Picture the Peruvian Andes: rugged peaks, 16,000-foot passes, remote landscapes, and adventure opportunities abound. But for two ambitious bikepackers, the area鈥檚 allure was about more than just its natural beauty. When athlete and photographer and endurance athlete and documentarian decided to traverse the Qhapaq 脩an from La Paz, Bolivia, to Cusco, Peru, they were following a desire to learn more about the locals and themselves. Over 37 days, the pair was immersed in heritage, culture, and history鈥攁n experience they agree was thanks to the slow simplicity of bikepacking. Here鈥檚 their take on the experience.

国产吃瓜黑料: What is the Qhapaq 脩an, and what inspired you to bikepack it?

Leonardo Brasil: I was born and raised in Brazil and was lucky to have lived in Colorado, USA, for ten years before moving back to my hometown of Rio de Janeiro. Since I never owned a vehicle, I found my passion for bikepacking while living abroad as a natural evolution of my curiosity to experience different cultures and see places. Exploring South America, the continent that I鈥檓 from, was the next obvious step. My goal was to understand a bit more about our Hispanic neighbors鈥攕ince Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country over there鈥攁nd to experience their way of life both as a human on this earth and as a photographer and storyteller.

Adam Andres Pawlikiewicz Mesa: Translated from Quechua, the 鈥淩oyal Road鈥� once united all Andean communities from Colombia to Chile in an intricate road system of more than 18,600 miles. Constructed by the Incas over several centuries鈥攁nd partly based on pre-Inca infrastructure鈥攖his extraordinary network navigates one of the world鈥檚 most extreme geographical terrains. It links the snowcapped peaks of the Andes鈥攁t an altitude of more than 19,600 feet鈥攖o the coast. Along the way, it runs through hot rainforests, fertile valleys, and absolute deserts. In 2014, it became an UNESCO World Heritage site. As a bikepacker and documentarian, I wanted to celebrate this rich history and to celebrate this part of my identity and ancestry in a way that made sense to me.

What was your favorite experience on the Qhapaq 脩an?

Leonardo: For the most part, locals speak Aymara in the mountains of Bolivia and Quechua in Peru, and Spanish is their second language鈥攋ust as is mine. Being able to share a bit about my life with the people I met and to learn about their culture in return was an invaluable experience. One particular moment comes to mind: It was around day ten, when we left Sorata and began the long climb on the Ruta de las Tres Cordilleras. We arrived at a town called Pocobaya around 4 p.m.鈥攁round when we normally began looking for a camp. We asked a local if we could camp on their soccer field. A few hours later, after we had set up our tent, all the kids began to show up to investigate us. They were curious about everything鈥攐ur bikes, our tent, how we made food on our tiny stoves, and why I 鈥渄idn鈥檛 talk properly.鈥� But one common interest united us all: soccer.

Adam: One of my favorite experiences on the Qhapaq 脩an was about two weeks into the journey. We happened upon a few ranchers with their alpaca near the small village of Inca Capaturi. I noticed from afar that they were appearing to be shearing the fur of the animals. Eventually, we realized that they were actually processing the animals, right there in an open field. Curious, I wanted to engage, but since we were in such a remote area, we approached cautiously. It ended up being a family endeavor, and everyone welcomed us into the experience. Nelson, one of the ranchers, shared that in this part of the world, the natives save the blood of the animals and, later on, pour the blood at the entrance of the mines to bless passage and bring good luck to the miners.

How did you select your kits for such a long bikepacking expedition?聽

Leonardo: We carefully chose each piece of our gear with two important qualifications in mind: the durability to withstand the abuse of a monthlong traverse in desolated territory and the versatility to adapt to the ever-changing weather we expected to face at 16,000 feet. We carried very light cycling kits. For clothes, we relied on essential pieces:

• : Soft, breathable, and quick-drying, this hoodie was perfect for everyday wear.
• : Made from a breathable softshell fabric, these shorts delivered all-day comfort with thigh venting zips for further ventilation and saddle reinforcements for durability.
• : These packable waterproof biking pants offered unmatched comfort in the saddle and reliable protection whenever the weather would turn.
• : Insulated with 700 fill power 100 percent recycled down, this reliably warm jacket was the perfect layer for nights at camp.

We also carried the for comfortable warmth in the varying high-alpine conditions. Here鈥檚 a video of on our expedition.

Along your journey, what was the greatest challenge you faced, and how did you overcome it?

Adam: Our greatest challenge was the injury I endured at nearly 17,000 feet. About 30 miles from the finish of our planned route and just after summiting a rocky mountain pass, I crashed. We bundled up at the top as it began to hail. We were excited for a large descent after eight hours of pushing our bikes uphill. Leonardo was ahead of me as I photographed from behind. I excitedly started riding after him but quickly lost control and clipped a large boulder to my right. In an attempt to correct, I pulled the bike left and immediately flipped over my handlebars, landing in a field of scree鈥攎y left wrist absorbing the impact. I heard a crack, and a surge of pain radiated through my whole body. Leonardo rushed to me. And as we began to investigate, we realized that I had fractured my wrist. Over the next 48 hours, we pushed our bikes to the nearest path-turned-road until we arrived at a town that offered a bus to Cusco.

What advice would you give to someone who鈥檚 interested in planning a similar adventure?

Leonardo: Be open-minded. Things are not going to go as planned鈥攖hey rarely do鈥攁nd the best approach anyone could have in these situations is to adapt and move on. What would you do if you slash your tire beyond repair in the middle of nowhere on the fifth day of a monthlong expedition? What would you do if you unexpectedly ride for six days without finding a single tienda to resupply and you are running dangerously low on food? What would you do if your partner crashes and breaks his arm at nearly 16,000 feet and the next town is a day away? You can鈥檛 plan for all possible scenarios, and you need to be okay with that. That鈥檚 the beautiful nature of adventure.

Adam: Set an intention, but similar to Leonardo鈥檚 advice, remain flexible. The fuel for these adventures is the desire to learn more about yourself and the world around you. With that in mind, the 鈥渄estination鈥� or 鈥済oal鈥� is rather flexible. As long as you grow from the experience, it’s a win in my book.

More than 40 years since our founding, continues to find inspiration in the untamed spirit of the mountains where we climb, the friendships we forge on the peak, and our enduring mission: to grow our community of mountain people and equip them for adventure.

We are committed to putting people at the heart of what we do. From our partners and athletes to our staff and everyone who has used and loved our gear, we are a global community that goes beyond mountains and crags, and it鈥檚 up to us to make sure it鈥檚 inclusive, diverse, and growing.

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You鈥檝e seen the labels: eco-friendly, sustainable, recyclable, recycled, compostable, biodegradable, natural, plastic-free, and more. And because you care about the planet, you probably buy products聽based on those claims, thinking that you鈥檙e doing the earth a solid.

But here鈥檚 the thing: they鈥檙e often聽just words鈥搗ery carefully chosen marketing words intended to make you feel good and virtuous about buying that product. Sometimes they鈥檙e legit. But oftentimes, they鈥檙e bullshit. When it’s the latter, it鈥檚 called greenwashing, and it鈥檚 a real problem. Why?

鈥淭here are currently no binding federal laws around sustainability claims,鈥� says Meg Carney, host of , and author of a book by the same name. 鈥淲hat that means is that it’s kind of the Wild West. Marketers can say whatever they like; unless someone files a lawsuit and brings them to court, they get away with it. Unfortunately, it鈥檚 up to us, the consumers, to sort through the greenwashing and find the truth.鈥�

That鈥檚 presumably what Maria Guadalupe Ellis did before filing , one of several high-profile greenwashing cases against mega-retailers. Ellis鈥� suit claims that Nike 鈥渄eceives consumers into believing that they’re receiving sustainable products, made with recycled fibers,鈥� and will reduce one鈥檚 carbon footprint. Ellis says that of the 2,452 products in Nike鈥檚 sustainability collection, 鈥渙nly 239 products are actually made with any recycled materials” and that she would 鈥渘ot have purchased the products if she had known that they were not sustainable, not made from sustainable materials and not environmentally friendly.鈥�

In plain terms, Ellis was greenwashed, and she鈥檚 fighting it. If you want to do the same, first, you must understand what greenwashing is.

What Is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing is a marketing technique used to convince consumers that a product is more eco-friendly than it actually is. In a nutshell, it鈥檚 false advertising.

The term in 1986. He was visiting a resort in Fiji when he spied a card in the bathroom鈥攚e鈥檝e all seen them by now鈥� asking him to hang and re-use his towels in an effort to save water and natural resources. It dawned on him, as he looked around and saw the resort expansion in progress, that this plea to reuse towels had little, if nothing, to do with protecting resources. The hotel had an ulterior motive: .

Greenwashing can take many forms. It can include using imagery that has an aura of sustainability, patently false information, vague and misleading claims, or even just exaggerated ones. But let鈥檚 just call it what it is: deceitful.

The most common forms of greenwashing are lies of omission. You might see a product proudly claiming to be made from ocean plastic, algae, or recycled content. But what percentage? Sometimes it鈥檚 a scant amount of the overall material mix, but the marketing entices well-meaning consumers to buy it.

鈥淕reenwashing makes me angry,鈥� says Kiana Kazemi, co-founder and programming director of the . 鈥淚t鈥檚 taking advantage of people who are trying to do the right thing. None of us have the time to deeply research everything we buy, so it feels overwhelming, exhausting, and frustrating that we can鈥檛 trust companies to just be transparent about their sustainability.鈥�

And in some cases, it鈥檚 downright heartbreaking, 鈥渆specially when it relates to health issues and people trying to make responsible choices end up harming themselves.鈥� Kazemi points to the , which make women鈥檚 period underwear marketed as safe and sustainable, but is said to contain harmful PFAS, a.k.a. forever chemicals, to absorb moisture and reduce stains. Another common example, among a sea of examples: plastic cutting boards marketed as eco-friendly when they are far from it.

Why Isn鈥檛 It Illegal?

As a form of false advertising, greenwashing can technically be illegal if you can prove that the company knowingly and patently lied. But companies can make misleading statements (without blatant lying) to paint a green picture that wins your business, and it’s hard to take legal action against that.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created the in 1992 with the intent of helping marketers avoid making misleading environmental claims. However, the Guides are not legally binding. Not yet, anyway.

鈥淲e do see guidelines that have translated into regulations in other industries,鈥漵ays Debbie Read, head of corporate communications and Corporate Social Responsibility at Equip Outdoor Technologies, makers of Rab and Lowe Alpine gear and apparel. 鈥淭he obvious is food nutrition labeling, but similar [regulations] have occurred in appliances with energy ratings and even car tires with fuel efficiency, noise, and weather ratings in the EU. So we expect to see more coming into our sector as consumer and retailer interest increases.鈥�

In the outdoor industry, Equip is taking this effort to the next level. Equip recently announced a bold聽move towards transparency with its program. Starting in September 2023, all Rab apparel and sleeping bags sold will include a QR code which leads customers to what amounts to a nutritional label for that item including detailed, easy-to-understand information on recycled content, fluorocarbon status, and production details. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to keep ahead of [these coming regulations] by designing products responsibly and communicating meaningfully to consumers,鈥� says Read. 鈥淗aving more clarity at a federal level would make things easier and prevent some of the ambiguity and complexity we are all facing.

5 Easy Ways to Fight Greenwashing

 

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• Find good information. Within two clicks on any website, you should be able to find information about a company鈥檚 sustainability efforts, says Carney. Look for a mission statement or at the About Us page. If sustainability is front and center for a company, it will be implicitly mentioned and easily found, no digging required. You鈥檒l know it when you see it and if you don鈥檛, move onto another brand. Another shortcut is to shop from a company that does the legwork for you. is an online marketplace that sells clothing, housewares, outdoor lifestyle gear, and food. The team meticulously vets for greenwashing and curates products according to rigorous sustainability and social impact standards, saving you time and headspace.
• Seek third-party certifications, like Fair Trade, B-Corp, and Oeko Tex. 鈥淭rusted certification programs reduce the burden on consumers, but there鈥檚 a caveat 鈥� says Kazemi. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e expensive and time consuming, and often smaller brands can鈥檛 afford them. It doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檙e not worthy of certifications and being transparent, it just means that certifications aren鈥檛 accessible to them.鈥�
• Look for complete transparency. Vague words like 鈥渆co-friendly鈥� or 鈥渟ustainable” that aren鈥檛 accompanied by initiatives, data, goals, and reporting on those goals, are a major red flag. You shouldn’t have to go down a rabbit hole to find quantifiable sustainability information.
• Beware of short product life cycles. This is why fast fashion is so harmful to the environment. Watch to see if your favorite brands are constantly releasing new products, colors, and creating new trends. If it’s all new all the time, they are not prioritizing durability and longevity, says Kazemi.
• Ask questions. If you can鈥檛 easily find an answer to a sustainability question on a website, use the Contact Us page to reach out to a brand. In her book, Outdoor Minimalist, Carney provides tips and templates to inspire productive conversations. If you get back a vague, dodgy, or automated response鈥搊r worse, no response at all鈥揳ssume greenwashing. If the company doesn鈥檛 have a good and timely answer, move on to a brand that does.

Doing right by the planet can make you happier, healthier, and鈥攜es鈥攚ealthier. 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Head of Sustainability, Kristin Hostetter, explores small lifestyle tweaks that can make a big impact. Write to her at聽climateneutral-ish@outsideinc.com.

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Long renowned for making such mountain essentials as base layers, outerwear, and sleeping bags, the British brand Rab is rounding out its offering of adventure gear by launching a line of packs.

搁补产鈥檚 entry into the category will focus on the 鈥渇ast, light, and vertical,鈥� the company said. It sees potential as a brand that can deliver packs that meet a variety of needs while also complementing its apparel products.

搁补产鈥檚 Aeon line is a series of three packs designed for various mountain activities from fast hiking, trail running, or scrambling. Built from 50 percent recycled fabrics, the Aeon packs are 鈥渆quipped for the mountain with a plethora of features and category-leading back systems.鈥�

And 搁补产鈥檚 ONE80 collection, which comes in a variety of sizes, was 鈥渃onstructed from burly ballistic nylons and with a detailed climbing feature set.鈥� Rab says the packs were built for all ranges of climbing adventures, from a long approach to an afternoon at the climbing gym.

鈥淧acks present an exciting opportunity for the Rab brand in the U.S.,鈥� Jon Frederick, North America country manager, told 国产吃瓜黑料 Business Journal. 鈥淭he styles align with our new apparel efforts and will provide retailers the opportunity to diversify their pack walls with product that is built with the core user in mind. Looking forward, Rab packs will allow treating packs as part of the layering system, ensuring that the venting and movement of our performance apparel are amplified and not inhibited by a pack.鈥�

Frederick says the packs have been shown to key retail partners, and that the collection will be available at retail in February 2022.

With a Hint of Lowe Alpine DNA, Rab Builds Its Own Vibe

This is a significant but unsurprising move for Rab, whose roots date back to 1981 when Rab Carrington designed and hand-stitched a sleeping bag in the attic of his home in Sheffield, England. With a tagline of 鈥淭he Mountain People,鈥� 搁补产鈥檚 decision to make packs nicely complements its other mountain adventure products.

For this category launch, Rab is leaning on its sister company, Lowe Alpine, a legacy pack brand that鈥檚 been making gear since 1967. Both are owned by UK-based Equip Outdoor Technologies Ltd.

鈥淭his step offers a fantastic opportunity to drive future product innovation and development, strengthen both brands, and expand the visibility of our depth of knowledge, expertise, and rich heritage in pack design,鈥� said Tim Fish, product director at Rab and Lowe Alpine.

But Frederick said that while the brands have some similarities, Rab will go to market with different customers and uses in mind.

鈥淭he Lowe Alpine DNA of making packs with the best carry systems will be shared across both pack lines,鈥� Frederick said. 鈥淓nd-use specific features and tech are where you will see the clear difference between Rab and Lowe Alpine packs. The creation of Rab packs will allow us to focus on innovation specifically in the following categories: fast and light, climbing in summer and winter, and technical daypacks. Lowe Alpine will continue to build packs with carry systems and features specifically created for backpacking, hiking, and travel.鈥�

The parent company said this move is part of Equip鈥檚 鈥渟trategic global initiative to build upon each of its brands鈥� strengths, providing clear market positioning and offering more opportunities for customers across their international markets.鈥�

Alongside 搁补产鈥檚 debut, Lowe Alpine is launching a new pack collection with the Sirac series of multi-day adventure packs. The brand also has updated its Airzone and Cerro Torre ranges.

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For the past two years, Debbie Read has been counting.

Since聽2019, Read, Rab鈥檚 corporate social responsibility manager, has tallied everything from carbon emissions numbers to plastic usage and kicked off a number of big sustainability initiatives. Next month, she鈥檒l see her work go public.

鈥淚n mid-May we鈥檙e launching our first ever sustainability report,鈥� Read said. 鈥淭his is a time to pause and reflect, to look at where we鈥檝e gotten to to date, and look at where we鈥檙e going.鈥�

The report, which Read expects to be an annual update, will contain data on 搁补产鈥檚 carbon emissions, recycled materials usage, and packaging efficiency. It will also outline prescriptive targets for reducing packaging and emissions and increasing the use of recycled materials. The report is an opportunity for Rab to celebrate the inroads its sustainability initiatives have made, but also a method of holding the company accountable, according to Read.

鈥淲e鈥檝e now committed to this, externally. We鈥檝e written it down in black and white,鈥� Read said. 鈥淭his is now real, and we can be held accountable for it.鈥�

While Rab is tight-lipped about the soon-to-be-released report鈥檚 specific findings and targets, Read gave us a sneak peek.

搁补产鈥檚 Ascent to Net Zero

搁补产鈥檚 most ambitious sustainability initiative is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The path to neutrality will be long and arduous, Read admits, and Rab doesn鈥檛 have every curve mapped out yet. But she notes that setting the goal now, despite questions about how to get there, was crucial because of the urgency of the climate crisis.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a roadmap in front of me that says, 鈥楾his is what we鈥檙e doing every year between now and 2030,鈥欌�� Read said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 no good, waiting until all of the answers are there. Everything you read about climate change is that we鈥檙e already too late. We should have acted a generation ago. If Rab sits here and waits until all the answers are in place, then we鈥檝e wasted probably another generation.鈥�

A year into the initiative, the company is taking steps to reduce emissions and other waste. All of 搁补产鈥檚 UK operations, as well as most of its operations across Europe, are now powered by 100 percent renewable energy. The company opts for ocean freight, a cleaner alternative to air shipping, wherever possible, and has purchased a fleet of electric vehicles for land travel. Carbon removal projects like tree-planting and forest protection services help Rab offset the emissions they do create.

搁补产鈥檚 Take on Polybags

The outdoor industry has arrived at a reckoning with polybags in recent years. Though the clear plastic bags are light, cheap, easily manufactured and provide protection on long shipping voyages, they also create mountains of plastic waste and can be difficult to recycle.聽

鈥淲hat we (decided) to do was stop treating plastic as waste, and start treating it as a resource,鈥� Read said.聽

It鈥檚 been a challenge to reduce plastic use while maintaining product protection, especially because much of 搁补产鈥檚 apparel is manufactured in Asia and must survive long shipping journeys before arriving at customers or distributors. Eliminating polybags from 搁补产鈥檚 shipping process would compromise the safety of products like 搁补产鈥檚 down jackets, so the company currently uses polybags made from material that is at least 50 percent recycled. In the coming years, Read hopes to work with polybag manufacturers to introduce more recycled materials into the bags while maintaining quality.

Rab also makes an effort to keep polybags inside the company鈥檚 operations, and not foist them off on their retailers or customers, who might have difficulty properly recycling them. Recycling polybags is much easier for Rab than for the average consumer, says Read, so the company removes polybags in its distribution centers, then delivers products to customers in paper or cardboard, holding onto and recycling plastic products itself.

搁补产鈥檚 Commitment to Upcycling Down

Since its founding, down-filled apparel has been central to 搁补产鈥檚 product line. To make these products more sustainable, Rab introduced recycled down into lines such as the company鈥檚 best-selling Microlight jacket series.

鈥淚t was a bit of a nervous time for us,鈥� Read said of the 2020 decision to fill the Microlight Collection with recycled down. 鈥淲e had a number of key retailers really question us about that decision鈥� it was the first time we鈥檇 gone so big on recycled down, and the Microlight is such an iconic product.鈥�

So far, the recycled down jackets have performed just as well as their virgin down counterparts. This year, Rab is taking its down initiative one step further鈥攖he company will set up down collection stations in its own brick-and-mortar stores for customers to dispose of old down-filled items like duvets and pillows. The project has two boons鈥擱ab can recycle down in-house, plus raise awareness, signaling to customers that down doesn鈥檛 have to end up in a landfill.聽

With a handful of ambitious initiatives on the horizon, the upcoming sustainability report is an appreciation of 搁补产鈥檚 first steps on what looks like a long journey.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e not careful, you forget to stop and celebrate what you鈥檝e done,鈥� Read said. 鈥淲e now have an opportunity to call out the (sustainability advancements) that a lot of people have worked hard on.鈥�

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Full disclosure: gear is a wicked subjective thing. Always has been, always will be. To curate this list, our team of hardcore鈥攁nd highly opinionated鈥攇earheads pored over hundreds of new product launches, reading the specs and sifting through the marketing promises. We zoomed in on photos and watched embargoed video clips. And we debated. We culled the massive list down once, then made another pass until we had our 50 most coveted products. Then we voted to determine the rankings (we are a democracy, after all). In order of how badly we want to try it, here is Part One of our list of the 50 most exciting product launches for Fall 2019.

1. The North Face FutureLight

THE PROMISE It seeks to solve the waterproof/breathable problem and dethrone Gore-Tex as the gold standard.

THE DEETS聽An industrial process known as nanospinning sprays polymers through up to 220,000 tiny nozzles to create a waterproof yet highly porous mesh-like membrane. Nanoholes allow air to pass through and moisture vapor to escape, keeping users dry and comfortable, not clammy and cold.

THE STOKE Next-level breathability, waterproofness, and sustainability in the shell category. Bring it on.

2. PrimaLoft Biodegradable Fabric

THE PROMISE It will degrade quicker than any other fabric if you bury it in your backyard.

THE DEETS A shell and now a fabric are infused with a food source that attracts microbes at a faster rate when in a landfill. What’s left after the bacteria breaks down the fibers is simply water, carbon dioxide, methane, and natural organic matter鈥攍ike compost. But the biodegradable polyester doesn’t compromise durability.

THE STOKE A fuzzy fabric that vanishes instead of clogging up landfills and polluting oceans? Be still our hearts.

3. Ombraz Armless Sunglasses [$160]

THE PROMISE Cordage, baby: that鈥檚 the future of sunglasses.

THE DEETS The adjustable polyester cord running between the temples and around the back of your head keeps the glasses snug to your face and ditches the possibility of broken glasses arms and head-squeezing pressure. Plus, acting like built-in eyewear retainers, they鈥檙e harder to lose and either hang around your neck when you take them off or function like a headband.

THE STOKE These things look crazy (like a fox), but after an early test, we fell in love. 鈥淣o pinching, no pressure, and steazy AF: Yes, please,鈥� said one tester.

4. Black Diamond Vision Down Parka [$399]

THE PROMISE A puffy tough enough for tree skiing.

THE DEETS According to BD, this burly fabric initially stumped designers because it was so difficult to cut. A polymer weave crisscrossing the 20-denier face fabric adds a lot of durability without penalizing weight. This 800-fill hydrophobic down toaster comes in at an airy one pound, four ounces.

THE STOKE Say goodbye to duct-tape patch jobs on your warmest layer: This one looks rugged enough to dance on in crampons. It could be a revolution in lightweight durability.

5. Outdoor Research Tundra Aerogel Booties [$69-$89]

THE PROMISE With NASA-designed Aerogel underfoot in these synthetic camp booties, cold doesn鈥檛 stand a chance.

THE DEETS Solid Aerogel won鈥檛 compress like typical insulation, so it鈥檒l keep your feet warm even while you鈥檙e standing on it. Plus, a grippy outsole steadies you on the icy trail to the outhouse. Also available in a low-cut slip-on version.

THE STOKE Aerogel has been popping up more and more in outdoor gear, but its lack of breathability has held it back. The bottom of a camp bootie seems like the ideal application.

6. Marmot West Rib Parka [$600]

THE PROMISE The West Rib features unique gridded down baffles to boost warmth in the extreme cold.

THE DEETS Marmot packed 800-fill down into cube-shaped baffles around the chest of this deep-winter puffy to trap warmth around your body. Synthetic insulation layered between the down and the Pertex Quantum shell material adds weather protection and durability.

THE STOKE We鈥檙e curious about the cubist baffles and layered use of synthetic fill. This thing sounds like a serious volcano.

7. Dahu E鈥檆orce 01 Boot [$TBD]

THE PROMISE It looks and operates like no other ski boot on the market.

THE DEETS The Grilamid shell has cutouts to eliminate pressure points and the liner is beefy enough to walk around in. The unique entry system has hinges at the front and back of the boot, creating a giant opening.

THE STOKE Comfort. Ease of use. Versatility. Boom.

8. Sweet Protection Interstellar Goggle [$220]

THE PROMISE The lens won鈥檛 fog. Period.

DEETS The Gore membrane increases moisture and air transfer, equalizing air pressure and preventing condensation. Retina Illumination Grading increases contrast and enhances vision in low-light conditions, and the carbon-reinforced frame creates a rigid structure for the lens.

THE STOKE Gore-Tex in a goggle? Just plain fascinating.

9. Six Moon Haven DCF Tent [$400]

THE PROMISE This is the ultimate featherweight shelter for fastpacking duos.

THE DEETS The Haven DCF is a shaped, supported tarp made of Dyneema Composite Fabric, which offers extreme durability at a paltry 12-ounce weight. With two doors, a peak height of 45 inches, and 51 square feet of interior space, it can also be paired with the Haven Net Tent to create a fully enclosed double-wall shelter at just one pound, four ounces.

THE STOKE Dyneema tents are the new standard in ultra-ultralight, and this one sets the bar high… er, low.

10. Patagonia Black Hole Collection [starting at $29]

THE PROMISE Every Black Hole pack, duffel, tote, and waist pack gives plastic bottles and factory scraps another life.

THE DEETS It鈥檚 still burly, thanks to 90-denier poly ripstop with a TPU laminate and a DWR finish, but it now uses 100 percent recycled fabric, lining, and webbing.

THE STOKE Tally this up as yet another reason to love our favorite duffel.

11. Black Diamond Equipment JetForce Pro [$1,399]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 the most advanced avalanche air bag pack out there.

THE DEETS This new version of BD鈥檚 award-winning JetForce series is still rechargeable and travel friendly. But the Pro is modular, letting you zip on and off a 10-, 25-, 35-, or 25-liter splitboard booster pack, making it super-versatile.

THE STOKE The modular design sets rippers up to stay safe on any day.

12. Tecnica Forge Winter [$300]

THE PROMISE Get a customized fit in a ready-for-winter hiker.

THE DEETS Like its three-season counterpart, the Forge Winter features in-store custom shaping for a perfect fit. It also adds Vibram鈥檚 Arctic Grip outsole and a Gore-Tex insulated comfort lining for waterproof/breathable insulation.

THE STOKE We fell in love with the original Forge, so a warm, winterized version is a no-brainer.

13. Rab Verglas Jacket [$375]

THE PROMISE It combines the best features of a parka and a shell鈥攚ithout turning you into a hot mess.

THE DEETS The Verglas is packed with 750-fill hydrophobic down for warmth, and Gore-Tex Shakedry over the 20-denier Pertex Quantum makes it waterproof while keeping it lightweight and mega-breathable.

THE STOKE For cold days with precip, this puffy looks like a winner if Shakedry can hold up to abuse.

14. Fischer Urban Cross-Country Ski Boot [$189]

THE PROMISE This is the first Nordic ski boot designed to take you from home to trail to apr茅s.

THE DEETS With a sneaker-like sole and chukka-style upper, you鈥檇 never know this was a cross-country ski boot. Designed for skiers less focused on racing and performance and more on casual exercise, it鈥檚 compatible with Fischer Turnamics and any NNN compatible binding.

THE STOKE Nordic boots have never looked so good.

15. Julbo Reactiv Performance Lenses [Starting at $210]

THE PROMISE Ski from dawn to dusk on bright bluebirds or during storm sessions.

THE DEETS The lenses鈥攁vailable in both shades and goggles鈥攎agically transition from clear (87 percent visible light transmission) to dark (12 percent VLT) in record time: roughly 20 seconds.

THE STOKE These just might be the one-quiver shades and goggles we鈥檝e been looking for.

16. Holden Outerwear Corkshell Summit Bib [$600]

THE PROMISE Cork is the insulation of the future.

THE DEETS These bibs (and their matching jacket) incorporate Schoeller鈥檚 recycled cork content to add heat retention without the bulk of traditional lofted insulation.

THE STOKE We鈥檙e always intrigued when brands find new ways to recycle materials, and companies have been chasing warmth without bulk for ages. Could this be the one that actually delivers?

17. G3 FindR Skis [$869-$919]

THE PROMISE Leave the ski straps at home. Magnets hold these skis together.

THE DEETS Updated for 2019, the powder-cruising FINDr series now features magnetic contact points, making bootpack transitions quick and easy, and eliminating the need for straps when shouldering your skis.

THE STOKE Pick 鈥榚m up, stick 鈥榚m together, walk away. Sounds pretty slick.

18. Blizzard Zero G 95 [$840]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 typically either/or: lightweight or stiffness. These are your new no-compromise skis.

THE DEETS The Zero G 95 touring ski strikes the ideal balance between uphill comfort and downhill charging, thanks to a carbon fiber frame that鈥檚 integrated over the wood core to reduce weight for speed on the skin track while still delivering a high level of stiffness for downhill performance.

THE STOKE Light feet on the uphill and stiff shred-ability on the down? 鈥楴uf said.

19. Smartwool Intraknit 200 Base Layers [starting at $120]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 the ultimate in body mapping.

THE DEETS Intraknit technology is a first-in-industry 3D knitting technique that can marry different weights of fabric into a single garment, without the use of seams. (The company already uses the technology in its socks.)

THE STOKE This sounds very much like the FuseForm tech that (sister company) The North Face introduced in shells a few years back. The concept makes even more sense in baselayers, where multiple seams can make body-mapped baselayers chafe in all the wrong places.

20. GoLite ReFill Eco 100 Jacket [$250]

THE PROMISE Keep warm and divert green plastic bottles from the landfill.

THE DEETS At a Taiwanese recycling plant, volunteers collect and sort bottles, and GoLite snags the ones nobody else wants鈥攖he green ones鈥攁nd turns them into dye-free clothing, like this PrimaLoft Silver Eco-filled puffy.

THE STOKE Recycled products are nothing new, but we dig how GoLite found a way to use the bottles that stump other apparel makers.

21. Mammut Meron IN [$449]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 as warm as you can get, without the bulk.

THE DEETS Premium 900-fill down is shelled with a lightweight, water-repellent Toray ripstop nylon and lined with an equally light, semi-transparent lining that traps the down.

THE STOKE It鈥檚 hard to make a puffy this warm not look like a Michelin man. This one does it through the magic of smart patterning.

22. Salomon S/Pro Boot Collection [$800]

THE PROMISE Get a custom-like fit, without all the hassle and expense.

THE DEETS Salomon digitally scanned more than 4,000 feet to identify a shell that鈥檚 compatible with 70 percent of the European/North American market without needing any significant modification.

THE STOKE Any respectable skier knows that custom-molding your boots is mandatory. Our apologies to all the boot-fitters out there, but this could be good.

23. Atomic Savor [$1,545]

THE PROMISE It鈥檚 the ultimate starter kit.

THE DEETS In an effort to combat exhaustion, soreness, and complicated equipment, Savor includes painless-entry boots, easy-to-handle skis, and a comfortable helmet designed specifically for rookies.

THE STOKE Want to get your SO on the slopes with you? This package might be your ticket to paradise.

The post The Voice 50, Part One appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

We, the independent specialty retail shops, did all the legwork to create these customers. Without us, these companies wouldn’t be here. I鈥檓 not sure there are many vendors that could survive without us, so I鈥檓 trying to help vendors balance capitalizing on the opportunities that direct-to-consumer sales have without undermining our ability to build that relationship with the consumer and profit on our inventory.

What outdoor specialty does the best is introduce people to products. You have consumers who don鈥檛 know anything about a new category, if they鈥檝e invented a new kind of shoe or a new old fabric in the case of wool from Icebreaker. It took a tremendous amount of work on the part of a big retail network in America to put Icebreaker products into people鈥檚 hands and help people see the value in it. Growing a brand from its infancy to the point where it has relatively broad market awareness is something that retail stores are still going to do better than selling direct to consumers online.

We sell consumers on the brand, but we have a very limited assortment of it because it鈥檚 hard for small retailers to pioneer a brand and you can鈥檛 buy all of the available products and colors. So you introduce people to this new brand and eventually they go, 鈥淚 wonder what else there is?鈥� And that consumer ends up going to their website to look at the product breadth that we don鈥檛 have.

Immediately after consumers engage with their website, vendors hammer that consumer with email blasts and specials like free shipping and throwing in a pair of gloves or a free hat. They really work to steal that customer away from us.

Ibex is another serious offender. We essentially create the brand disciple and they steal them. I don鈥檛 think a company like Ibex could survive without direct-to-consumer business, but I also don鈥檛 think they ever would have been able to get off the ground by only doing direct-to-consumer business. We鈥檙e not going to win every battle, but if Ibex continues to do business that way, it鈥檚 going to be harder and harder for retailers to support them.

I recently threatened to drop Scarpa, one of the most important brands in backcountry skiing. By far, Scarpa has been the best telemark and alpine touring boot manufacturer to work with in my career, so why would I sever the relationship? Vendor partners are now our fiercest competitors. This year, it started with a free hoody if you bought boots from them, some free freight promos and then the now-common 鈥渇riends and family pro sale.鈥� In the days leading to Christmas, a group of vendors opened up the pro sales departments and wholesale pricing to all friends and family of legit pros. Scarpa, along with 33 other vendors, including Osprey, Cascade Designs, Rab, La Sportiva, Petzl, MSR, BCA, Mountain Hardwear, and Sierra Designs participated in this sales extravaganza run by Outdoor Prolink.

Outdoor Prolink’s homepage. (Screenshot: Todd Frank)

When I asked Scarpa to give me a reason why they did it, the simple answer was 鈥渕oney.鈥� They primarily sell a product that needs to be custom fit by a professional with the tools to do it. We have done thousands of boot fittings here over the last 18 years, and we are pretty good at it. Why would I want to do business with a brand that actively sells a product that needs my expertise to fit properly when that business aggressively under cuts what I can sell it for? Five years ago, I would have howled and said because they have the best boots. Now, there are seven or eight other vendors that have absolutely amazing product, too. (Editor鈥檚 note: To Scarpa’s credit, since receiving similar feedback from several retailers they have committed to no longer doing friends and family promotions.)

If we all have to pay the price of a problem equally, it will stop vendors from pushing direct-to-consumer sales and taking business away from us. They鈥檙e always going to have a better assortment than we do, and they can鈥檛 really fix that piece of it. But what they can do is work with us to make sure we can sell the product we stock profitably throughout the whole season. So I鈥檓 asking the vendors to come to us with creative ideas.

I just had an experience with a major vendor in the apparel industry who went off price on their web direct-to-consumer business in clear violation of their own policy that said 鈥淲e鈥檒l hold price until this point in time.鈥� For reasons that are all legitimate, they couldn鈥檛 wait. I went to the vendor and I said, 鈥淚 think you owe me some markdown credits. You didn鈥檛 go by the policy you鈥檙e asking me to go by.鈥� They were pretty happy to do it. That needs to happen on more levels.

Until a vendor is affected by the final transaction with the end consumer buying their product, they鈥檙e not going to change the way they do it. So I鈥檓 looking for more partnerships with vendors who are willing to do things like manage excess inventory, share costs, take product back, trade product out, use markdown credits, or simply guarantee a sustained margin. The only way we鈥檙e going to change vendors鈥� behavior is with our checkbooks, so I can鈥檛 keep saying to people, 鈥淵ou have to change the way you鈥檙e doing business,鈥� and continue to buy 10 percent more than I did last year. At some point I just have to get up from the table and say, 鈥淲e鈥檙e done.鈥� They鈥檝e got to feel the pain a little bit, and until they feel the pain, there鈥檚 no motivation for any change in behavior.

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