Articles (2020)

The premise, jointly announced earlier this week by Olympus and Panasonic, combines several elements in a way heretofore unknown to digital cameras: a very compact body, a sensor lifted directly from dSLRs, interchangeable lenses, autofocus, and real-time LCD/EVF viewing.

The Four-Thirds consortium evidently looked at their dSLR standard and asked, "What could we do if we dropped the SLR mirror box, pentaprism viewfinder, and 100% telecentric lens requirement, but kept the chip and the lens communications?"

What they could do is thin the camera body by about half and reduce lens-to-chip distance, lens mount diameter, and lens sizes, coining a new system name: Micro Four-Thirds.

To place this proposal into context, the smallest Four-Thirds cameras are the smallest and lightest dSLRs ever made: the Olympus E-400, 410, and 420. Yet the Micro Four-Thirds bodies can be less than half the dSLR thickness and likely as not, half the weight. It’s not unreasonable to anticipate perhaps six- to eight-ounce bodies and even two- or three-ounce lenses. Equally important, certain body-lens combinations will be pocketable or could at least slip into a small belt case, always at hand. What the photographer-backpacker can expect is dSLR results from a toy-sized camera.

Eliminating the SLR mirror ensures Micro Four-Thirds cameras will be quieter and simpler, and suffer less shutter vibration. Eliminating the optical viewfinder (OVF) means photographers will be relegated to an electronic view finder (EVF) or rear LCD screen, which to date haven’t been as easy to use. (Note: zooming rangefinder OVFs exist, but accurate ones are complex and expensive.)

Via an adapter, existing Four-Thirds lenses will work on Micro Four-Thirds bodies, retaining most functions. However, most of the current lenses will dwarf the new cameras.

Changing Chips Alter Design Requirements

Of great importance, if not well understood, is the relaxation of Four-Thirds’ rigid telecentric lens standard. CCD imaging chips used in early digicams need light to hit the chip surface at a perpendicular angle, as their photosites sit in depressions that off-angle light can’t reach evenly. This creates havoc that the original Four-Thirds standard addressed by demanding system lenses be perpendicular (telecentric). However, newer NMOS chips new used by Olympus and Panasonic don’t suffer fatally from angled light, and advanced in-camera processing can address intensity differences that still occur across the frame.

This allows the Micro Four-Thirds rear lens element to sit closer to the chip which, in turn, allows lenses to be smaller. Thus unleashed, camera and lens designers can now employ classic wide angle lens designs unusable in SLRs, create zooms with rear elements that protrude into the camera body, and shrink many lens parts.

Unanswered Questions

Other than the system details unveiled this week, we know nothing about actual Micro Four-Thirds cameras-what they look like, how they’ll be equipped, what lenses and accessories will be available, when they’ll be available, what they’ll cost, or how much they’ll weigh. We do know they’re likely to rely on contrast-detection autofocus rather than phase-detection (as used in dSLRs). Will EVFs be built in or only be a slip-on accessory? We don’t know. The new system will allow video-impossible with current dSLRs-and autofocus will likely be contained inside the lens, not the body. We don’t know whether image stability is possible and if so, if it will be in-body or lens-based. We also don’t know whether Leica and Sigma, current Four-Thirds makers, will issue Micro cameras and lenses. One guarantee: due to "not invented here" syndrome, despite being an open standard, Micro Four-Thirds won’t be adopted by big players Canon and Nikon.

Is It Really New?

Only two currently available digital cameras warrant comparison to the Micro Four-Thirds concept: the Leica M8 and the Sigma DP1. The Leica, a classic mechanical rangefinder converted to digital by replacing film with an APS-C chip, uses Leica M-mount lenses dating back to the 1950s and will drain your wallet of about ten thousand dollars once fitted with a couple of lenses. The M8 is significantly larger and heavier than a Micro Four-Thirds camera is likely to be, it also lacks autofocus or, for that matter, any automation other than exposure metering. Far closer in concept, the DP1 is the first compact digicam fitted with an APS-C chip (a rare Foveon chip at that). It has a fixed, prime (non-zoom) lens, and a viewfinder is an optional accessory. It’s quite small and light, at about nine ounces, and Ryan Jordan has been putting one through its paces this summer with considerable success. A reasonably complete DP1 kit costs about a thousand dollars. To get an idea of how a Micro Four-Thirds camera might look, take a gander at the DP1 and imagine being able to swap the lens with another anytime you want.

Background

Four-Thirds is an open set of standards that revolve around the Four-Thirds imaging chip that’s roughly one-quarter the area of the standard 35mm film frame (18 x 13.5 mm vs. 36 x 24 mm). The vast majority of dSLRs use reduced format chips, and most of those are so-called APS-C chips. Compared to APS-C, Four-Thirds is less wide, slightly less tall, and a bit squarer. In practice, APS-C and Four-Thirds are essentially the same; image differences between cameras using the two arise from chip design and image processing differences, not chip size. By comparison, no compact digicam imaging chip is remotely close in size to Four-Thirds (for example, the 1/2.7" chip used in many compact digicams is 5.3 x 4 mm). So-called full-frame dSLRs do differ considerably, but are not relevant here.

National Geographic Maps web-based TOPO! Explorer (NG TEX) aims to be the iTunes of electronic mapping. Like iTunes, the application is free, and, like songs, a 1:24K USGS Topographic Quad, including satellite imagery, is only $1 (vs. $8 -$10 for a paper Quad without satellite imagery). If you own a Magellan Triton GPS it’s fairly simple to download that map to your GPS. In the field, the maps look just as good on the Triton GPS as they do on your computer. Like iTunes, the NG TEX application works and looks the same on Mac and PC.

NG TEX departs significantly from the old, PC based, TOPO! application (TOPO! Classic). TEX is based on a Mac version of NG software and looks modern, even sexy, compared to its predecessor. Gone are kludgey non-standard items like the "Traveling Tool" (replaced with the more conventional grabber hand) and the "Import Wizard." TEX is targeted at entry level uses-making basic function easy to find and use.

NG TEX launched early this summer with a small set of essential functions. NG intends to aggressively add functions, eventually including most of the features of TOPO! Classic, as well as adding many new functions. Updates and new functions were posting on an almost weekly basis after the program’s launch. For Summer Outdoor Retailer, NG is releasing new search functionality for TEX.

Many new GPS units, and now it appears mapping software programs, focus on a multi-media experience more oriented to the general public. For NG TEX, this includes the ability to load pictures and audio along with your maps and routes. You can create virtual tours of your trips that you can share with friends or with a larger community of outdoor enthusiasts in forums.

NG intends to have a large community of outdoor enthusiasts sharing information on trails and trips on in their TEX web forums. You don’t need to own the topographic quads, just the free NG TEX application, to see routes or tours uploaded by others. This should create a resource full of up-to-date information for outdoor enthusiasts. Not only will TEX have the most current USGS topographic maps (NG has a partnership with USGS), but, via the forums and other NG TEX users, one will be able to get the most up-to-date information on parks, trails, roads, access points, and other information for an upcoming trip. NG hopes that this will create an environment that encourages people to get excited about the outdoors, ultimately getting more people off of their couches and onto trails.

The Magellan Triton 2000 is a good fit with the multimedia direction. With its built-in camera and audio recorder, you can append photographs and audio to waypoints or locations along your route. The whole shebang can be uploaded after the trip to NG TEX and used to create a tour trip report.

The Triton, unlike some newer "general purpose" GPS units, still has a strong suite of navigational functions, and you don’t have to wade through a thicket of non-navigational functions to use them. The high resolution display has a number of screens, thoughtfully laid out with navigational information, but the best part of the Triton is their onscreen maps. They are exact reproductions of USGS Quads. Thus, if you are reading a route description that tells you a canyon exit is just below "T 4,996" on the map, you can actually see the "T 4,996" text on your Triton. If you use maps on other GPS units, such features are often missing and often the information can even be quite out-of-date.

I recently downloaded all of the maps for the Olympic Peninsula to my Triton 400 pre-trip (that’s a lot of Quads!). At the last minute, I ended up going someplace that I didn’t anticipate. Thus, I had no paper maps better than 1:100K for the area. I used the Triton to supplement my lower resolution map with 1:24K detail as needed, such as for finding my way up Mt. Olympus. The unit and its internal maps were golden.

The Triton also has quite good GPS reception. I was able to get a GPS fix even in heavily treed valleys of the Olympic rain forest.

A few things to know about TEX maps:

• A TEX Super Quad contains three layers 1) the actual 1:24K USGS Topographic map, 2) corresponding satellite imagery, and 3) a hybrid layer that overlays some topographic information over the satellite image
• If you purchased map CDs/DVDs with other NG TOPO! products, you won’t have to pay again. You can register your old maps with TEX. However since you only purchased topographic maps, you will not have access to the satellite and hybrid layers. For that, you’ll have to fork over a buck and download the rest of your Super Quad layers.
• While $1 may seem inexpensive for a map, the state of California has around 2,800 Quads. At some point, buying a $100 NG State Series map DVD is much less expensive (but you won’t have the satellite and hybrid layers).
• For many areas of the U.S., there is higher-resolution satellite imagery publicly available from other sources, e.g. Google Earth. You won’t be able to upload these to your GPS until Google decides to buy a GPS or comparable electronic mapping device company and integrate the two.

Garmin Oregon Series

Garmin announced its new Oregon series of GPS devices in July, and we were able to check them out at the Outdoor Retailer show. The Oregon series combines a touchscreen interface (like those on Garmin’s recent automotive units with the large display) and features of the Colorado series reviewed by BackpackingLight.com earlier this year:

On the surface, the Oregon appears to be a positive enhancement of the Colorado series: it is physically smaller than the Colorado (lacking the antenna protrusion), half an ounce lighter, and claims an additional hour of battery life. By using tapping and dragging, the touchscreen interface provides more direct and often faster entry than the Rock ‘n Roller wheel on the Colorado – and we believe it will be easier to use in a soft waterproof cover. In addition, the Oregon comes with more memory and includes a new "HotFix" feature claimed to improve position calculation times.

Other key features of the Colorado are retained in the Oregon, including customizable profiles, wireless transfers with other Garmin units and Ant-compatible devices (e.g. cadence sensors and heart rate monitors), a good-looking shaded-relief basemap, and (of less interest for backpacking use) extensive geocaching support.

The Oregon comes in a range of versions mirroring those in the Colorado series: the 400t includes preloaded shaded topographic maps, just like the Colorado 400t (no indication whether the PC version of Topo 2008 is included, but it was not included with the Colorado). The 400i and 400c include inland and saltwater maps, respectively, and the 300 includes a shaded worldwide basemap. New with the Oregon line is a 200 model, which just includes a standard basemap. All units are expandable through internal memory and SD cards.

We’ve not yet had the chance to test the Oregon and can’t yet say whether its initial software is stable and has feature parity with the Colorado. The Colorado’s software went through rapid – and needed – evolution in both bug fixes and feature additions, so we are curious to see how the Oregon compares.

The Orgeon 400t is listed as available "3rd Quarter, 2008" and retails for US$639.99 – same as the Colorado 400t. The other units range from US$479.99 for the 200 to US$639.99.

Claimed Specifications:

• Dimensions, WxHxD: .3 x 4.5 x 1.4 in (5.8 x 11.4 x 3.5 cm)
• Display size, WxH: 1.53 x 2.55 in (3.8 x 6.3 cm); 3 in (7.6 cm) diagonal
• Display resolution, WxH: 240 x 400 pixels
• Weight: 6.8 oz (192.7 g) with batteries
• Battery: 2 AA batteries (not included); NiMH or lithium recommended
• Battery life: 16 hours

DeLorme Earthmate PN-40

DeLorme has announced a new GPS unit, the PN-40, that enhances its earlier PN-20 model with a thirty-two-channel high sensitivity GPS receiver, faster dual-core processor, a greatly increased total of one gigabyte of memory, a more detailed basemap, additional road data, and a barometric altimeter and three-axis compass.

The unit ships with DeLorme Topo USA 7.0 mapping software (PC only) that enables import of supplemental data, including four types of aerial imagery, USGS 1:24K quads, and NOAA nautical charts – this is a significantly wider range of mapping data than is available on the Garmin units. Maps can be stored on internal memory and on SD cards.

The PN-40 uses a conventional button and rocker pad array below the display for input. The display appears somewhat washed out compared to the Oregon and is physically quite a bit smaller, though color depth and detail are good. Redraw times, cursor movement, and overall responsiveness are greatly improved over the PN-20.

The PN-40 is scheduled to ship in September, 2008. Retail price was not available at press time.

Claimed Specifications:

• Dimensions, WxHxD: 2.43 x 5.25 x 1.5 in (6.2 x 13.3 x 3.8 cm)
• Weight: 5.12 oz (145.1 g) without batteries
• Display Size: 2.2 in (5.6 cm) diagonal
• Display resolution: 176 x 220 pixels
• Battery: 2 AA batteries (not included)

One of the really cool components of the Outdoor Retailer Show is Outdoor Demo Days, which this year was two days at a mountain lake near Salt Lake City, where we had a chance to try out (demo) all kinds of watercraft. There were lots of hard and soft shell kayaks, inflatable boats, canoes, pedal boats, pack boats, paddle boards – you name it. We tested some Kevlar canoes from Confluence and Bell that weighed just forty-seven pounds for an eighteen-foot boat – I guess we can always dream!

At winter Outdoor Demo, we get to test gear for snow sports at a nearby ski area – skis (downhill, cross-country, and everything in between), snowboards, snowshoes, and some insulated footwear, etc.

In addition to giving us (the media and retailers) the opportunity for some hands-on testing, there are quite a few other booths at Demo Days showcasing accessories for water sports in summer and snow sports in winter, and then there’s a bunch of vendors who simply want to get more visibility for their latest products. Manufacturers normally feature new or updated gear to attract attention and hopefully get more people to visit their booth at the Outdoor Retailer Show.

Speaking of the OR Show, this summer there are about 4,000 vendors displaying their products to nearly 40,000 attendees. That’s huge, and obviously it’s hard to see everything. The Show is a lot like a competition among birds of paradise: flashy. Exhibitors do some amazing things to attract attention to their booths, like signs and banners high in the air and every other attention-getting device you can think of. Overall, it’s the show of shows for kindred souls who derive pure joy from perusing what’s new in the outdoor industry. Check out the accompanying photos for more details.

Introduction

Last weekend my wife and I were on our way back from spending a night at beautiful Lake Blanche in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. As we bounced down the trail, we passed a large scout group on their way up to the same lake. I noticed one of the kids was wearing a GoLite pack, and feeling a sense of kinship, I pointed to my hat and pack and gave an enthusiastic, "GoLite! Right on!" It was obvious that I was much more excited about this moment than he was. As we passed the leader bringing up the rear, I couldn’t help but notice his orange external frame pack with an enormous sleeping bag lashed to the back. Something about this scene jarred my memory. It was then that I recalled my earliest memory of backpacking.

I must have been nine or ten-years-old when my Dad decided to take my brother and me on the most thrilling adventure our little minds could imagine. We loaded our orange external frame packs with all the gear we could carry and set off for the mountains. Army surplus cookware, a heavy tent, and cloth sleeping bags made for quite the load on our backs. With nightfall approaching and our destination still distant, we set up our tent right on the trail. The night was spent huddled together as thunder cracked all around us. I don’t think we ever made it to the summit, but we didn’t need to. That trip was the high point of my young life.

Let’s fast forward to the present. Look how far things have come! Fabrics, insulation, metals and plastics have all seen major advances in technology. We are seeing more and more mainstream companies offer products that fall in the lightweight category. Has the mass market finally moved from "traditional" to "lightweight" status, and could this trend continue into the ultralight realm? Will I ever walk into my local gear shop and browse the shelves for sub-10 oz backpacks? Will I ever get to pull a quilt off the wall and lay under a tarp before I buy it? How much lighter can a piece of gear go and still remain feasible for the mass market? To answer these questions, I spoke with representatives from Golite, Osprey, and Prolite Gear.

The Manufacturer Viewpoint

What are a manufacturer’s primary considerations when designing a piece of gear? For Golite, the first priority is function. Demetri "Coup" Coupounas, founder and President of Golite, says, "I think generally people assume that our number one criterion is weight. But the first syllable in Golite is ‘go’ for a reason. The stuff has to do something." Gareth Martins, Director of Marketing for Osprey, echoes this same philosophy. "Our primary consideration is suspension and fit. Without this, you’re not going to have a good experience."

The second priority for Golite is durability. "If the product isn’t reasonably durable, it won’t perform its function over a long enough period. It needs to give the customer enough confidence over the course of any given trip." Gareth brings up the same concern. "There is a durability issue," he says. "That’s why we have generally avoided using superlight sil fabrics, because the weight difference is really negligible compared to the durability."

Making the jump from major manufacturer to cottage manufacturer does not necessarily mean a sacrifice in durability. Several cottage companies offer gear that most lightweight and ultralight backpackers would consider fairly robust. At the same time, these companies are able to offer ultralight shelters and packs using silnylon and Cuben fiber. Unfortunately, major manufacturers must be consistent across their entire line. "We want to help millions of people all over the globe lighten up as much as possible and enjoy the outdoors," says Coup. "We can’t do that in a way where we say, ‘We can warranty this ninety percent of our line, but not this ten percent of our line.’ That doesn’t work."

The Retail Store Viewpoint

"I think one of the things that’s happening is a real graying of these well-defined categories of traditional backpacker and lightweight backpacker," says Craig Delger, founder of Prolite Gear. "We work with a lot of baby boomers that are buying a Golite pack. They’re buying a Big Agnes SL2 and a sleeping bag from Montbell. I wouldn’t consider these people hardcore backpackers, but yet they’re buying things that fall squarely in the category of lightweight backpacking equipment."

Craig recognizes that there will always be the "early adopters", those people on the cutting edge of product innovation. He feels that they will always be considered a market niche. When asked whether or not mainstream stores will ever provide this cutting edge gear, he says, "These stores are constantly moving in the direction of lighter weight and more innovative stuff, but that’s been going on for thirty years. I don’t think we’re going to see any major changes in the dynamics of this whole market. I think there’s always going to be that group that wants the stuff that isn’t considered mainstream."

What Does the Future Hold?

"I think the day will come when it is very difficult to find traditional overbuilt gear," says Coup. "The main paradigm for a long time in American consumer culture has been more, more, more, bigger, bigger, bigger. America is realizing that smaller is better, that lighter is better, that sleeker is better."

Craig noted that there seems to be a trend taking place. "It’s similar to what’s happening with the eco-friendly movement – they call it green-washing. We’ve seen a lot of different online sites pop up and try to ‘light-wash’ themselves, and we’ve seen a lot of existing players try and introduce a lightweight or an ultralight category. But it’s really just window treatment." Coup mentions this same thing. "There is an awful lot of posturing and phoniness in this industry when it comes to lightweight gear," he says. "But I don’t view that as bad, I view it as a baby step in the right direction. When I see a traditional company making a bunch of overbuilt gear and calling it lightweight, I rejoice, because it’s only a matter of time before they either transform the products they are making or go out of business."

When asked whether or not he feels that the lightweight market is expanding, Coup says, "You see a lot more lightweight functional gear than you used to see in this market. We’re growing; the cottage industry is growing. Some companies are, with some real integrity, expanding their lightweight offerings."

One question to consider is who is driving this market, the manufacturers or the consumers? "I think it’s a little bit of both," says Craig. "Markets move due to what consumers are wanting, but they also move based on what manufacturers are able to provide." Are manufacturers reluctant to move into the lightweight realm, or are consumers sending the wrong message? "I used to think very negatively about the companies that were making traditional overbuilt gear for forcing this upon the public," says Coup. "A decade into this, I’ve realized that it’s a symbiotic problem. Often when customers go to evaluate products, a company may well have produced a very thoughtful, lighter, clean version of a product, but our consumer culture says that heavier and more expensive is better, and the customer evaluation reflects this."

Although durability is high on the list of priorities for manufacturers, technological advances are constantly allowing companies to produce lighter products without compromising durability. "Look at silnylon," says Craig. "That used to be a real niche product. Now we see silnylon being used in quite a few different products. Same with dyneema. These things that are cutting edge one year are part of mainstream products three or four years down the road."

Conclusion

Let’s go back to the original question: Will the mass market ever embrace the lightweight philosophy? I think it is on its way. The industry has made leaps and bounds in providing lightweight gear for the average consumer. Advances in technology are creating stronger and more durable materials for the same weight. Although not all companies are offering truly lightweight gear, most seem to be recognizing that there is potential for tapping into the lightweight market. While these trends seem to be steps in the right direction, five minutes in any "big-box" outdoor store will show that there is plenty of room for improvement.

Continuing to educate consumers about the benefits of lightweight backpacking will help this segment of the market expand, which will in turn entice major manufacturers to produce even lighter gear. Maybe one day when my son is old enough to go on his first scout trip, I can tell him about the gear I first used. Hopefully he’ll look at me in amazement and appreciate how far things have come.

Zeppelins and Tipis

Every July the international outdoor trade gathers in the little town of Friedrichshafen (pop. 58,000) in southern Germany on the shores of beautiful Lake Constance. Across the lake lies the edge of the Swiss Alps, shadowy rocky peaks rising steeply through the summer haze. The Messe exhibition halls are on the edge of the town close to the Zeppelin museum, Friedrichshafen being the place where these airships were first built. It’s not unusual to look up to see a Zeppelin floating above the museum.

Friedrichshafen is set in lovely rolling countryside with many woods, a far cry from downtown Salt Lake City and the Outdoor Retailer show. For the last two years, I’ve camped at Friedrichshafen in a tipi village provided by Merrell Footwear. The tipis are pitched in a meadow in quiet woods just ten minutes walk from the exhibition halls. It’s ironic that at the big U.S. outdoor trade show, I stay in a city in a hotel, but that at the big European one, I camp in a Native American tipi.

Jam Sessions

A great feature of the tipi village is the relaxed communal nature of the place. After the high pressure of the show (and it IS high pressure, covering as many companies as possible out of the 800+ there during non-stop nine-hour days), it’s wonderful to unwind and chat casually to other campers round a campfire. Sometimes guitars are produced and impromptu music sessions occur. There’s a bar and a music player too, and even a small dance floor.

I spent one enjoyable evening talking to colleagues from other magazines, and our conversation went from sober analysis of the show to raucous and outrageous comments on what the outdoor industry should be doing, accompanied by thunderous heavy metal music, favorites of some of the other writers (I requested Neil Young, but I don’t think anybody heard). Another good evening was spent chatting to the people from Alpkit.com, who are always knowledgeable and interesting.

Getting There

I traveled to the Friedrichshafen OutDoor show on behalf of the UK hiking and backpacking magazine TGO, based, like myself, in Scotland. Friedrichshafen isn’t the easiest place to reach from my home in the Highlands. In fact, the whole journey took nineteen hours, of which the major part was spent traveling south on the sleeper train to the only airport in Britain with flights to Friedrichshafen: Stansted in Southern England.

Once at the airport, familiar faces appeared, and the flight was packed with British writers, retailers, and outdoor company people heading for the show. In a sense the work starts then, picking up the vibes, rumors, stories, "must see" suggestions, and more.

Once inside the exhibition, the differences between the OutDoor and Outdoor Retailer shows diminish. Aircraft hangar-style exhibition halls – all hot bright lights and metal – are much the same anywhere, and the glossy displays on the booths don’t vary much either. Many outdoor companies, including all the big names, are at both shows. The biggest companies have European staff who run the show at OutDoor and American staff who handle Outdoor Retailer.

However for many companies the same people work both shows, and the people I talked to on the GoLite, Integral Designs, Outdoor Research, Pacific Outdoor Equipment and High Gear booths will be there at Outdoor Retailer. OutDoor does provide the opportunity to talk to technical people and designers from European companies who don’t go to Outdoor Retailer, and I had interesting conversations with people from several companies, Primus in particular (though Primus will be in Salt Lake, there’s a good chance that the Swedish techies I spoke to will not be joining them).

Being the earlier show, OutDoor has the advantage that new product launches occur there first. Only those companies with no European presence save their product introductions for Outdoor Retailer. This year, the gap between the shows is two and a half weeks, enough time for a reasonable turnaround for companies. Next year it’s just two days, which was a big talking point this year with most people agreeing it was ridiculous, and that the organizers of the two shows should talk to each other to prevent this happening again. I’d hate not to have a break between shows.

¿Habla inglés?

There is one noticeable difference between OutDoor and Outdoor Retailer and that is language. English is standard at Outdoor Retailer. No language is standard at OutDoor. Walking through a hall you can hear bewildering snatches of a mass of languages – German, French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean (not that I can recognize all these) and more – while booths have brochures and signs in a selection of languages. Luckily for typical Brits like me, whose language skills don’t run to more than bad schoolboy French and a few words of Norwegian, English is largely understood.

This sense of internationalism, with a big Asian presence, adds an air of excitement to OutDoor that Outdoor Retailer perhaps lacks. But then for me, coming from wet and windy Scotland, hot and dusty Salt Lake City seems quite exotic by itself.

State of the Market

In my experience the atmosphere of the shows has more to do with the state of the outdoor market at the time rather than whether they are in Europe or America. Some shows have a buzz and positive feel; others are flat with a feeling of marking time. This year, OutDoor felt surprisingly buoyant given the economic climate, though it may be that this hasn’t been felt as severely in most of Europe as it has in the States and, certainly, Britain. Some people I spoke to felt that more people would now go hiking and camping as these were less expensive than other holiday activities, and so the outdoor trade would, perversely, benefit from an economic downturn. I’ll be interested to hear what the mood is at Outdoor Retailer.

Gear Coverage

Now to the gear itself. I won’t jump the gun and preview the stuff that’ll appear at Outdoor Retailer. However there are some companies who won’t be crossing the Atlantic, mostly because they’ve never tried selling in North America, often because they are small.

One of the main ones of interest to lightweight backpackers is Lightwave, a British company who make top quality lightweight tents and packs. At OutDoor, Lightwave launched a new pack, the Wildtrek, available in a 55 liter size for women and a 60 liter size for men at weights of 1.45 and 1.5 kg (everything at OutDoor is metric, as it is in most of the world outside the USA and Britain – which is itself confused and does a bit of both).

Lightweight rather than ultralight, the Wildtrek packs look excellent for moderate to heavy loads. The pack design is a fairly clean alpine climbing one, though there are big mesh side pockets and a lid with a roomy pocket. The seams are welded and taped, so it’s almost waterproof (the seams connecting the back system to the packbag aren’t sealed, so a little leakage is possible, though I’ve not had any with a smaller Lightwave pack I’ve been testing).

The Wildtrek has a frame, a moulded back panel, and a wide hipbelt. Lightwave says it should support twelve- to fifteen-kilogram loads. I reckon it’ll handle more, as I’ve been carrying that weight in the smaller Fastpack 50, which has a slimmer hipbelt. Overall, I think this is an exciting pack.

Another company who won’t be at Outdoor Retailer is Yeti from Germany, who I’ve never seen outside the OutDoor show, and whose products don’t appear in stores outside Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. Yeti makes nice looking clothing and wonderful looking down sleeping bags, some at very low weights such as the 440 gram V.I.B. 150 and the 630 gram V.I.B 250.

Also makers of excellent down bags (I’ve used them on many long distance walks), but not going to Outdoor Retailer, is another British company, Mountain Equipment. M.E., as it’s known, also makes tents and clothing, and it was the latter in which they showed new products at OutDoor. Of most interest was a rain jacket weighing 295 grams in size large called the Particle. It’s made from M.E.’s own 2.5 layer Drilite Ultra fabric and has a full mountain hood that looks good for the worst storms and two big mid-torso pockets.

Finally I’ll just mention that, for the first time, lightweight tent maker Terra Nova will be at Outdoor Retailer.

I myself won’t be at Outdoor Retailer this year, so like everyone else I’ll be eagerly watching for the BPL reports to see what new gear has emerged that didn’t appear at OutDoor or that I missed if it did. Then comes the even more interesting task of testing and evaluating it.

Once again, I find myself in a frenzy of preparation for the upcoming Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City. I’m in the midst of a daily stream of emails and phone calls with vendors and fellow Backpacking Light staff as we schedule appointments, sift through hundreds of press releases proclaiming the (supposed) greatest new outdoor gadgets, and organize our show coverage. This show will be my fifth for Backpacking Light, which I suppose makes me a veteran. Still, rather than becoming jaded, I look forward in anticipation as each show gives me an unprecedented opportunity to see the latest new gear, but more importantly, also gives me a chance to renew relationships with vendors and staff.

“I love you, man.”

It may not be evident to our readers, but our staff is far flung and relies on electronic communication for much of our contact and planning. Strange though it may seem, over the years I’ve developed close friendships with people like our Senior Technology Editor, Roger Caffin, whom I’ve never actually met in person, and our co-founder Alan Dixon, whom I’ve only ever met during these shows. Our biannual convergence on Salt Lake City for Outdoor Retailer is one of the few times I can enjoy the company of fellow staff members – even if it’s at a time of sleep deprivation and caffeine-fueled late night editing.

The Crew

This show, I’m very pleased to welcome longtime BackpackingLight.com member and University of Utah student Ryan Gardner to our crew. With a notepad, camera, and shiny new media badge in hand, Ryan will be joining Will Rietveld, Janet Reichl, and myself as the on-site editorial team. The four of us will be doing the groundwork at the Salt Palace, while being supported off-site by much of the remaining Backpacking Light staff – Chris Townsend, Steve Nelson, and Alan Dixon are all writing articles remotely; Ken Knight, Don Wilson, Cat Jasins, and Rick Dreher have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that our article production runs smoothly; Jared Schlender, our resident “home page artist” has created another wonderful banner for the event; while Addie Morstad and Gisela Krack are the lone guardians holding down the fort every day back at Backpacking Light headquarters in Bozeman.

I owe this off-site group a very special thank you as they have signed up to experience the thrill of the long hours, technical snafus, and time pressure of Outdoor Retailer without the drudgery of actually having to see cool new gear, visit with staff members, or meet industry players. To this group (and anyone I’ve inadvertently missed), thank you all – the show would be impossible to produce without your support.

In addition to our editorial team above, Ryan and Stephanie Jordan, Sam Haraldson, and Nicole Chilton will be joining us in Salt Lake City. Our magazine is, after all, an outdoor-related business. Ryan will be focusing on new product development and business partnerships; Stephanie will be sourcing materials for our in-house brands; Sam will be buying merchandise for our gear shop; and Nicole will be working on ad sales and wholesale distribution of Backpacking Light books and magazines.

Gear Coverage

Much of our planned content this time is in the form of Product Roundups – shelters, stoves, raingear, etc. We thought this format would provide better information to our readers by showcasing similarly grouped products together to make it easier to compare new offerings. Of course, there are also several promising products that deserve attention by themselves or don’t fit into a particular category, so be ready for some surprises.

This year we are covering new sleeping pads that dramatically improve warmth per weight and comfort per weight ratios with new pad technology. We’re also expecting to see the world’s lightest canister stove (purported to be fifty-three grams) as well as a reduced-weight version of one of the “integrated stove systems” introduced last year. Highlights of our Shelter Roundup will include a sub-two-pound double-walled tent and an eighteen-ounce Tyvek tarp tent. On the apparel side, we’re planning rainwear and footwear comparisons, as well as writing about new garments from Western Mountaineering, Integral Designs, Rab, and others.

Friedrichshafen

Finally, the European OutDoor trade show was held in Friedrichshafen, Germany in July. This show precedes Outdoor Retailer and, as such, is the venue for many new international product introductions. Chris Townsend attended OutDoor this year and has shared his impressions of that European experience in contrast with the distinctly North American Outdoor Retailer. He’ll also give readers a glimpse of some of the gear that we’ve been missing here in the States.

Thanks for joining us again. I don’t want to give away all the secrets we have planned for the show, but this brief introduction will hopefully whet your appetite for more from Outdoor Retailer. Please check back throughout the next week, as we’ll be publishing new content daily as the show unfolds.