It was that time of year again, when the outdoor industry assembles across 12 gigantic halls in a small German town for an intense 5 days of networking, beer-drinking, Currywurst-eating and most importantly - showcasing the hottest products for 2015/16. At OutDoor Friedrichshafen 2015, our 5-strong troupe saw it all - from cams weighing virtually nothing, retro-coloured trousers, crack gloves and hydrophobic down. Gear geeks beware: make space in your gear cupboards for what looks to be an exciting variety of new and innovative products!
Over the next few weeks we will be publishing video interviews and photos with brand representatives, who talked us through the key features of their favourite new items.
Whether you're looking for new shoes, the lightest harness or the best camping equipment, we hope our videos will give you a helping in hand in choosing what to save up for...
Featuring just under 1,000 exhibitors, the atmosphere at the event was bustling, with a healthy mixture of big business and social events. Other highlights included lectures, BBQ's, slacklining and games of 'spot the famous climber' as they attended the show with their sponsors.
A staggering 39 OutDoor Industry Awards were presented at the show, including 9 Gold Awards. One that caught our eye was the initiative 'Gift Your Gear' founded by Sarah Howcroft. It is a system 'by the industry for the industry' in which donated outdoor clothing and equipment is given to community organisations, youth groups and charities working with young people in the outdoors, with the additional aim of inspiring future generations to get outdoors and do more to look after the environment.
Keep an eye out for our product videos over the next while. Here are some photos to keep you going in the meantime...
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