Here is my final installment for the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2010.  There were so many great things that were presented to me,  and I have only been able to show you  a small portion of what you will be seeing over the next year.  Keep checking back as I will be testing some of this gear over the next few month and see how it truly performs.
Teva Illum

I was a little hesitant at first to initially write about the Teva Illum sandals the intrigue at the Teva seemed to demand secrecy.  When I arrived at the booth, they quietly ushered me into to a small dark room in the bowels of the structure, commenting how hush-hush their newest offering was.  There was a person cloaked in shadows (think  Watergate’s Deepthroat) explaining to me the how the Illums were conceived by two adventure surfers after one to many dawn patrols in which they experienced foot catastrophes walking through dark paths to the beach in flip flops.  As the moving story climaxed, a light began to glow under a glass case, and the Illum sandals were unveiled:  A flip flop with flash lights on the strap!

Possibly a little dramatic for the concept? That is for you to decide, but they are a pretty cool pair well made sandals with a small, waterproof, detachable LED lamp.  Will they work for those dark dawn patrols?  I am looking forward to finding out if the concept lives up to the hype.

Polarmax TransDry

I miss cotton when I am out in the backcountry.  There is nothing like a soft comfy cotton T-Shirt that makes me feel at home. It is cotton’s potential to make my  chilly season backpacking trips uncomfortable and potentially hazardous  that keeps the cotton in my dresser drawers.  Synthetic fabrics don’t make the cut ,  although fine merino wool comes close, to the feel of cotton.  Now I can have my cake and eat it too with the Polarmax Transdry wicking cotton shirts.  These treated cotton shirts have the ability to transfer moisture away from the skin, and dry significantly faster than their untreated counterparts.

I had opportunity to try out a TransDry shirt on a soggy desert campout this weekend,  and I am impressed.  The shirt had the comfort of cotton,  and dried a well as some of the other non- cotton clothing I was also wearing.  Stay tuned for more as it comes with me on more backcountry adventures.

Prana Coolmax Jeans

Continuing on the theme of impractical clothing clothing re-engineered to make it suitable for the backcountry, Prana has a new pair of Coolmax fabric jeans.  These jeans have the look and feel of a pair of lightweight denim jeans that we all know and love, but do not have any water loving denim cotton in them.  How nice is it to have a pair of jeans that will not become a huge heavy heat robbing sponge every time mother nature spits at you.

Point 6 Wool Socks

I have had the opportunity to run in a pair of Point 6 wool sox for the last 4 months, and I am impressed as to their comfort an durability.  I have pounded on the socks on both the road and in the washing machine, and they are holding up like new.   Point 6 is the result of Peter and  Patty’s (the original founders of Smartwool) vision of creating the best wool sock imaginable by incorporating a compact spun wool that is supposed to be more durable and more comfortable that other methods.  They are on the right track to be sure.

Seal Line Waterproof eCases

SeaLine’s new waterproof electronic dry cases are the sveltest most elegant solution to keeping your electronic gear dry that I have yet to come across.  There are no bulky sliders or clips, just a heavy duty zip-lock type opening, and a clear viewing window that allows one to manipulate touch screens while protected.  While not the sexiest piece of gear, they can save one a lot of grief,  and I really appreciate one that works while fading in to the background.

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