THE O.R. SHOW: SCIENCE FICTION HERE, NOW!
The 2007 O. R. summer show was a science fiction world. From silky fabric made of bamboo to a two ounce portable power source, the show was four days of a high-tech Oz.
The Outdoor Retailer show is a huge convention held in Salt Lake, where manufacturers show off new products and retail store owners buy them to stock. These are the goodies you will see in stores next spring and summer. Usually, there isn't much change from year to year---after all, how much can a backpack change? But this year, everything was shockingly different.
Reporters covering the show are usually weighed down with bulky press kits. This year marked a first: some of those paper-wasting press kits were now on flash drives (and recyclable too!).
A few of the most innovative products were in an annex near the entrance; the Taiwan Pavilion. Unfortunately, it was sadly neglected by store owners shopping the show; perhaps because the Pavilion's modest entrance gave no clue about what a treasure trove of items were being offered inside.
Among them: an inflatable vest from the AirDown company. Very thin, weighing about five ounces, the quilted vest has dozens of air channels that inflate with a hydration-pack style valve hidden near the collar. When you want more warmth, blow air into the vest. Regulate the temperature by blowing more air in or letting it out. The inner layer is a heat-retaining fabric, the outer layer is breathable, windproof and water proof, with a cool holograph design that glitters in the sun. The zippers are waterproof, the high tech fabric is stain resistant, even to oil. It's a great item for hikers, climbers, cyclists, snow riders or anyone who goes through the warm and cold cycles of an outdoor activity.
Sylvia Wu is the owner of Cheer Wear Industrial (what a name!). The company makes fabric from bamboo charcoal combined with polyester. Bamboo is a much ballyhooed renewable resource (as is cotton), and when bamboo is burned to charcoal, it can be processed to be woven into fibers suitable for everything from fluffy socks to silky blouses. Unfortunately, the press kit was badly written by someone who is not a native English speaker, so it was impossible to understand the technical details of bamboo-based fabric. But some fantastic claims are made by Ms. Wu, including "The odors elimination ability is superior...One would feel complete briskness and full of vigor."
Another nifty item in the Taiwan Pavilian was the Hipster pocket. These are waterproof pockets big enough for a cell phone and a few snacks, but as thin as a sheet of paper when empty. They can be glued or sewn anywhere on a garment, or attached with the company's hot-melt waterproof tape. The various shapes and shiny, seamless-looking waterproof zippers make this a very cool product.
Along the main hallway of the Salt Palace, small vendors offered some kick-yourself products. Why has no one ever thought of the Smart Tube before? This is a tube with a cap that allows any bottle to be turned into a hydration system. Fit it to a Gatorade or Dasani bottle; use the separate accessory cap for Nalgene bottles. It allows disposable water bottles to be recycled, and creates a hydration system without the need to carry a backpack. Put a bottle in a cycling jersey pocket or beside a car seat, it comes with a loop to attach the tube to a shirt or back seat of a car.
Expect to see Ecopioneer portable solar panels at stores near you next spring. They come in several sizes, but the most popular is 29 X 9 inches and again, little thicker than a sheet of paper. When rolled up, it measures 5 X 9 inches. Take it on any wilderness trip, unroll it; then connect your MP3 player or computer, and charge 'em up. Charge four rechargeable batteries at once in less than two hours. Recharge your cell phone in three hours. Use free sunlight at the top of Everest or the bottom of the Grand Canyon or anywhere you happen to be, including an outdoor table at a cafe. The larger size, 41 X 21 " panel can power up a bilge pump, snowmobile battery, or a 14" color TV.
Want a hands-free video record of your adventures? Goprocamera delivers with Helmet Hero. They bill themselves as 'The world's smallest, lightest wireless digital video helmet camera," but the best thing is the price: $169 for both helmet and camera.
The "Skeeter Guard" mosquito repellent patch doesn't even have to be stuck on your clothing to provide protection against itchy bites, West Nile and other mosquito borne diseases. Just stick it nearby. Each round, adhesive-backed, two-inch diameter patch keeps pesky 'skeeters away for up to 12 hours. The patch uses only oil of citronella and has no Deet.
And, just for fun, try a Prism kite. These kites include lightweight nylon fliers and also wind power propulsion. There were great photos of people skating as a kite pulled them along.
The theme of this year's summer show was "green," which would have been more believable if so many attendees didn't take taxis to Thursday's opening night party at the Energy Solutions Center, three blocks from the Salt Palace. Thomas Mutter of Kinfolks Mountain Shop in Colorado was the only one who showed up at the party with his 'blades, on which he had skated from the huge convention center.
"I use skates for transportation all the time," he said.
Another 'green' addition to this year's show: doggies. When people learned that dogs were allowed in, some had their pets shipped to Salt Lake. The OR Daily, the newspaper of the show, even featured photos of the "Doggy of the Day." Like most things associated with the green scene, walking with a dog soon became a status symbol of sorts. It is reminiscent of a bumper sticker that made the rounds back in the '60's: "Ecology---mankind's last fad."
But one green-ish breakthrough was more than lip service. Icebreaker, a company that makes wool clothing, is going for 'garment accountability' with a bar code that allows purchasers to see exactly where the wool to make the garment originated. Company CEO Jeremy Moon said in the OR Daily, "...for us, sustainability is about transparency and being able to show the whole...business, which starts with the growers and continues through every step of the chain."
More than anything else, the OR reveals what trends will become public fads. It was here, not the runways of Paris, that the athletic look first showed up as fashion. This year's show revealed that the next trend is clothing that makes people look like rangers or wilderness survivors; but survivors with accessories that come from the extreme high tech zone of the future.