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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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© ©2 © ©2 © 2 22009<br />

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RA RA® RA A® is i is a<br />

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trad<br />

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or dur du dur du dur du dur ddur dur abl ab aabl a l e ef e ef e fabr f abr ab a ics ic .<br />

F A B R I C<br />

<br />

CO C RD R UR U A. A CO COM


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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38156<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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Alps Sportswear<br />

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boucle fleece, the Cold Springs Jacket<br />

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hidden pockets. www.<br />

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Asolo<br />

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who generally dwells in the<br />

streets. Offered in men’s and<br />

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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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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<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


��������������<br />

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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 />

Outlast ® technology<br />

• 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 />

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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.


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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 />

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‘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 />

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Corporate Ladders is a business development consulting and<br />

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in multiple organizations, guiding a variety of businesses to<br />

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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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CORRESPONDENCE<br />

Send letters to the editor via email to Martin Vilaboy at martin@<br />

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INSIDE OUTDOOR 745 N. Gilbert Rd., Ste. 124, PMB 303, Gilbert, AZ, 85234<br />

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INSIDE OUTDOOR magazine welcomes press releases and any other<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.

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