Top 7 Outdoor Gear Items for 2009

Last weekend was the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market was held in Salt Lake City. The biannual convention is where all of the major players int he lucrative gear industry gather to show off their latest and greatest products, many of which won’t make their way onto store shelves for months. Popular Mechanics was on hand to check out all the new gear and offer us a preview of the top 7 new products for 2009.

There are a number of interesting items in their top 7, including a new jacket from Mountain Hardwear that comes with a built in, rechargable, battery pack that not only heats the jacket itself, but can also be used to recharge your gadgets, such as your iPod or GPS device. The Ardica Jacket has three distinct settings and is expected to cost roughly $150 more than their non-heated counter parts. A bit steep in price, but considering the quality of Mountan Hardwear gear, I suspect it’s probably worth it.

Another highlight from the show was an intteresting new Expedition watch from Timex. The watch has an oversized face that allows it to display a ton of information, and since it’s packed with an altimeter, barometer, theremomter, and compass, all the data is literally right at your fingertips. Oh, and did I mention it also tells time? The watch is due out in a few months and is expected to cost about $200.

The other items in the top 7 are all of varying degrees of interest to the outdoor enthusaists who can’t resist slick new gear. Most of the stuff will be out in the next few months, so start saving your pennies now.