Gear of the Show: Summer Outdoor Retailer 2016

The Editors

Aug 5, 2015

Gear companies from around the world released their brand-new summer 2016 products this week at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City. We pored over all of it, and these five products—from a brilliant new water filter to a totally reinvented waterproof jacket—were our top picks for Gear of the Show.

Columbia OutDry Extreme Diamond Shell

Most shells are made the same way, with a waterproof membrane sandwiched between a tough, durable exterior fabric and a softer next-to-skin layer. This technique has two major downsides: the face fabric on the outside can wet out, making the jacket feel clammy; and gluing layers of fabric together reduces breathability. Enter the OutDry Extreme Diamond. Columbia ditched the exterior fabric entirely by layering a thin, diamond-patterned film over the waterproof membrane to protect it from abrasions and boost durability.

Jetboil Genesis Basecamp 2 Burner System

The Genesis Basecamp 2 Burner System from Jetboil is a complete rethink of the traditional car camping stove many of us grew up with and still have in our garage.

Patagonia Merino Air Base Layer

Patagonia’s gossamer new base layer is insanely light and airy, but, thanks to a new manufacturing technique, just as warm as its heavier competitors.

MSR Guardian Water Filter

The MSR Guardian represents a quantum leap forward in the world of water filtration. For this new device, MSR developed a hollow fiber structure that’s ten-times smaller than previous iterations so that it catches viruses, but still lets users clean a respectable 2.5 liters of water per minute.

RinseKit

For those who find the standard hang-it-from-a-tree gravity showers lacking in pressure and pump-up showers a touch too involved, there’s a new supremely simple option: RinseKit. Call it a shower in a box.