OR Show 2012 Pt I

Outdoor Retailers Show 2012 Pt I

One of our contributors, John (JC) Canfield, was lucky enough to be able to attend the recent Outdoor Retailers Tradeshow in America. Here’s the first part of his experience…

Photos and notes by John (JC) Canfield.

Arc’teryx:

New Arc’teryx pack line for 2012- The Quintic (featured the quintic 28) will come in 28 and 38l sizes. A sculpted lumbar support designed into the bags body creates a shape with a low center of gravity without many bells and whistles. Separate avalanche shovel compartment also holds probe and other long items. A key feature to this bag is its ability to access the inside while wearing it, so you can pull out a water bottle or stash a pair of wet gloves. Arc’teryx products, as always are sporting interesting colorways this season. Bright and often-florescent colors paired with conservative ones create a harmonious balance. This pack has the ability to hold skis diagonally and in an a-frame.  I am excited to see Arc’teryx making this sculpted pack, but worry about the packs longevity considering all those zippers.

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Boreas:

Up and coming Boreas is featuring four new day packs (Lagunitas, Bolinas, Larkin, and Valencia) but only two (Lagunitas/Bolinas) feature their variable suspension. Featured are the Bolinas, which sports roll top access and the Lagunitas, which has a zip. Both feature a clever adjustable suspension frame so the user may change the level of suspension or shape with the pull of a buckle. There is room in todays bag market for a pack that “does it all”- and well. All Boreas packs feature a “ribcage” that pulls weight toward the wearer.

Also released, but not featured is the 18l Larkin (not pictured), with a zip top and simple z-foam frame. As quoted from their website (“Nothing fancy. Just lots and lots of prototypes.”). Available spring.

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Camelbak 

Camelback’s Pit Boss ski pack features assymetric zipper panels and 4 different ski/snowboard carry options. Also featured is a u-zip body panel access to keep snow out of your pack and off of your body panel. A secondary flap over this access seems like it might be interfere with regular access. $125.

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Cilo Gear:

Cilo Gear is on fire. Portland, OR based Cilo has been building packs for alpinists and backcountry users, but only recently began building bags for urban user. These images are of 2 of 30liter WorkSacks made from non-woven Dyneema  ( a Dupont fabric). NWD is an incredibly strong and light Pictured is team athlete and professional climber Shingo Ohkawa. The bag he is holding has over 500 field days, which he spent bent on destroying it. This bag lists for $450-500 for non woven Dyneema or $500 for their new woven/non woven Dyneema (which combines both into one fiber). The 30l WorkSack also comes in white widow spectra which is cordura blended with a woven grid of Dyneema fibers. Dyneema is also known as Spectra.

(As an aside, I would love to road test one of their bags!)

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Dakine:

Interesting colors from Dakine this season, merchandised with matching gloves. No real notes on this one. Picture was taken during happy hour and I “had more pressing matters”.

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Filson:

-Simple rucksack made from leather, waxed and unwaxed canvas looked both fully featured and simple. I like the mackinaw pocket on the side.

-Thermos sleeves for winter days- I am thinking about cocoa and schnapps. Just add sled.

(The folks running the booth were less than friendly toward my camera, decided to give me permission to shoot, then be totally unhelpful for the rest of my time there).

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Granite Gear:

-New bags from Granite Gear include the Crown 60 and the Aji. The Crown weighs 2 lbs, 2oz (or 1lb, 3oz without the framesheet).  This bag features a 9” roll top, trimmed down ½” straps and plenty of Line-Locs for using cord instead of webbing for compression. Made from silicone impregnated cordura. Shakespeare noted  “Fearless minds climb soonest into crowns.” Could this be your next trail bag?

-The Aji 50 was wear tested by “Trauma”, also known as Justin Lichter- who hiked over 2500 miles through the Himalaya carrying this bag. Stretch mesh pockets throughout make for plenty of options for carrying water bottles, wet tents and the like without risk of wetting out the rest of your belongings. This pack is a panel loader which offers luggage-like access to your gear when on the trail. Special feature on this bag is the Ideal Tac-zipper coil. It is first stitched onto the zipper tape, then thermally molded to ensure a durable product. Secondly, the zipper is coated with Nanosphere, which is a Schoeller product, that is stain and water repellant. $219.95 weighing in at 2lbs 9 oz.

-The two photos on the upper right of the Granite Gear section are a bag called the Nimbus Core, and were designed to hold bear canisters and other awkwardly shaped equipment.

Schoeller Nanosphere info…