Outdoor Retailer Review
Stopped by the Outdoor Retailer show this week to see what sort of buzz was happening on the inside. A few of the us on the Kuhl team met up with some sponsors and touched base with a few more potential sponsors and paroozed the rest of the expo for a while. These type of retailer shows have the same feel. Lots of really cool gear, lots of hustle and bustle and lots of "lets make a deal" opportunities. I wasn't out to make any deals, but I did make a few really good contacts, met some great people and got my hands on some really nice gear.With that in mind, I though I'd share a bit about a few of the notable items from the show.Best use of recycled bicycle parts:The Cycler from Green Guru. Made from recycled bike tubes.
Best non winter company representing at the show. Ando and Friends is a hip, surf inspired company out of Vista, CA. with artwork by Andy Davis. The guys at the booth were super cool and hooked us up with bit of schwag just for stopping by.
Osprey had a few items of excellence. Their Flap series of packs make for great pack all, urban style bags. The Flap Jack for the dudes and Flap Jill for the ladies. They also come in a slightly smaller size as the Flap Jack/Jill Courier. Equipt nicly with multiple pockets to stash everything from a 17" mac book to extra change of cloths, it makes the perfect carry-on or commuter special.
Also coming from Osprey is a new addition to they're cycling pack. The Raptor 6 makes its way to the showroom floor with is compact design and excellent features. Tons of really cool aspects about this bag that I'll be posting about in a gear review in the near future.
Best inflatable backpack demo.
ABS Pack demo from Kevin Day on Vimeo.
And finally... these have got to be some of the best socks in the industry with more products to follow. Swiftwick is raising the bar with their Olefin and Merino wool line of socks ranging in lengths and styles. Check em out online and check back here for a full review and writeup of their product.There's obviously much more to the show than I've listed above and as the season rolls on we'll be serving up a comprehensive product review for those listed and many more. The 2010 season look promising for KDAY Racing and the Kuhl team so make sure you check back to see what happening.