Outdoor Retailer show excitement

 Not sure if all of you subscribe to the free emails from www.backpacker.com but if you don't you need to because they put all the good articles on this website and email you when they do.The actual magazine is really not for us in the south but when they do gear reviews there is no other place to get all the details.  Recently the Outdoor Retailer gathering just happened and Backpacker has shown us the future of what gear will be looking like.  Above is about the laziest thing I have seen in a while.  Here is the backpacker magazine review:

"For larger straps, check out Sea to Summit’s Accessory Straps with hook release which come in various widths and lengths of webbing, from one to two meters. The easy-to-release hooks are made out of galvanized steel which can bear incredibly heavy loads. I recommend the 10mm-wide and 1.5-meter-long version, which comes in a pair that costs $10 and is perfect for wrapping around packs or strapping gear to a roof rack. seatosummit.com"
Now I would say this is a strap for people that are too lazy to lift the buckle to release the tension.  Of course I am not saying I would not buy one of these straps if any of my current sleeping bag straps break.  It just seams funny that someone sits around all day long trying to figure out a way to make a strap easier to use.  How do people get these kind of jobs?

Here is an improved spork?  What is new about a spork?  CRKT made the eat'n tool which added a knife on the side to cut your mouth while you have a piece of steak on the end and some milk and cereal in the spoon part.  Here is the backpacker magazine review:

"Also check out the new Alpha Light Long Spork ($9, .4 oz) and is perfect for stirring and eating out of deep pots and dehydrated food bags. seatosummit.com"

I would say this is just another attempt to do simple things to a tried and true product and get money out of us fools.

Now we get to some very interesting game changers.  Here is this Helio fabric welded water pressure thingie.  It holds water and you then pump it up and get pressure so if you need plumbing in the outdoors here is a simple way to get it.  Say you need to shower or wash something.  Now I don't see all the potential yet but, I can tell this is something that would be cool to have around.  Kind of like the microwave when it was first brought into the homes and everyone just boiled water in it, then they popped corn in it, and finally we do everything with our microwave.  This is probably not like that but similar.  This item was not reviewed by backpacker but I went to the ORD website and came across it.  Check it out here:  http://www.snewsnet.com/snews/Trade-show-dailies/ORDaily/ORD_DAY1_SM12/index.html

Last I came across this Big Agnes tent that does not come with zippers.  In stead they use magnets to open the doors.  This is another game changer in my humble opinion.  Just like my idea of sewing in LED lights into a tent and having them all go to a USB cord.  Then the tent comes with a rechargeable flashlight that has a USB port on it.  So when you get into the tent and you want some light you just hook your flashlight up to the tent port and then turn on the lights.  Pretty cool idea huh?  Yes, you can say I have camped alot and look for lazy man ideas or just putting two items together.  Well this magnet tent door idea sounds really cool.  This would help with all those late night pee breaks and having to find the zipper.  you can now just push the door open and go out and leak the night away.  Here is the review from trailspace:

http://www.trailspace.com/articles/2012/08/02/fishhook-zipperless-tent.html

Most of this future outdoor equipment is alot of fluff and slight modifications of other items but, in the long run we are really seeing alot of new products that revolutionize and re-engineer what we take to go poop in the woods on the weekends.  I am really excited (and I don't usually get excited about new fangled gear0 about getting my little diabetic hands on some of this cool stuff.  Now if we can just get the temperatures below 105 degrees and I am ready to do some camping.