The Evolution Highway of Outdoor Gear

They say that in a jungle everything is alive. The complex and beautiful nature of a jungle is a bi-product of evolution. You can walk through a jungle a thousand times and never see it all. In fact, a jungle is always changing. There is always something new, something fresh.

During the first weekend of August, we found ourselves in a proverbial jungle surrounded by gear, gear and more gear at the bi-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, UT. Our booth resembled a mini-trade show in and of itself as we showcased products from Vaude, Grivel, Trekmates, Beal, Edelweiss, Outdoor Designs, Cypher, Nalgene, Singing Rock, Cypher, Omega Pacific, Peregrine, Trangia, Olicamp, and a few others. The OR show is an exciting time for us as we are able to not only represent these brands, but also unveil their newest and freshest gear.

We introduced the public to Beal’s new line of harnesses, climbing hardware, helmets, headlamps, and their triple-award winning dynamic half-rope.

The big announcement for Edelweiss was the introduction of Unicore technology to their ropes, as well as a new line of harnesses, helmets, and headlamps.

Many ice and alpine enthusiasts were delighted to see the new crampon accessory from Grivel, in addition to the news that the Grivel Condor will now be available in the U.S.

We got to showcase two new down jackets by Valandre, two new models of Cypher climbing shoes, three new trekking packs from Vaude, and got everyone excited about the smallest and lightest butane backpacking stove by Olicamp.

The feedback on all the new designs and products was very positive. The new Beal Gully 7.3mm Unicore received the Best New Gear Award from Gear Institute and the Best In Show Award from Gear Junkie, all after having received the OutDoor Industry GOLD Award a month before.

The American Alpine Institute presented the Grivel G12 crampon with a plaque for upholding its position as being the "best all-around crampon."

The OR Daily publication highlighted the new Vaude Centauri trekking pack and new Peregrine Saker sleeping bags as some of the "sharpest-looking new products" while also including the new Vaude Shuttle Comfort child carrier and the Grivel Condor in their collection of Editor’s Picks.

The Outdoor Retailer show floor was full of new colors and designs as well as innovative features and accessories. With all the gear that we had on display, in addition to what was around us, the OR show resembled a vibrant jungle; a jungle that was at the cusp of its evolutionary cycle.

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