The 2019 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market showcased some killer gear coming out for spring/summer 2020. The Denver Convention Center presented three levels of retailers ranging from gear, textiles, apparel, CBD products, and a wide variety of products that consumers will see now or next spring/summer. Here are a few highlights from the summer show.
The Kokopelli Packraft Recon is an inflatable kayak that packs down to a compact 16×12 inches and weighs just 18 pounds. Feel like going for a paddle-session after work at the nearby reservoir? Just toss the compact Recon in the back of your car. No need to head home and deal with loading a kayak on your roof and strapping it down. The raft features 0.9mm PVC sidewalls and a 0.9mm PVC floor. It’s durable, easy to transport, and a great road-to-river whitewater raft to add to your collection. MSRP $900-1,050.
Five Ten came out with the Trailcross which is a mountain biking shoe that is also comfortable and flexible enough to hike a few miles in. Sometimes you have a bit of a hike to get to a ride, or maybe you just want to hike a few miles after your trail riding. The Trailcross allows you to do both without having to change your shoes. The outsole is the sticky Five Ten STEALTH rubber with a dot tread pattern. There is an added rocker on it, torsional stiffness with drain holes on the front and in the footbed. The uppers are hydrophobic, and the shoe dries within five minutes of getting damp. The foam inserts mold to the shape of your foot and keeps your feet from getting excessively hot. The Trailcross incorporates D30 shock absorbing material and comes in both a low and high version for men and women. MSRP $140-170.
Coolers are in abundance in the outdoor world, and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which one to get. RovR Coolers showcased their Rovr Rollr wagon cooler that comes in a 60, 45 or 80-quart with a built-in gear top, dry storage bin that separates meat, cheese and anything else you don’t want getting soggy from the ice inside, 9” pneumatic tires with a specific tread pattern that can handle mud, sand and hiking to the crags for a day. The cooler has a full single aluminum axle on the wheels which allows for better handling. The aluminum handlebar is sturdy, and you can pull the cooler off to your side, so it doesn’t bump into you. Not only can you roll this manually, but there’s now an accessory, the BikR Kit, that you can attach to your bike and haul the cooler like one of those mini-trailers that holds a child in it. Cooler MSRP $369-449. BikR Kit MSRP $54.00.
Mystery Ranch came out with a climber’s dream of a pack. This mega-organized crag bag is a top loader, and the front of it zips fully open to where you don’t have to unload everything in order to find your quickdraws on the bottom of the pack, or maybe your shoes that managed to find their way hidden between your rope and trad gear. There are internal racking gear loops for hanging gear. It has a compression-molded removeable back panel with bonded stretch woven fabric to repel water and add structure and comfort. MSRP $275.
