New outdoor gear gets lighter, techier

More than 1,000 outdoors brands gathered in Salt Lake City this month for the Outdoor Retailer trade show to debut equipment, apparel, outerwear, and gear that will hit stores next year.

Items catching my eye:

Red Steel: Made in Post Falls, and each one treated with a red powdercoat finish for rust and corrosion resistance, Buck Knives’ Compadre Series has a camping knife, a hatchet, and a machete-like tool called a chopping froe, with steel and walnut-dymondwood handles.

Double dose: With water on one side, and sports drink on the other, the D|Vide Hydration Bladder from Source has two hoses routing from two chambers within the same reservoir. Drink at will on the go, be it water or sports beverage.

Light charger: A tiny torch from Black Diamond, called the Ember Power Light, doubles as a charging unit. You plug it in at home to add electricity. In the field, use it as a light or plug in a phone or gadget to milk off some of the juice for a recharge.

Arc’teryx footwear: Next year high-end Canadian brand Arc’teryx will jump full into eight models of performance footwear with removable booties, rubberized textiles, injected EVA midsoles, custom pattern Vibram soles, and models with no tongues.

  Tiny hose: An ultralight hose for Geigerrig pressurized hydration packs is about the size of an IV tube, enabling it to be routed through clothing and clipped to a collar.

GoTenna: “No Service? No Problem!” for the GoTenna, a small radio beacon that syncs with phones off a cellular network and let users send text messages back and forth. Call it a modern day walkie-talkie. The cited range to text via the GoTenna is up to 50 miles, depending on the terrain.

Info: gearjunkie.com.