I haven’t been very good at these recaps, as I always forget something, or I mention a company that we never seem to be able to connect with. But that won’t stop me from giving it another shot. So here goes.
Johnson Outdoors, parent company of Eureka!, purchased JetBoil a while back. What does that mean for us? How about a nice portable two-burner camp stove with JetBoil technology? Yes, it’s cool, yes, you’ll want to see it, and yes, we will do our best to get our hands on one as soon as they can make one available.
GSI Outdoors also had something new to share. In addition to all their fine camp cookware, they will now offer a small single burner isobutane/propane stove. No more having to go buy a separate one. Pretty soon, you’ll just add food, water, and a canister of gas to be ready for your next outing. When it comes to beverages and outdoors, they have you covered from your morning coffee to evening adult beverage, and everything in between. And yes, that means a growler, the multi-tool for beverages hot and cold.
Speaking of growlers, it looks like DrinkTanks has a new and improved KegCap. More on that when we have a chance to follow up. And Zak Designs has growlers with licensed Star Wars engravings. Clearly, we all need a growler, and there is one to suit every taste. But get a couple, just in case.
SOG showed us some cool stuff, then made us promise not to share it yet. And they have a lot of sharp objects at hand, so you’ll just have to trust us. New gear on the way. A certain flying disc company also told us not to write about their pending license agreement with a certain comic book brand, so we’re not going to mention that either. Until they give the ok.
Things we can talk about? How about Gargoyle re-releasing the Terminator glasses? Those big shades that Arnold wore in the first movie, they are back. But I guess we always knew they would be…
Food! So much to share here. First, there was at least one company looking after your best friend. Alfa Bar makes a meal bar for your dog. So take your best friend on a day-long hike, or even camping, and pack a few bars instead of kibble. For people, we tried samples from Picky Bars, Lawless Jerky, Chapul bars (made with crickets, and delicious), Rev’D bars, Fusion Jerky, Wild Zora meat and veggie bars, GoChia, Chef’s Cut jerky, Munk Pack, and more. From vegan to meat-lover, there was something for everyone. And none of these companies skimp on flavor or nutrition.
Solar was big, as usual. So were electronics. Moov showed us that merely counting steps is so last year, and only a small bit of being fit. And Jabra wants to put a personal coach in your ear too. Hydration, camp gear, and footwear were also well-represented. For a quick visual overview, check out our Instagram. I’ll work as fast as I can to get some articles in the works. That starts with going through the small mountain of contacts, and pairing companies with our contributors. It’s not a fast process, but we’ll try to share the best just as soon as we can. So don’t forget to visit often.
– Brian