Outdoor Retailer Summer 2019

[JCH]

Has anyone run across interesting news or articles concerning this event?  It might be nice to collect here (or elsewhere?) a bibliography of sorts for information from this event.

In the past I have quite enjoyed Will Rietveld and Janet Reichl’s  Show summary posts on Ultralight Insights, but those usually take some time to arrive as they seem to carefully consider and digest what they have seen before posting…something that is much appreciated

 

 

[Ron Jameson]

Here you go https://sectionhiker.com/outdoor-retailer-editors-choice-gear-picks/

[Rex Sanders]

Backpacker.com’s “The Best Gear From Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2019”

https://www.backpacker.com/gear/best-gear-outdoor-retailer-summer-market-2019

On that list: A tent stake with a glow-in-the-dark piece of plastic added.

Guess it was a boring show.

— Rex

 

[Roger Caffin]

A tent stake with a glow-in-the-dark piece of plastic added.
How incredibly exciting.

Cheers

[Jeffs Eleven]

So at night when you are taking your tent down you dont lose any?

 

[Bob Shuff]

I can’t take the ads whenever I follow a link to backpacker.com.  Adds above, below, inline and pop ups.

[Chris FormyDuval]

It cleans the dirt off so you don’t have to bang it against a tree. I’m sure it weight less than the dirt that usually remains on the stakes after banging them. Glow in the dark items usually need some time in preferably bright sunlight to work effectively. Does that mean I’ll need to carry them on my hat during the day instead of stuffing them in a dark pocket? Or when I’m about to walk around them at night I’ll “charge” them up with my headlamp then continue on my way? Decisions, decisions…..

[jscott]

Now, now…I’ve tripped on a stake at night. I’d buy a pack of ten glow wires for five bucks. But I spend like a drunken sailor.

(moderators; prepare to hear from offended drunken sailors.)

[Five Star]

https://www.cleverhiker.com/blog/35-new-and-exciting-backpacking-products-at-outdoor-retailer

[Monte Masterson]

sectionhiker says the Big Agnes Carbon (DCF) tents have been “selling like hotcakes” and that BA “can’t keep them in stock.” I’m a little surprised, but not shocked. Even though the BPL community mostly panned the BA Carbon tents, the masses obviously don’t read or pay attention to backpackinglight.com. Who knows, maybe a lot of buyers will come to regret the .34 flies and .51 floors.

[JCH]

Anyone possessing experience with DCF shelters in the field knows that .34, while perfectly adequate for waterproofness, is extremely delicate and requires an absolute retentive attention to care in order to survive.  Marketing a .51 floor as a reasonable choice borders on criminal fraud.  I can’t see an upside to selling such design choices to the masses.

[J-L]

I can’t really believe the comment from Big Agnes that their Carbon tents are selling well. REI’s website shows few reviews and none that are positive.

Section Hiker did talk about the O-Pen ozone water treatment device, which I have been interested in. Hope he does a review of it.

[Roger Caffin]

So at night when you are taking your tent down you dont lose any?
Ah … I take my tent down in the morning, not at night.
And my Ti wires are painted bright orange with black stripes at the top. And I don’t throw them around either.

Cheers

[Mark Fowler]

Being a ul forum why not remove that awful blob of plastic and replace the cord with a loop of lumnescent cord – multi use and saves at least 0.1 grams.

[Roger Caffin]

I find getting those triangular stakes into the ground can be hard when the ground is rocky – especially on my hands. Ti wires hold just as well and go in much better.

Cheers

[Franco Darioli]

“Being a ul forum why not remove that awful blob of plastic and replace the cord with a loop of lumnescent cord – multi use and saves at least 0.1 grams”.

Chris mentioned the other function of that glow in the dark  sponge , to clean the stake from dirt.

Years ago when I suggested using your fingers the idea appeared to be too simple to some .

[Philip Tschersich]

Good golly. “New and exciting” products?? More like incremental and boring. I guess not every year brings a gear revolution.

*yawn*

[Rex Sanders]

When I saw CleverHiker’s OR headline about a new Biolite headlamp, I immediately imagined strapping an overpriced wood stove to my head, generating barely enough electricity to illuminate my hands.

Imagine my disappointment to find out its Yet Another Rechargeable LED Headlamp (YARLH).

— Rex

[Jeffs Eleven]

I was mostly getting at the fact that they glow at night which is when your tent, thus pegs, are in use. No need to locate them at night, but usually not until the sun is up and the glow isnt visible.

[Franco Darioli]

Some people have been known to step on or trip over stakes during the midnight call.

[Jim C]

Years ago when I suggested using your fingers the idea appeared to be too simple to some .

Not a bad idea, but I don’t know how Mark would feel about me bringing his fingers.

[Franco Darioli]

“Years ago when I suggested using your fingers the idea appeared to be too simple to some .

Not a bad idea, but I don’t know how Mark would feel about me bringing his fingers.
Only three are needed, so mark can keep the other seven.

[Jeff McWilliams]

Monte Masterson: regarding people’s interesting in the Big Agnes tents.

Don’t underestimate people’s reluctance to use trekking pole supported (aka non-freestanding) shelters.

This spring I ran a “intro to lightweight backpacking” class for my local backpacking club in SE Michigan. I

We had set up my Tarptent Stratospire 2, ZPacks Hexamid Twin Tent, Tarptent Notch, a Borah Gear “Borahgami” tarp (no longer in production.  It was a rectangular tarp with a simple triangular door on each end), a Nemo Dagger 2p, and several Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2s and UL1s.

The Nemo Dagger and BA tents were BY FAR the most popular.  A lot of people can’t get their head around the idea of trekking pole supported shelters.  I don’t know what is it that scares them off so much.

I will admit that setting up the Hexamid Twin is “finicky” and I don’t like the number of guylines it requires.  It seems like someone is always tripping over one of the corner guylines, even me!

And even though I’ve now had my Tarptent SS2 for at least two seasons, there are still times when I can’t seem to get the pitch completely square.  I’ll look at the floor of the inner and there will be a “fold” of fabric running diagonally, indicating it’s not correct.

So, I guess I get it.  Especially on less than ideal ground, a self-standing tent is a lot easier to pitch, so I can see why people would be highly interested in a tent that’s self standing and UL.

 

[Jeffs Eleven]

‘Some people have been known to step on or trip over stakes during the midnight call.‘

i guess i assume everybody uses Triptease or something. Plus i use my headlamp to pee. Logs and rocks dont have these glow in the dark things and they could make tripping hazards so i use my light anyway so i can see things wether they have a plastic glow-y bit or not.

[Gumbo]

I’d say that Therm-a-Rest finally upgrading their horrible valves is big news…

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