Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012: Top Ten ORWMoments

If you've spent some time on this website, you'll know that the Outdoor Retailer shows can be a bit extreme for me and the people around me. No one went to the hospital this year, although another Columbia Sportswear employee did get hurt (sorry Adam), so I'll call this one a success. Here are a few context-free highlights from the trip.

1. Seeing oil explode out of a vat of molten salt at the Easton Mountain Products factory tour. Ka-BOOM!

2. Listening to Gearjunkie.com founder Stephen Regenold speak of his love of Buff headwear: "I think I wear one every day of my life."

3. Watching half a dozen blind-drunk people from [will remain nameless] apparel company stagger out of their plainly marked limo, then miraculously find their way into the Red Door lounge. Apparently, Kiwis know how to party.

4. Hearing iRunFar.com's (hilarious) Bryon Powell encourage our driver to have a glass of wine by saying "Well, you're not driving NOW..."

5. Seeing Columbia Sportswear's social media manager Adam Buchanan getting cracked on the head with a piece of street art. Sorry about that, A-bomb...

6. Admitting that I came to Outdoor Retailer with my mom's computer (long story).

7. Trying to write down all the courses of our meal at The Yurt at Solitude, but giving up when I couldn't pronounce half of the items. 

8. Realizing that no matter how many shoes I have, I need more.Thanks, Saucony.

9. Receiving a sample flask (still in its packaging) that happened to be pre-loaded with Maker's Mark whiskey. Deluxe model, anyone?

10. Seeing our collective Outdoor Retailer experience summed up in this video. Great job, Verde PR!

You want gear stuff, check out TheGearcaster.com or GearJunkie.com. These guys have tons of great gear content. Or heck, you could even read some of my gear reviews over at ActiveJunky.com/thefix or Wired.com. It's not bad either.

ORWM Day 1 Highlights: Gluten-Free Goodies, Waterproof Down, and...Other Cool Stuff.

Holy cow, Day 1 is done, and I'm beat. I hope you guys are happy, I missed the Michael Franti concert to write (among other things) this post. You're welcome. Here are your dang highlights. 

PROBAR is adding four new flavors to their roster: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, SuperFruit Slam (not to be confused with SuperFOOD Slam), and Peanut Butter. The Peanut Butter and Chocolate based flavors are tasty and dessert-y, but the SuperFruit Slam is amazing. Tangy and sweet, it tastes like an extremely substantial fruit rollup.

Also, the Fruition bars are going gluten free by March. They're not changing any of the ingredients, since they're all already glutenless, but now they're only buying oats processed in a gluten-free facility. Celiacs rejoice.

This fall, Brooks Range Mountaineering is releasing the Mojave Down Jacket, filled with 800-fill, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial down. Oh, did I mention that it's waterproof? Yup, they've taken a Pertex Quantum shell and stuffed it full of the iPhone of outdoor gear: down that keeps is insulative properties when it gets wet. Downtek is treated with nanoparticles of a waterproof polymer, making it impervious to moisture, potentially eliminating down's only weakness as a jacket-stuffer.

I'm stoked to hear that Pearl iZumi is going to be catering more to ultra-endurance athletes. Their Ultra Barrier WxB Jacket is a great way to get started with this new direction. Made with their quick-drying, sweat-wicking Minerale fabric combined with a stretchy, water- and windproof exterior, the jacket is a great way to warm and dry on long runs. For the ultra set, they've bolstered the shoulders with a tacky reinforcement. Sticky tacky, not style tacky. Reinforcement to keep hydration packs from abrading the jacket, and tacky to keep the shoulder straps in place whilst you run. Paired with their Ultra Tights with pockets for Amphipod bottles, and you're good to go for your next 50k.

I was checking out Julbo's mountaineering line of sunglasses for a Wired.com review, but one of their multisport glasses really caught my eye (see what I did there?) today. Their Ultra sunglasses are lightweight, vented, and rock an open frame to give you a wide field of vision on your bike. What really grabbed my attention was how flexible the Zebra photochromic lens was - you could bend it back and forth in your hand. This means two things: one, that the lens bends instead of breaks when you take a header and two, the next time you faceplant, said lenses won't carve a divot out of your cheekbone. Which is good, because I like my face the way it is. 

Alright, it's past midnight - I'm gotta go crash.

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012: Demo Day Highlights

Hey hey, it was demo day at Solitude Mountain Resort, and the booths were out in force. The snow started falling around 1pm, and the booths were clogged with people trying on boots, getting fitted for skis, and slapping YakTrax on their boots. It's already looking like a good event, with the mainstays rolling out some new innovations and the upstart companies hitting back with some interesting pieces of their own. Here are some Trek Tech highlights.

Recon Instruments adds Scott and Smith Optics to their lineup.
Recon Instruments, the guys who brought you the in-goggle head's up display,are adding big eyewear names Scott and Smith Optics to their line of Recon-compatible goggles. Soon, you'll be able to see just how much hang time you got on that kicker so you can brag with precision. 

Nargear introduces Military-Spec packs for civilian use. 
According to Nargear.com, these guys make packs for wildland firefighters and Fire/Rescue crews. And now, Nargear is introducing tough-as-nails packs for the likes of us. With heavy-duty 1000 denier fabric and double-stitched with military-spec parachute thread, Nargear's offerings for backcountry skiers and snowboarders look like they'll be able to survive wrecks that will end you. Just plain end you. So whoever finds your frozen corpse will end up with a sweet pack.

Easton Mountain Products and YakTrax kill "It's snowing outside" as an excuse not to run. 
Is it icy outside? Yaktrax's XTR crampons slip on over your running shoes. Ten spikes on two flexible plates give you traction on icy roads and sidewalks, keeping you on your feet and off your butt. Too much snow? Easton Mountain Products' Vo2 snowshoes let you mount your choice of shoes to the deck. A floating mounting joint and the flexion point behind the ball of the feet give you a natural feel, and carbon fiber decking keep the snowshoe's weight to a minimum.

Osprey adds a minimal lift and sidecountry ski pack to their lineup.
With its low-profile Karve series, Osprey brings a slim pack that will fit the essentials (reservoir, shovel, probe, food, extra layer), but is sits comfortably on a ski lift. An innovative diagonal zip design caught my eye, and the economy with which it stores said items kept it. Can't wait to try one of these guys.

Lots of good stuff, and the show hasn't even started yet. Things are looking good for this week.

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012 Day 1(ish): Easton Mountain Products Factory Tour

The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012 officially starts tomorrow, but Easton Mountain Products has no problem giving the trade show's early arrivals a special treat: a tour through their Salt Lake City facility followed by a delicious dinner at Settebello Pizzeria Nepoletana. EMP's marketing coordinator Rich Packer took a group of journalists through the factory and showed us the process by which your ridiculously light tent poles (and stakes, and snowshoes, and trekking poles, and arrows) are made. I'll have a full overview of the tour after the show, but here are a few photos to keep you sated:

EMP's marketing coordinator Rich Packer takes writers step-by-step though the process of making super-light goodies.

Your future trekking poles, maybe? Some stacks of rolled and welded aluminum waiting to be softened in the ovens. 

Part of the strengthening process involves heating the poles in molten salt. The factory workers added extra oil to this batch to show what happens when the oil and 900-degree salt mix. Here's a hint: awesome happens. 

Tomorrow's the All-Mountain Demo day at Solitude Mountain Resort. Check twitter for live updates and back here tomorrow night for the report.

The Fix: GoLite Ashdown Pro Shell 3L Jacket Review

GoLite Ashdown Pro Shell 3-Layer Jacket ($450, www.GoLite.com)

Short of being eaten by something bigger and meaner than you, few things can ruin a trip outside like spending it soaking wet and freezing. If you're going to be kicking butt and taking names no matter what the weather (since you're reading The Fix, we assume that you are), you're going to need a shell that'll take all the punishment that mother nature can dish out.


When it first arrived at Active Junky, the Ashdown didn't make a huge impression at first. With so many jackets to test, it takes a heck of a piece to make an impression, but in the never-ending quest for the perfect shell, GoLite's Ashdown Pro Shell 3-Layer Jacket makes a strong argument for one of the top spots.

Read the full review here at Activejunky.com/thefix. 

TransRockies Running Camps

Last August, I ran the TransRockies Run3, a 60 mile run across the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. No big deal, just 60 miles in three days at around 11,000 feet above sea level. Hung out with Dean Karnazes. You know, the usual.

What's got two thumbs and loves the Rockies?

Seriously, it was the most well-organized and enjoyable event I've ever attended. If you wonder how running 60 miles or (120 miles in the six-day option) can be fun, just check out the Trail Strider videos and see for yourself.

Between the spectacular scenery, amazing food, tent cities, and the amazing friendships that I made, I likened the experience to a running camp.

Someone at the event must have overheard my observation, because TransRockies Events has unveiled the first of a series of trail running camps. Set in stunning locations, these running vacations are perfect for people who aren't content to lay around on the beach all day.
They're starting out with the Intro to Trail Running camp in Banff, Alberta, Canada on May 6-12, 2012. Gear towards beginning trail runners, the event features daily guided mountain trail runs, nutrition/goal setting/running form info sessions, and full access and lodging at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Here's a sample day schedule.

7:00-8:30am Breakfast
9:00-10:30am Info Session – classroom style.
11:00am Depart for Trail Run #1:  (8-15km)
2:00pm Return from Trail Run – smoothie bar and ongoing refreshments available throughout afternoon.
2:00-5:00pm Free time, yoga, swimming, facility access.
5:30pm Depart for group dinner

Following events include an Ultimate Trail Running Camp geared towards more advanced runners, a Women's Only camp, and Couples and Singles camps.

It's the perfect vacation for the runner in your life. Particularly if you want to see a grown-up version of this:

Waterproof Warmth: Polymer-Treated Feathers Fix Down's Downside

Everyone loves the warmth, weight, and packability of down, but nobody likes how it loses all of its insulating properties when it gets wet. When moisture gets to it, down clumps up, takes forever to dry, and leaves the wearer wet, cold and wishing he'd gone synthetic.

A piece of polymer-treated down.

You can make a jacket waterproof, but if the DWR breaks down and moisture gets inside, you're out of luck. The problem with making the actual down feathers waterproof is that every piece of the feather needs to be coated with waterproof treatment, down to the micron-length barbicels, which is a code that nobody's been able to crack. 

Until now, apparently. Cincinnati company Down Decor has found a way to eliminate down products' its susceptibility to water. Using a treatment developed in a Belgian lab, down feathers are completely coated with water-resistant polymer, allowing water to roll off the fliaments like...well, you know. I'm guessing that the treatment is either some type of aerosol spray or grown on genetically manipulated plastic geese. Either way, this could be the holy grail of insulation: lightweight, warm, packs down to wee proportions, and now, waterproof. Clients like Marmot are already developing jackets.

They'll be demonstrating the miracle feathers this month at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. I'll post an update after I see them in action.

It's only been five days, but 2012 is starting to look like the future already. It's no hoverboard, but it'll do for now.

Keep an eye out for this stuff in jackets in 2012/2013

Wired.com: Ortovox Mountain Skyver Review

Have you ever hiked up a mountain and thought, “Man, I wish I could just ride a bike back down?”

The German company Ortovox has granted that wish with its Mountain Skyver Trail bike. It’s actually more of a bike/scooter hybrid — it has front and rear disc brakes and full suspension like a mountain bike, but no seat, gears, chain or pedals. It folds up and fits into a specialized backpack, allowing you to hike up a trail and ride back down.

Read the whole review here at Wired.com. 

Also, since I'm all about the value-add, here's a quick video of me setting up the Skyver and promptly taking a dive on it.