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Archive for the ‘Outdoor Retailer’ Category

OR Summer Market – Ex Officio

Thursday, August 14th, 2014

Time and again I come back to Ex Officio for performance clothing that looks good enough to wear to business meetings. Many have adopted travel vests or photographer’s vests or range vests over the years due to their ability to conceal a pistol beneath as well as load carrying capacity. At one point, they were civilian clothing load carriage. But that’s the problem. They look like you’re carrying something so they’ve been abandoned.

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At OR, I saw the Men’s FlyQ Lite Vest. It is cut large enough that you can concealed carry beneath it and all of the load carriage options are on the inside. Additionally, it incorporates a drop tail, rear hem. The styling is pretty straight forward with two upper chest, Napoleon-style pockets and two handwarmer slash pockets. The real secret are the 11 interior pockets, sized for a wide variety of items. If you’re a guy who wants to wear a vest but doesn’t want to stand out, this may just the thing you’ve been looking for.

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Coming in Spring 2015 in Lt Khaki, Walnut (shown) and Black.

www.exofficio.com

OR Summer Market – goTenna

Thursday, August 14th, 2014

Probably the coolest thing I ran across at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market was goTenna.

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Even if there is no wireless infrastructure where you’re headed, goTennna pairs with your smartphone enabling you to text and share your location with other devices. Or, maybe you want your own secure network. GoTenna will even work while your device is in airplane mode. Like, if you don’t want “the man” listening in on your messages. At least not without some serious work.

The device connects via Bluetooth so it must be within 20 feet of the goTenna, which retransmits messages in the 151-154 MHz band.

With location share and ping, think of it as a poor man’s Blue Force Tracker. Granted, range may be an issue due to the 2watt radio but looking at the advantages (location and secure txt), it’s definitely worth a look. They predict varying ranges but line of sight will have a lot to play in any results.

City street to city street: 0.5-1 mile
Forest to forest: 2-3 miles
Water to water: 4-6 miles
Desert to desert: 4-6 miles

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In addition to subscriber to subscriber texting, you can also text to messenger groups. There is also auto message retry if the receiver is out of range. Compatible with Android and iOS, the goTenna offers RSA-1024 encryption and self-destruct messages. Conversely, you can store thousands of messages in the flash memory.

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The rechargeable lithium battery offers a 3-day life. Weighing in at 2 oz, it attaches via strap to your pack or elsewhere. You could even mount inside a bag if need be.

So, think about it. Low power, Bluetooth connection, encryption, self-destruct txt, and all FCC approved. At less than $150 a pair, everyone should have a set just to keep track of loved ones at Disney.

gotenna.com

OR Summer Market – Five Ten

Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

First up from Five Ten is the Cat Burglar. It offers a climbing-inspired outsole as well as synthetic suede insoles for barefoot wear. Shown is Black/Night Grey.

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The Cat Burglar is part of several new or improved models of the popular Guide Tennie from Five Ten. In addition to low and mid height models they’ve also introduced a Gore-Tex lined version.

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You’ll also notice low and mid Camp Four including GTX model.

www.fiveten.com

OR Summer Market – Sierra Designs

Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

Last year Sierra Designs introduced the Pack Trench, which a long rain coat that offers a from the bottom zip flap that allows you to wear a pack waist belt and lay the front flap of the coat over the belt. It’s a great design and I’ve been wearing one when I need a longer trench-style coat for about 6 months.

At Summer Market, Sierra Designs introduced the next generation in lightweight rainwear.

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It consists of a cagoule-style top with the same waist belt flap of the trench and a set of rain chaps. When paired with a longer jacket like this cagoule, chaps are a great idea. They eliminate the crotch area that rips and causes heat buildup. Made from 40D coated fabric, these are a great lightweight alternative to many rain suits.

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Coming Spring 2015 from www.sierradesigns.com

OR Summer Market – La Sportiva

Tuesday, August 12th, 2014

La Sportiva has introduced new models which incorporate the Gore-Tex Surround technology which offers increased breathability for waterproof footwear.

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In addition to the Gore-Tex Surround liner, the Core High GTX features STB technology which stabilizes the foot by wrapping the midsole and attaching it to the upper.

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Here you can see a cross section of the Core High GTX.

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www.sportiva.com

OR Summer Market – Gerber Introduces Freescape Series

Tuesday, August 12th, 2014

Gerber introduced a new line of products called the Freescape Series. Available this month, the car camping line consists of Hatchet, Camp Kitchen Knife, Camp Paring knife, Folding Sheath Knife, Camp Saw, Camp Kitchen Kit, Flashlight, and two lantern styles.

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The Hatchet’s sheath can be stowed in the handle for use so that you don’t lose it.

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Below, you can see several of the new knives in the Freescape Series.

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This video by Gerber gives you some info on the Camp Kitchen Knife.

Below, is the Flashlight which is a triangle shape so it won’t roll off.

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Several of the items are already available including the Hatchet and Lanterns.

www.gerbergear.com

Both Large and Small Lanterns incorporate touch technology which allows you to turn them on and off as well as dim control with the touch of a finger.

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OR Summer Market – Salomon

Monday, August 11th, 2014

New colors coming 2015 for the SpeedCross.

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OR Summer Market – Brooks Range

Monday, August 11th, 2014

I’ve mentioned the Brooks Range Elephant Foot Sleeping Bag in the past but it remains one of the simplest, yet effective items out there.

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Designed to work in concert with a parka, the Elephant Foot Sleeping Bag covers your feet to offer full, to-toe coverage. It weighs 18 oz and is filled with 8.5oz of 850+ DownTek treated goose down for waterproofness. The 20D shell incorporates a foot box lined with 40D nylon for abrasion resistance yet maintaining minimal weight.

http://brooks-range.com/Elephant-Foot.html