2013 Outdoor Retailer Show - CAMP USA

I just participated in my first Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City a couple of weekends ago. What a spectacle. I’ve had lots of shop friends over the years tell me about the event but you really can’t grasp the enormity of it until you immerse yourself in the madness for a few days.

Dane Burns at Cold Thistle and I have been exchanging ideas for a few years now and write about it on our respective sites. We got together physically last spring to test skis and boots. It was a fun collaboration. Since I became a member of the Cold Thistle family, I was able to accompany Dane to the show this year. 

If I go again I'll be better prepared. I didn’t even have business cards of any sort and these things are exchanged like hand shakes everywhere. I collected the ones that were relevant. Easier for me to contact them than the other way around.

The bulk of the show is generally for shops and wholesalers to meet face to face and nail down orders for the next season. Of course, there are lots of new toys to see to whet the interests of purchasers. In the recesses of the Salt Palace away from the main floor, more obscure dealers are present showing everything from zippers to buckles to new fabrics. Something for everyone.

For me, the bulk of the time was spent loitering around the main climbing and running equipment manufacturers. It was also a great time to catch up with lots of friends.  In spike of there being 25,000 folks wandering around, I continually saw the same familiar faces over the 4 days I attended.

One of my goals was to actually meet face to face and shake hands with reps that I have dealt with via email over the years. I think this super important when trying to acquire discounted equipment for personal use and blog review. Of course, these meetings tend to be brief as most of the rep’s schedules are packed each day. I’m thankful for the few minutes I got with each of them.

Lots of blogs cover the interesting offerings from the show in detail but I’m only going to highlight the things relevant to my interests. I’d like to give these brands each a spotlight so I’ll present them as individual posts over the next week.

CAMP USA

I’ve had an enjoyable relationship with these guys for several years. For those interested in the fast and light movement in the mountain sports, no company has been more instrumental in outfitting climbers and skiers with light and innovative gear. 

Of course, CAMP doesn’t stop with packs. They make a full assortment of soft goods (pants, jackets, puffies, gloves, hats, etc.) as well as technical climbing gear like harnesses, crampons, tools, hardware, etc. Be sure to check out the website for all the products.

Packs

CAMP packs have been a part of every ski outing I’ve had for 3 seasons now. Whether I’m using the more touring oriented X3 600 or their ridiculously light race pack, Rapid 260, there really aren’t any other choices for me when it comes to light packs that combine less weight and innovative features.

Most of their packs have received upgrades on design and materials. Hopefully, some of the spotty durability issues are gone. Colors have changed as you can see. I wanted one of every pack I saw.

Harness

CAMP makes harnesses for all occasions but the only one that I currently use from them is their 95 gram one, the Alp 95. This harness is standard equipment on any outing requiring a rappel or two. You could lead in it in a pinch but probably wouldn’t want to spend too long hanging in it or taking big falls while wearing it.

The harness is impossibly even lighter now by a few grams and the new tape uses some cool weaving technology to increase the surface area of all contact points. Pretty cool.

Crampons

The big news for me in the fast and light category is the new-ish steel spikes on offer. I hadn't seen these before although they've been out for a season already. These are made from the same stainless material popular on their reinforced axes and crampons. Currently, the short-coming of these new ‘poons is that they’re only recommended for boots up to a 10.5. A larger version is planned to accommodate bigger sizes.

Comments

[jbo]

Equally excited about the new lineup. Nice they are doing a couple colors on the 600 this season so not everyone has the same pack. Did you see the Skin? It incorporates some trail vest concepts and adds durability to the race pack.

I've taken the Alp 95 canyoneering in Zion and top roped in it and it held up fine. Lack of gear loops should be enough to stop one from leading in it (hopefully).