Outdoor Retailer: The Start

As we hit the sprawling floor of the Salt Palace Convention center in Salt Lake, here are a few things that we’ve seen or are curious to check out…

REI’s new Bike line illustrates that the retailer/brand will continue to branch out into apparel with high-tech cycle-specific apparel that looks far more fashion-forward than you might assume with the brand.  And, as with most REI stuff, the apparel will have an approachable price point in Spring 2013.

We’re also curious to check out Coghlan’s 2013 items, including the Carbon Steel Family Cookset, a 10-piece cook set with non-stick lining and swing-out handles that easily nest together for compact storage. Their new Emergency Survival Poncho is also interesting as a go-light item to pack for day hiking in the mountains where weather conditions can change drastically (much like those peaks that are so tantalizingly close tof Salt Lake). Admittedly, the shiny silver poncho may make you feel like you’re wearing it to block out the rays from the aliens—but it could also…you know…save your life.