Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2018

Details: By Daniel Markofsky

Denver hosted its first Outdoor Retailer Summer show July 23-26, 2018. Being my hometown, my plan was to take a few hours each day to steal away from the office and take in the show a bit at a time.

Day 1: We had a few appointments to structure the day, whichwas good because it was easy to become frozen and overwhelmed: Where to start? What to see? How do I fit it all in! So Creative Director Kathy Locke and I spent at least an hour laying hands on every Goal Zero product. Some were familiar, others not yet released. All of them focused on solving a power or light issue.

Day 2: At least I knew how to find the front door and had my media credentials. A few more appointments got me off to a good start and feeling like I might actually figure this thing out. I had answers for why a Toyota 4x4 magazine was at a retail show. I raced to the show after lunch just in time for my appointment with Dometic. After barraging marketing rep (and avid 4x4 enthusiast) Matt Glass with questions by e-mail for months, I got facetime with the technical designers and did my best to stump them .But first I cooled off with ice cream from one of their freezers(look for my in-depth review of the CFX75DZW fridge/freezer in an upcoming issue). After the show, activities went on at the pitch party hosted by our good friends and neighbor at Gear Junkie. We hung out with old friends like Bryon Dorr of Exploring Elements and got to know Adam Wood of Step 22 better.

Day 3: It was a quick morning visit then off to the“office” to “work.” But that’s a problem worth having.We met good friend Scott Brady of Overland International(think Overland Journal and ExpeditionPortal) to catch up. Scott was visiting with Joe Risiof Backbone Media who represents several brands including Tincup Whiskey. Being that the following weekend was the Rising Sun Four Wheel Drive Club of Colorado (my home club) annual “Ghost Town Run” including the old town of Tincup, Colorado:Joe arranged for some Tincup Whiskey to ride along with us, which was consumed responsibly by adults around the campfire, of course.

Day 4: Feeling like apro, I started off with power breakfast with our friend Chandra Proffitt from Proffitts Resurrection Land Cruisers.We met at downtown’s local favorite, Sam’s #3,and walked the few blocks to the Denver Convention Center. Thursday is considered by some as the “slow” day at OR. Understandably vendors are running on fumes, aching feet, and barely any voice left. But for us it was an amazing day. Not only had we figured out the trail, but we showed up full of coffee and enthusiasm. We had the best conversations with product designers and brand managers. They are dedicated to the product and have struggled to make it their best. We have technical questions (and sometimes suggestions). We have to know how its going to hold up. The designers and brand managers are the people we can geek out with.

Klymit: We have been demoing their KSB Double Down Sleeping Bag,650 fill 30 degree rated double sleeping bag and Luxe Pillows. That and many other innovative products designed for a comfortable camp were on display.

Exped: In vehicle dependent travel we have the luxury of being able to carry a more substantial sleeping pad than a backpack. Many of Exped’s products are light enough for packing and comfortable enough for use anywhere. We like their products and we like that the feature photo in the booth showed anemployee’s Tacoma bed outfitted with Exped product.

Garmin: Garmin offers an amazing array of electronics that keep us safe and enhance our adventures. With many models of GPS mapping products (I have been an eTrex user since around 2002) and satellite communications within reach of any budget. We looked with interest at the new InReach mini, a powerful yet bite sized GPS emergency beacon system with text message capability, as well as a line of wrist watches that wirelessly connect with your other devices.

The Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Office & Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails had a booth right next to Colorado’s. Dave Glenn from WY spoke with us about the great opportunity for Toyota 4x4 based adventures in Wyoming, andhis FJ40. We live in the West,love it, respect it,and enjoy it. We love to see interest at the state level in promoting outdoor activity and Wyoming understands that responsible motorized use is the only way to access our vast western landscape.

I have a few hundred nights on Nemo Equipment mattresses. I took a hot shower at Overland Expo this year courtesy of their Helio Shower. I could not pass the opportunity to pick the brain of one of their product designers and check out new gear.

Smartwool recently announced HQ relocation from Steamboat Springs, CO to the Denver area. We are delighted that they are staying in CO. Its understandably tough news for our friends in Steamboat. Don’t underestimate how a good pair of socks can make you feel.

Eureka! was a term uttered all across the west in the Gold Rush days. It still is thanks toEureka/Jetboil. Eureka is a brand long established and respected from the basic green Boy Scout tent to their latest innovative products such as the Gonzo Grill which is fast becoming an essential part of our kit. On display was a soon to be launched line of cooking pots and pans which incorporate the JetBoil heat retention architecture for faster and more fuel efficient heating and cooking. The JetLink features mean you can do all your cooking off one propane bottle.

Safe Reflections has a line of reflective material you can buy in retail sticker packs or work with them to create custom products for your application. Why we liked it: They have created a process to color the material to suit your need with barely any loss in reflectivity. Black reflective decals to keep you safe stuck on the side of the road at night. Imagine that. You can also add their products to almost any gear imaginable.