking, it’s lighter and the suspension was redesigned for a more comfortable fit. BD also has their new Gridlock belay ‘biner coming out, as well as the Hoodwire which in their words offers “keylock functionality with wiregate performance.” Also, their harnesses all got minor improvements as well, including new colors.

La Sportiva

The big news here was their new ski and boot line, which is super impressive if that’s your bag. On the rock front, the Python slipper hits shops this spring and looks like a stellar indoor/bouldering shoe. It’s basically a modified Cobra and could be quite popular with gym/pebble wrestling crowd.

Petzl

The big news here was of course the impending launch of the GriGri 2, the anticipation of which is nearing critical mass and they are poised to sell out faster than a Britney Spears concert in 2001. Also on deck are the slick wiregate Ange ‘biners and the super durable Xion 10.1 mm rope. All of these products should be coming soon to a store near you.

Five Ten

Again, much of the same as the summer show here, but the good news is that the Super Moc and Quantum shoes should be available soon. With added rubber on the toe, the Super Moc appears to be poised to become the high end crack climber’s shoe of choice, but time will tell.

Evolv

This was one of the few companies that actually had quite a bit of news to share. First off, the shoe designed entirely from the ground up by Chris Sharma, the Shaman, will be out this spring. Next up, there are two new shoes designed by Jeremy Collins that look great for those of us with narrower feet. The Geshido (Get Shit Done) comes in a lace up and velcro version, and looks like one of the finest offerings from Evolv to date. Lastly, the Optimus Prime now comes in a lace up, and the velcro got an upgrade. They also have a cool looking new approach shoe, the Geronmio.

Prana

Some different stuff coming from these guys, including the Stinger series, a line of insulating jackets that looked more like something you’d find at Patagonia. They of course feature the usual Prana style, and should really appeal to those who want to look good both on and off the rocks. Prana is also starting a cool initiative to eliminate waste that comes from shipping out their products. As is standard in the clothing industry, every garment is shipped with individual plastic wrapping, which ads up to a lot of waste. Someone over there finally put their foot down and decided to do something about it, so they have set a goal of reducing their use of plastic bags in 2011 by 500,000 units.

In an industry that loves to talk green, but rarely walks the walk, it’s cool to see them taking this step. The OR show in general has a pretty massive environmental impact, from everyone flying/driving in, to all the crap that gets shipped to Salt Lake and back, to the lack of easy access to recycling in the Salt Palace itself. But I digress. Way to go Prana for actually trying to make a difference.

Metolius

Lots of new stuff here, including the new Recon crash pad, a smaller version of the Magnum built with the same durable materials and the three panel system so it folds up small for storage. The Anchor Chain looks interesting, and is designed to offer a quick and easy way to setup an anchor. There was also the lightweight Bravo ‘biners and quickdraw, new PAS, the Ultimate Daisy Chain, and a nut tool so light you’ll have to hold it to believe it.

Outdoor Research

The Alibi jacket, which came out this winter, is the perfect blend of hard and soft shells for ice climbing, and next season you can complete the package with the Alibi pants. They also redesigned their ice climbing gloves, which are super impressive. And one of the coolest things I saw all show is a new down beanie. It’s not that stylie, but as an emergency piece to keep in your pack, it’s lightweight and super functional.

Mammut

As part of celebrating their 150th anniversary, they are launching a completely new line of technical clothing, and a couple packs, in some of the brightest colors seen this side of the 1980’s. As usual you’ll find the Swiss attention to detail they are known for, and anyone considering upgrading some tech wear next year should give this stuff a serious look, even if you might get the odd stare or two walking down the street.

Camp

Before last show, I didn’t have much experience with Camp, but I’m quickly coming to respect their drive to make lightweight but durable gear that performs well whether you are at the crag or high in the mountains. The Photon is a full size wiregate ‘biner that weighs in at a scant 29 grams, and they have a couple new ice tools as well. The X-Dry is an all arounder that will appeal to those who spend most of their time in the mountains, and the X-Dream is for the steep ice and mixed cragger who will appreciate the ability to switch the handle between optimum positions for rock or ice, depending on what your goal is for the day.

Others

Sanuk had some great new sandals, Gregory had some really nice looking new travel packs, Scarpa has the women’s Vapor series and Grivel had some medieval looking mixed tools that we were almost afraid to touch lest we turn into some kind of cave dwelling comp climber.