Winter - Inside Outdoor
Winter - Inside Outdoor
Winter - Inside Outdoor
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www.insideoutdoor.com<br />
MOVING FORWARD<br />
New gear for cold coNditioNs<br />
strategies for a cold<br />
retail climate<br />
A Guide to<br />
Eco-Textile<br />
Guidelines<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
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24<br />
14<br />
FEaTUrES<br />
14 BEYOND SURVIVAL<br />
Faced with the worst economic environment the outdoor industry<br />
has ever seen, it’s natural for retail executives to slash spending<br />
and put projects on hold in hopes of simply surviving. Winning<br />
retailers, however, emphasize strategies that not only address survival<br />
during bad times but also better position a company for when<br />
the inevitable turnaround arrives.<br />
By martin Vilaboy<br />
24 WINTER 2010 PRODUCT MARKET SHOWCASE<br />
This latest crop of cold-weather outdoor product introductions is<br />
sure to warm up consumer confidence.<br />
4 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
C O N T E N T S<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
DEparTmENTS<br />
DaTa pOINTS<br />
8 NUMBERS WORTH NOTING<br />
pressures on leisure time; Social network anxiety; On<br />
spec; Shades of green; Online flat line; plus more<br />
BaCK OFFICE<br />
52 EXPEDITIONS IN EMPLOYMENT<br />
a guide to hiring right<br />
GrEENSHEETS<br />
54 WEIGHING THE MEASURES<br />
Understanding textile certifications<br />
58 THE GREEN GLOSSARY<br />
Think wikipedia for the eco-minded<br />
6 Letter from the Editor<br />
12 Rep Moves and News<br />
62 Indexes
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Editor’s Letter<br />
More or Less<br />
So much for “recession proof.” Last November, outdoor retail finally saw its first yearto-year<br />
decline in sales, say OIa figures, a good 11 months into the official recession.<br />
Granted, there were some anomalies in the calendar last year which pushed most of the<br />
holiday shopping season into December, so it remains to be seen what kind of declines,<br />
if any, outdoor retail will experience.<br />
Nonetheless, how consumers are spending today, or what they think they now can<br />
afford, or how sales figures this month will compare to that month last year may not be<br />
the important questions we need to be asking ourselves. What might be more productive<br />
to ponder are the lasting ways the shock of these economic times, which clearly are<br />
worse than any other time most of us can remember, will alter how, what and from whom<br />
people purchase in the years to come.<br />
at a time when lots of marketers are touting low-budget prices and dollars saved, it’s<br />
possible that lots of consumers aren’t actually looking to get “more for less.” rather, they<br />
simply may be looking for less. although gas prices are down more than 50 percent since<br />
reaching a peak last summer, for example, cheaper prices at the pump have done very<br />
little to loosen consumer purse strings.<br />
Indeed, there are signs we could be undergoing a significant shift in the foundation<br />
of american consumerism as we’ve known it for the past few decades. One easily can<br />
get a sense of a coming backlash to what’s perceived as the overindulgence, anxiety to<br />
acquire and resultant over-extension of credit that likely got us into this economic mess<br />
in first place.<br />
a majority of moms surveyed recently by allen & Gerritsen, for example, view americans<br />
as “greedy,” with that greed being at the root of our current financial situation. Nearly two<br />
out of three moms said they are eliminating purchases that are not absolutely necessary.<br />
meanwhile, the latest reports from BIG research show that a full 66 percent of shoppers<br />
say they are more focused on “needs over wants.” It’s an all-time high for this index,<br />
says BIG, up almost 10 points from the 56.5 percent of respondents who said the same<br />
the preceding month. a good majority of shoppers (57.3 percent) say they’ve become<br />
more practical/realistic in their spending, as well, marking another all-time high and up<br />
sharply from the 41.2 percent who responded this way just last January.<br />
“Even for the rich it’s not fashionable to be spending right now,” remarks Gallup chief<br />
economist Dennis Jacobe.<br />
In turn, we also can expect consumers to start saving more, particularly among<br />
the large number of pre-retirement Baby Boomers. Goldman Sachs now estimates<br />
the U.S. savings rate could be as high as 6 to 10 percent this year, up from about 2<br />
percent at the end of 2008. and keep in mind, the personal savings rate was near zero<br />
as recently as 2005.<br />
Even the long-standing notion of “value” being part of a “price/quality” equation may<br />
need to be reconsidered. In the new environment, value could reside in how important<br />
a product or service is to each individual’s health, happiness, security or entertainment.<br />
put another way, value now may have less to do with price and more to do with perceived<br />
benefits.<br />
all of this does not necessarily have to add up to an across-the-board decline in sales,<br />
but we likely can expect to see a significant slowing of growth rates.<br />
maybe that’s not entirely a bad thing. after all, those folks in the outdoor industry<br />
who are dedicated to sustainability and preservation understand that with any type of<br />
development, including economic development, often, in the long run, a little less growth<br />
is actually more. –MV<br />
6 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
martin Vilaboy<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
martin@bekapublishing.com<br />
percy Zamora<br />
Art Director<br />
outdoor@bekapublishing.com<br />
Ernest Shiwanov<br />
Editor at Large<br />
ernest@bekapublishing.com<br />
Editorial Contributors:<br />
Bill Taylor<br />
Berge Kaprelian<br />
Group Publisher<br />
berge@bekapublishing.com<br />
Jennifer Vilaboy<br />
Production Director<br />
jen@bekapublishing.com<br />
Suzanne Urash<br />
Ad Creative Designer<br />
suzanne@cre8groupinc.com<br />
Beka Publishing<br />
Berge Kaprelian<br />
President and CEO<br />
philip Josephson<br />
General Counsel<br />
Jim Bankes<br />
Business Accounting<br />
Corporate Headquarters<br />
745 N. Gilbert road<br />
Suite 124, pmB 303<br />
Gilbert, aZ 85234<br />
Voice: 480.503.0770<br />
Fax: 480.503.0990<br />
Email: berge@bekapublishing.com<br />
© 2009 Beka publishing, all rights reserved.<br />
reproduction in whole or in any form or<br />
medium without express written permission<br />
of Beka publishing, is prohibited. <strong>Inside</strong><br />
<strong>Outdoor</strong> and the <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Outdoor</strong> logo are<br />
trademarks of Beka publishing
Data Points<br />
Numbers Worth Noting<br />
by Martin Vilaboy<br />
PRECIOUS TIME<br />
Yet another declining index in 2008, americans believe<br />
their leisure time is shrinking, says a recent Harris poll, which<br />
has tracked leisure time since 1973. The poll finds that the<br />
median number of leisure hours available each week dropped<br />
20 percent in 2008, from 20 hours in 2007 to an all-time low of<br />
only 16 hours. This continues a trend that has seen america’s<br />
median weekly leisure time shrink 10 hours per week since<br />
1973. Question is: what exactly are folks doing with their time?<br />
In 2008, Harris found that americans increased their work<br />
week by just one hour, yet claim to have lost four hours of<br />
leisure time. In 2004, we said we worked more hours but had<br />
more leisure time than in 2008. Go figure.<br />
Work and Leisure Time Hours Per Week<br />
Year<br />
Median Work Hours<br />
(job, school, keeping house)<br />
Leisure Hours<br />
Available<br />
2008 46 16<br />
2007 45 20<br />
2004 50 19<br />
2003 49 19<br />
2002 47 20<br />
2001 50 20<br />
2000 50 20<br />
1980 47 19<br />
1973 41 26<br />
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008<br />
GAS, FOOD & SAVINGS<br />
apparently, a good chunk of the money consumers are<br />
saving when filling up their tanks is being used to fill up their<br />
tanks. a survey of more than 3,000 U.S. consumers at the end<br />
of last year found that 48 percent of people planned to spend<br />
their gas savings on groceries, says precima, the Toronto-based<br />
unit of marketing firm LoyaltyOne. Gas prices in the U.S. have<br />
declined as much as 60 percent since mid-September, saving<br />
an average household $175 to $200 monthly. Just less than a<br />
third plan to pay down credit card debt with the extra cash, and<br />
some 10 percent plan to spend it on entertainment.<br />
CMOs SHY ON SOCIAL NETWORKING<br />
Social networking sites and applications are red hot among<br />
media and pr types, but most marketing executives aren’t<br />
quite yet sold on it as a business tool. about 10 percent of chief<br />
marketing officers from leading brands currently are using<br />
social sites in their campaigns, says Epsilon, and more than<br />
half (55 percent) of CmOs said they were not too interested or<br />
not interested at all in incorporating social networking sites.<br />
8 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
part of the problem is performance based. according to<br />
studies from IDC, users of social networking sites are less<br />
tolerant of social network advertising than are viewers of<br />
other forms of online advertising. On the Web in general, clickthrough<br />
rates hover around 80 percent but fall to 57 percent<br />
among those on social networking sites. They also lead to<br />
fewer purchases (23 percent for the overall Web, on average,<br />
and 11 percent for social sites). On the other hand, consumers<br />
typically are very resistant when advertising first comes to a<br />
new medium, then grow more tolerate as time goes by.<br />
Social Media Elements in which CMOs Are<br />
Very or Somewhat Interested<br />
Internet forums 52%<br />
Webinars 52%<br />
Webcasts and podcasts 47%<br />
Email 47%<br />
Blogs 37%<br />
Facebook and MySpace<br />
Source: Epsilon<br />
35%<br />
TRAVEL MARKET HEADS SOUTH<br />
Despite the recent dip in fuel prices, about four in 10 (37<br />
percent) of americans expect to travel less often for leisure<br />
in 2009 than they did in 2008, says a recent Ipsos poll. Just<br />
more than 40 percent expect their leisure travel to be the<br />
same in 2009 as in 2008, with 20 percent expecting to travel<br />
more. Business travel, where webinars and conferencing are<br />
expected to replace increasing numbers of trips, will face<br />
similar, if not worse, declines in 2009, Ipsos findings suggest.<br />
Do you expect to travel more often, less<br />
often or the same amount for business in 2009<br />
as compared to 2008?<br />
Expect to travel less often for business in 2009 40%<br />
Expect to travel more often for business in 2009 22%<br />
Expect to travel the same amount for business in 2009 38 %<br />
Source: Ipsos<br />
IN THE DETAILS<br />
although we don’t have the specific data, here’s a point<br />
worth considering: a new study from the Journal of Consumer<br />
Research finds that consumers are heavily influenced by<br />
quantitative specifications when making buying decisions,<br />
even when the specs are meaningless. “We find that even
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Data Points<br />
when buyers can directly experience the underlying attributes<br />
and the specifications carry little or no additional information,<br />
they are still heavily influenced by the specifications,” write the<br />
studies’ authors.<br />
The caveat: while the participants clearly chose products<br />
with more specifications, they didn’t necessarily like the<br />
products more after they chose them, suggest the findings.<br />
SHADES OF GREEN<br />
a recent study by Yahoo! found that while 77 percent of<br />
consumers describe themselves as “green,” actively living<br />
their lives conscious of their health and the environment,<br />
with 57 percent saying they have made a green purchase<br />
in the past six months, not all green consumers can be<br />
expected to behave alike. Yahoo! researchers, for example,<br />
break green consumers into four main groups, and though<br />
nothing is revolutionary in the Yahoo! findings, the percentage<br />
breakdowns seem pretty reasonable when compared to<br />
most of the research and anecdotal evidence we have seen.<br />
Categories of Green Consumers<br />
Category<br />
Deeply committed<br />
(Early adopters of green,<br />
looking to make long-term<br />
impact)<br />
Trendy<br />
(Trendsetters who are<br />
motivated to be green to<br />
look cool)<br />
Practical<br />
(Motivated to be green by<br />
immediate benefits such<br />
as saving money or better<br />
health)<br />
Passive<br />
(Recognize green as<br />
important but place<br />
responsibility more on<br />
others)<br />
% of<br />
Overall<br />
Market<br />
23%<br />
24%<br />
13%<br />
17%<br />
Other 23%<br />
Source: Yahoo!<br />
Characteristics<br />
-Mostly adults<br />
-Skew female<br />
-More educated<br />
-Higher % live in metro areas<br />
-Respond most to “positively impact<br />
the environment” message<br />
-Younger, 18-34 years old<br />
-More ethnically diverse<br />
-Respond to “everybody else doing<br />
it” message and new technology<br />
-Skew a bit older (45+)<br />
-More with children<br />
-Over-index in rural areas<br />
-Younger adults (25-34 years old)<br />
-More women with kids<br />
-Respond to “provide better life for<br />
family” message<br />
-Don’t care about environment or<br />
say they care but take no action<br />
ONLINE’S FLAT LINE<br />
partly an expected de-acceleration of rapid growth and<br />
partly an aberration due to a major clumping of unforeseen<br />
events (short holiday season, sour economy, layoffs), the<br />
reverse in online spending figures in the fourth quarter of 2008<br />
is nothing short of dramatic: minus 4 percent compared to the<br />
year-ago period, says comScore. meanwhile, in a separate<br />
10 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
study, the Online publishers association reported that the<br />
proportion of time that consumers spent on e-commerce<br />
sites hit an all-time low last October. Whatever the reasons, it<br />
doesn’t appear e-commerce will be taking the chunk of overall<br />
retail sales that many predicted it would by 2010. It’s now<br />
more conceivable that e-commerce’s percentage of overall<br />
sales will stall in the single digits to the teens for the next<br />
decade and beyond.<br />
2008 Fourth Quarter and<br />
Holiday Online Spending, $ Millions<br />
Period 2007 2008 % Change<br />
Oct. 1 to Dec. 28 $38,376 36,803 -4%<br />
Nov. 1 to Dec. 23 $26,332 $25, 537 -3%<br />
Source: comScore<br />
FITNESS FIRST, COACH POTATO SECOND<br />
as for some good e-commerce news, according to<br />
comScore, the top growing online product category for the<br />
holiday shopping season was “Sport & Fitness,” which grew<br />
18 percent versus a year ago. The category, says comScore,<br />
continues to benefit from a focus on health and fitness and<br />
consumers feeling more comfortable purchasing higher-priced<br />
fitness equipment. Seemingly contradicting that assessment,<br />
however, the second fastest-growing category was “Video<br />
Games, Consoles & accessories,” which grew 14 percent.<br />
“apparel & accessories,” the only other product category with<br />
positive online growth, generated higher sales as a result<br />
of aggressive discounting and promotions and unfavorable<br />
weather across much of the country, says comScore.<br />
Top Online Product Categories for 2008 Holiday Season<br />
Product Category Y-to-Y % Change<br />
Sport & Fitness 18%<br />
Video Games, Consoles & Accessories 14%<br />
Apparel & Accessories 4%<br />
Books & Magazines -1%<br />
Consumer Electronics -5%<br />
Flowers, Greetings & Gifts -7%<br />
Toys -7%<br />
Computer Hardware -8%<br />
Home, Garden & Furniture -14%<br />
Event Tickets -18%<br />
Jewelry & Watches -24%<br />
Computer Software (Excl. PC Games) -24%<br />
Office Supplies -30%<br />
Music, Movies & Videos -32%<br />
Source: comScore, Inc.
The fridge light has<br />
moved outdoors.<br />
Coghlan’s will be celebrating 50 years by getting you ready<br />
for a “cooler” season in 2009. Cheers to 50 years!<br />
Check out the Cooler Light at ORWM booth #16001.<br />
The <strong>Outdoor</strong> Accessory People.
Rep Moves and News<br />
Buck Knives honored its top-performing sales reps as a<br />
feature of its annual sales meeting, held recently in reno,<br />
Nev. Named as “Buck Sales representative agency of the<br />
Year” was the Grimsrud-Barnes Agency, and its sales team,<br />
Tom Barnes, T. J. Barnes and Doug Nelson. The agency,<br />
headquartered in St. paul, minn., serves Buck dealers in the<br />
four Upper midwest states of michigan, minnesota, North<br />
Dakota and South Dakota.<br />
“Individual Sales representative of the Year award” was<br />
presented to Al Belhumeur of Pro Line Sports, which covers<br />
the British Columbia, Canada, region. plaques were presented<br />
to the winners by C.J. Buck, president of the Idaho-based knife<br />
company.<br />
SUGOI Performance Apparel announced that Hartford<br />
Sales Group, Pursuit Brand Equity Group and Holly<br />
Wiesman now will be representing SUGOI. The Hartford<br />
Sales Group, managed by agency principal Larry Hartford,<br />
has represented sporting goods manufacturers and outdoor<br />
brands since 1984 and will represent SUGOI in the California<br />
and Northern Nevada region. Adam Casey and Jonathon<br />
Vinet from pursuit Brand will represent SUGOI in the New<br />
England region, while Holly Wiesman will represent the brand<br />
12 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
in the Western Great Lakes region, joining SUGOI from a<br />
recent position at JanSport where she was responsible for<br />
almost tripling the business in two years in her territory. all<br />
three sales agencies were expected to join sales efforts<br />
starting with the launch of the Fall 2009 collection.<br />
Nikwax has hired Pacific Rep Works for the company’s<br />
Northwest territory. With five offices in the territory and more<br />
than 50 years collective experience, pacific rep Works will<br />
cover Washington, Idaho, montana, Oregon and alaska. With<br />
a central office that maintains most administrative duties, the<br />
sales reps are free to visit dealers regularly and instigate new<br />
accounts.<br />
Norman Pitt and Steve Baker from Third Rail Marketing<br />
have signed on as Julbo’s new outdoor sales representative<br />
group for the Southeast. pitt, owner of Third rail marketing, and<br />
his associate Baker will cover the states of alabama, Georgia,<br />
Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The two<br />
men have been in the outdoor industry since 1968, and 2009<br />
marks the 10th anniversary of their agency.<br />
Third rail marketing also represents aGS Labs, aquis<br />
adventure Towels, Blue Water ropes, Essential Gear, La<br />
Sportiva, SIGG of Switzerland and Steripen UV Water Filters.
Terramar Sports has entered a new channel with the<br />
hiring of Pico Manufacturing, which will represent Terramar<br />
in the department store and mass merchandiser segments<br />
nationwide. pico manufacturing works with some of the<br />
top-manufacturers of sleepwear and loungewear including<br />
Hanes, Beverly Hills polo, Stanley Blacker and Ecko. The<br />
company is the largest supplier and marketer of boxer<br />
shorts and knit underwear at all retail levels in the U.S., say<br />
company sources.<br />
Wilderness Voyageurs of Ohiopyle, penn. has been<br />
announced as distributors of Paluski Boats and Valley Paddles<br />
for the appalachian and East Coast regions of the United States.<br />
paluski Boats and Valley paddles U.S. representative Scott<br />
Bortree, also of Ohiopyle, penn., will be working closely with<br />
Eric Martin and his staff at Wilderness Voyage to introduce the<br />
full line of products to new potential users. paluski Boats has<br />
been manufacturing kayaks, canoes and paddles in Lakefield,<br />
Ontario, Canada since 1984. martin can be contacted at<br />
800.272.4141 or eric@wildernessvoyageurs.com.<br />
TSL Snowshoes has added the Shaw & Heald sales group<br />
to their national sales rep team. The group headed up by Andy<br />
Shaw and Scott Heald will be responsible for the New England<br />
Territory. “TSL not only offers high quality products, but they<br />
manufacture them right here in Vermont drastically reducing<br />
shipping lead times to my customers.” says Shaw. “There<br />
are not too many lines these days where you can drive to the<br />
factory to pick up your samples.”<br />
OR<br />
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think<br />
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Locals Have More Fun has teamed up with Kiwi <strong>Outdoor</strong><br />
Representation to rep its environmentally friendly lifestyle line<br />
in the pacific Northwest. Kiwi <strong>Outdoor</strong> will assume sales duties<br />
in alaska, Idaho, montana, Oregon and Washington effective<br />
immediately. Established in 2003 by “Kiwi Dave” Cockburn,<br />
Kiwi <strong>Outdoor</strong> representation is based in portland, Ore., and also<br />
represents Westcomb, metolius, Evolv and Tifosi Optics. Cockburn<br />
can be reached at 503.786.5059 or dave@kiwirep.com.<br />
Confluence Watersports recently appointed Montbell<br />
Co., Ltd. as the exclusive distributor in Japan for Wilderness<br />
Systems and Wave Sport kayaks, and Adventure Technology<br />
Paddles. montbell Co. Ltd. already is the exclusive distributor in<br />
Japan of three other Confluence brands: Dagger and perception<br />
kayaks and Harmony paddling accessories.<br />
Confluence and montbell Co. Ltd. have partnered since 1982,<br />
when montbell CEO, Isamu Tatsuna, brought a perception<br />
Dancer to Japan, essentially beginning the paddlesports<br />
industry in the country, say sources at Confluence.<br />
Asolo has appointed Gary Fleming as director of sales and<br />
marketing. Fleming is presently holding that position for the Lowe<br />
Alpine brand and will add asolo to his responsibilities. Fleming’s<br />
career began at Salomon, where he held numerous positions<br />
including director of X-C and accessories. meanwhile, Jason<br />
Stadler has been appointed marketing and information services<br />
manager for asolo and Lowe alpine. Jason is a 10-year veteran<br />
of asolo. He started his career at Salomon and has been involved<br />
with asolo from the establishment of the subsidiary in the U.S.<br />
no grease no mess<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 13<br />
©2009 W Sterno� LLC All Rights Reserved
Beyond Survival<br />
STraTEGIES FOr pUSHING FOrWarD IN<br />
a COLD rETaIL CLImaTE by Martin Vilaboy<br />
According the International Council<br />
of Shopping Centers, up to 73,000<br />
retail establishments could close<br />
in the first half of this year. That<br />
follows a net loss of about 33,000<br />
retail establishments in 2008, with 148,000 total<br />
closings offset only partially by a smaller number<br />
of openings, says ICSC.<br />
And despite aggressive action on the part of<br />
retailers nationwide, we just faced the worst holiday<br />
sales season in 40 years, and most analysts<br />
14 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
are pessimistic that a post-holiday bounce will<br />
lighten the picture. According to Deloitte, for<br />
example, consumers spent 24 percent less on<br />
gift cards this year versus last year, reducing<br />
one source for moving products off of<br />
shelves in early 2009. Even mighty Wal-<br />
Mart is cutting profit projections for the<br />
first quarter of this year. Add to the mix<br />
increasing employment numbers and<br />
a tightening credit market, and it’s<br />
enough to make anyone want to
Household Finance Changes Moms<br />
Made in 2008<br />
Change<br />
% of Respondents (multiple<br />
responses OK)<br />
New source of income 29%<br />
Cut back spending 52%<br />
Eliminated unnecessaries 65%<br />
No changes 12%<br />
Source: Allen & Gerritsen, October 2008<br />
crawl inside a bivy sack with a case of wine to wait until the<br />
storm blows over.<br />
Indeed, the overriding inclination for business owners and<br />
operators across all types of verticals is to slash costs, freeze<br />
spending and hunker down until matters improve. Yet for all<br />
but the weakest of competitors, focusing efforts solely on “surviving”<br />
tough times actually may do more long-term damage<br />
than short-term benefit.<br />
After all, neither good times nor bad times last forever, analysts<br />
at RSR Research remind us.<br />
“Winners always use times like this as an opportunity to<br />
pull away from the competition,” says Brian Kilcourse, RSR<br />
analyst. “So while retailers who are not winners focus on<br />
cost control and constraining their businesses and hunkering<br />
down until times improve, winners use these times to pull far<br />
ahead of the competition.”<br />
Retailers Are Doing More with Customer Data<br />
Source: RSR Research<br />
What are the top 3 opportunities that customer relationship managment<br />
offers your business<br />
Improving customer<br />
purchase frequency/<br />
driving repeat purchases<br />
Driving sales<br />
Using customer data to provide<br />
localized assortments<br />
Shifting lower-value customers to<br />
higher-value customer segments<br />
Improving market basket size<br />
Identifying high-value customers<br />
as they enter the store<br />
Using customer data to provide<br />
personalized communications<br />
Improving overall<br />
customer profitability<br />
Using customer data to track<br />
cross-channel behavior<br />
Increasing margin dollars<br />
Increasing margin percent<br />
0%<br />
0%<br />
0%<br />
11%<br />
11% 12%<br />
12%<br />
12%<br />
Retailers Rank Top 3 Sources of Shrink<br />
24%<br />
24%<br />
22%<br />
33%<br />
36%<br />
44%<br />
40%<br />
40%<br />
48%<br />
52%<br />
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%<br />
16 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
32%<br />
33%<br />
That’s not to say a little belt tightening isn’t in order. It’s<br />
just that the better strategies are the ones that also prepare a<br />
business for more efficient operations when things inevitably<br />
turnaround, be it later this year or sometime in 2010.<br />
In some cases, that’s simply because changes we currently<br />
are experiencing in purchasing behavior could have lasting effects.<br />
Consumers, after all, have been rocked as they stood by<br />
and watched the value of their homes, retirement plans and<br />
future earning potential suddenly decline, “causing a tremendous<br />
shudder in their confidence in the ability of the economy<br />
to sustain them and their lives,” says Kilcourse. “This is a big<br />
issue for all retailers.”<br />
The shaking of confidence, Kilcourse suggests, goes way<br />
deeper than disposable income or “what I can afford,” possibly<br />
creating some real shifts in how people purchase and how they<br />
measure value, or maybe more appropriate, “expensiveness,”<br />
for some time to come.<br />
Signals of changes in the form of consumerism that has<br />
dominated the retail landscape for decades already can be<br />
seen in surveys of women with children, an obviously influential<br />
segment of the marketplace. According to pollsters<br />
Allen & Gerristen, nearly two of three moms say they<br />
are eliminating purchases that are not deemed as absolutely<br />
necessary. Even those who are least affected financially<br />
are being pragmatic, the company says, while just 12 percent<br />
haven’t made any adjustment in spending at all. More<br />
than 70 percent said they made more sacrifices in 2008 than<br />
in 2007.<br />
“It’s not simply a matter of price but<br />
rather what your brand stands for and<br />
how it contributes to their lives,” say<br />
Laggards<br />
Winners<br />
67%<br />
78%<br />
A&G researchers.<br />
“This doesn’t mean stress ‘savings,’”<br />
they continue, “even saving them money<br />
won’t help if they don’t see your<br />
product or service as essential.”<br />
What’s more, a majority of moms believe<br />
Americans are too greedy, and desires<br />
to overindulge, as well as overextend<br />
oneself, directly contributed to the<br />
financial mess we all are now facing.<br />
But the pendulum is swinging back,<br />
suggests the report, with moms seeing<br />
themselves as taking the lead in a<br />
counter-consumerism trend by shunning<br />
greed and re-centering on what is<br />
truly important to them as people and<br />
to their families.<br />
“We are at the beginning of a cultural<br />
trend,” says A&G. “Brands that help<br />
moms resolve the tensions that exist<br />
around the idea of greed and what is or<br />
is not necessary will earn attention and<br />
preference.” And as an added bonus,<br />
“brands that start this conversation<br />
will get to frame the conversation.”
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18 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
Change in Priority of Shrink During Past Two Years<br />
Increased – a higher priority 57%<br />
About the same 37%<br />
Retailers Are Doing More with Customer Data<br />
Less critical – a lower priority 6%<br />
What are the top 3 opportunities that customer relationship managment<br />
Source: RSR Research<br />
offers your business<br />
Improving customer<br />
The obvious purchase upshots frequency/ to such sentiments<br />
driving are efforts repeat purchases to get “back to bationship<br />
programs have grown dur67%<br />
ing the last five years. 48%<br />
sics,” a rediscovering Driving sales of “what really<br />
matters” or even a movement toward<br />
Using customer data to provide<br />
“thrifty as<br />
localized<br />
fashionable,”<br />
assortments<br />
not to be mistaken<br />
as “thrift-store fashion.” 0%<br />
Shifting lower-value customers to<br />
higher-value These are customer all notions segments that play well<br />
Those retailers emphasizing<br />
52%<br />
improved customer relationships<br />
44%<br />
are doing so through<br />
40%<br />
personalization,<br />
localization of assortment and<br />
good old-fashioned 36% customer Laggardsser<br />
78<br />
for outdoor businesses, which should vice, says Nikki 33% Baird, RSR analyst.<br />
Improving market basket size<br />
continue to pump messaging concern- Again, 24% it’s a movement that Winners plays<br />
0%<br />
ing Identifying “back high-value to nature,” customers the potential for to the hands of outdoor specialty<br />
as they enter the store<br />
40%<br />
“bonding with friends and family”<br />
11%<br />
retailers, which tend to be in better<br />
Using customer data to provide<br />
and the outdoors as the antithesis tune than larger chains and mass<br />
personalized communications<br />
24%<br />
to lavish and Improving expensive overall amusement merchants 22% with the needs and life-<br />
park resorts. customer profitability<br />
styles of their 32% core customers.<br />
Using In the customer larger data retail to track picture, as con11%<br />
Even so, accelerating the strategic<br />
sumers cross-channel alter their behavior<br />
12%<br />
attitudes and be- shift to customer-centricity means<br />
33%<br />
havior, Increasing some analysts margin dollars expect to see a “you have to know a lot more about<br />
12%<br />
continuation of the ongoing trend in your customer than you ever did be-<br />
0%<br />
which Increasing retailers margin view percent their businesses 12% fore,” says Baird. Likewise, retailers<br />
as less “product-centric” and more will have to think differently about<br />
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%<br />
“customer-centric.” A full 80 percent the customer data they collect.<br />
80%<br />
of Source: retailers RSR Research surveyed by RSR Research, Whereas in the past data derived<br />
for example, said that customer rela- from customer relationship programs<br />
Retailers Rank Top 3 Sources of Shrink<br />
Internal theft of<br />
merchandise in stores<br />
External theft -<br />
Customer shoplifting<br />
Internal theft of cash<br />
(voids, post-voids,<br />
deposits, etc)<br />
External Theft -<br />
Organized crime rings<br />
Paper shrink (missed<br />
markdowns, incorrect<br />
purchase order price, etc.)<br />
Fraudulent returns<br />
Register under-rings,<br />
sweethearting<br />
and passing<br />
Source: RSR Research<br />
21%<br />
32%<br />
30%<br />
28%<br />
32%<br />
25%<br />
25%<br />
22%<br />
20%<br />
45%<br />
52%<br />
53%<br />
2008<br />
2007<br />
70%<br />
80%
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Source: RSR Research<br />
Most Important/Frequently Used Tools in Loss Prevention<br />
(Retail Winners versus Laggards)<br />
Video Surveillance<br />
Source: RSR Research<br />
Sales Audit<br />
Returns and<br />
Void Management<br />
Cash Management Systems<br />
Pre-employment Screening<br />
Computer-based Training<br />
Real-time Alerts on<br />
POS Overrides<br />
EAS / Security Tags<br />
On-hand Adjustment Audits<br />
Mystery Shoppers<br />
Automated Returns<br />
Processing<br />
18%<br />
18%<br />
17%<br />
30%<br />
36%<br />
largely was applied to generating new sales, top-performing<br />
retailers, suggest RSR findings, increasingly see customer<br />
data as a tool for building loyalty, personalizing product selection,<br />
identifying high-value customers and turning those<br />
high-value customers into “brand advocates.” In some ways,<br />
it’s a basic shift from sales to service.<br />
“Retailers need to go out of their way to provide friendly<br />
customer service because everybody’s going to be out<br />
there screaming value,” says Stephen Hoch, Wharton marketing<br />
professor.<br />
TURN AND BURN<br />
As consumers alter their perceptions of what they want<br />
and need, retailers likewise will need to take a fresh look at<br />
their inventory. Some experts, such as Dale Achabal, professor<br />
at Santa Clara University and director of the university’s<br />
Retail Management Institute, expect retailers to rally around<br />
a “key item” mindset, possibly as a means of achieving some<br />
stability during a period of radical shift.<br />
Others expect a radical shift in long-standing notions of<br />
how inventory, pricing and promotions are managed. From<br />
the 1990s until about 2005, minimizing inventory was seen as<br />
a retailer’s key to success, says Gerard Cachon, a professor at<br />
the University of Pennsylvania specializing in supply chain<br />
management.<br />
“The whole mindset has been, ‘Let’s get rid of it,’” says<br />
Cachon, but that was during a period when most prices were<br />
stable or declining. During an inflationary period, however,<br />
it’s not so clear this is the best strategy, and some retailers<br />
9%<br />
9%<br />
9%<br />
20 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
23%<br />
31%<br />
31%<br />
28%<br />
39%<br />
42%<br />
46%<br />
46%<br />
46%<br />
48%<br />
56%<br />
64%<br />
Laggards<br />
Winners<br />
67%<br />
67%<br />
may want to start holding more inventory<br />
than in the past as a way to hedge against<br />
future price increases, he says.<br />
Certainly, “it’s a little risky to hold inventory<br />
that might [lose value], especially<br />
perishable goods and fashion-oriented<br />
goods,” says Cachon, “but to the extent<br />
[retailers] know that prices will be rising<br />
over time, they will start to try to hold<br />
more inventory.”<br />
Not that consumers will be particularly<br />
receptive to higher prices, even though<br />
some price increases were reluctantly tolerated<br />
when rising fuel cost were to blame.<br />
“The problem is not only that there are<br />
inflationary pressures, but that aggregate<br />
demand is going down,” says Wharton<br />
marketing professor Leonard Lodish.<br />
Still, higher prices may be inevitable,<br />
even as consumers grow increasingly<br />
worried about job security and retirement<br />
portfolios, so Hoch recommends raising<br />
prices a little bit at a time over a period of<br />
time “so the consumer doesn’t have one<br />
big sticker shock,” he says. “In order to do that, the retailer<br />
has to absorb some of the pain in the short run and eventually<br />
pass it on down.”<br />
How much is a little bit? Retailers operating multiple locations<br />
or that are members of a type of industry alliance can find<br />
out by testing several different prices at the same time, ideally at<br />
different locations, to see how consumers respond, say Wharton<br />
researchers. Such a strategy allows retailers to develop a model<br />
for how consumers will react to future price increases.<br />
LEADERS OF LOSS<br />
Beyond pricing and promotions, loss prevention efforts<br />
always are a smart way to drive more efficiency out of inventory.<br />
That’s true under any type of economic environment<br />
but is particularly so during a downturn, and surveys<br />
of retailers the past few years show loss prevention growing<br />
as a concern.<br />
Let’s face it, in times like these, crime rates tend to<br />
increase. While internally, there simply are more cases<br />
where a freeze in employee pay raises or a buddy getting<br />
laid off only help to justify a little ten-finger discount.<br />
And make no mistake, the two components of customer<br />
and employee theft account for an overwhelming percentage<br />
of shrink.<br />
For larger organizations, the return is not hard to justify.<br />
Within an operation generating say $8 to $10 million in annual<br />
sales, for example, just maintaining a shrink level near<br />
the industry average can slice nearly $200,000 out of cash<br />
flow every year.
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22 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
That’s not to suggest loss prevention<br />
is less of a concern for smaller<br />
shops. “Customers and employees<br />
are somewhat indifferent to how big<br />
or successful a retailer is,” says RSR.<br />
Fortunately, leading retailers believe<br />
the most important opportunities<br />
in loss prevention lay in extending<br />
previously purchased technologies,<br />
suggest RSR findings. In most cases,<br />
that tends to include video surveillance,<br />
sales audits and returns and<br />
void management.<br />
At issue, say RSR researchers, is<br />
evidence that such tools are used forensically,<br />
or after the fact for prosecution<br />
purposes. Yet the rate of recovery<br />
on stolen cash and merchandise<br />
is rather low, crime statistics suggest,<br />
so retailers need to find creative ways<br />
to use their tools in proactive or “instant-reactive”<br />
ways, says RSR.<br />
One quick road to improvement,<br />
suggests the research firm, is to infuse<br />
equipment with business intelligence<br />
or technologies that generate alerts<br />
to store and field management when<br />
suspicious activities are revealed. This<br />
can be done through what RSR describes<br />
as “bite-sized chunks,” with<br />
payback from one phase used to fund<br />
future phases.<br />
Such an example could include<br />
picking the store locations or departments<br />
with the worst shrink<br />
and tackling them first, or enhancing<br />
investment in the poorest<br />
performing stores. During weak<br />
economic times, this method of attacking<br />
problems or developing<br />
solutions in “bits and chunks” can<br />
be applied to just about any area<br />
where technology or process investment<br />
is deemed necessary.<br />
Retailers also could seek to arrange<br />
for pricing with technology<br />
vendors that provide payment in step<br />
with payback, say RSR researchers,<br />
or “working out a gain-sharing plan<br />
with vendors.”<br />
And at the risk of sounding like a<br />
bias and self-serving endorsement,<br />
many experts argue that businesses<br />
should resist the all-too-common<br />
reaction to cut advertising budgets<br />
during recessionary periods. Grant-<br />
ed, many of those experts come from<br />
the fields of marketing and advertising,<br />
but there are fairly academic<br />
reasons for turning up advertising<br />
activity, as well, even though it may<br />
seem counterintuitive.<br />
“Those that do not cut back tend<br />
to have much bigger returns for their<br />
marketing spend [in economic downturns]<br />
than during times of prosperity,”<br />
says Wharton marketing professor<br />
David Reibstein.<br />
While it’s true that consumers<br />
have less to spend during down<br />
times, lessening the possible return<br />
on marketing investment, most marketing<br />
spending has an impact basis –<br />
how much you spend relative to your<br />
competition – argues Reibstein.<br />
“So, if the competition is buying<br />
less advertising, the merchants<br />
who spend more get a greater share<br />
of exposure,” he says. “Companies<br />
with enough cash to boost spending<br />
on marketing can use a bad time as a<br />
period in which to focus on gaining<br />
more market share.”<br />
We’d also expect to see more emphasis<br />
on in-store marketing, if for no<br />
other reason than the fact that some<br />
more traditional methods for touching<br />
customers are growing increasingly<br />
expensive. According to J.C. Penney<br />
CEO, Mike Ullman, for example, the<br />
amount of money the retailer spent<br />
on circulars in 2008 reached only half<br />
as many people as it did in 2003.<br />
In-store programs also reach customers<br />
at the point when they are<br />
most-ready to purchase, and touching<br />
customers during the rest of their lives<br />
is becoming increasingly complicated<br />
due to the ongoing fragmentation of<br />
media consumption and leisure time.<br />
Of course, it’s naïve to think retail<br />
executives will increase any budgets<br />
or invest anywhere in a business without<br />
some clear and relatively quick<br />
return. On the other hand, nothing<br />
last forever, and the overall economic<br />
climate is bound to change.<br />
So even if a business can’t make<br />
all the moves it needs to right now,<br />
RSR analysts advise, it’s always<br />
best to have some foresight built<br />
into the plans.
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24 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
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women’s specific fits, the<br />
collection’s moderately aggressive<br />
Vibram outsoles feature<br />
unique tread patterns for each gender and a variety of environments.<br />
Supple uppers range from leathers to synthetics, while the<br />
lace-to-toe design keeps the foot secure during active use. mid-cut<br />
models such as the men’s radius<br />
Gv and women’s Gemini<br />
Gv offer added protection<br />
via the Gore-Tex liner and<br />
ankle support. www.asolo.<br />
com<br />
Atwater Carey<br />
atwater Carey’s new<br />
line of soap sheets allows<br />
for easy cleanup of dishes,<br />
hands and laundry while<br />
in the field. To release the<br />
soap integrated into each<br />
biodegradable sheet, simply<br />
apply hot or cold water<br />
directly onto the product,<br />
which quickly produces lather. The<br />
complete new line includes three<br />
products: Hand Soap Sheets,<br />
Dish Soap Sheets and Camp<br />
Soap Sheets, which can be used<br />
on dishes, hands and laundry. all<br />
products in the line are TSa carryon<br />
approved, making them an easy<br />
and useful item during long flights<br />
or extended layovers. They are sold<br />
in packages of 50 sheets and carry<br />
a suggested retail price of $2.99.<br />
800.558.6614 or www.atwatercarey.com<br />
26 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
Backcountry.com<br />
For anything from an autumn trail run to a spring ski tour, the rime<br />
pullover is made with fleece-backed polartc powershield fabric and<br />
mechanical-stretch, abrasion resistant Schoeller cuffs.<br />
Both the men’s and women’s (pictured) softshells<br />
sport a minimalist design with a chest pocket<br />
and 1/4-chest zip. mSrp is $148.95. www.<br />
backcountry.com<br />
Big Agnes<br />
The Salt Creek 2 is<br />
a free-standing, threeseason<br />
backpacking<br />
tent made with recycled<br />
components. The<br />
floor and fly are made of a 100 percent recycled dye-free polyester<br />
ripstop with a waterproof polyurethane coating, while the body<br />
is lightweight recycled polyester and recycled polyester mesh. It<br />
also features recycled material in the plastic clips, guy lines and<br />
zippers and DaC enviro-friendly tent poles. all seams are taped<br />
with waterproof, solvent-free polyurethane (No pVC or VOCs) tape.<br />
mSrp is $349.95. also new is the peggy SL 15, an 800-fill goose<br />
down women’s specific sleeping bag. This technical down mummy<br />
bag features a new integrated pad sleeve allowing freedom<br />
of movement from the hips down. Suggested retail is $299.95.<br />
www.bigagnes.com
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commitment to top-quality manufacturing with only the<br />
very fi nest, technically advanced materials.<br />
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bamboo to produce bamboo carbon. This is then ground<br />
into fi ne powder and blended with polymers to produce<br />
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Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
28 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
Bodyglide<br />
a necessity for feet prone<br />
to chafing and blisters, the new<br />
Liquified powder skin lubricant<br />
from Bodyglide is a unique<br />
cream that transforms into a<br />
non-greasy, silky smooth, dry<br />
powder shield as it is massaged<br />
into the skin, protecting the skin<br />
against rubbing. Lightweight,<br />
individual pouches of Liquified<br />
powder pack tight, making it<br />
ideal for on-the-go use. Visitors<br />
to the Or Expo can stop by<br />
booth #38156 to give it a firsthand<br />
feel. 425.467.6580 or bill@<br />
bodyglide.com<br />
Bridgedale<br />
Struggling to get into<br />
those super-tight ski boots?<br />
Bridgedale’s Control Fit ski<br />
socks have friction-free slide<br />
zones at the ankle and heel<br />
to ease your feet past stiff,<br />
angular boot tongues and<br />
into tightly wrought heel<br />
pockets. additionally, the leg<br />
is wrapped in tapered cushioning<br />
in three densities, protecting<br />
the shin and cuff area from rigid<br />
boots and the impact of pounding<br />
down the slopes. The socks blend<br />
frictionless yarn with Bridgedale’s<br />
WoolFusion blend of merino wool<br />
and Endurofil, a durable wicking<br />
polypropylene. The Control Fit<br />
collection includes light and<br />
midweight socks in men’s and<br />
women’s fit and colors. www.bridegdale.com<br />
Brooks Range Mountaineering<br />
made with lightweight, water-resistant ripstop nylon fabric, the<br />
new Ultralite Tarp line is designed for maximum flexibility, with a centrally<br />
placed weather-resistant pass-thru patch for rigging to a hard anchor,<br />
along with several nylon webbing loops sewn to the corners and<br />
along the edges to facilitate multiple configurations using trekking<br />
poles, trees or tents. The tarp is<br />
available in four sizes, all of them<br />
compact and light enough to<br />
take on any trip, where it can be<br />
used as a shelter, tent, groundtarp,<br />
awning, wind shelter or<br />
gear storage shelter. mSrps<br />
range from $75 to $179. www.<br />
brooks-range.com<br />
Buff<br />
Buff Headwear expands the angling-specific<br />
Buff line with the launch of Largemouth<br />
Bass and Striper print versions of the UV<br />
Buff and the Cyclone Buff. Both the Striper<br />
and Largemouth Bass UV and Cyclone Buff<br />
incorporate polygiene for active odor control.<br />
polygiene lasts the lifetime of the garment<br />
and is machine washable, says the company.<br />
Buff also has unveiled the Wool Buff made<br />
from 100-percent natural merino wool. The<br />
Wool Buff can be worn more than 12 different<br />
ways, with the most popular winter styles including neck gaiter,<br />
beanie, headband and facemask. It will be available in Cru (cream),<br />
Stone (light grey), Camel (beige), Kaky (moss green), Grana (red),<br />
Navy, Grey and Black. mSrp is $27. www.buffwear.com<br />
Chaos<br />
Chaos expands its<br />
Enviro-Tech offering<br />
with the new Green<br />
recycled raggwool program, which<br />
makes use of post-consumer pop<br />
bottles to create resilient and<br />
cozy accessories. The products<br />
in this category are lined with<br />
recycled fleece, while organic<br />
cotton and bamboo continue<br />
as part of a staple offering in<br />
the program. The Green line<br />
uses only low-impact dyes<br />
made from vegetable and root<br />
powders. pictured here is the<br />
ajax hat. www.chaoshats.co<br />
C.A.M.P.<br />
Developed for ski mountaineering,<br />
climbing and<br />
alpinism, the new ultralightweight<br />
Speed helmet<br />
features numerous<br />
openings to assure an<br />
ideal airflow, an EpS<br />
main structure with<br />
a durable polycarbonate<br />
shell, lightweight<br />
webbing and<br />
an adjustable Velcro<br />
system. available also<br />
is a clear flip-up visor,<br />
which attaches seamlessly<br />
for extreme conditions. Weight is 210<br />
grams. +39 0341 890117 or www.camp.it
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Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
Coghlan’s<br />
The Sight-Grid Signal mirror uses<br />
glass encased in acrylic, designed to offer<br />
the highest reflectivity while remaining<br />
shatter resistant. allowing for a signal<br />
up to 25 miles away, Coghlan’s Signal mirror<br />
features a mesh grid in the center of<br />
the mirror ensuring the beam of reflected<br />
light reaches the target on spot. It is also<br />
compact (2” x 3”), floats and sports a lanyard<br />
hole. www.coghlans.com<br />
30 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
COOLMAX (Invista)<br />
Invista announces an expanded product<br />
line for its newest performance fabric development,<br />
COOLmaX Ecomade filament fiber,<br />
made from 97 percent post-consumer recycled<br />
bottles. The new Ecomade filament fiber expands the fiber’s<br />
end uses into performance sportswear, outerwear<br />
and tops. In august 2008, Ecomade<br />
fiber was introduced for performance socks.<br />
The process for making Ecomade begins with<br />
the collection of post-consumer pET bottles,<br />
which are cleaned and converted into polymer<br />
flakes. The flakes are then converted into<br />
chips, melted and extruded into fiber. It takes<br />
approximately 14 20-ounce plastic bottles to<br />
produce an extra large men’s T-shirt, says Invista.<br />
www.invista.com<br />
Dermatone<br />
Dermatone’s 100 percent water-free formula<br />
provides a barrier on your skin to prevent<br />
moisture loss, which is the primary cause of<br />
chapping, cracking and wind burned skin. This<br />
formula offers a broad-spectrum protection<br />
against UVa and UVB rays as well. a two year<br />
clinical test, initiated by the army research<br />
Institute of Environmental medicine and the<br />
University of Kansas, concluded that Dermatone<br />
protects twice as long against frostbite<br />
than any of the other products tested. Likewise,<br />
Navy Seals and the U.S. marines have<br />
selected Dermatone for their use, as well.<br />
www.dermatone.com
ECCO<br />
ECCO introduces its BIOm concept, a direct-inject process running<br />
shoe with a pU midsole. Based on “natural motion” or minimalism,<br />
BIOm will be available in men’s and women’s in both<br />
leather and textile uppers. The leather<br />
will be made from Yak, which is a<br />
naturally breathable material and<br />
is three-times stronger than cow<br />
leather, says the company. Suggested<br />
retail prices are $195 and $220.<br />
www.biomproject.com<br />
El Naturalista<br />
The recycled rubber outsole on the shoes<br />
in the Iggdrasil collection takes its inspiration<br />
from the Iggdrasil Tree of Life. The rubber has<br />
the look of tree bark and the smell of tea tree<br />
oil. Styles in the Iggdrasil collection are made<br />
from Stream Leather, an exclusive finish<br />
achieved using a hand-applied treatment process<br />
which naturally protects the shoe from<br />
water, dirt and the passage of time. The Frog<br />
Shock System is El Naturalista’s exclusive<br />
anti-shock system offering comfort<br />
in every situation. For<br />
2009, the very popular El<br />
Naturalista Iggradasil clog<br />
has been reinterpreted<br />
in a short boot, featuring<br />
the rich colors of fall with<br />
contrast leather accents.www.elnaturalista.com<br />
Essential Gear<br />
Charged by a car’s 12-volt power outlet,<br />
the compact Spotlight is always ready to go<br />
whether changing a tire<br />
or searching for coins<br />
dropped under the<br />
driver’s seat. made<br />
with a 6061 anodized<br />
aluminum body and a<br />
high-output 0.5 watt<br />
LED bulb, the Spot-<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2010 Product Market ShowcaSe<br />
any trail :<br />
any season :<br />
any surface :<br />
light is less than 2 inches<br />
long, weighs 1.6 ounces<br />
and features a rechargeable<br />
Ni-mH battery and<br />
red glow charging indicator.<br />
mSrp is $19.95.<br />
Contact Sue martin at<br />
413.772.8984 or www.<br />
essentialgear.com.<br />
2009 South Main Street<br />
Moscow, Idaho 83843<br />
trekstausa.com<br />
A breakthrough in<br />
anti-slip technology will<br />
be revealed at<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> OR. Stop by and<br />
test it for yourself on a<br />
sheet of ice!<br />
Booth #32407<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 31
Munich –<br />
Europe’s<br />
<strong>Outdoor</strong><br />
Capital
1-4 feb<br />
www.ispo.com<br />
Munich, Germany, is host city of outdoor_ispo at ispo winter 09, 1- 4 February, 2009. ispo<br />
winter is the World's largest wintersports tradeshow with retail attendance in access of 65,000<br />
visits. outdoor_ispo is actively endorsed by the European <strong>Outdoor</strong> Group (EOG) and by retail<br />
associations across Europe.<br />
Messe Munich's "The Sports Community", organizer of ispo winter, also operates ispo china in collaboration with <strong>Outdoor</strong><br />
Retailer and Nielsen Business Media. ispo china 09 will take place in Beijing 19-21 February, 2009.<br />
For more information, please visit www.ispo.com or contact Dieter Tremp at dietertremp@earthlink.net, 415-868-8882.<br />
For more information about ispo china, please contact your <strong>Outdoor</strong> Retailer partners.
Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
ExOfficio<br />
From ExOfficio’s roughian collection, the<br />
Takeover Trek’r Shirt packs a ton of function<br />
into a load of style. made with<br />
Takeover Canvas (100 percent<br />
nylon), the shirt has a cottonlike<br />
feel and a peach finish,<br />
which helps resist wrinkles.<br />
It is lightly coated<br />
with polyurethane to<br />
repel water and Teflon<br />
treated for stain<br />
resistance. The Takeover<br />
Trek’r also has a snap<br />
placket, security chest pockets,<br />
a stacked utility pocket, utility<br />
loop and roll up sleeves tabs. It<br />
is offered in light khaki, olive and dark<br />
pebble. mSrp is $88. also check out the<br />
new men’s roam’r, a “technically casual”<br />
boot made with a water- and stain-resistant<br />
suede upper, bamboo fabric lining, TpU<br />
heel stabilizer and 20 percent recycled internal<br />
EVa midsole. It also features an ExO<br />
Comfort Cradle footbed for added support and comfort. Suggested<br />
retail is $135. www.exofficio.com<br />
“we’ve got you covered”<br />
Our patented 3 in 1 system offers a soft case<br />
and a cleaning cloth concealed in the eyewear<br />
retainer. From our Classic that started it all, to<br />
the ClipCase and SportGrip that together make<br />
up our TechnoSkin, we can protect your eyewear.<br />
Additionally, for the marine enthusiasts our H2O<br />
will keep Davy Jones from claiming anymore<br />
eyewear from you. Eyewear retainers and<br />
protection is all we do. When it<br />
comes to your eyewear…<br />
“we’ve got you covered”<br />
www.hides.com<br />
866-287-0667<br />
34 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
Falcon Guides<br />
Never again will mosquitoes,<br />
blisters, bad food, or the wrong<br />
gear ruin a great hike—not<br />
with Knack Hiking & Backpacking,<br />
a quick-reading,<br />
picture-driven guide that<br />
offers the highest level of<br />
expertise in the most user-friendly<br />
format ever.<br />
This is the first title in<br />
Globe pequot press’s<br />
exciting new line of<br />
“Knack” how-to books that are “Fueled by FalconGuides.”<br />
Other outdoor titles in the Knack/FalconGuides initiative include<br />
canoeing, fishing, knot tying and car camping. www.<br />
falconguides.com<br />
GoLite<br />
Both the Speed of Light (pictured) and the<br />
pakLite are part of GoLite’s new Fastpackers<br />
category, which the company says are<br />
one-third lighter than comparable<br />
shoes. Fastpackers combine<br />
the GoLite’s Soft against the<br />
Ground technology for enhanced stability,<br />
with Gripstick rubber and Neoform<br />
Reclaimed, Recycled, Responsible!<br />
ECOWOOD<br />
DISPLAYS<br />
made w/ reclaimed wood<br />
proudly made in the usa<br />
800-452-1679<br />
www.ecowooddisplays.com
uppers. The pakLite is available in both men’s and<br />
women’s styles, while the Speed of Light<br />
comes only in men’s. www.golite.<br />
com/footwear<br />
Gramicci<br />
Featured in Gramicci’s<br />
Urban Biking<br />
line, Evo-Tek<br />
is a dual-color<br />
plated single jersey<br />
made from<br />
55 percent organic<br />
cotton and<br />
45 percent recycled<br />
polyester. Designed<br />
to bring organic fibers to<br />
performance apparel, this knit<br />
also serves as a base layer.<br />
Features of the line include kangaroo<br />
pockets, thumb holes, back<br />
pocket, zip stasher pocket, color contrasting liner,<br />
ventilation holes, leaf stitching, curved rider back,<br />
and snap gators that partially cover the face in<br />
severe weather. pictured here is the The Velo<br />
Zip Up for women. www.gramicci.com<br />
We¹re Green<br />
even in a<br />
whiteout<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2010 Product Market ShowcaSe<br />
hides<br />
The hides multifunction<br />
eyewear retainer features<br />
a patented three-in-one<br />
system that integrates<br />
a soft case and a cleaning<br />
cloth concealed inside<br />
the eyewear retainer.<br />
866.287.0667 jstedham@<br />
hides.com or www.hides.com<br />
High Sierra<br />
Sport Company<br />
The new Wheeled Double adjustable<br />
Ski Bag offers a fully padded main compartment with padded divider<br />
panel to protect two pairs of skis; zippered front accessory pocket<br />
for extras; and the exclusive adjust-a-Strap system, which allows the<br />
skier to set the bag to a specific length. Other highlights include ski<br />
and ski pole hold-down straps clearly marked with tabs to help keep<br />
gear organized, an ergonomic sure-grip molded tow handle with neoprene<br />
padding, rigid structure<br />
SUSTAIN - A Collection of Environmentally<br />
Friendly Textiles from ASF Group<br />
Petroleum is the base of most outerwear fabrics. It is becoming increasingly scarce in the world and<br />
its products leave a heavy impact on the environment. By building eco-friendly fabrics, our SUSTAIN<br />
Collection takes another step forward towards a cleaner planet.<br />
The ASF Group produces technically advanced fabrics that use Recycled Polyester and other Eco-friendly<br />
Fibers for performance outerwear. For more info on how we create green fabrics, please contact us.<br />
SUSTAIN - Environmentally Friendly Fabric Collection<br />
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We are the fabric builders—from fiber, to fabric, to factory, to finished.<br />
www.asfgroup.com<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 35
Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
around the wheels and plastic-molded rub rails to protect the bottom<br />
of the bag from abrasion, inline skate-style wheels with corner<br />
protectors, quick-release adjustable compression straps on<br />
each end, long webbing handles that can be used as a shoulder<br />
strap and extra large neoprene-padded handle wrap for comfort.<br />
The ski bag measures 83” x 13” x 7” and sells for a suggested<br />
retail of $99.99. www.highsierrasport.com<br />
Highgear<br />
Highgear announces the debut of its first portable weather<br />
station, the Terrapod. rugged and weather-resistant, it features<br />
an altimeter, a compass, a barometer with 12-hour weather<br />
forecasting and temperature monitoring.<br />
The Terrapod is intuitive<br />
enough for the entry-level<br />
user yet features all of the<br />
high-level attributes one requires<br />
for any outdoor adventure, says<br />
the company. The Terrapod’s<br />
foldable stand allows it to either<br />
be clipped to gear or folded into<br />
a sitting position to stand alone<br />
for easy viewing. Other safety<br />
features include a bright LED<br />
flashlight, a key lock, alarm,<br />
a low battery detector and a<br />
user-replaceable battery hatch.<br />
mSrp is $79. www.highgear.<br />
com<br />
Hot Chillys<br />
New for 2009 is a line of<br />
base layers that use all-natural fibers,<br />
including alpaca. Hot Chillys has<br />
blended alpaca fiber with its mTF fibers<br />
to create a mid-weight fabric that is warm but not too warm for a sunny<br />
day in the snow. alpaca is naturally smoother than traditional wool,<br />
says the company, and is naturally hypoallergenic. It also is naturally<br />
lanolin and dander free, making it a powerful alternative to merino.<br />
www.hotchillys.com<br />
Hydrapak<br />
The Gel-Bot Belt<br />
is a minimalist<br />
waist pack<br />
made to comfortably<br />
carry a<br />
Gel-Bot (delivering<br />
water and<br />
energy gel from the<br />
same bottle). It includes<br />
a hand-held elastic run strap,<br />
which stays on the bottle when<br />
stored in the belt, and a zippered<br />
pocket for small items such as keys,<br />
credit cards and a cell phone. Suggested retail<br />
is $32.99. www.hydrapak.com or www.gel-bot.com<br />
36 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
Injinji<br />
Injinji’s new Yoga Toesocks are made from ecofriendly,<br />
absorbent and naturally anti-bacterial Nü-<br />
Bamboo. available in two styles, the Yoga Toesock<br />
and the Toe-Less Yoga, the socks provide yogis, pilates<br />
practitioners, dancers and gymnasts the freedom<br />
and flexibility of being barefoot but offer added<br />
protection for use outdoors or on gym floors or loaner<br />
mats. a slip-resistant sole with raised treads offers<br />
grip, control and increased balance during exercise,<br />
while a contoured heel pocket and arch<br />
support stretch to fit the unique shape of the<br />
foot without slipping or bunching. The<br />
Yoga Toesock comes in white,<br />
black, rust and moss for<br />
women and men. The fun<br />
Toe-Less Yoga is available<br />
in stripes in berry/charcoal,<br />
rust/chocolate and charcoal/black.<br />
mSrp is $16. 858.270.3811 or stacy@injinji.com<br />
ISIS<br />
Out of the company’s mountain<br />
Collection, the Diva is a waterproof/<br />
breathable jacket constructed with<br />
three-layer Hydra3 technology. The<br />
hood has removable faux fur, is<br />
helmet compatible and rolls down<br />
to form a collar. Laminated hand<br />
pockets, core vents and arm<br />
pocket help keep water out,<br />
while internal stow pockets and<br />
security pocket with earphone<br />
portal make up a few of the<br />
extra features. mSrp is $299.<br />
Out of the Warmth Collection is<br />
the new Slipstream Jacket (pictured).<br />
Filled with 800-fill down, the<br />
jacket offers a unique baffle design and<br />
velvet-lined collar to keep the wearer<br />
warm when the weather isn’t. mSrp is<br />
$229. www.isisforwomen.com<br />
Jetboil<br />
Jetboil’s personal Cooking<br />
System (pCS) is redesigned<br />
for Fall 2009 with the new<br />
Flash pCS. a redesigned<br />
1-liter cooking pot includes<br />
a translucent lid to track cooking<br />
and prevent boil-overs. The pCS<br />
cup reads the internal temperature and<br />
changes color as contents heat up. Suggested<br />
retail is $99.95. www.jetboil.com
Julbo<br />
The new motion<br />
offers a panoramic vision<br />
spectrum even when<br />
wearing a helmet. It weighs<br />
8 grams and features aerodynamic<br />
styling , adjustable ear loops<br />
and Julbo’s Zebra lens technology that adapts<br />
to varying light conditions from Category 2<br />
(59 percent visible light coverage) in low light<br />
conditions to Category 4 (95 percent visible<br />
light coverage) in powerful light in as little as<br />
22 seconds. The Zebra lens also comes with<br />
lifelong anti-fog coating. mSrp is $180. www.<br />
julbousa.com<br />
Kahtoola<br />
Kahtoola expands its<br />
step-in FLIGHTdeck TS<br />
snowshoe with the addition<br />
of the TS 29 deck<br />
for increased flotation.<br />
The FLIGHTdeck TS<br />
(mSrp $269) is<br />
now available in the TS 29, (8.5” x 29”), TS 24<br />
(8.5” x 24”) and TS 23 (8” x 23”). all FLIGHTdeck<br />
TS models come equipped with the Two<br />
Step (TS) traction system, a universal snowshoe<br />
binding that doubles as a traction device when<br />
not clicked into the deck. This universal cleated<br />
binding has adjustable side supports, adjustable<br />
instep support and secure straps to accommodate<br />
a range of footwear, including snowboard<br />
boots, offering enthusiasts exceptional traction<br />
without the use of a snowshoe. When snow<br />
abounds, the TS Binding allows users the option<br />
to click into one of the three sizes of the<br />
FLIGHTdeck TS. www.kahtoola.com<br />
Kako International<br />
made for<br />
the most heavyduty<br />
wear for the<br />
casual hiker or the<br />
experienced adventurer,<br />
the Ice Trekkers Ultra<br />
chain is made of alloy steel,<br />
����������������������� ���<br />
kahtoola.com � (866) 330-8030<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 37
Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
multi-directional X-bead cables and a rubber sling that clips onto any<br />
shoe. Comfortable enough to wear all day, sizes are available for men<br />
ranging from a 7 to 13.5+ and women sized 8.5 to 11.5+. Two models<br />
of the Ultra are available for suggested retail prices of $19 and $35.<br />
www.kakoicecleats.com<br />
Katie’s Bumper<br />
Katie’s Bumpers expands its<br />
offering of dog toys made with<br />
100 percent pre-consumer recycled<br />
fire hose. The new Eco Star is<br />
an interactive fetch toy that squeaks,<br />
flies and floats. It’s highly visible and<br />
machine washable. also new for this season<br />
is the Bottle Tracker, a toy for retrieving,<br />
scent recognition, search and rescue training<br />
and contra-band training. Simply fill a plastic<br />
bottle with treats or scenting materials, add a few holes<br />
to allow the scent to escape and insert into the Bottle Tracker. It has<br />
a Velcro-sealed compartment for enclosing the bottle and a sewn-in<br />
loop for tugging. all Katie’s Bumper toys retail for less than $25 and<br />
are made in the USa. www.katiesbumpers.com<br />
Kiva Designs<br />
Kiva Designs introduces its new<br />
Easy Check Laptop Case, designed<br />
to allow airport TSa agents to check a<br />
laptop case quickly and efficiently.<br />
measuring 11.75”h x 16”w, this<br />
dual chamber bag weighs a mere<br />
2.5 pounds but is capable of carrying<br />
all your travel essentials<br />
in one simple carry-on. It’s<br />
available in black, copper and<br />
blue at a suggested retail price<br />
of $79. 707.748.1614 or www.<br />
kivadesigns.com<br />
Lafuma<br />
Designed for all types of winter climbing, the Ice Scream<br />
is a waterproof polyamide and Hypalon rucksack with a<br />
smooth, uncluttered shape that conceals a multitude of<br />
handy technical features, including the new sheathed ice axe<br />
carriers designed specifically for the sharp tips of all brands<br />
of ice axe, a compression flap, a removable traditional ice<br />
axe strap, a stretch mesh helmet carrier, ski carriers and a<br />
waterproof zipper. another interesting feature of this bag<br />
is that it actually consists of two interlocking rucksacks<br />
that can be used together or separately, depending on<br />
requirements. The first has a capacity of 35 liters and<br />
is intended for the approach phase. The second<br />
is thin and light, with a capacity of 15 liters,<br />
intended for climbing. The latter has a removable<br />
integrated ice screw carrier (12screw<br />
capacity). www.lafumausa.com<br />
38 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
Lippi <strong>Outdoor</strong><br />
Creator of the Selk ‘bag wearable sleeping bag, Lippi <strong>Outdoor</strong><br />
is reintroducing two updated versions (prime and Down), as<br />
well as showcasing its new kids Selk ‘bag. a sleeping bag with<br />
arms, legs and a hood, the Selk’ bag retains the functionality of<br />
a traditional sleeping bag but allows users to move their legs<br />
and arms apart freely, thus creating a mummy-esque sleeping<br />
bag and cozy blanket all in one. <strong>Inside</strong> the Selk’, users can<br />
stand, walk, cross their legs and arms or sleep comfortably,<br />
says the company. The system can be used for cozying down<br />
during a winter sporting event, drinking a cup of coffee on a<br />
chilly morning while camping or even wearing while out in the<br />
woods hunting. www.lippioutdoor.com<br />
Loki LLC<br />
Designed as a casual sports hoodie<br />
with serious severe weather back-up<br />
features, the new Women’s 8557<br />
mountain Hoodie (pictured) offers<br />
Loki’s patented hidden mittens<br />
completely hidden yet permanently<br />
attached at the end of the<br />
sleeves. The fully lined,<br />
drawstring adjustable<br />
hood<br />
features a hidden<br />
face shield<br />
with breathable<br />
nose netting that<br />
also can be used as a neck<br />
gaiter. mSrp is $135. and<br />
since Loki’s patented mittens<br />
won’t work if there<br />
are no sleeves, Loki has<br />
not made clothing without<br />
sleeves…until<br />
now. What makes<br />
the new N_vest “Loki unique” is<br />
that it can be converted to a small back pack (N_pac)<br />
in seconds. When the vest is worn in a normal fashion,<br />
it has a wide zipper closure back lumbar pocket.<br />
The outer shell is made from 40 denier ripstop<br />
nylon, and the insulation is 133-gram primaloft<br />
Sport. mSrp is $129. www.lokigear.com<br />
Lowa<br />
The X-alp alpine<br />
Touring skiboot features<br />
a hull with three<br />
different structured<br />
zones: the extra-soft<br />
bellow zone, the highstiff<br />
binding and rear support<br />
zone and the hull envelop<br />
zone, with the two materials mixed<br />
together. This peculiar configuration<br />
allows at one time a perfect
heel block, an increase of ski performance<br />
and a better forward flexion while going up<br />
with skins. The double catch system, with<br />
a Velcro strap integrated, features a double<br />
rack which allows the lever’s cover to move<br />
forward and, as a result, makes the foot’s<br />
articulation easier. By using a new lever in<br />
magnesium alloy, this system enhances<br />
resistance and lightness, while the asymmetrical<br />
lines of its innovative design allow<br />
an easy snow release, says Lowa. Its lining<br />
is in light, resistant and flexible polyethylene.<br />
a toe and heel in pebax material and the VI-<br />
Bram X-alp sole enrich the LOWa X-alp skiboot.<br />
www.lowaboots.com<br />
Lowe Alpine<br />
Lowe alpine’s new<br />
fall/winter 2009 line-up<br />
addresses winter alpinism,<br />
randonnee racing,<br />
ski/snowboarding<br />
and x-c/snowshoeing.<br />
The packs offer<br />
Lowe alpine’s fit and<br />
durability but especially<br />
focus on the<br />
variety of equipment<br />
that winter enthusiasts<br />
need to carry<br />
and access easily.<br />
Details include the<br />
SOS panel, mitt<br />
friendly zippers and<br />
buckles, the soft goggle pocket and<br />
no-slip buckles. pictured here is the Snowstorm<br />
20:20, which can be expanded to double<br />
its size. It’s meant to carry 25+lbs with<br />
the molded and adjustable Torso Fit back and<br />
Lowe’s patented adaptiveFit hip<br />
belt. www.lowealpine.com<br />
Luminox<br />
a group of<br />
38mm, unisex versions<br />
have been<br />
added to the company’s<br />
EVO Navy<br />
SEaL Colormark collection<br />
of watches.<br />
The Colormark 38mm<br />
watches, which retail<br />
for $295, are offered<br />
with black dials and hands,<br />
and with dial and bezel markings that are color-coordinated<br />
in white, blue, yellow, or – new<br />
for Luminox – pink. www.luminox.com<br />
Medis Technologies<br />
Small, lightweight<br />
and<br />
convenient,<br />
the Emergency<br />
power Kit<br />
is an environmentally<br />
friendly portableauxiliary<br />
power<br />
source that keeps<br />
electronics powered anywhere,<br />
anytime. The kit includes a medis 24-7 Fuel<br />
Cell power pack (charger), flashlight<br />
and adapters to charge a variety<br />
of portable devices. Using medis<br />
Technologies’ liquid fuel cell<br />
technology, the fuel cell can<br />
add up to 30 additional hours<br />
of talk time to your cell phone,<br />
and the flashlight provides up to<br />
6 weeks of lighting on one medis<br />
Fuel Cell. When the fuel cell<br />
is depleted, just plug in another<br />
power pack to continue operating<br />
whatever electronic device<br />
you need and recycle the<br />
used one. www.poweritanywhere.com<br />
Merrell<br />
Entering its third season<br />
in athletic running, merrell expands its<br />
line of road and trail running shoes with the<br />
Cp Sanctuary, designed to handle distances<br />
from a 5K all the way to a marathon. merrell’s<br />
lightest performance product (8.5 ounces),<br />
the Cp Sanctuary’s supportive gpHaSE (Gait<br />
phase) mid-sole provides stability and support<br />
through late stage and fatigue pronation.<br />
proprietary compounds and bio-mechanical<br />
technologies are combined with premiere<br />
upper systems, like Eco-Smart recycled<br />
mesh upper and breathable spacer<br />
mesh for maximum air flow, that provide a<br />
comfortable ride. The women’s Cp Sanctuary<br />
is built on a women’s last that includes<br />
merrell Q-Form technology designed for<br />
the unique features of a woman’s gait cycle.<br />
mSrp is $100. www.<br />
merrell.com<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 39
Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
Merrell Apparel<br />
Taking a traditional pea coat and updating it<br />
with performance-level merrell Opti-Shell waterproofing,<br />
DWr finishing and merrell aero-<br />
Block wind resistance protection, the men’s<br />
Hurricane jacket adds performance and style<br />
to improve upon a classic look. merrell calls<br />
the Hurricane an example of the next generation<br />
of softshell, with technical fabrics<br />
combined with a stylish design to create a<br />
desirable cold weather jacket. Throughout<br />
the fall 2009 collection, merrell has taken<br />
these conventional “old dog” styles and<br />
added “new tricks”—innovative design<br />
aspects as well as propriety<br />
and partner fabric technologies. www.<br />
merrell.com<br />
Metolius<br />
The new Iron Hand Glove is a summer<br />
weight version of the popular Climbing<br />
Glove. The Iron Hand is a synthetic glove with<br />
3/4-length fingers perfect for belaying, big wall<br />
climbing and rope courses. The palm is reinforced<br />
with triple stitched brown split cowhide<br />
and all wear-areas are reinforced. The backpanel,<br />
made from nylon and spandex, is breathable and<br />
40 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
formfitting. a bar-tacked webbing clip-in loop and<br />
hook-and-loop wrist closure round out the Iron<br />
Hand Glove. mSrp is $28.50. www.metoliusclimbing.com<br />
Millet<br />
Designed for ski touring and advanced<br />
mountaineering, the new Super Touring<br />
Jacket is made from polartec powershield<br />
Light & Stretch and features<br />
waterproof zippers on the center<br />
front and chest pocket, Flex Comfort<br />
pre-formed elbows, dual-adjustment<br />
integral hood, tailored cuffs<br />
with thumbnails, a drop back for<br />
enhanced protection and two flapped<br />
and zipped large handwarmer pockets.<br />
Weighing in at about 15 ounces, the<br />
Super Touring jacket also allows for hem adjustment<br />
via elastic drawcord and autolocks. www.milletusa.com<br />
Moving Comfort<br />
Connect is a new yoga/fitness apparel collection named to suggest<br />
the connection between body and breath in the practice of yoga.<br />
For the inaugural line, Connect features the rich color palette of the<br />
fall season, taking inspiration from flowers, fruits and vegetables. The<br />
fabrics are high performance by construction while feeling luxurious<br />
on the body. among the initial offerings is the alexis Support Tank<br />
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with seam-free padded cups, mesh<br />
strategically placed for comfort,<br />
modified racer back and an extended<br />
length to accommodate yoga<br />
postures. There’s also the easy fit<br />
Connect Bottoms available in short,<br />
Capri and pant. The bottoms feature<br />
comfortable mid-rise waistbands,<br />
mesh-lined hand pockets and side<br />
panel construction. It’s available in<br />
mink and black brushed poly/spandex.<br />
www.movingcomfort.com<br />
MSR<br />
a superior-traction snowshoe designed<br />
for 8 to 12 year-olds, mSr’s<br />
new youth snowshoe is modeled<br />
after the mSr Denali Evo<br />
adult snowshoe. It features<br />
an injection-molded plastic<br />
deck, steel toothed traction<br />
blades and a tapered tip and<br />
tail, allowing kids to enjoy the<br />
same performance as mSr adult shoes.<br />
adjustable binding straps allow for foot<br />
growth between seasons. mSrp is $89.95. www.msrgear.com<br />
®<br />
HDM<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2010 Product Market ShowcaSe<br />
National Geographic Maps<br />
NG maps has released three new adventure maps for mexico’s<br />
Baja and Yucatan. printed on waterproof and tear-resistant material,<br />
each map combines detailed terrain with local information ideal for the<br />
more adventurous traveler. The two Baja maps include detailed city<br />
insets; a comprehensive road network and mileage charts; UNESCO<br />
World Heritage sites; protected areas provided by the Nature Conservancy<br />
of mexico; gas/diesel stations; and popular surfing, diving,<br />
fishing and whale watching locations. The map of Yucatan features<br />
mayan sites and many other points of interest. mSrp is $11.95.<br />
Nikwax<br />
Nikwax has replaced its pastewax<br />
leather treatment with the new<br />
Waterproofing Wax For Leather,<br />
which the company says stays true<br />
to its environmental standards. Nikwax<br />
Waterproofing For Leather can<br />
be applied to wet or dry leather and is<br />
effective immediately upon contact. It’s<br />
available in 60 mL (mSrp $5.99) and 100 mL<br />
($8.15) sizes. www.nikwax.com<br />
SuperFabric<br />
material<br />
®<br />
by HDM, Inc. TM<br />
brand<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 41
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Slip Cocoon’s new Thermal Liner into your<br />
bag to actively regulate temperature and<br />
moisture for a better nights sleep!<br />
• Superior temperature<br />
regulation with<br />
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• 100% CoolMax ® for<br />
quick-drying moisture<br />
management<br />
• Mummy or<br />
Rectangular-shaped<br />
sleeping bag liners<br />
• MummyLiner in<br />
Women’s and<br />
standard length<br />
Available at <strong>Outdoor</strong> & Travel Shops Nationwide<br />
WWW. COCOONUSA. COM 1.800.254.7258<br />
42 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
Nuwa Textile<br />
The latest from this eco-pioneering<br />
mill, NuWash brings a new finish to performance<br />
ballistic nylon, says Nuwa Textiles.<br />
Currently available in a range of heavier<br />
weight weaves (400, 840 and 1,680 denier),<br />
the NuWash ballistic nylon fabric<br />
offers designers a unique stonewash effect<br />
(think denim, heather or straw mat)<br />
achieved through an intermixing of fibers<br />
that react differently to dyestuffs. Nuwa<br />
engineered the hybrid dyeing process<br />
using its protocol of more sustainable<br />
manufacturing practices. 949.285.7582<br />
or www.nuwatex.com<br />
Oboz<br />
Oboz’s Women’s<br />
Sawtooth<br />
mid incorporates<br />
Oboz’s<br />
B-Dry waterproof<br />
lining, a<br />
surefooted nonmarking<br />
rubber outsole with<br />
deep lugs for excellent traction and<br />
control in slippery conditions and Oboz’s<br />
three-dimensionally molded heel counter.<br />
On the inside, Oboz footwear always features<br />
a triple-density insole. www.obozfootwear.com<br />
Opedix<br />
The newest addition<br />
to Opedix’s<br />
Wellness Gear<br />
line, the posture<br />
Shirt uses a combination<br />
of mechanics<br />
and proprioception<br />
(the body’s internal<br />
sense of orientation) to<br />
pull the shoulder blades back into place<br />
and to re-train the muscles to function<br />
more efficiently, says Opedix. The posture<br />
Shirt will be available in men’s and<br />
women’s styles. www.opedix.com<br />
Optic Nerve<br />
For <strong>Winter</strong> 2009, Optic Nerve overhauled<br />
its goggle collection. New this<br />
year, the 970 and<br />
719 (area codes<br />
for some of Colorado’s<br />
mountain<br />
areas) feature an<br />
advanced spherical<br />
lens made of<br />
high-impact, anti-fog polycarbonate material<br />
with active venting; a triple-density foam<br />
face liner; ergonomic design; 100 percent<br />
UV protection; Class 1 optical standards;<br />
and compatibility with virtually any helmet<br />
– all at a fraction of the cost for comparable<br />
goggles from other brands. The 970<br />
(pictured) sports a double lens with a thermal<br />
layer in the middle to reduce fogging,<br />
while a triple-density foam face liner provides<br />
a secure and comfortable fit. available<br />
in an assortment of colors and lens<br />
styles, mSrp is $59. www.nerveusa.com<br />
Orage<br />
The retallack is a pr1mE 20 Twill threeply<br />
ski jacket equipped with waterproof<br />
zippers; 180 vision, reflective print detailing;<br />
hiking suspenders; pit zips; and a Lycra<br />
powder skirt. Hydration pack compatible,<br />
it’s offered in lemon, classic<br />
blue and black at a<br />
retail price of $500.<br />
also new is the TJ<br />
Schiller pro model<br />
(pictured) loaded with pit<br />
zips, powder skirt with jacket/pant<br />
connection, ribbed<br />
adjustable cuffs, two-way<br />
front zip with double<br />
storm flap, inner pocket<br />
hem, fleece-lined comfort<br />
collar, mesh goggle pocket<br />
with removable chamois and internal<br />
wire-friendly music pocket. available in a<br />
variety of color combinations, it retails<br />
for a suggested $280. 800.250.5056 or<br />
www.orage.com<br />
Origo<br />
Designed to<br />
keep both professional<br />
sailors and<br />
recreational boaters<br />
informed with<br />
vital present and<br />
future oceanic and<br />
atmospheric conditions,<br />
the Tide/Sail race<br />
Watch provides information<br />
on tide data, sunrise/<br />
sunset, air and water temperature<br />
and eight hour advance<br />
weather forecasting.<br />
It also includes One<br />
Touch Smart Key<br />
technology to access<br />
all information
with the push of a button, moon phase display,<br />
eight-hour barometric pressure trend graph<br />
and an altimeter. a comfortable ergonomic<br />
polyurethane strap, stainless steel housing for<br />
corrosion protection, a mineral crystal face to<br />
resist scratching, and water resistance up to<br />
100 meters round out the timepiece. mSrp is<br />
$150. www.origowatch.com<br />
Oso Republic<br />
Loaded with style and bells and whistles,<br />
the Hannah down vest has<br />
a thick gauge cotton/poly<br />
rib knit inner collar for<br />
warmth and comfort;<br />
a double front closure<br />
placket with an inner<br />
zipper and outside<br />
stainless steel<br />
ring snaps, two<br />
front lower pockets<br />
with bold zippers<br />
and two that<br />
are flap ring snap<br />
with velvet trim.<br />
It comes in java,<br />
grass and cream at a wholesale price of $45.<br />
877.239.8108 or www.osorepublic.com<br />
Osprey<br />
Osprey re-launches its Travel Series collection<br />
for Fall 2009, bringing more versatility<br />
and performance-driven design to the<br />
equation. The redesigned Vector<br />
embodies the direction of the series,<br />
sporting a clean design containing<br />
hallmark Osprey travel features,<br />
including front panel access<br />
with oversized zipper pulls and a<br />
lockable main compartment<br />
zipper, an updated 6001<br />
aluminum High road<br />
Chassis with chassis<br />
foot grab, a zippered<br />
security pocket and<br />
dirty clothes compartment.<br />
It’s made<br />
with 450D polyester<br />
weave nylon;<br />
210Dx330D Shadowbox<br />
nylon and<br />
stretch woven nylon.<br />
mSrp is $219. www.<br />
ospreypacks.com<br />
4.75 in.<br />
For 30 years, Lansky has been the first<br />
choice of consumers worldwide.<br />
Lansky offers the broadest selection<br />
of sharpening products in a choice of<br />
ceramic, diamond, tungsten carbide or<br />
natural Arkansas abrasives.<br />
The best value in sharpeners.<br />
V<br />
For catalogs,<br />
wholesale prices:<br />
lansky.com<br />
PO Box 50830, Dept. INO, Henderson, NV 89016 • Ph: 716-877-7511<br />
4.75 in.<br />
There’s no place like USA.gov.<br />
It’s the offi cial source of federal and state government information.<br />
It can make you as all-knowing as the Wizard of Oz.<br />
A public service message from the U.S. General Services Administration.<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 43
Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
OtterBox<br />
OtterBox introduces new Impact Series<br />
cases for the apple ipod nano 4th generation<br />
and ipod touch 2nd generation. Both<br />
cases provide access to the headphone<br />
and sync/charge jacks and include impact<br />
absorbing features like inner coring<br />
to dissipate shock and add extra<br />
protection. The OtterBox for ipod nano<br />
4th generation safeguards 8 GB and<br />
16 GB models, and the ipod touch<br />
2nd generation case accommodates<br />
8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB models.<br />
www.otterbox.com<br />
<strong>Outdoor</strong> Research<br />
The modular Glove System<br />
meets U.S. Special Operations<br />
Forces Special Operations Command’s<br />
requirement for a protective<br />
glove system enabling<br />
SOF operators to perform in all battlefield conditions,<br />
including extreme cold weather environments. The Or modu-<br />
lar Glove System, Generation II also defends the hand against heat<br />
and flame threats. Or worked with the Special Operations Forces<br />
to develop a system consisting of five pairs of compatible gloves: a<br />
contact glove, a flame resistant combat glove, an intermediate waterproof<br />
glove, an extreme cold weather waterproof glove and extreme<br />
cold weather waterproof mitt. www.outdoorresearch.com<br />
44 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
OutDry<br />
One of the 13<br />
gloves that mountain<br />
Hardwear has designed<br />
using OutDry is the medusa<br />
Glove, designed for<br />
high-altitude mountaineering.<br />
OutDry uses a three-dimensional<br />
laminating process to<br />
adhere a waterproof, windproof<br />
and breathable membrane<br />
to the inside of the outermost<br />
layer of shoes, boots and<br />
gloves. OutDry’s technology<br />
permanently bonds to the shoe<br />
or glove creating a fit with no folds,<br />
seams or seam-sealing tape, says<br />
the company. www.outdry.com<br />
Outlast<br />
Technologies<br />
Outlast Technologies announced<br />
that Tumi, a leading international<br />
brand of luxury travel,<br />
business and lifestyle accessories,<br />
has entered<br />
into the apparel arena and<br />
launched an innovative<br />
line of jackets with Outlast<br />
technology. The luxurious<br />
T-tech line features<br />
three jackets, the Berlin,<br />
the Geneva and the Cologne,<br />
enhanced with<br />
Outlast technology. Each<br />
is designed to stand up to<br />
the rigorous demands of<br />
travelers and features an<br />
embossed quilted lining<br />
with an inner Outlast layer to help buffer temperature swings.<br />
Highlights of the Berlin (pictured here) include a retractable hood that<br />
opens up and collapses flat to make the collar, waterproof zippers,<br />
active bi-swing on the back and ballistic shell construction. Suggested<br />
retail is $548. www.outlast.com or www.tumi.com<br />
Overland Equipment<br />
From Overland Equipment’s<br />
redesigned Fall 2009 collection,<br />
the Half moon Bay is a curved<br />
mini-messenger made with a<br />
combination of ballistic nylon<br />
in high-abrasion areas and Jr.<br />
ballistic nylon in less stress<br />
areas to create a rich contrast<br />
and make the bag extra durable.<br />
The front flap covers two<br />
roomy pockets and closes with
electronic-friendly, adjustable magnets. The back sleeve pocket offers<br />
easy access, and the brightly colored interior holds a secure zipper<br />
internal pocket. The bag also is distinguished with Overland Equipment’s<br />
new embossed leather logo patch. Suggested retail is $55.<br />
www.overlandequipment.com<br />
Pacific Cornetta<br />
Designed for children or<br />
those wishing to tote a smaller<br />
amount of liquid, the Liquid Solution<br />
12-ounce Cascade Jr. water<br />
bottle features single-wall, 18/8<br />
marine-grade stainless steel construction<br />
with a Bpa-free plastic lid.<br />
Initial designs include a screw top<br />
lid with a loop for easy attachment to<br />
pack clips or straps. Future designs<br />
feature the Snappy Sip lid for easy,<br />
spill-free drinking as well as several<br />
additional accessories. The 12-ounce<br />
Cascade will be available in multiple<br />
colors and designs that are fun for<br />
the young and the young at heart.<br />
480.861.5272 or www.pacific-cornetta.com<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2010 Product Market ShowcaSe<br />
Pacsafe<br />
The CamSafe 200 is a larger version of the original CamSafe 100<br />
anti-theft camera bag released for Spring 2009. The ScanSafe series<br />
features eXomesh Slashguard in the lower front and bottom panels,<br />
slashproof adjustable shoulder straps, snatchproof anchor lock and<br />
tamperproof lockable zippers. additional features include a fully padded<br />
main compartment with adjustable and removable padded dividers;<br />
zippered rear pockets for SD cards; two internal slip pockets;<br />
zippered main compartment that opens to the rear; front zippered<br />
pocket with three electronic gadget pockets, key clip and one laminated<br />
mesh slip pocket; and two side water bottle pockets. www.<br />
pacsafe.com<br />
Patagonia<br />
retro styling combined with<br />
the latest natural-synthetic fabric<br />
blend make phil’s Fleece a favorite<br />
around the patagonia offices. The<br />
full-zip jacket features polartec<br />
Thermal pro fabric blended with<br />
wool to create a layer that is<br />
lightweight, wicks moisture<br />
and stays warm even when<br />
wet. mSrp is $150. www.patagonia.com<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 45
Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
Patagonia Footwear<br />
The Koyuk Waterproof (pictured) is a lace-up<br />
boot made with recyclable down fill that delivers<br />
minimal weight and high-loft warmth.<br />
Waterproof pigskin leather uppers and a<br />
nylon mesh collar keep feet dry and snow<br />
out, while polartec Eco lining stores warmth.<br />
also new this year is the release Gore-Tex,<br />
a waterproof trail companion with Gore-Tex<br />
Extended Comfort fabric and a Dynamic Fit<br />
Lacing System that runs through the upper<br />
and connects down to the midsole for a secure<br />
and individual fit. a gender-specific<br />
trail running last with patagonia air<br />
Cushion plus provides shock absorption<br />
and a precise<br />
fit for both<br />
men and women.<br />
a 70 percent recycled<br />
EVa and 30<br />
percent recycled rubber<br />
heel strike pad absorb shock, while also reducing impact on the environment.<br />
www.patagonia.com<br />
Polarmax<br />
The acclimate Wool tops and bottoms<br />
are a blend of 50 percent super-fine merino<br />
wool, 40 percent acclimate Dry polyester<br />
and 10 percent recycled polyester sourced<br />
from used plastic bottles. The merino<br />
wool used in acclimate Wool is treated to<br />
eliminate the scratch and itch of yesteryear’s<br />
bulky sweaters. acclimate Wool weighs<br />
6.5 ounces per square yard and is classified as<br />
System 4 – polarmax’s highest functional weight designated for fullon<br />
winter performance during high energy activities. For both men<br />
and women, acclimate Wool is available in a crew top (retail $55),<br />
zip mock ($65) and pant ($55). Colors for men include onyx, bark and<br />
southern moss. Colors for women include onyx, bark and maple leaf.<br />
www.polarmax.com<br />
Polartec<br />
polartec is launching a new marketing and branding campaign<br />
this year including a new polartec tradeshow booth, a Web site redesign,<br />
new hangtags and labels, as well as new trade and consumer<br />
advertising. The new branding campaign is built around the “made<br />
possible” tagline, which will be supported with advertising in a wide<br />
variety of outdoor and active lifestyle media, as well as a complete<br />
redesign of the Web site. polartec also will debut its new, two-level<br />
booth at Or <strong>Winter</strong> market and a similar look for ISpO. Furthermore,<br />
polartec will offer new, smaller hangtags, saving thousands of trees<br />
annually, and updated woven labels to help permanently identify polartec<br />
garments. Lastly, polartec is developing a social media campaign<br />
with a blog, Twitter profiles, user-generated content and fabric<br />
demonstration videos. To develop its new branding and advertising<br />
campaign, polartec has retained Doner advertising, which lists Coca-<br />
Cola, Black & Decker and mazda among its clients. www.polartec.com<br />
46 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
PrecisionPak<br />
The new Tornado Waterproof Jacket by precisionpak<br />
is a foul-weather top constructed<br />
from 100 percent nylon-knitted waterproof<br />
fabric, with a breathable and lightweight<br />
watertight coating. an adjustable storm<br />
hood with Velcro-flap helps keep water<br />
from getting down inside, while the<br />
waterproof zipper (marine grade, resistant<br />
to salt, mildew and UV rays) and<br />
neoprene cuffs keep the wearer dry<br />
and comfortable. The Tornado Waterproof<br />
Jacket retails for just under $200 in sizes<br />
m to XXL. 905.475.2527 or www.precision-pak.com<br />
PrimaLoft<br />
primaLoft Infinity is a fine-denier continuous filament insulation<br />
designed for sleeping bags to offer greater loft and shelf appeal<br />
while providing the technical properties known to primaLoft insulation.<br />
“preliminary testing shows that primaLoft Infinity has a greater<br />
warmth-to-weight ratio and is more compressible than what is available<br />
in the market,” says Eileen Berner, primaLoft’s sales director. “It<br />
also has a more consistent fiber construction to eliminate cold spots.”<br />
For Spring 2009, Eastern mountain Sports will introduce primaLoft Infinity<br />
into its Boreal Series line of sleeping bags. www.primaloft.com<br />
Primus<br />
For cooking, map reading or<br />
late night socializing, the superportable<br />
primus Camping Lantern<br />
features nine LEDs for maximum<br />
light output, a built-in reflector<br />
that spreads the light and a rubbercoated<br />
base for impact resistance.<br />
a 1.5 watt light, the Camp Lantern is<br />
fueled by three D batteries, giving off<br />
36 lumens of clean, white light. The<br />
lamp weighs 13.6 ounces. Water resistant<br />
with low, medium, high and<br />
flash settings, the Camping Lantern<br />
will run for 50 to 180 hours on one<br />
set of batteries. mSrp is $30. www.<br />
primuscamping.com<br />
Princeton Tec<br />
Four new models have been added<br />
to the amp series of portable lighting. Boasting more than six<br />
days of continuous burntime, the amp 5.0 (65 lumens/160 hours)<br />
and amp 4.0 (50 lumens/150 hours) feature rebel LED technology<br />
that offers twice the<br />
brightness,<br />
twice the efficiency<br />
and<br />
a longer shelf<br />
life compared to<br />
standard high-watt
LEDs on the market, says the company. The lower-profile amp 3.0<br />
(40 lumens/90 hours) and amp 1.0 (14 lumens/3 hours) offer a total<br />
burntime of more than 90 continuous hours. The amp 3.0 features<br />
four new Ultrabright Nichia LEDs that provide 30 percent greater<br />
output than regular 5 mm LEDs and a wide beam for maximum<br />
peripheral lighting. The amp 1.0 offers the power of a Xenon bulb<br />
in a tiny package with a convenient carabiner attachment loop. all<br />
amps are waterproof, utilize secure rubber grips and can run on<br />
rechargeable batteries. mSrps range from $14.99 to $45.99. www.<br />
princetontec.com<br />
Rab<br />
Working once again with eVent, rab launches<br />
the microlight alpine Event jacket, providing<br />
waterproofing and warmth in the same<br />
garment. It’s made using two-layer eVent<br />
fabric for the outer shell and down baffling<br />
sewn inside. The internal baffling<br />
contains 140 grams of goose down<br />
at a fill power of 750+. Helmet<br />
compatibility, water-resistant zips<br />
and internal storm flaps are built in<br />
for extreme conditions. The jacket<br />
weighs 600 grams, and mSrp is<br />
$400. www.rab.uk.com<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2010 Product Market ShowcaSe<br />
Ryders Eyewear<br />
New additions<br />
to the adrenaline<br />
Collection include<br />
the Endorphin (pictured),<br />
Stealth and<br />
Quench, each featuring<br />
a Tr90 Duraflex<br />
frame with full focus polycarbonate<br />
de-centered lenses. The new styles also have inset hydrophilic antislip<br />
rubber temple tips and hydrophilic anti-slip rubber nose pads. In<br />
addition, the Stealth and Quench are equipped with Universal Secure<br />
Fit adjustable nose pads with unique dual material technology—hydrophilic<br />
rubber covering an adjustable metal wire core.<br />
all styles also offer 100 percent UVa, UVB and UVC protection.<br />
The Quench comes with three interchangeable lenses<br />
and the Endorphin (mSrp $39.99) also is<br />
offered in a polarized model ($69.99).<br />
www.ryderseyewear.com<br />
Samsonite OutLab<br />
Terrea is an eco-friendly line that<br />
embraces simplicity and natural<br />
beauty. The bags in this Terrea collection<br />
contain a minimum of 86 percent<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 47
Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
recycled materials with some bags containing as much as 95 percent.<br />
all fabrics used in the bags are 100 percent recycled. Other environmentally<br />
friendly features include recycled foam padding throughout<br />
all back panels, handles and shoulder straps; recycled buckles and<br />
clips; recycled wheel housings and studs; pull handles with injected<br />
wood; use of natural coconut fiber in shoulder straps; and backpack<br />
straps cut directly out of the back panels to use<br />
even less material. pictured here is the Terrea<br />
Wheeled Duffle with Backpack. www.samsoniteoutlab.com<br />
Saucony<br />
Saucony and polartec have<br />
teamed up to create a technical<br />
yet stylish jacket that’s perfect<br />
for cold-weather warm ups or<br />
cool downs. The jacket’s Thermal<br />
pro fabric has a great warmthto-weight<br />
ratio, wicks moisture<br />
and breathes easily. The fabric’s<br />
woven face helps to shed rain or<br />
snow and has a fun, eye-catching<br />
print. mSrp is $110 for the men’s<br />
and $100 for the women’s. www.<br />
saucony.com<br />
Scarpa<br />
mojitos are footwear for everyday<br />
life that are built in the Scarpa tradition<br />
of creating distinctive, handcrafted<br />
European footwear. Originally<br />
a “side project” combining<br />
the Scarpa’s Freestyle rock shoe<br />
upper and its Zen approach shoe<br />
sole, mojitos feature all-suede<br />
leather uppers in a bunch of distinct<br />
colors, the Scarpa-Vibram Spyder sole and a dualdensity<br />
EVa midsole. mSrp is $120. www.scarpa.co.uk<br />
SOLE<br />
The SOLE platinum Sandal line features performance flip-flops<br />
with three-layer construction. The top layer is constructed of an EVa<br />
blend that is optimized to mold to feet over time. a high-density EVa<br />
midsole supports the top layer and features the same proprietary, supportive<br />
shape found in SOLE’s line of custom footbeds. This structural<br />
support ensures that the sandal’s orthopedic benefits are maintained<br />
while the top layer becomes<br />
personalized to<br />
the feet. The outsole<br />
features traction<br />
rubber and a rocker<br />
shape to promote a<br />
smooth gait cycle. The<br />
sandals also include<br />
a metatarsal support<br />
pad and a hidden toe<br />
48 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
ridge to help keep the shoes on tight. They come in men’s and women’s<br />
sport flips, both retailing for $79.95. www.yoursole.com<br />
Spyder Active Sports<br />
modeled after the engineering perfection<br />
of the human hand, EXO series<br />
gloves blend welding and fit construction<br />
that better aligns with natural<br />
movement, allowing for a better<br />
warmth-to-dexterity ratio. With<br />
EXO gloves, skiers can change<br />
the play list on their ipod, unfold<br />
a trail map and apply lip balm<br />
without removing a glove,<br />
says the company. Within<br />
the line, the EXO Link Ski<br />
Gore-Tex Glove features a<br />
new pattern and welding technology<br />
whereby Spyder has reduced seams by 50 percent and<br />
increased waterproofing. meanwhile, the EXO Link Glove features<br />
3m Thinsulate Supreme Insulation featuring antimicrobial<br />
odor control with X-STaTIC Silver Fiber. www.spyder.<br />
com<br />
SteriPEN<br />
The SteripEN Bottle Topper, made from 100 percent<br />
food-grade material, is designed to fit easily over the mouth<br />
of a SIGG bottle. This smooth, soft silicone bottle topper provides<br />
a comfortable cushion for your lips while at the same<br />
time protecting them from cold or hot temperatures. In addition<br />
to the enhanced comfort and customization<br />
opportunities, the SteripEN<br />
Bottle Topper for SIGG also<br />
acts as an adapter, creating<br />
a secure connection<br />
between a SIGG bottle and<br />
the SteripEN Journey and<br />
Classic water purifiers. The<br />
SteripEN Bottle Topper for SIGG is available<br />
in lime green, royal blue, clear and black.<br />
SteripEN uses ultraviolet (UV) light to destroy<br />
the DNa of disease-causing bacteria, viruses<br />
and parasitic protozoa. www.steripen.com<br />
Swarovski Optik<br />
Swarovski Optik announces the EL 32 Traveler series. This new version<br />
of the magnesium housed EL 32 binocular is available in a brown<br />
external housing in both 8x and 10x power versions. It’s airtight, dustproof<br />
and watertight, with a fast and precise focusing wheel, large<br />
field of view and maximum eye relief. Both models weigh about 21<br />
ounces and measure about 5.5 inches long. 800.426.3089 x 2957,<br />
dean.capuano@swarovskioptik.us or www.swarovskioptik.com<br />
Sympatex<br />
Sympatex announces its recent partnership with finishing specialist<br />
rudolf Chemie and the joint development of Bionic Finish Eco<br />
– a fluorocarbon-free DWr treatment for textiles. Until now, DWr
finishes made without fluorocarbon never delivered the same level<br />
of performance as finishes with fluorocarbon, say the companies.<br />
Bionic Finish Eco eschews the old technology in favor of biology according<br />
to product developers. at the microscopic level, Bionic Finish<br />
Eco is composed of an eco-friendly hydrocarbon matrix forming starshaped,<br />
hyper-branched polymers or “dendrimers.” Inspired by the<br />
crystalline-like branches in treetops, the dendrimers create an invisible,<br />
flexible structure that is water and dirt repellant, highly wear resistant<br />
and survives rigorous washing. Breathability is also retained,<br />
since the finish does not contain paraffin. Bionic Finish Eco is free<br />
from harmful organic halogens and fully biodegradable. 603.929.3901<br />
or www.sympatex.com<br />
Terramar<br />
The new Geo micro-fleece is Terramar’s warmest<br />
temperature control layer. The blend of 95 percent<br />
micro-polyester and 5 percent spandex provides<br />
total freedom of movement while adding<br />
warmth without causing overheating.<br />
The dual-surface knitting system incorporates<br />
high-loft grid channels for<br />
enhanced breathability and effective<br />
moisture transport, great for winter runs.<br />
Terramar also will be showing new colors for its popular Thermawool<br />
merino wool base layers. www.terramarsports.com<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2010 Product Market ShowcaSe<br />
Terrasoles<br />
Terrasoles introduces the<br />
new “after anything” Villa<br />
boots, made from recycled<br />
materials. This boot is designed<br />
with genuine suede<br />
and a shearling lining, as well<br />
as a versatile fold-down cuff<br />
made from recycled felt. The<br />
Villa also boasts a very flexible<br />
sole and a non-slip, winterized tread. mSrp is $59. www.terrasoles.com<br />
Tilley Endurables<br />
The new Tilley Soft Shell Hat combines a classic look<br />
with Schoeller 3XDrY technology. The hat has discreet<br />
tuckaway ear warmers and provides UpF 50+ protection.<br />
Tilley hats are guaranteed for life against wearing out<br />
and are backed by a two-year, all-perils insurance policy<br />
against loss. www.tilley.com<br />
Timbuk2<br />
The Hemlock (mSrp $99) is made with durable<br />
ballistic nylon printed with the official camouflage pattern of<br />
the U.S. Navy Special Ops. a D-ring on the strap doubles as a bottle<br />
opener and the laptop sleeve fits a 15-inch computer. Other highlights<br />
include a hidden back panel pocket, compression straps, padded back<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 49
Product Market ShowcaSe <strong>Winter</strong> 2010<br />
for comfort and Timbuk2’s own Swing around access. also from the<br />
same collection is the Swig backpack with front flap design and a<br />
dedicated laptop compartment, and the Grubstake, a simplified design<br />
pack with lots of capacity. www.timbuk2.com<br />
TrekSta<br />
TrekSta shoes utilize a patent-pending<br />
technology that dramatically reduces<br />
slippage on ice. micro-glass filaments<br />
magnetically aligned into the rubber<br />
compound of the sole<br />
create slip-stopping<br />
surface tension,<br />
says the company,<br />
and the filaments<br />
are aligned vertically,<br />
so they still will be<br />
exposed as the sole wears<br />
down, ensuring a solid grip throughout the life of the shoe. add<br />
cutting-edge construction, high-tech materials and a hassle-free Boa<br />
lacing system, and you have the ultimate outdoor shoe. Or Show attendees<br />
can stop by the booth (#32407) and test out a pair of Treksta<br />
on a sheet of ice. 877-220-2494 or sales@trekstausa.com<br />
Ultimate Survival<br />
The new Sparkie is a compact, one-handed emergency fire starter<br />
that weighs less than an ounce and can light in the pouring rain, says<br />
the company. Sparkie is easily operated by pressing down on the<br />
thumb tab and plunging the striker down the spark bar. The striker<br />
is set at the perfect angle to achieve maximum<br />
sparks. 866.479.7994 or nweston@ultimatesurvival.com<br />
W.S. Badger Company<br />
Six new gifts sets have been added to<br />
the line, including a few combinations of the<br />
company’s top selling balms. The Badger Gem<br />
Gift Set, for one, combines a .75 ounce tin<br />
of Healing Balm for hardworking hands, a .75<br />
ounce tin of Sleep Balm for restless badgers<br />
and a .75 ounce tin Foot Balm for hard walking<br />
feet. Suggested retail is $16. Badger balms<br />
are USDa Certified Organic made with exotic<br />
ingredients sourced from around the globe.<br />
www.badgerbalm.com<br />
Waldies<br />
Weighing in at 4.8 ounces per women’s size 7 shoe, the Dana is<br />
a lightweight clog designed to offer the stability for all-day comfort.<br />
The patented ComfoTek upper follows the natural contours of the<br />
foot and requires no break-in time, says the company, while the Dana<br />
absorbs heel impact with patented shock-absorbing cell foam technology.<br />
Closed heel and aggressive anti-slip tread meet professional<br />
safety standards, and each insole features accupressure nubs that<br />
gently massage your feet. Even after a long day, antimicrobial Comfo-<br />
Tek keeps the Dana odor free. 978.345.1857 or www.waldies.net<br />
50 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
Westcomb<br />
The new phantom Hoody uses eVent<br />
fabric throughout the body combined<br />
with body-mapping Schoeller c-change<br />
panels under the arms and in the<br />
mid-back for superb stretch in places<br />
where it counts. The c-change waterproof<br />
fabric also responds to body<br />
heat – its pores open as things heat<br />
up, allowing more breathability,<br />
says the company. Beyond fabric<br />
technology, Westcomb’s design<br />
ushers in a more modern take<br />
on a classic mountaineering/<br />
alpine design. The hood, combines<br />
the best features of both a<br />
hooded and collared jacket, is helmet compatible, yet cinches down<br />
thanks to three adjustment points. When not in use, it’s designed so<br />
the hood tucks unobtrusively against the collar. Other key features include<br />
a zip-in/zip-out powder skirt, huge napoleon pockets as well as<br />
two large bellowed cargo pockets, articulation, an internal laminated<br />
media pocket and narrow seam tape construction.<br />
mSrp is $499. www.westcomb.com<br />
Yaktrax<br />
The new and improved Yaktrax features<br />
a unique lightweight (3-ounce)<br />
design that gives users the same<br />
solid grip they’re accustomed<br />
to feeling on dry surfaces.<br />
Thicker, fitted tabs along<br />
the heel make for a more<br />
secure fit with stronger<br />
durability, and the flatter,<br />
wider strap enhances fit<br />
over the forefoot to ensure<br />
better traction in deeper snow.<br />
Yaktrax pro retails for $29.99. www.yaktrax.com<br />
Zeal Optics<br />
The 2009 collection features<br />
four frames made<br />
with up to 30 percent recycled<br />
materials. among<br />
the new styles are the<br />
Fuzion (pictured), made<br />
for medium to large faces<br />
and available in matte black,<br />
matte wood stripe and carmel gold<br />
stripe; the Tenacity, made for medium<br />
faces and available in carmel gold, shiny wood stripe, row brown,<br />
organic green and black matte; and the women’s Sustain, available in<br />
chunk demi tortoise, gold grain, fuchsia and lacquer black. Suggested<br />
retail for all three pieces is $110. Zeal also uses eco-friendly material<br />
in its packaging and pOp materials. www.zealoptics.com
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Back Office<br />
ExpEditioNs iN EMpLoyMENt<br />
HIrING THE rIGHT pEOpLE TO ImprOVE YOUr BUSINESS SUCCESS<br />
by Bill Taylor<br />
We all know that one of the keys to success is choosing the<br />
right person for the job. Whether staffing a business, building a<br />
sales team or climbing mt. Everest, having the right people in<br />
place improves your chances for success.<br />
Having just finished the book Undaunted Courage, about the<br />
Lewis and Clark expedition, I was struck by how much of the Lewis<br />
and Clark story can be applied to business today, once we look<br />
more deeply at the expedition itself. Not much was written about<br />
Lewis and Clark before the expedition, but it was Lewis’ experience,<br />
reputation and character, which prompted president Thomas<br />
Jefferson to specifically choose him to lead the expedition.<br />
Jefferson knew that the challenges were formidable and the<br />
odds for a successful journey and a safe return home were great.<br />
Jefferson’s direct experience and firsthand knowledge (Lewis<br />
worked at the White House with Jefferson) of Lewis’ abilities<br />
were undoubtedly the main reasons that Lewis was chosen to<br />
lead the expedition. The skill set, fortitude, courage, creativity and<br />
experience required to lead such an exploration of the american<br />
West, in Jefferson’s opinion, was best suited to Lewis.<br />
Lesson learned: before selecting the person, determine<br />
the most important objectives and define the experience and<br />
skill sets required.<br />
prepare a basic job description identifying the requirements for<br />
the position before starting your search. We believe best practice<br />
follows the approach that Jefferson used: first try to find the<br />
person best qualified from those you know or those with whom<br />
you have had direct experience. previous employees, business<br />
acquaintances, vendor sales people and co-workers should<br />
always be considered top-of-mind but only after the description is<br />
developed. avoid the mistake of writing the job description around<br />
the person you want to hire. Jefferson looked beyond the welldeserving<br />
statesmen and patriots that were his close friends who<br />
would have jumped at the chance to lead such an expedition. The<br />
president identified the objectives first and then chose Lewis.<br />
Lesson learned: select the person you believe most closely<br />
fits the job you have outlined in your description and is therefore<br />
most likely to succeed.<br />
William Clark came to be hired on the direct recommendation<br />
of Lewis. Lewis knew Clark as a fellow officer and had direct<br />
experience working with Clark. realizing he needed an excellent #2<br />
person – his “go-to” man, if you will – to help improve his chances<br />
for success, Lewis approached Jefferson with his recommendation<br />
of Clark. Detailing his requirements and how Clark’s qualifications<br />
closely met those needs, Lewis was so sure of Clark’s capabilities<br />
he told the president he would be willing to share his command of<br />
the expedition to get Clark on board.<br />
Lesson learned: good people often know other good people.<br />
ask your people for recommendations of qualified people they<br />
52 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
know who would be a good addition to the organization. Try offering<br />
a referral bonus to any employee who recommends a person that is<br />
hired and works out. The bonus should be meaningful; we suggest<br />
at least $250 paid for any new hire that stays for six months.<br />
as Lewis and Clark hand picked their team from the hundreds<br />
of men who wanted to sign up, the outfitting process had already<br />
begun. as new men were selected they immediately were<br />
trained with daily marching orders and their minds kept sharp with<br />
equipment readiness assignments. The expedition was outfitted<br />
with more than two tons of supplies before the journey had begun,<br />
including boats, muskets, medical equipment, food and hand tools<br />
with necessary supplies replenished along the way.<br />
When we meet with our prospects and clients and conduct a<br />
business review, I am truly amazed at how often the “expedition<br />
hasn’t been fully supplied.” We’ve seen sales people hired without<br />
telephones and support people without workstations, registers<br />
or computers. Often there is no training and new hires are left to<br />
ask other employees how to do something or left to figure it out<br />
on their own. Certainly it’s important to take the time to hire the<br />
best people you can find, but don’t just stop there. Equip them<br />
and train them to be the very best they can be.<br />
Four Key Points to Hiring Right<br />
Write clear job descriptions outlining the experience and skills required before<br />
even interviewing.<br />
Hire the person who most closely fits your requirements to increase the likelihood<br />
of success.<br />
Ask your best people for referrals and reward them - good people often know<br />
other good people.<br />
Properly train and equip your people before they meet their first customer.<br />
Lesson learned: don’t consider hiring someone unless you<br />
can afford to properly equip and train them. Have a training<br />
program in place and make sure every new hire is trained before<br />
they go on the floor.<br />
much like the journey to build a business, perhaps even<br />
more difficult in some ways, the journey to find the Northwest<br />
passage and open the american West was arduous, and not<br />
everyone made it successfully. But it is through a combination<br />
of setting clear objectives for hiring, selecting the best possible<br />
team and equipping and training them well that adversity is<br />
overcome and success attained.<br />
Bill Taylor is the founder and president of Corporate Ladders,<br />
(www.corporateladders.com) specializing in management, sales<br />
and business development consulting and coaching for businesses<br />
and individuals that want to get to the top. Bill can be reached at<br />
wbtaylor@corporateladders.com or at 201.825.8296.
VISIONS FOR<br />
YOUR BUSINESS<br />
Discover the world’s leading<br />
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July 16 – 19, 2009<br />
Friedrichshafen, Germany www.outdoor-show.com
Greensheets<br />
Weighing the Measures<br />
a BETTEr UNDErSTaNDING OF TWO WELL-KNOWN TEXTILE CErTIFICaTIONS<br />
by Ernest Shiwanov<br />
Depending on where one sits, there are two or three<br />
competing or complementary textile certifications that<br />
seem to be grabbing the lion’s share of attention at the<br />
<strong>Outdoor</strong> retailer Shows. all share a common notion of<br />
bringing sustainable development (see Green Glossary,<br />
page 61) to textile manufacturing. But here we’re going to<br />
take a look at two of the leading certification standards:<br />
Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 by Oeko-Tex International –<br />
association for the assessment of Environmentally<br />
Friendly Textiles, and the bluesign standard by bluesign<br />
technologies ag.<br />
There are many similarities between the two certifica-<br />
tions, but there are also important distinctions.<br />
For those in the textile business committed to improving<br />
social responsibility by cleaning up the supply chain, lowering<br />
carbon dioxide emissions and supporting worker and<br />
consumer safety, this article will provide a basic primer on<br />
these certifications: how much the certification costs, how<br />
long it takes, and how Oeko-Tex and bluesign certification<br />
results are verified.<br />
THE BLUESIGN STANDARD<br />
Starting in 1997 as an initiative by Schoeller Textil aG,<br />
among others, bluesign technologies officially launched in<br />
2000. Bluesign’s strength lies in its association with textile<br />
and textile-related chemical companies around the world.<br />
In 2008, SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance, est. 1878)<br />
purchased 50 percent of bluesign technologies. SGS’s<br />
business model is built around ocean-going cargo inspection,<br />
raw material testing and testing of products from exporting<br />
companies or governments worldwide.<br />
all businesses, called system partners, going through<br />
the bluesign standard certification process must comply<br />
with the UN Global Compact, an organization dedicated to<br />
enhancing private sector objectives in globalization. It should<br />
be noted that UN Global Compact is not part of any official<br />
United Nations office, despite having UN in its name.<br />
Some of Global Compact’s associate partners from<br />
the United States are the National money Transmitters<br />
association Inc.; Hightowers petroleum Company; and Global<br />
Venture Network, a private equity investor organization.<br />
The bluesign standard certification process is divided<br />
into two phases. phase 1 takes the most time, the bulk of<br />
which is spent gathering the data for the audit (see tables).<br />
The cost of the bluesign standard certification was not made<br />
available for this review.<br />
54 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
bluesign Phase 1—Preparation and Screening<br />
Questionnaire for Cost Estimation 6-12+ weeks<br />
General overview of factory’s use of dyestuffs and<br />
coatings, production methods, number of articles<br />
produced and end-of-pipe monitoring. Appoint or<br />
hire an individual very familiar with the company’s<br />
entire operation to do the initial screening for the<br />
manufacturer.<br />
Screening Agreement and Non-Disclosure<br />
Agreement Signed<br />
After the cost estimation is completed, the Screening<br />
Agreement and NDA are signed<br />
Data Collection — 1-3 weeks<br />
The manufacturer is responsible for collection of data<br />
reflecting a period of least one year. Data include input<br />
streams and all factory processes and air and water<br />
monitoring.<br />
Data Collection Onsite Review by bluesign — 2-5 days<br />
bluesign reviews and verifies data collected by the<br />
manufacturer for comprehensiveness and accuracy.<br />
Evaluation of Compatibility with the bluesign<br />
Standard Certification — 5-6 weeks<br />
bluesign collates the manufacturer’s required<br />
information and processes it with a proprietary<br />
mathematical model. The analysis is compared to<br />
bluesign’s Best Available Technology, a principle based<br />
on the manufacturer’s willingness to use the best<br />
local technology.<br />
bluesign Analysis Summary and Recommendations<br />
— 1-2 weeks<br />
Analysis of the data allows bluesign to establish<br />
certification benchmarks for the manufacturer.<br />
To obtain these goals, bluesign creates a road<br />
map of recommendations to identify the areas of<br />
improvement.<br />
Cost borne by manufacturer:<br />
a one-time fee and the<br />
initial screening contract,<br />
predicated on complexity<br />
and size of the business<br />
Cost borne by manufacturer:<br />
bluesign ag does not<br />
directly train manufacturer’s<br />
personnel on how to collect<br />
the requested data
In evaluating chemical processes, raw materials and<br />
resources, bluesign utilizes its Input Stream management. The<br />
analysis is based on “various ecotoxicological data, all from<br />
accepted OECD’s tests,” according to Luca Engel of bluesign<br />
technologies.<br />
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and<br />
Development) is a “forum where the governments of 30 market<br />
democracies work together to address the economic, social<br />
and governance challenges of globalisation as well as to exploit<br />
its opportunities,” according to the organization’s leadership.<br />
The United States is the biggest contributor of OECD’s funds<br />
at 25 percent.<br />
The OECD’s commitment to peer review verification is<br />
stated repeatedly on its Web site. Yet OECD’s Web site did<br />
not explicitly state how this peer-review verification would be<br />
performed or by whom, outside of non-specific references to<br />
working groups, committees, consultants or OECD experts.<br />
Lifecycle assessment was not mentioned in any of<br />
bluesign’s collateral, and we were unable to verify how, or if,<br />
the organization utilizes this tool. So it was not clear how the<br />
bluesign standard certification dealt with end-of-life or cradleto-grave<br />
components of its process. Engel did say the bluesign<br />
standard certification meets the European Union’s mandatory<br />
rEaCH regulations (see Green Glossary page 61) but utilizes its<br />
proprietary bluefinder database for chemicals.<br />
“Substrates that are less favorable receive a lower rating,”<br />
Engel says. That is a reference to bluesign’s blue, grey or black<br />
color code rating system of chemical component safety (blue is<br />
safest and black is not acceptable).<br />
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 1000<br />
The austrian Textile research Institute’s (ÖTI, est. 1967)<br />
ÖTN 100 standard and the German Hohenstein research<br />
Institute’s textile testing and certifications (est. 1946) led to<br />
the formation of the International association for research<br />
and Testing in the Field of Textile Ecology (Oeko-Tex). The<br />
collaboration yielded Oeko-Tex Standard 100 (1992), a criteria<br />
for limiting the use of harmful substances in the manufacturing<br />
of textile components.<br />
responding to market forces, Oeko-Tex created a new<br />
comprehensive standard focused on the entire textile<br />
lifecycle, not just the individual components: Oeko-Tex<br />
Standard 1000. Oeko-Tex Standard 1000, similar to the<br />
bluesign standard, has measures for air, water, noise and<br />
dust pollution, energy use, child labor and worker safety.<br />
However, in the process of obtaining a Oeko-Tex Standard<br />
1000 certification, a factory must demonstrate its ability to<br />
manufacture at least 30 percent of all its production under<br />
Oeko-Tex Standard 100.<br />
as with the bluesign standard certification, the most timeconsuming<br />
part of the Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 process is<br />
gathering the information necessary to perform the audit.<br />
additionally, if a manufacturer does not have at least 30 percent<br />
of its products already certified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100,<br />
it will have to reach that threshold before moving onto a factorywide<br />
Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 rating.<br />
bluesign Phase 2 Implementation<br />
(Based on System Partner Agreement)<br />
System Partner Agreement<br />
Step one in Phase 2 is to sign a system partner<br />
agreement. All system partners are obliged to conform<br />
to the UN Global Compact, a private sector business<br />
organization dedicated to globalization.<br />
Implementation of Recommendations<br />
The road map of recommendations by the bluesign<br />
standard is initiated by the manufacturer. For<br />
chemical management, bluefinder, a Web-based<br />
database for system partners, provides manufacturers<br />
with chemical options to comply with bluesign’s<br />
requirements.<br />
Verification of Compliance — 1-2 weeks<br />
With bluesign in a consulting role, after<br />
recommendations have been met and verified<br />
by the bluesign standard certification process,<br />
certificates of bluesign approved fabrics are<br />
issued by product category.<br />
Rescreening — 2-3 years<br />
Every two to three years, the manufacturer is<br />
given a similar Phase 1 initial screening to assure<br />
compliance to the bluesign standard certification.<br />
It also serves as a way to update bluesign’s and<br />
the manufacturer’s processes.<br />
Source: Adapted from bluesign technologies Info_Manufacturer_E.pdf<br />
Cost borne by manufacturer:<br />
varies on the extent of the<br />
recommendations taken<br />
Cost borne by manufacturer:<br />
a yearly fee, paid in EUR and<br />
includes the re-screening<br />
costs<br />
according to Sam moore, projects manager for Hohenstein<br />
Institute’s USa office, this demonstrates to Oeko-Tex that<br />
the factory is able to consistently meet Oeko-Tex Standard<br />
100. moore also says most companies can expect to spend<br />
between six and 12 months and $15,000 to $20,000, travel<br />
and expenses included, to obtain the Oeko-Tex Standard 1000<br />
acknowledgement.<br />
as the first step, Oeko-Tex requires all quality assurance<br />
be done under the ISO 17050-1 Qa standard. ISO, or the<br />
International Organization for Standardization, is a nongovernmental<br />
organization dedicated to establishing industrial<br />
standards. It was founded in 1947 and currently counts 157 out<br />
of 195 countries as member nations. ISO is partially member<br />
financed, self-financed through document sales and subsidized<br />
by businesses providing support for technical work.<br />
Oeko-Tex validity is covered under DIN EN ISO/IEC<br />
17025:2005 and ISO 17011 accreditation standards. DIN EN<br />
ISO/IEC is the DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V or<br />
the German Institute for Standardization) standard adopted<br />
by EN (European Committee for Standardization) and ISO/IEC<br />
(International Electrotechnical Commission) as the European<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 55
Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 Certification Process (Time and cost of issued<br />
certification varies by complexity and size of textile business)<br />
Applicant (Manufacturer)<br />
Responsibilities Internal<br />
costs paid by the<br />
manufacturer. Most time<br />
consuming phase<br />
Oeko-Tex Institute<br />
Responsibilities<br />
Completion of work by<br />
Institute dependent on size<br />
and complexity of audit<br />
Oeko-Tex Secretariat<br />
Responsibilities Based in<br />
Zurich, evaluates Institute’s<br />
audits, issues invoices and<br />
certificates<br />
Application to the<br />
Oeko-Tex Institute<br />
2 weeks<br />
Completed questionnaire with<br />
supplementary documentation<br />
to the Oeko Tex institute<br />
12-36 weeks<br />
Check that the documents<br />
submitted have been<br />
completed in full<br />
4 weeks or less<br />
Audit of the production site<br />
2 days to 2 weeks<br />
If necessary: additional tests<br />
0 to 3 Weeks<br />
Audit report to the applicant<br />
and the Oeko-Tex secretariat<br />
4 weeks or less<br />
Evaluation (based on the<br />
audit report): have the<br />
requirements been met?<br />
YES<br />
Information to institute and<br />
certificate to applicant<br />
Cost: $15-20k USD<br />
Source: Adapted from Oeko-Tex Institute 13674_oetsstanda[1].pdf<br />
56 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
NO<br />
Corrective measures taken<br />
by manufacturer<br />
Information to Oeko-Tex<br />
Institute. Manufacturer<br />
informed<br />
standard. all of these organizations<br />
are involved in creating European or<br />
international standards. Environmental<br />
management is achieved through ISO<br />
14000, which, among others, covers<br />
lifecycle assessment ISO 14040-44:2006<br />
and greenhouse gases ISO 14064.<br />
Finally, Oeko-Tex certification under<br />
Standard 1000 exceeds the European<br />
Union’s rEaCH regulations. In other words,<br />
companies with a valid Oeko-Tex certificate<br />
can be confident that by conscientiously<br />
implementing the Oeko-Tex catalogue of<br />
criteria, “they are already achieving a greater<br />
safety standard for their products regarding<br />
possible harmful substances than is being<br />
required by the rEaCH directive,” say Oeko-<br />
Tex executives. This is verified by DIN EN<br />
ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation standards<br />
applied to the Oeko-Tex testing laboratory.<br />
For most, just committing to a textile<br />
supplier certified by Oeko-Tex Standard<br />
1000 or the bluesign standard certification<br />
is going to be a step in the right direction.<br />
The processes employed by Oeko-Tex<br />
and bluesign are similar in scope, even<br />
though their backgrounds have distinct<br />
orientations.<br />
If you are more comfortable working<br />
with an organization promoting economic<br />
development, bluesign technologies may<br />
better fit that profile. If you are looking for<br />
a certification with its foundations in testing<br />
and research originally developed for<br />
textiles, Oeko-Tex may be your best choice.<br />
Until a standard is adopted, the best<br />
solution for now is to support textile<br />
manufacturer’s whose factories are certified<br />
in both protocols. Between the two, you can<br />
rest assured most all your environmental<br />
bets will be covered.<br />
Contacts<br />
bluesign technologies ag<br />
EMPA Building<br />
Lerchenfeldstrasse 5<br />
CH-9014 St. Gallen<br />
Switzerland<br />
+41 (0) 71 272 2990<br />
info@bluesign.com<br />
Hohenstein Institutes<br />
Sam Moore<br />
Projects Manager, USA<br />
4003 Birkdale Ct<br />
Elon, NC 27244<br />
336.269.0959<br />
www.hohenstein.de<br />
s.moore@hohenstein.de
e<br />
rs<br />
Is your business<br />
ready to make it<br />
to the top?<br />
Corporate<br />
Ladders<br />
Building and growing a business requires blending the right mix<br />
of people, products and skills to achieve objectives. Finding the<br />
right mix for success isn’t always obvious or easy and from time<br />
to time businesses need specialized talent and resources to<br />
‘smooth out the rough spots’ for continued success. Whatever<br />
your situation, Corporate Ladders can provide a full range of<br />
business services to equip your company with the tools you<br />
need to give your company the edge over your competition.<br />
Corporate Ladders is a business development consulting and<br />
coaching firm whose principals have been senior managers<br />
in multiple organizations, guiding a variety of businesses to<br />
success. Our team of industry professionals brings experience,<br />
expertise and a unique global perspective to the business<br />
development and operations concerns needed for success in<br />
today’s dynamic business environment.<br />
Corporate Ladders goes beyond traditional consulting firms by<br />
recognizing that the best business plans and strategies need<br />
to be successfully executed to ensure results. We don’t just<br />
recommend ways for your business to get to the top and step<br />
away - we stay with you and provide executive level business<br />
development coaching and support for as long as you need it.<br />
We help you achieve your vision for taking your company to<br />
the next level.<br />
Contact us today for more information<br />
about taking your company to the top.<br />
Corporate Ladders | 119 Donnybrook Drive | Allendale, NJ 07401<br />
Phone (201) 825-8296 Fax (201) 818-8673 E-mail: info@corporateladders.com www.corporateladders.com
Green Glossary<br />
the Green Glossary<br />
by Ernest Shiwanov<br />
Buzz words like sustainability, compostable<br />
and cradle-to-grave are regularly<br />
bandied about by authorities and spinmeisters.<br />
many use terms interchangeably<br />
or incorrectly. So <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Outdoor</strong> decided<br />
to parse the greenwash lexicon and take<br />
a stab at a short glossary of definitions.<br />
The following definitions are as organic<br />
as the topics they address. They are more<br />
operative than definitive, with the underlying<br />
subtext being about the discourse that<br />
we hope to continue. Indeed, these definitions<br />
are “alive,” and we expect them<br />
to evolve as new standards are set, technologies<br />
are developed and our industry<br />
grapples with the “sustainability” (see below)<br />
of our businesses. a la Wikipedia, we<br />
welcome anyone who would like to add,<br />
change or modify definitions to submit<br />
their insight to ernest@bekapublishing.<br />
com. The Green Glossary will continue to<br />
appear in future issues of IO.<br />
BIODEGRADABLE<br />
aerobic decomposition of a organic<br />
matter through the action of microorganisms<br />
or aerobes. There are no standards<br />
for eco-toxicity or length of time before<br />
degrading to biomass and, in some cases,<br />
eco-toxins.<br />
CAP AND TRADE<br />
See Emissions Trading.<br />
CARBON NEUTRAL<br />
OR CARBON OFFSET<br />
To offset or neutralize net greenhouse<br />
gas emissions.<br />
This can be achieved by planting trees,<br />
using renewable energy, energy conservation<br />
and emissions trading. Critics contend<br />
there is no definitive evidence that carbon<br />
offsets work since there are no models<br />
or standards that clearly demonstrate<br />
the equilibrium.<br />
COMPOSTABLE<br />
The biodegradability of an organic<br />
material, mostly to biomass, water and<br />
carbon dioxide. Compostable environments<br />
include industrial settings and<br />
common garden or open space loca-<br />
58 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
tions. all standards agree on a six-month<br />
period for the organic matter to degrade.<br />
most standards support these tests:<br />
• Does it biodegrade to carbon dioxide,<br />
water, biomass at the rate paper biodegrades?<br />
• Does the material disintegrate leaving<br />
no distinguishable or visible residue?<br />
• Are there any eco-toxic materials left,<br />
and can the remaining biomass support<br />
plant growth?<br />
american Society for Testing and<br />
materials (aSTm) D6400-99 says to<br />
be considered compostable, materials<br />
must undergo degradation by biological<br />
processes during composting to yield<br />
carbon dioxide (CO2), water, inorganic<br />
compounds and biomass at a rate consistent<br />
with other compostable materi-<br />
als, leaving no visible, distinguishable or<br />
toxic residue.<br />
The EN (European Committee for<br />
Standardization or Comité Européen de<br />
Normalisation) standard is even more<br />
specific. EN13432 states that a material is<br />
deemed compostable if it will breakdown<br />
to the extent of at least 90 percent to H2O<br />
and CO2 and biomass within six months.<br />
There are other standards as well with<br />
DIN V49000 from the German Institute<br />
for Standardization being the strictest<br />
in the allowance of heavy metals. many<br />
might be familiar with DIN standards for<br />
their safe release ski bindings.<br />
CRADLE-TO-CRADLE<br />
The life cycle of a product from manufacture<br />
to re-manufacture.
CRADLE-TO-GATE<br />
The life cycle of a product or process from manufacture to end<br />
user. also known as environmental product declarations (EpD).<br />
CRADLE-TO-GRAVE<br />
The life cycle of a product from manufacture to end-of-use<br />
disposal.<br />
DEGRADABLE<br />
a material that undergoes chemical change and a loss of original<br />
characteristics due to environmental conditions. There are no<br />
requirements for time, process or toxicity for this method.<br />
EMISSIONS TRADING (CAP AND TRADE)<br />
a practice in which businesses are given an emissions cap,<br />
in the form of credits, that allows them to pollute up to a maximum<br />
credit level. Businesses that exceed their cap must purchase<br />
(or trade) credits from a company that has not exceeded<br />
its cap or from trading platforms such as the Chicago Climate<br />
Exchange (CCX), the European Climate Exchange (ECX) and/or<br />
montreal Climate Exchange (mCeX).<br />
problems with the Cap and Trade concept include where to<br />
set the initial levels of the caps, retiring old credits, resetting<br />
caps and regulatory/compliance standards.<br />
ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS (EPD)<br />
The life cycle of a product from manufacture to end user.<br />
also know as cradle-to-gate.<br />
GATE-TO-GRAVE<br />
The life cycle of a product from the end user to end-of-use<br />
disposal.<br />
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA)<br />
a comprehensive environmental assessment of the impact<br />
of a product or process, from inception to the end of its “life.”<br />
The assessment includes transportation of raw materials to the<br />
manufacturer, manufacturing of materials, transportation of materials<br />
to the product manufacturer, manufacturing of product,<br />
transportation of product to end users, impact of product by<br />
end user including disposal of product at its end of life.<br />
The assessment has been used as a tool to evaluate a product’s<br />
or company’s eco-performance, which in turn can be used<br />
to improve it.<br />
There are three different methods used in lifecycle analysis:<br />
1. process or bottom-up LCa using ISO 14040-2006 and 14044-<br />
2006 protocols;<br />
2. economic input output or EIO-LCa; and<br />
3. hybrid LCa, a combination of process LCa with economic<br />
input output LCa.<br />
LCas are used as a tool to evaluate a product or company’s<br />
eco-performance, which in turn can be used to improve it.<br />
LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT (LCM)<br />
an integrated approach to sustainable production and consumption<br />
through the management of a product’s or process’ life cycle.<br />
LIFE CYCLE ENERGY ANALYSIS (LCEA)<br />
The total life cycle energy input. Criticism in utilizing LCEas<br />
include the argument that different energy sources have<br />
60 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
different potential value (exergy). additionally, critics contend<br />
that LCEas’ energy currency cannot supplant economic currency<br />
as the determinant in business.<br />
MONTEBELLO AGREEMENT (SEE REACH)<br />
The Security and prosperity partnership (Spp) also is known<br />
as the montebello agreement, so named for the city in Quebec<br />
where the summit was held. The Spp Web site states that this<br />
is a Bush administration, White House-led initiative to increase<br />
security and economic prosperity in North america. part of<br />
this voluntary framework is to establish risk characterization by<br />
2012 of over 9,000 chemical substances produced in the U.S.<br />
in quantities over 25,000 pounds per year. By 2020, Canada,<br />
mexico and the U.S. will “strive to achieve…inventories of all<br />
chemical substances in commerce.” many view the montebello<br />
agreement as a North american reaction to rEaCH, the<br />
European Union’s registration, Evaluation, authorization and<br />
restriction of Chemicals, which went into EU law last June.<br />
ORGANIC<br />
In textile technology, organic refers to standards ensuring sustainable<br />
practices during all phases of fiber production. Beginning<br />
with every aspect of cultivation under the National Organic program<br />
(NOp) guidelines, post-harvest wet processes such as dying<br />
and bleaching, textile fabrication, manufacturing of goods, transportation,<br />
worker environment, labeling/compliance, packaging,<br />
exportation and importation are comprehensively addressed.<br />
presently, there are no processing standards for organic fibers<br />
from the U.S. federal government beyond cultivation ending<br />
with the consumer.<br />
For standards related to organic food, please see: http://www.<br />
ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm.<br />
OXO-BIODEGRADATION<br />
a two-step process that begins with degradation by oxidation,<br />
followed by biodegradation.<br />
a variation of this developed for polymers, such as polyethylene,<br />
add a degradability component during the material’s manufacturing.<br />
The added component allows the polymer to thermo- (heat), photo-<br />
(light) or hydro- (water) degrade within 90 days in a commercial composting<br />
environment.<br />
It is purported that in non-commercial composting environments,<br />
the biodegradation will take place but at a much slower rate.<br />
THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE<br />
The EEB (European Environmental Bureau 1999) defines the<br />
precautionary principle as follows:<br />
2.1 The precautionary principle justifies early action to prevent<br />
harm and an unacceptable impact to the environment and<br />
human health in the face of scientific uncertainty<br />
2.2 precaution places the burden of proof on the proponents<br />
of the activity.<br />
2.3 precaution applies the substitution principle, seeking safer<br />
alternatives to potentially harmful activities, including the<br />
assessment of needs.<br />
2.4 precaution requires public participation in decision-making.
REACH (SEE MONTEBELLO AGREEMENT)<br />
registration, Evaluation, authorization and restriction of<br />
Chemicals (rEaCH)<br />
The European Union’s rEaCH EC 1907/2006 regulation<br />
was established on December 18, 2006 and became law on<br />
June 1, 2007. The regulation’s intent “should ensure a high<br />
level of protection of human health and the environment as<br />
well as the free movement of substances, on their own, in<br />
preparations and in articles, while enhancing competitiveness<br />
and innovation. This regulation should also promote the<br />
development of alternative methods for the assessment of<br />
hazards of substances.”<br />
SPI Resin Identification Code<br />
Recycling No. Abbreviation Polymer Name Uses<br />
1 PETE or PET Polyethylene Terephthalate<br />
2 HDPE High-Density Polyethylene<br />
This law is the most comprehensive legislation ever<br />
completed regulating all chemical substances. a full 401<br />
pages of this 849 page document are 10 appendices that<br />
mostly call out carcinogens, mutagens and substances toxic<br />
to reproduction. The rest of the document outlines and defines<br />
the requirements of compliance.<br />
rEaCH will affect chemical industries worldwide by requiring<br />
testing and registration with the European Chemicals agency<br />
on any imported chemical substance over 1,000 kg in weight.<br />
Chemical substances manufactured in the European Union are<br />
subject to the same regulation.<br />
RoHS<br />
an acronym for restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive<br />
(the lead-free directive).<br />
although not a law, the European Union passed this directive<br />
in 2006, limiting the use of six materials in any part of<br />
electronic and electrical products. The six materials limited<br />
by roHS are: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium<br />
(chromium VI or Cr6+), polybrominated biphenyls (pBB) and<br />
polybrominated diphenyl ether (pBDE). pBB and pBDE are<br />
flame retardants used in some plastics.<br />
Similar standards have been adopted in China, Japan, Korea<br />
and California. The U.S. federal government currently has no<br />
plans to adopt a similar directive.<br />
RECYCLING<br />
The U.S. Department of Energy defines recycling as “the<br />
process of converting materials that are no longer useful as designed<br />
or intended into a new product.”<br />
RENEWABLE ENERGY<br />
The U.S. Department of Energy defines renewable energy as<br />
“energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all<br />
practical purposes cannot be depleted.<br />
“Types of renewable energy resources include moving water<br />
(hydro, tidal and wave power), thermal gradients in ocean water,<br />
biomass, geothermal energy, solar energy and wind energy.<br />
Recycled to produce polyester fibres, thermoformed sheet, strapping, soft<br />
drink bottles.<br />
Recycled to become various bottles, grocery bags, recycling bins, agricultural<br />
pipe, base cups, car stops, playground equipment and plastic lumber.<br />
3 PVC or V Polyvinyl Chloride Recycled to become pipe, fencing and non-food bottles.<br />
4 LDPE Low-Density Polyethylene<br />
Recycled to become plastic bags, various containers, dispensing bottles, wash<br />
bottles, tubing and various molded laboratory equipment.<br />
5 PP Polypropylene Recycled into auto parts and industrial fibers.<br />
6 PS Polystyrene<br />
7 OTHER<br />
Source: The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.<br />
Other plastics, including acrylic,<br />
polycarbonate, polylactic acid,<br />
nylon and fiberglass.<br />
Recycled into a wide range of products including office accessories, cafeteria<br />
trays, toys, video cassettes and cases, insulation board and expanded<br />
polystyrene products (e.g. styrofoam).<br />
PLA or Polylactic acid plastics at 100% content are compostable in a<br />
biologically active environment in 180 days.<br />
“municipal solid waste (mSW) is also considered to be a<br />
renewable energy resource.”<br />
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT<br />
Economic, social (political) and environmental development<br />
that is harmonized for the good of all interests.<br />
many, including the United Nations, use the definition from<br />
the Brundtland report Our Common Future that “sustainable<br />
development is development that meets the needs of the<br />
present without compromising the ability of future generations<br />
to meet their own needs.”<br />
Others contend that this is not an operational definition<br />
and that the concept is best defined as “a socio-ecological<br />
process characterized by ideal-seeking behavior on the part<br />
of its human component,” which is adapted from the work of<br />
russell ackoff and Fred Emery, among others.<br />
Nevertheless, there are some that consider the phrase a greenwash<br />
oxymoron. To many, the concept of growth and depleting non-renewable<br />
resources are mutually exclusive.<br />
ZERO WASTE<br />
an approach to the cradle-to-cradle concept that includes<br />
reduction of product or process waste and consumption,<br />
plus advancing the notion of reuse, repair or<br />
return to the environment.<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> 2009 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | 61
EDITORIAL INDEX<br />
180s 24<br />
3M Thinsulate 24<br />
Adventure Medical Kits 24<br />
Adventure Technology Paddles 13<br />
Ahnu 24<br />
Allen & Gerritsen 6, 16<br />
Alps Sportswear 26<br />
Army Research Institute 30<br />
Asolo 13, 26<br />
ASTM 58<br />
Australian Textile Research Institute 55<br />
Backcountry.com 26<br />
Beverly Hills Polo 13<br />
Big Agnes 26<br />
BIG Research 6<br />
Black & Decker 46<br />
bluesign technologies 54, 55, 56<br />
Bodyglide 28<br />
Bridgedale 28<br />
Brooks Range Mountaineering 28<br />
Buck Knives 12<br />
Buff 28<br />
C.A.M.P. 28<br />
Chaos 28<br />
Chicago Climate Exchange 60<br />
Coca-Cola 46<br />
Coghlan’s 30<br />
comScore 10<br />
Confluence Watersports 13<br />
COOLMAX 30<br />
Corporate Ladders 52<br />
Dagger 13<br />
Dermatone 30<br />
DIN 55, 56<br />
Doner Advertising 46<br />
Eastern Mountain Sports 46<br />
ECCO 31<br />
Ecko 13<br />
El Naturalista 31<br />
Epsilon 8<br />
Essential Gear 31<br />
European Chemicals Agency 61<br />
European Climate Exchange 60<br />
European Committee for<br />
Standardization 55, 58<br />
European Environmental Bureau 60<br />
eVent 47<br />
Evolv 13<br />
ExOfficio 34<br />
Falcon Guides 34<br />
Global Venture Network 54<br />
Goldman Sachs 6<br />
GoLite 34<br />
Gramicci 35<br />
Grimsrud-Barnes 12<br />
Hanes 13<br />
Harmony 13<br />
Harris Interactive 8<br />
Hartford Sales Group 12<br />
hides 35<br />
High Sierra Sport Company 35<br />
Highgear 36<br />
Hightowers Petroleum 54<br />
Hohenstein Institute 55<br />
Hot Chillys 36<br />
Hydrapak 36<br />
IDC 8<br />
Injinji 36<br />
International Council of Shopping<br />
Centers 14<br />
International Electrotechnical<br />
Commission 55<br />
Invista 30<br />
Ipsos 8<br />
ISIS 36<br />
ISO 55, 56<br />
ISPO 46<br />
Jetboil 36<br />
Journal of Consumer Research 8<br />
Julbo 12, 37<br />
Kahtoola 37<br />
Kako International 37<br />
Katie’s Bumpers 38<br />
Kiwi <strong>Outdoor</strong> Representation 13<br />
La Sportiva 38<br />
Lafuma 38<br />
Lippi <strong>Outdoor</strong> 38<br />
Locals Have More Fun 13<br />
Loki LLC 38<br />
Lowa 38<br />
Lowe Alpine 13, 39<br />
Luminox 39<br />
Mazda 46<br />
Medis Technologies 39<br />
Merrell 39, 40<br />
Metolius 13, 40<br />
Millet 40<br />
Montbell 13<br />
Montreal Climate Exchange 60<br />
Mountain Hardwear 44<br />
Moving Comfort 40<br />
MSR 41<br />
National Geographic 41<br />
National Money Tranmitters Assn. 54<br />
Nikwax 12, 41<br />
Nuwa Textile 42<br />
Oboz 42<br />
OECD 55<br />
Oeko-Tex International 54, 55, 56<br />
OIA 6<br />
Online Publishers Assn. 10<br />
32north (www.32north.com) 17<br />
3M Thinsulate (www.thinsulate.com) 21<br />
Adventure Medical Kits (www.adventuremedicalkits.com) 40<br />
Alphatan International (www.precision-pak.com) 37<br />
ASF Group (www.asfgroup.com) 35<br />
Beka Publishing (www.bekapublishing.com) 59<br />
Bemis (www.bemisworldwide.com) 30<br />
Bodyglide (www.bodyglide.com) 13<br />
Cam Commerce (www.camcommerce.com) 12<br />
Cocoon by Design Salt (www.designsalt.com) 42<br />
Coghlan’s (www.coghlans.com) 11<br />
CoolMax (coolmax.invista.com) 2<br />
Cordura (www.cordura.com) 3<br />
Corporate Ladders (www.corporateladders.com) 57<br />
Cre8 Group (www.Cre8groupinc.com) 51<br />
Durapeg (www.durapeg.com) 42<br />
Ecowood Retail Displays (www.ecowooddisplays.com) 34<br />
Essential Gear (www.essentialgear.com) 45<br />
Falcon Guides (www.falconguides.com) 7<br />
Flatterware (www.flatterware.com) 39<br />
hides (www.hides.com) 34<br />
ISPO (www.ispo.com) 32, 33<br />
K&R (www.KandRusa.com) 47<br />
Kahtoola (www.kahtoola.com) 37<br />
Katie’s Bumpers (www.katiesbumpers.com) 40<br />
Kiva Designs (www.kivadesigns.com) 22<br />
Kombi Ltd (www.kombisports.com) 27<br />
Lansky Sharpeners (www.lanskysharpeners.com) 43<br />
Loki LLC (www.lokigear.com) 18<br />
Nation’s Best Sports (www.nationsbestsports.com) 29<br />
NRS (www.nrsweb.com) 31<br />
Optimer (www.drirelease.com) 9<br />
OutDoor Europe (www.european-outdoor.com) 53<br />
<strong>Outdoor</strong> Retailer (www.outdoorretailer.com) 25<br />
Outlast (www.outlast.com) 63<br />
Overboard (www.ROCgearWholesale.com) 47<br />
Polarguard (www.polarguard.com) Back cover<br />
Polartec (www.polartec.com) 19<br />
SpareHand Systems/Stonman Avenue (www.sparehandsystems.com) 49<br />
SuperFabric (superfabric.com) 41<br />
Sympatex (www.sympatex.com) 15<br />
Vargo <strong>Outdoor</strong>s (www.vargooutdoors.com) 49<br />
Worldwide (www.wdi-wdi.com) 23<br />
Yaktrax (www.yaktrax.com) 5<br />
62 | <strong>Inside</strong><strong>Outdoor</strong> | <strong>Winter</strong> 2009<br />
Opedix 42<br />
Optic Nerve 42<br />
Orage 42<br />
Origo 42<br />
Oso Republic 43<br />
Osprey 43<br />
OtterBox 44<br />
<strong>Outdoor</strong> Research 44<br />
<strong>Outdoor</strong> Retailer 46<br />
Outlast Technologies 44<br />
Overland Equipment 44<br />
Pacific Cornetta 45<br />
Pacific Rep Works 12<br />
Pacsafe 45<br />
Paluski Boats 13<br />
Patagonia 45, 46<br />
Perception 13<br />
Pico Manufacturing 13<br />
Polarmax 46<br />
Polartec 46<br />
Precima 8<br />
PrecisionPak 46<br />
Primaloft 46<br />
Primus 46<br />
Princeton Tec 46<br />
Pro-Line Sports 12<br />
Pursuit Brand Equity Group 12<br />
Rab 47<br />
RSR Research 16, 18, 20, 22<br />
Rudolf Chemie 48<br />
Ryders Eyewear 46<br />
Salomon 13<br />
Samsonite Outlab 46<br />
Santa Clara Univ. 22<br />
Saucony 48<br />
Scarpa 48<br />
Schoeller Textiles 50, 54<br />
SGS 54<br />
Shaw & Heald 13<br />
SOLE 48<br />
Spyder Active Sports 24, 48<br />
Stanley Blacker 13<br />
SteriPEN 48<br />
SUGOI 12<br />
Swarovski 48<br />
Sympatex 38<br />
Terramar Sports 13, 49<br />
Terrasoles 49<br />
The Society of the Plastics Industry 61<br />
Third Rail Marketing 12<br />
Tifosi Optics 13<br />
Tilley Endurables 49<br />
Timbuk2 49<br />
TrekSta 50<br />
TSL Snowshoes 13<br />
Tumi 44<br />
Twitter 46<br />
U.S. Department of Energy 61<br />
Ultimate Survivor 50<br />
UN Global Compact 54<br />
Univ. of Kansas 30<br />
Univ. of Pennsylvania 22<br />
Valley Paddles 13<br />
Waldies 50<br />
Wal-Mart 14<br />
Wave Sport Kayaks 13<br />
Westcomb 13, 50<br />
Wharton Institute 20, 22<br />
Wilderness Systems 13<br />
Wilderness Voyage 13<br />
Yahoo! 10<br />
Yaktrax 50<br />
Zeal Optics 50<br />
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ADAPTIVE COMFORT<br />
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LEADING THE WAY<br />
FOR 35 YEARS.<br />
For 35 years, you have trusted POLARGUARD ®<br />
Insulation to help you navigate the outdoors.<br />
Whether exploring a local park, trekking in the<br />
mountains of Patagonia or scaling Everest,<br />
POLARGUARD ® has gone the distance with you.<br />
Thank you for making POLARGUARD ® Insulation part<br />
of your adventures. We look forward to joining you<br />
on all the journeys to come. For more information<br />
visit www.polarguard.com or call 1-704-586-7512.<br />
35TH<br />
ANNIVERSARY<br />
©INVISTA 2008. All rights reserved.