Our Favorite Gear from Outdoor Retailer, Day 1

We’re on the ground at Outdoor Retailer and Snow Show Winter Market 2018, scouting the best new gear from the outdoor industry launching in 2018. Ahead of announcing our annual picks for Editor’s Choice, we’re taking a moment each day of the show to share some of our favorite items from the floor.

Yeti Hondo Chair

While somewhat unassuming in appearance, every inch of the Hondo is engineered to be superlative — from the folding mechanism to the welds on the butted aluminum tubes (a similar construction is used on downhill mountain bikes), to the fabric used for the back and seat of the chair.

The idea to develop the chair came after Yeti realized that every other camp chair on the market failed to meet any of its employees’ standards. They would break virtually everywhere: the seat, seams, legs, arms. Yeti set out to develop a better product that would far exceed all expectations and torment that a user could put it through.

Jones Mind Expander and Mind Expander Split

The Mind Expander is a collaboration between surf shaper Chris Christenson and Jeremy Jones. The board is about as close to a surfboard as you can get while still being shred-ready for the slopes. The distinctive shape is geared towards deep powder riding. Like many of the Christenson-Jones boards, the Mind Expander is about as playful as they get.

The North Face Expands the Ventrix Line

Building on the success of the Ventrix jacket, TNF has expanded Ventrix into its own line featuring a pair of alpine knickers, a crew neck pullover and a variety of insulation/fleece hybrids that are designed with ski touring and ski mountaineering in mind. Look for The North Face to add even more styles to the line in 2018/19.

Strafe Deception Anorak

Featuring Polartec Alpha and a two-way stretch fabric, the Deception pullover signals that Strafe is hopping on the anorak trend. The pullover is built for active pursuits; the active insulation fill provides warmth when needed but also wicks and breaths enoug for use during highly aerobic activities. Best of all, the Deception is stylish enough to fit with any hypebeast’s getup (hence its illusive name).

Spy Electrochrmic ONE Lens Technology

Ever been stuck with the wrong goggle lens while out on the mountain? Now, thanks to Spy, that problem will never happen again. With the push of a button, Spy’s new lens tech can swap between three different shades — meaning that whether it’s dumping snow or bright and sunny, you’ll be set.

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