Sneak Peek of New Climbing Gear, as Seen at the Outdoor Media Alliance
The Outdoor Market Alliance (OMA), located in the Denver Metro Area, houses over 170 brands in the outdoor space. On September 29 and 30, the OMA invited various media brands to come take a look at upcoming seasonal products. Here’s a preview of some of the cool stuff coming out for the climbing world.
La Sportiva Skwama Vegan $199
A classic shoe, now available sans animals. The only difference from the Skwama is the SkinLikeTM microbase insole, made from three layers of constructed, anti-odor microfibers. The single-strap slipper, like the OG model, is ideal for technical routes and boulder problems. It’s a daily driver, solid on pretty much all terrain. Our testers loved it. Full review here.
Born Outdoor Badger Bed Bundle $750
A sleeping system that helps you skip a few steps in the set up and pack up processes. The Bed Bundle comes with the Badger Bed, which is a weather-resistant shell, as well as a Therm-a-Rest MondoKing XXL pad, Mohave sheets and a Sierra Down quilt: yes, hello comfort and warmth in the great outdoors. When you’re ready to pack up, you simply deflate the pad, zip up the sides and then roll. Easy peasy. Check it out here.
ROLL Recovery R8 Plus $170
ROLL Recovery has released an update on the classic R8, with the Plus integrating an adjustable dial for increasing or decreasing tension as needed, making it easy to go from rolling your hamstrings to your forearms. Try it while climbing to help reduce pump or after to prevent elbow tendonitis. It’s a FDA registered device, so it may be purchased with an HSA/FSA account. Full review coming soon. Check it out here.
Scarpa Instinct S $189
If you’re into slippers, chances are you’ll dig this update. It’s the softest version in the Instinct family, designed for steep terrain and training. Our reviewer was hesitant at first, saying he loved the first iteration of the slipper and then disliked the subsequent update. Would the third update live up to his love for the original? Read the full review here.
Royal Robbins Book Set
Royal Robbins (the company) honors its namesake (the man) with the re-release of Royal Robbins’s three-volume autobiography. Detailing everything from childhood to his epic, bold first ascents in Yosemite, this boxed set makes for a timeless coffee table addition or holiday stocking stuffer. Available here soon.
Black Diamond Women’s Method $154
Black Diamond’s Method climbing shoes are designed for all-day comfort while cruising pitches. The women’s version has a women’s specific last with a comparatively lower volume. It’s only slightly downturned and relatively stiff, which makes it great for those just branching out from the gym to the outdoor world. Full review coming soon. Check them out here.
Outdoor Research SuperStrand LT Hoodie $219
Not new, but this is its first fall season. The Superstrand collection is interesting for its synthetic insulation that is held in place and connected via strands. Traditional synthetic insulation comes in sheet form and is comparatively bulky. VerticalX SuperStrand, on the other hand mimics down cluster, resulting in that airy feeling you’d get with a down jacket and, because it’s synthetic, it maintains loft even when wet. Our reviewer thought it was an excellent all-year piece of apparel, ideal for crisp spring days or under a shell during the winter. Read our review here.
Mystery Ranch Superset 30 $165
A surprisingly versatile bag, with tons of zippered, mesh pockets. It has top loading and duffle-style access, a laptop compartment, zippered shoe pouches, a bottom pouch (which would also work for shoes, or dirty clothes), a separate front panel with two more zippered pockets as well as a few small pouches—which would be great for toiletries, and finally an exterior bungee for a yoga matt or jacket. This bag was designed so that you can seamlessly go from work to the gym to the locker room to that hot date. Full review coming soon. Check it out here.
Adventure Wagon Van Builder
Adventure Wagon offers modular configurations for Sprinter and Transit vans. They’re expensive, but also just plain cool and convenient. With the help of a second hand, you could reconfigure your entire van in 15 minutes, making it easy to go from being on carpool duty to weekend warrior status. The A-Frame foundation uses steel bracers that span the length of the van. In conjunction with that, the L-Track, which bolts to the A-Frame, enables you to choose from attaching a rack, lights, climbing gear, hammocks, plants, whatever you want, really. Check it out here.
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