OR Summer Market again pulled off a stronger show than any previous year with innovation coming form nearly every corner of the show floor. While the green theme was certainly more prevalent at this year’s show, it was also clear that companies are being careful with their marketing of any green initiatives. The “I’m greener” mentality and messaging has clearly disappeared as most companies realize that creating a more sustainable industry is a collaborative effort.


The larger floor plan, a first for Summer Market, was an obvious benefit to many small and new brands that would have previously been exiled to the tents. There were apparently only two glitches at the show. The first involved the new “paperless press kit” initiative, which was announced to many marketing departments after these press kits were already printed. The second was the new location of the magazine bins, which had many attendees believing the show had stopped distributing trade and consumer magazines all together.


Perhaps the biggest step ahead in technology on the floor was taking place in hardgoods this year. Companies were looking at their product development through two lenses – the traditional pure performance perspective and the now ubiquitous green technology lens. Much of the technological development this year was in the climbing category, which is apparently growing rapidly. At the same time green technology is rapidly proliferating in backpacking hardgoods.


Metolius is seeing strong sales during the current season and even stronger pre-season orders coming in at the show. The company is filling the void left by Colorado Custom Hardware after the company’s Alien cams were recalled and then were still reported by Rockclimbing.com to be failing in the field. Now Metolius is selling a very similar design to the Alien with their new single stem Master Cam. Metolius management said that they have solved any issues relating to safety in the design. In addition, Metolius has created a new carabiner that has a 10 KN open gate strength rating – one of the safest in the industry.


Trango is also seeing a healthy market in climbing and bouldering but reportedly, business is so strong across the board that raw materials are becoming difficult to find.  


Black Diamond is also seeing strong sales in climbing equipment sales, particularly in carabiners, which are up 24% for the year. Company management said that the atmosphere in the climbing equipment market has not been this positive since the early- to mid-90’s when the climbing industry was going through the indoor climbing boom. Apart from the company’s climbing business, BD said ski buy-in was the strongest ever this year, and sales in the category were up in the mid-singles even without Scarpa ski boots.


Arc’Teryx again was able to create a product so ground breaking that every attendee stopped in their tracks. Similar in scope to the launch of the AC backpacks last year, Arc’teryx designers completely re-designed the harness this year and created performance characteristics that will re-define how harnesses are built for the next decade. The new harnesses are lighter, more comfortable and more supportive than anything the company has created. They also cost 2-3 times more than any other harness on the market.


Mammut is also seeing some strong growth in climbing, partially because of its marketing and investment in Northeastern bouldering competitions. Management said that the strength in the category is also due to some real innovation in carabiners over the last few years and the cyclical nature of equipment replenishment.


Sierra Designs is well on its way to becoming a real player in the industry again under the leadership of Paul Gagner, who took over as CEO just over a year ago. The company has made a real effort to address its carbon footprint in its product design process and is also taking a leadership role in OIA’s eco work group. Dubbed the Sierra Designs Green Effects Program, the initiatives are adding up to some real technical innovation that is spreading throughout the hardgoods side of the industry.


Apart from the eco initiatives, Sierra designs is seeing the consumer move more towards comfort equipment – choosing three person tents and looking for more comfort features in sleeping bags. Sierra Designs is also in the process of tying its apparel image back into its equipment heritage. This means SD is pushing more technical designs in apparel and less lifestyle-oriented pieces. Because of this, the company has drastically cut the number of SKU’s offered in their apparel line this year, and sales are slightly lower than they have been in the past. However, since the company kept the top-performing pieces, margins and profitability are up in their apparel line.


Osprey is looking at big packs again, re-designing their line with the Argon and Xenon. These two pack lines are making larger packs lighter and more comfortable by using many of Ospery’s existing smaller pack technologies in the bigger, heavy load carriers. The company is also moving away from the highly specialized use-specific packs with its new Kestrel series, which is designed to be the outdoor enthusiasts “quiver of 1” backpack. The company is also continuing to work on its Re-Source series of recycled packs and will be bringing some of this green technology into its larger packs as soon as they can find the proper materials. The day packs, which just recently shipped to retailers, are already selling through well, according to management.


GoLite’s redesigned pack category is showing results as is the new head-to-toe branded offering that is now possible due to Timberland’s foray into GoLite Footwear. CEO Kim Coupounas, who just finished her term as OIA Chairman, told BOSS sales are up in the double-digits, and the show was very positive. 


With the new footwear brand on the market, Golite is making a more concerted push into running equipment, with their new No-Bounce bottle packs. In addition, GoLite is addressing the environmental aspect of product development with their Eco-Wisp recycled polyester in much of their apparel line.


Big Agnes is creating an entirely new line of recycled sleeping bags, using Primaloft’s new Eco insulation. The Re-Routt bags and pads are BA’s first step towards finding solutions to create more sustainable products. Big Agnes is also launching a new line of expedition style bags and tents, a category that the Steamboat Springs–based company has never addressed before.


Lowe Alpine is finally on track after years of acquisition pains following the Asolo acquisition and subsequent relocation. The company’s pack line is focused on comfort technology and easy fitting on the retail floor. They are also working with an outside firm to develop a unique direct marketing strategy that gives its retailers a cut in any on-line sales Lowe Alpine makes.


Mont Bell is also pushing its way into the tent market more each year. This year, the company created two unique designs using a single wall/double wall hybrid design, one free standing and one supported by guy lines.  


Eureka! is seeing  success with its family-oriented camping equipment and camp furniture. The Energy tent, which actually has electrical outlets and battery power, is gaining popularity. The company is expanding the offering in this category with an energy-equipped screen tent. Eureka is reintroducing their mid-level backpacking Autumn Wind tents, and introduced a high-end backpacking tent, the Mountain Breeze. Johnson Outdoors, Eureka’s parent company, is also looking at China as an opportunity to develop new business, but first they need to create camp grounds. So, they are partnering with a real estate development firm to add campgrounds to their amusement parks and rent and sell Eureka tents, bags and equipment.


Cascade Designs spent the last year developing new water filters and re-designing the Platypus from the ground up. The new pump filter, called Hyper Flow, is being touted the “smallest and lightest” on the market, at 7.5 oz. The new gravity filter, called the Auto Flow, pushes over 1L per minute and has an auto cleaning back-flush feature that makes maintenance easy. Under the ThermaRest brand, CD is trying to bring the comforts of home to the outdoors with a “fitted sheet” that covers the pad, and a snap-on camp blanket that almost creates a complete sleeping system.


Solio is a new electronics company targeting the outdoor industry with an affordable and green multi-purpose re-charger. The company’s three products all use solar panels to charge a built-in lithium battery that is then used to power anything from headlamp to computer to iPod. The company is not only looking at portable green energy solutions but also addressing social issues with its Million Points of Light program, which is trying to distribute 1 million Solio chargers and LED lights to remote African villages currently using Kerosene for light.


Also in electronics, High Gear is focusing on its core altimeter competency and pushing most fitness monitors through its licensed New Balance brand. The company is pushing price points up with more features, more intuitive designs and more expensive luxury/performance materials. The company also expects to launch the smallest altimeter watch on the market shortly.