Emerging Gear: Energy Chews, 4-Pound Bike, and More

Hest Outdoors already makes a spiffy solo mattress pad, but now it’s expanding to help couples and families rest easy too. The Dually ($499) is a mattress designed for the outdoors, with two-layer foam and open-cell construction, a durable drop-stitch base (similar to what you’d find on a SUP board), a stretch cover, and a pocket for your phone or headlamp. The Dually also gives sleepers a whopping 18 cm of cushion.

Honey Stinger has a new product, and it’s not a waffle. The new Honey Stinger PLUS+ Performance Chews ($2.69 per sleeve) are “enhanced chews” with 75 mg of caffeine. The chews can give athletes a nutritional pick-me-up either before or during a workout. They’ll enter the chew market alongside Honey Stinger’s existing Organic Chews, competing against other chew-makers like GU and CLIF.

Cannondale’s new Scalpel has an impressive design, not to mention that the frame weighs under 4.5 pounds. The Scalpel Carbon SE 1 has a carbon frame and carbon plate pivots that the brand claims are maintenance-free. Highlights include the FlexPivot carbon frame, a RockShox Sid Ultimate 120mm fork, Shimano XT hydro disc brakes, and HollowGram carbon wheels. The Scalpel comes in a few models (starting at $4,000): the Carbon SE 1, Carbon 2, Carbon 3, and a women’s-specific model.

The DUER Live Lite Pants ($99) are lightweight, breathable, antibacterial, and high-stretch all at once. The Live Lite uses four different fibers to give it that light, stretchy feel, and it comes in three styles: straight, slim, and relaxed. Better yet, DUER’s new NEXT platform cuts inventory expenses and passes those savings on to you in the form of pre-sale discounts.

We’ve been eyeing the new Ombraz armless sunglasses since the brand’s visit to Outdoor Retailer in January. The newest styles are the Leggero and Dolomite sunglasses (preorder for $112). With these, Ombraz upgraded the components, including the cord material and adjustment pieces to make the shades more comfortable to wear. The brand has also added some stylish new colors to the lineup, like this yellow.

The Classic Alox Knife ($40) is made from aluminum with Victorinox Swiss Army’s popular aluminum-oxide scales and includes a blade, a screwdriver, a nail file, scissors, and a keyring. And unique to this limited-edition model, it’s “wrapped in an ice cool aqua blue shade reminiscent of its Alpine lake roots.” With the aesthetic upgrade, it’s still a great compact, everyday-carry knife when you know you only need the basics. This small but mighty blade is only available in 2020.

The Dakine Slayer Series of elbow pads and kneepads ($50-75) is an assorted protection line designed with impact-protection technology, allowing the pads to provide both protection on the downhill and breathability on the uphill. The pads include CORDURA fabric for abrasion resistance, ergonomic patterning, and stretch banding on the cuffs for fit. The collection consists of three kneepads and two elbow pads.

Outdoor Voices makes active apparel for women, including the new Apex Sports Bra. The Apex Bra ($65) has breathable, sweat-wicking fabric and a mesh racerback (that even has a hidden key pocket). The bra is designed to provide medium-to-high coverage and comes in three color choices.

Chrome Industries’ new sling is for the gear-loving traveler — it’s meant to carry small items like phones, books, and chargers, plus larger ones like a laptop. The MXD Link Sling ($120) has a 13-inch laptop sleeve, three front organizer pockets, and a lined sunglasses pocket. You can wear it over the shoulder or as a waist pack (although we think that’d be heavy with a laptop in tow). The sling weighs a little over one pound.

Oakley’s Clear Collection takes existing models and gives them a wider coverage area. The new M-Frame style ($109) has Plutonite lenses with an anti-fog coating and blocks 100% of UV rays. For a pair of low-light performance shades, these are a pretty good price. Some of the new models in the collection are even certified as personal protective equipment.

Now, no matter where you’re going with your pup, Vapur wants to make staying hydrated easier. The Vapur bottle ($14) is a BPA-free rolling bottle with an auto-sealing cap that uses “lick technology” for your pup to access the water without spilling a drop.

The MakeWeight (now for $17) embraces the idea of making something from nothing. The half-pound metal frame has two brackets in which you insert any two cans from your pantry to create an instant weight. The MakeWeight is great for all of us who are stuck at home who don’t have any gym equipment. The unit is rated to 5 pounds.