Outdoor Retailer is a gear junkies dream, with hundreds of companies showcasing the latest in outdoor innovation all under one, gigantic roof.
Need a new pack, tent, pair of hiking boots or paddle board? Outdoor Retailer has you covered.
But the Colorado Convention Center is not filled with just the big players like Patagonia, Yeti and North Face. Startups get in on the action too.
As we know that innovation comes in all shapes and sizes, Colorado Inno spent an afternoon cruising the showroom floor and chatting with some of the up-and-coming names at Outdoor Retailer.
Check out four of favorite gear and gadget startups at Outdoor Retailer here:
When you bring home a warm six pack of beer, but want to drink it ASAP, what do you do? Unfortunately, you can't really drop a couple of ice cubes in the beer, or toss it in the freezer for too long.
John Lauchner has developed a solution, creating a cooler that spins your beverages at 500 RPMs to chill them out.
The Blue Quench qooler cools multiple beverages — up to 6 cans of soda or beer, 2 bottles of wine, 4 larger aluminum cans, or a combination of those — from room temperature to ice cold in as little as 60 seconds using the company's patented RotoQuench Technology. It fits into most ice chests and is battery operated.
No need to worry, Lauchner assured me your drinks won't explode because they're only being spun in one direction, versus being shaken.
https://youtu.be/KGVVyN90fRU
Finding the right temperature balance when you sleep is challenging. Often you're too hot, too cold, but never just right. Steamboat Springs' Betsy Seabert launched Chill Angel after she saw the temperature balancing benefits of merino wool clothing during her breast cancer treatment.
Seabert, who has experience with Smartwool and Point6, created her line of temperature balancing sleepwear for women in late 2017, selling a variety of tops, bottoms and nighties.
Chill Angel's products retail from $69 to $139 and Seabert said she is looking to get into making male sleep clothing as well.
The High Point, North Carolina team made a cross-country drive just to present their brand new portable, foldable kayak catamaran at Outdoor Retailer.
The 11 foot catamaran folds down into a rolling, cooler style container in under a minute to allow for easy storage in a closet, car or camper. The Flip-Kat made its first public appearance at day one of Outdoor Retailer, and is primarily aimed at hunting and fishing enthusiasts.
While the company is still very early in the production process, they estimate the Flip-Kat to cost around $3,000.
The Denver-based company has created a line of advanced massage and release tools designed to alleviate tightness and tension.
The company, which launched 6 years ago, offers rollers, rods and blocks starting at $16 and kits coming in at $140.
"You have to have the right tool for the right job," founder Mike Mallory said.
