Last week KineticShift headed to SIA, the Snowsports Industries America Snowshow, to check out winter sports gear coming out this year. Here are some of the highlights from the show. Click on the images for a larger view and more detail.
httpv://youtu.be/bgc_Vq_XeIc
When things blow up they often go “ka-bomb,” but when the BoatsToGo gets blown up (as in inflated) it becomes a KaBoat. We’re not sure if we’re the only ones that appreciate that joke, but it does describe this crossover that is somewhere between a full-fledged boat and a kayak.
It features a slim hull design that was reportedly modeled after narrow Asian Dragon boats, and this sleek profile allows the KaBoat to glide effortlessly over water at speeds faster than traditional boats, while still providing space for an outboard motor and supplies. As a result the boat travels at faster speeds due to less water resistance, and uses less energy to be propelled in the water as well. But what really turns our heads is that this boat is a lot easier to get in and out of the water.
The KaBoats is available in 12-foot, 14-foot, 16-foot and even an oversized 16-foot version, with prices ranging from $499 to $849. So whether it is half-kayak or half-boat we don’t think this one blows in any way!
Today’s smartphones pack built-in GPS capabilities that have all but demolished the need for a standalone GPS unit. But what if there was an app for outdoors enthusiasts that turned your smartphone into the digital equivalent of Bear Grylls? That’s essentially what you can expect from ViewRanger, a powerful outdoor GPS app that’s been available internationally, but is just now launching in the U.S.
The $5 app lets trailblazers plan, plot, navigate, record, and analyze their outdoor adventures straight from their GPS-enabled smartphone. It uses Open Source Web maps to provide detailed information on any popular location or alternatively, users can make in-app trail guide purchases on the fly. The trail guides (which cost between 70 cents to $1) are then pinned on the map providing trail descriptions, directions, and pictures straight out of publishers’ guidebooks. Video after the jump
We missed Zeal Optics at the Outdoor Retailers Show but fortunately they caught our eye anyway with the iON Goggles, which the company is showing at this week’s SIA Snow Show. The Boulder-based companies is offering a look at the iON, which features an embed high-definition camera to capture video and photos.
The iON is equipped with a 1080p True HD video camera that doubles as a 8megapixel digital still camera, and it can be used to capture real time video and sound, or used for still images. The camera features a 170-degree wide angle lens to capture images while automatically adjusting for light levels. The camera even features an infinity focus so wearer’s have one less thing to worry about. There is an in-goggle viewfinder as well. Video after the jump
What may seem to be an odd place for a knife company, Spyderco of Golden, CO, had a booth at the SIA show this year featuring most of their models. One knife in particular caught our eyes, not for any other reason than how it might help you or I our of a backcountry ‘situation’. On the surface, the Assist looks to be just a regular, single bladed knife, but it has so much more to offer. Continue reading SIA: Spyderco May Be Able to ‘Assist’ You
Suunto has long been on the cutting edge with unique watches, and at this week’s Outdoor Retailer Show the company offered the Ambit. While not exactly cheap – at $600 it isn’t quite in the Rolex space for expensive timepieces – and frankly we’d like to see a Rolex that could do as much as this one. It features built-in GPS, and an accelerometer so you can know where you’re going and how high you’ve climbed.
It also can track heart-rate, speed, pace, elevation, distance, temperature, barometer and work as a compass and of course as a clock and alarm. This one shines!
Numerous companies do socks, and throughout the year we see a lot of socks, but Teko Socks, which was founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2004, works to make a leave a smaller footprint of sorts. The company, which showed its latest line at the Outdoor Retailer Show, uses proprietary fiber combinations mixing traditional organic wool inter-weaved with polyester. The result says the company is a sock that is comfortable and functional, while also being sustainable and have a low ecological impact. Sounds like a step in the right direction!
Designer sports bag and apparel company OGIO just released its OGIO Endurance Collection. The line has bags that address the needs runners, swimmers, triathletes, cyclists, downhill mountain bikers and other athletes in endurance sports and competitions.
The seven-bag line is built to provide organization, protection and comfort for athletes taking part in high-intensity workouts and competitions. The line is made with lightweight yet sturdy materials that protect gear, yet make it light enough to carry to a race or location to workout.
Designed for industrial applications, the GammaTech RT10C fully rugged computer could be one for those who need a solid machine for globetrotting adventures. This lightweight computer is built to Military 810G standards and IP65 rated for dust and water protection. With its sealed design it is a tablet PC that is drop-proof, spill-proof, shock-proof and truly watertight.
It features a touch-screen 10.2-inch wide display with LED backlight – meaning it can be used even if shade isn’t always an option. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-620UE mobile processor and offers integrated HD graphics, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support. For security it features TPM 1.2 fingerprint recognition.
The RT10C offers as many connections as it might take to get to the middle of nowhere, including two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, PCMCIA slot, two mini card slots, CompactFlash slot and VGA port. An optional vehicle or office docking station includes four USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, Serial port, and VGA port. Battery life is rated at five hours of usage with its nine-cell Smart lithium-ion battery. Pricing to be announced, but can you really put a price on a machine that might just live up to be indestructible?
Many people claim to know a trail like the back of their hand, while others claim to have trails on the brain. Now thanks to Buff, maker of headwear, wearer’s can truly have the trail on the brain – or at least head. At the Outdoor Retailer Show they showed the new trail maps line of Buff headwear. Heady indeed!
Buff USA Official Site
[Via Gear Junkie: Gear for 2012: Outdoor Retailer Trade Show]
We know that Sherpas can carry a lot of stuff, and we expect a Yeti (that would be the Abominable Snowman) would certainly be seriously tough too – but now the Sherpa 50 and Yeti 1250 will bring portable power as well. We missed Goal Zero at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month unfortunately, but the company also hit the Outdoor Retailer Show and showed off its new products that bring portable power.
The Sherpa 50, which won a CES Innovation Honoree for Portable Power, can charge consumer devices including phones and laptops. It weighs just 14 oz., and can provide DC and AC (with inverter) outputs, as well as USB ports that output 1A of power. It can fully charge via a solar panel in 5-10 hours or within 2-3 hours via a wall outlet, and in turn, can power a smart phone for 10 hours, and can ensure that writers (like us) can keep typing even when there is no power in sight. At about $249.99 that’s not a bad price to pay to have power on the go. The Sherpa will be ready to pick up the load in June 2012. Continue reading Outdoor Retailer Show: Sherpa and Yeti Bring Power
Down feathers are great for outdoor gear. It’s loft provides warmth in a lightweight form for jackets, sleeping bags and other garments. Yet when it gets wet, and that can easily happen outdoors, it loses its loft and therefore warming properties. Water might just be the downfall of down.
In Finnish a Kuppi is ac cup, and for centuries Finns would warm their hands by using a “little cup” or “Kuppilka,” which held a warm beverage. It was typically low tech such as wooden cup. But now Kupilka is a new high tech twist on the low tech that is designed for hikers and campers, or just anyone who wants a cup with the look that is straight out of the wilderness.
The drinking cups (they make utensils too) are made of natural fiber composites mixed with thermoplastic – basically 50 percent pine fiber wood mixed with 50 percent plastic. The result is one that doesn’t absorb smells, are insensitive to humidity and are dishwasher safe. But they are also recyclable, so if it should crack or break it can be ground down and casted again. Plus they offer a rugged look for those who would like to endure the great outdoors, just like the Finns!