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This gear won't be in shops until the spring or next fall, but here's a peek at a few innovations and out-there items coming soon to an outdoors store near you.
Glowing Sandals: Never trip in the dark again. A small LED light is built on the tow strap of the Illum sandals, which come to market this spring. The flip-flops, available in men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 versions, shine a 10-lumen beam with each step taken. For beach hikes at night, the footlights are waterproof to three-feet deep. $50 and up, depending on model.
Swiss Army Knife with Laser: Just when you thought nothing more could be added to a Swiss Army Knife, unveils the Presentation Master. Beyond its small scissors, file and blade, the red-handled package includes a laser pointer and a 32GB data drive. A tiny fingerprint scanner encrypts the drive so only the owner can access the files and data stored inside.
Bug Suit: Suit up for battle against buzzing objects. 's new kit of No-See-Um mesh clothing includes a mosquito-confounding jacket, mitts, pants, and socks–all coated with an Insect Shield Permethrin treatment to offer “superior bug protection.” The see-through polyester mesh packs up tiny when not in use. The head-to-toe suit is made up of a top and a bottom package, which are sold separately. The two products together will cost about $70 when they arrive in March.
Heated Vests: Body heat not enough? Electrically powered heated vests are coming from , which will sell a women鈥檚 and a men鈥檚 version for next winter's ski season. The vests are prewired garments operated by a battery and embedded with heating elements. Bonus: Beyond heat, a power plug in a vest pocket can be used to recharge handheld electronics such as GPS units, cell phones and MP3 players.
Fancy Feet: Go back to the future with the retro Five Tennie, an outdoor-oriented tennis shoe that mimics a model released in 1985. , an outdoors/climbing-shoe company, touts its namesake Five Tennie as having a “Spiderman sticky” sole for better grip on the trail. Available late February for about $70.
