2016 Winter Outdoor Retailer Round-Up

This weekend I returned home from the 2016 Outdoor Retailer convention, where hundreds of companies were showing off their latest gear designed to make our lives a lot easier on our adventures. As the name implies, this version of the show is heavily focused on winter activities, such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. As a result, much of what was on display is designed to help keep us warm in the cold temperatures, while enjoying our favorite winter sports.

For those who couldn't attend the show, I thought I'd share some of the gear round-ups that have been posted around the web, starting with the ones that I personally wrote over at the Gear Institute. Not only did we publish three show previews (read part 1, part 2, and part 3), we also shared our selections for the best new gear that was on display at the show. Those items were chosen because they brought something, new, unique, and exciting to the gear market.

But we weren't the only ones combing the halls of the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City checking out the new products. The Gear Junkie also posted their picks for the best gear they saw there too, as did Outside magazine, and even Popular Mechanics got in on the act, although I haven't seen their awards selection posted just yet. (Update: Here's the link to the Popular Mechanics awards)

Most of the gear that was shown at OR won't arrive on store shelves until next fall and winter. In some cases the products are still being developed, and they won't be ready to go for a several months. But that means you'll have plenty of time to save your pennies, because a lot of the really great pieces of gear won't come cheap. Still, there are some truly amazing things in the works as our gear continues to get more sophisticated and technical. It is certainly a great time to be an outdoor enthusiasts, as it is now easier than ever to be comfortable and warm, even in harsh environments.

Off to Outdoor Retailer

We've only just returned from a bit of a holiday break, and its time to hit the road once again. Tomorrow, I'll be headed off to Salt Lake City to attend the 2016 Winter Outdoor Retailer show where I'll get a chance to take a look at the newest outdoor gear scheduled for release later this year.

The show itself doesn't actually begin until Thursday, but I'll be joining a few other media folks on an overnight camping excursion tomorrow before some of the official festivities begin on Wednesday. This means that once again, updates are likely to be sparse for the week ahead, at least here on the blog itself. I will be sharing thoughts and images from the OR show floor on my Twitter feed, as well as on The Adventure Blog Facebook page. Follow either of those to catch a glimpse of some of the best new gear that I come across along the way.

If you'd like to read a preview of what to expect from the show, I've written three of them that will be going up at Gear Institute over the next few days. The first one is live now, and the others will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Each takes a look at ten interesting items that will be revealed at the event.

Hopefully things will get back to a normal pace around here next week. It's time to get focused on 2016, and some of the fun adventures ahead. Thanks for your patience and understanding.