Only one more day left for us on the show floor, after another whirlwind day. There are some really cool innovations from some big companies and we are really excited to see them hit the shelves (and test them on the trails). Here are a few of our faves:
CamelBak
Big news from CamelBak this week at OR. A completely redesigned hydration bladder, now called the Antidote, will launch in October, with tons of new features and a new design. They reduced the weight, widened the opening, made a locking easy-to-open lid and integrated a drying stand into the lid’s collar. To stabilize the water in the pack, they added baffle channels, slimming down the profile of the bladder but without reducing capacity. This redevelopment also led them to redesign the hydration portions of all of their packs so that the bladder is stabilized inside the sleeve or pocket better than ever. They also introduced a new in-line filter system (for taste) as both an add-on to their hydration bladders as well as part of a new bottle, the CamelBak Groove (using the same mouthpiece as the Better Bottle).
Hi-Tec
When we met with Hi-Tec at Winter Market in January this year, they were introducing a line of outerwear for Fall 2010. They’ll be expanding their apparel line for Spring 2011 and introducing a big lineup of performance pants, shirts, and tees. Working with a new philosophy and brand motto, “Inspired by Life,” Hi-Tec is developing a lot of new products that serve a variety of activities, whether it be hiking on the trail, walking around the city, or going to the office. These multi-purpose products are in line with their established footwear philosophy: “including the highest quality components and the most innovative technologies at the best possible end consumer value.” We’ll be testing a few of the new footwear coming out, including the Infinity trail runner we featured in our Pre-OR coverage last week.
MSR
MSR has introduced a few really cool new tents in what they call the Experience Series. The double-walled tents are spacious while staying lightweight. The MSR Holler has a footprint to fit 3 large people plus gear, two large entry doors, vestibules on both doors, and a gear loft. They also introduced the Hoop, a two-person version with the same features. For those who already own MSR’s Hubba or Hubba Hubba tent, they have introduced an add-on, the Gear Shed. The large, hooped vestibule transforms the lightweight backpacking tent by adding a ton of space for the car-camping trips where saving weight isn’t an issue.
[...] gave a quick preview of one of the new tents from MSR during Outdoor Retailer (Day Three), but that only touched on one of the many new products that will be released next spring from MSR. [...]