Once again I headed to Utah’s Salt Palace, making the pilgrimage with tens of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, each of us connected in some way to the amazing industry that caters to the needs of hikers, backpackers, paddlers, kayakers, climbers, and outdoor adventurers. I am back from the Outdoor Retailer 2011 show, the most well attended convention in its history!

What were the most innovative and cool products I found this year? Check them out below! Also see other pictures and neat products I saw at the show!

Vasque Rift Shoes: These stylish and highly functional shoes caught my eye at the show. The Vasque Rift is the new line of multisport shoes from Vasque for Spring 2012, and they come in a wide range of fun colors. More importantly, they are designed as an approach shoe, so for those hikers/climbers out there, these are going to be a great way to head to the crags next spring. The Vasque Rift is made of suede uppers, has Vibram Spider rubber outsoles (Vasque only uses the best!), have laces all the way to the toes for better fit (the climbers out there will understand!), and the shoes have a full rubber toe cap and heel cap. They’ll be priced at $120 and hit stores in early 2012. I can’t wait to test out a pair!

CamelBak All Clear: There is finally a competitor to SteriPEN! CamelBak has developed an innovative new product called All Clear, which is a UV light built into the top of one of their great 0.75L Better Bottles! The device can be charged via a USB cable (so hook it up to a laptop or solar charger) and can handle up to 80 treatments on one charge. The light lasts for a total of 800 charges, and has a lifetime guarantee. All this for $100! The UV unit on the All Clear is a bit bulkier than a SteriPEN Adventurer Opti, and it really can only be used with a 0.75L CamelBak Better bottle, but it looks super easy to use, is reasonably priced, and seems like a good option for backpackers and travelers to 3rd world countries. It will be interesting to see how it performs in the field. Check out more photos and info about the CamelBak All Clear here!

Keen Backseat Pack: A backpack chair? Yes, Keen has invented a seat that is built inside a backpack! The Keen Backseat Pack has a panel that folds down from the back of the pack, so if you ever forget your sitpad or just want a clean, lightly padded place to sit when you’re at the park or on a short hike, this pack does the job. The pack is relatively low tech and better suited for school kids or weekend trips to a park, not a grueling hike.

Isis Underwear: Okay ladies, what is your biggest pet peeve with women’s hiking underwear? I’ve got a long laundry list… and I know many of you have shared your comments on the Hiking 101: Underwear page. The good news is that Isis, a women’s specific apparel company that makes high quality outdoor gear (and especially great jackets) has a new line of activewear panties and bras at reasonable prices! We’ll see how they perform once we have a chance to test them out!

Columbia Shells: Columbia continues to be highly innovative, and this year at the show they even had employees in lab coats touting the latest technology they’ve come up with. Their outerwear was particularly interesting, and they are using their own technology called Omni-Wick EVAP instead of Gore-Tex. While I haven’t tested it on the trail, the demonstrations at the show were compelling – it definitely looks like it will really dissipate sweat over a broader area, which helps speed up evaporation. Last year their Omni Heat products were amazing, and they’ve introduced that technology into a line of high quality sleeping bags (including some with 800 down fill!). They are also taking their Techlite technology and using it in a new line of technical backpacks. I’m thrilled to see that Columbia continues to radically improve their product lines!

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