Outdoor Retailer Show

This week was the Outdoor Retailer Show. This is a show that allows companies to showcase their new gear for the upcoming winter season. So much of the stuff show at this event will be for the Fall/Winter 2010 season. Some companies were also showcasing things available soon or already available. This is my second time going to this show and while I can't say I am psyched up to go, I'm not yet bored with the show either. I don't really care for going to some appointments but others are quite fun. I love seeing the new Smartwool products as well as Ibex products. I do like getting the swag that companies give out as well as trying new things. At this show, we were also looking for replacement gear for our upcoming backpacking trip. I am trying to lighten up my load for this trip as I would rather carry more food then gear weight. We have bags lined up as well as some outwear. I am going to be wearing mostly wool on this trip but I do need to find replacement hiking pants, as well as a lighter cookset.

This show was rather productive as we managed to get eVEnt rain jackets for cheap. Some companies sell off items or have special sells of items, we got lucky that a rain jacket we were interested in was being sold off for a great price. So rain jacket is out of the way, but I need rain pants. We managed to dial in outer gloves (actually mitts), and found some food that is good that we will look into for the trip. I also got a replacement spork and a long handled spoon. I also bought some ultralight stuff sacks and a headlamp. I think we are pretty close, just a few things left to dial in. I need to figure out if I need to upgrade my pack or not once all the gear is laid out. I want to but if I need a pack the same size there is no point. If I can go down to a smaller pack and save more weight, then I might just do it. More later on the gear list and the planning of our first long distance hike together.