The OutDoor Industry Awards attracted a strong field.
The 330 products entered, underlinedthe innovative nature of the outdoor industry.
The judges were particularity impressed by 38 products – they received one of the coveted OutDoor Industry Awards, presented at the end of the first day of the show.
Nine of these winning products were further singled out for their exceptional design with the Gold Award. While, three particularly innovative young companies were honoured with a Start-Up Award.
The OutDoor Industry Awards are one of the most keenly-awaited highlights of the OutDoor show and have a resonance that goes far beyond trade visitors coming to Lake Constance. For retailers, end users and the media, the awards serve as a valuable, independent source of information when there are so many new outdoor products on offer. This is where innovative ideas set themselves apart from the competition.
Selecting the crème de la crème from such a large number of entries, requires experienced organisation and an expert panel of judges. During an intensive two-day process, experts from the worlds of retail and industry associations, trade journalists, designers and outdoor athletes worked hard to select the 38 award-winning products.
The OutDoor Industry Gold Award winners and the statement from the judges’ panel:
Micro Puff Hoody by Patagonia
“We are really excited about this hooded synthetic insulation jacket. It’s extremely lightweight and has body-mapped, quilted baffles in a unique and distinctive tiled design. It’s also very comfortable on.”
Baltoro 65 Litre Backpack by Gregory Packs Europe
“The best backpacks are so well designed that you hardly notice that you are carrying them after a while. This certainly applies to the Baltoro 65. The carry system with its independent and adjustable shoulder straps, load panels and hip belt is very comfortable and offers great load management.”
Rider 3.0 by Skylotec
“We feel that the Rider 3.0 represents an important step forward in via ferrata safety. The free-running ascender brakes automatically in the event of a fall. This significantly reduces the fall distance which helps prevent injuries. It also allows the user to rest anywhere.”
Chair Zero by Helinox
“Helinox lightweight camping chairs started a whole new trend. The Chair Zero weighs just 460 grams. This is amazingly light for such a comfortable chair. It also packs down amazingly small into any backpack.”
BeFree Water Filtration System 1.0 L by Katadyn
“This filter concept is simple and effective. Its lightweight, packable design makes it an essential item for every hiking trip.”
Primetech Stove Set 1,3 l by Primus
“We were convinced by this lightweight, performance stove. In particular, the integrated heat exchanger is very effective and fuel-efficient, and also makes the cooking pot much lighter than conventional designs.”
Downmat TT 9 by Exped
“We really like this sleeping mat for long trips and expeditions. It’s very comfortable, very durable, very robust and offers excellent insulation. We particularly like the fact that it is totally repairable – and the inflation system with adjustable zones is great.”
Earthcolors technology by Archroma
“Colour-dyeing normally involves a lot of chemicals. Earthcolors’ high-performance dyes are synthesized from natural leftover products, such as almond shells. We believe this is an important innovation and a major step towards greater sustainability.”
Ride on pant by Ternua
“The Ride on pant is a fine example of sustainable functional clothing. The recycled, bluesign-approved stretch fabric made from Basque fishermen’s nets is also very comfortable to wear. And we like the stylish details too.”
The OutDoor Industry Start-up Award winners and the respective statement from the judges’ panel:
Fision Size Advisor by Fision
“Great idea: a real innovation that will go down well with end consumers. The Fision Size Advisor will make it easier to select the right size when shopping online.”
Tex-lock by Texlock
“It is pretty amazing to see how well this bike lock works. Especially given the fact, that it is made solely of textile materials. It’s also lighter than conventional metal locks and offers a good level of safety.”
VJ1 by Vaterland
“The concept behind this jacket is very worthy of a reward. Vaterland has successfully set up a production system where refugees living in Europe use their skills to make high-quality clothing.”
