OTS Review
Caribee were a nice surprise – they have great bags, backpacks and rucksacks, of course, but at the show SGB saw the Tahoe 80 and Tahoe 65, both of which are under £100 at retail. That’s an 80-litre pack for less than a hundred quid, which is an absolute bargain for your customers. Distributed by Brand Agility in the UK, Caribee clearly has a lot to offer. Also at the show was the Nevis 40, a 40-litre alpine trek pack made from Cordura, a durable and versatile fabric which is very light. The 40-litre model weighs just 1.45kg, and Brand Agility say it may be the lightest on the market in its class.
Wayfayrer also impressed. After their revamp a couple of years ago, their sexy new(ish) look is now complemented by educational literature. This comes in two forms – one beautifully-printed leaflet to explain to retailers what makes their outdoor meals special, and another for end users to sit with the packets in-store. It explains just about everything, including, on the retailer sheets, info about the nutritional value of the meals. Wayfayrer’s food is ready to eat, hot or cold, and it’s not dehydrated – just good meals, ready to go. Educating both their customers and the end user is such a simple idea, but it could really give them an edge when it comes to either one making their buying decisions.
On the Keen stand, the highlight was the frankly gorgeous Pyrenees boot, Keen’s take on the classic leather hiking boot. Traditional looks, bang-up-to-date technology, and the superb comfort we know and love Keen for. In both men’s and women’s, RRP is £119.99. A KEEN.DRY waterproof breathable membrane comes with a two year guarantee to keep feet dry and fresh in all conditions, whilst an S3 Heel Support Structure and torsional ESS shank ensure superb shock, stability and suspension on any manner of terrain. A removable metatomical footbed provides fantastic fit and superior support whilst a rugged carbon rubber outsole with 4mm multi directional lugs give exceptional grip and traction on a wide range of challenging surfaces. If you’re interested, contact Bradshaw Taylor (01572 772500).
CÀRN had a great stand position, quite close to the entrance of the main hall, and their space was dominated by a large picture of the one and only Ben Fogle. Why? Well, they were promoting the new line of Ben Fogle- endorsed footwear which will be available next year. The first samples for some of these styles were on show at OTS, and they look great. We’ll be covering these in more depth next issue, so watch this space.
Whitby & Co had, frankly, more stories than we can fit in here. Of note was the Evo Wood from Wenger, each knife boasting a pleasantly tactile wooden handle, and of course each knife is unique as a result of using wood. Inova is going to be huge for Whitby, especially as the prices have come right down on many of the torches in the line due to streamlined manufacturing methods, since their acquisition by NiteIze. Also worth a look is the Heat Factory line of personal warming products. In time for Christmas you might want to check out the ‘family pack’ of assorted warmers,
16 SGB OUTDOOR OCTOBER 2010
it’s a great price. You can find out more on Whitby and Co’s winter warmers next issue…
The Mountain Boot Company, as ever, had a lot to shout about but best of the pack was, in our opinion, Lorpen socks, which they only fairly recently began distributing. It’s a Spanish brand, with a tri-layer product and a Polartec sock. The tri-layer is three layers with a fast-wicking inner, a super- absorbent middle, and a hard-wearing outer Nylon. There’s a winter and summer version of this lovely sock, with merino and a Primaloft yarn for the winter model and a Coolmax version for summer. Great socks, these complement the rest of TMBC’s products brilliantly.
Tog 24 was a new discovery for us, and a pleasant surprise. While the outdoor industry has made inroads into the high street, this is one company that’s moving in the opposite direction, but in a good way. Instead of bringing outdoor style into the everyday, they’re bringing the everyday into outdoor. And on the whole, it really works. Their apparel lines are fresh and different, with a fashionable edge that sits surprisingly well with the performance aspect of outdoor clothes. Well worth checking out.
Accapi UK recently took on the distribution of Ruff Wear in the UK. This innovative canine-related brand is quite the eye-opener, described to one journalist as “the Patagonia of the dog world”. The mainstay of their range is packs which allow a dog to carry its own food and water. Any dog owner will know that if you’re going on a long walk and taking the dog, at least half of your pack will be for the dog. This is the sensible solution, but it’s not limited to just packs. There’s even harnesses for people that might want to climb with the dog…
Smartwool’s message for the customer was a simple one: the brand is back. They’re pushing their fabulous socks hard, but they’re also launching a major range of apparel for autumn 2011. Smartwool had a great show, and they’re already looking forward to next year’s OTS where they aim to have a bigger stand and even more to shout about.
HI-TEC’s growth into outdoor has been nothing short of phenomenal, and their recent tie-up with the National Trust will only boost their profile. One of the results of their relationship is the development of a leather sandal. It’s a traditional trekking three-strap sandal, with an environmental twist, which should help its appeal to the NT’s 3.8 million members. There’s the environmentally-considered content outsole, veg-tan leather, and a neoprene lining. This will be out for SS11, at an SRP of £50 in both men’s and women’s. Another success for HI-TEC then…
Silva’s new headtorches are available now, and the standout is probably the Siju, at a sub-£15 retail price which makes it extremely appealing. It’s in a series of fresh and bright colours, and uses Silva’s cocoon system so it
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