Gear, gear, and more gear. If you play in the outdoors the Outdoor Retailer show has it all! The best names in the outdoor retail industry gather from around the world in Salt Lake City, Utah for the biannual Outdoor Retail show. The Outdoor Retailer show is the equivalent of the SEMA show for the camping and outdoor crowd. One may ask “why is this so cool”? The answer is simple. It is an opportunity for retailers and industry members to check out the latest and greatest outdoor gear before it is available to the public. As experts in overland equipment the crew at Expedition Off-Road is always on the look out for new innovative backcountry gear. Being the gear heads that we are, the Expedition Off-Road staff is dedicated in sharing our latest findings with the overland community. As the show goes on for the next few days we will have a number of updates here on our blog. One of the most innovative companies that caught our eye first was NiteIze / Inova.
While some of you may have already heard of NiteIze / Inova you need to hear about them again! Three products really stood out. The first is the new (available in February 2011) KnotBone Flat Bungee. Finally a bungee that doesn’t try and KILL you when you release tension on your cargo.
KnotBone Flat Bungee
To adjust the KnotBone you simply clip the carabiner on you tie down point, pull on the bungee to set you tension and then lock it off on the carabiner clip. It’s super fast, secure, and very slick. No to mention that you can release the tension by reversing the process. The best part is the KnotBone eliminates the use of conventional steel bungee hooks that become eyeball seeking missiles in the instance of a bungee failure.
The second NiteIze / Inova product that we were impressed by was the Inova T4 Rechargeable LED Flashlight. The entire Inova T-Series line is impressive but the T4 really stood out because of its AC/DC recharging capabilities, performance, and compact size. We thought this would make for a great flashlight dedicated to accompany any expedition rig on a permanent basis. The T4 does not skimp on quality! The T4 features a billet aluminum body, machined aluminum reflector (not plastic), and glass lens (not plastic). This light is capable of delivering a whopping 227 lumens on its highest setting. The T4 weighs in at 8.81 ounces and measures 7.90 inches long by 1.10 inches in diameter. The T4 is a serious light with serious tactical construction (i.e. shockproof, crushproof, and water-resistant).
Inova T4 Flashlight
The third NiteIze / Inova product is not new per se but definitely worth highlighting. This product is the Figure 9 and Figure 9 Carabiner Rope Tightener. The Figure 9 is a nifty little item that offers almost endless solutions for rope and cord management. This little guy takes the guess work out of knot tying and works for everything from rigging tent guylines to pitching a quick and dirty backcounty clothes line. With the Figure 9 the only limit is your imagination. Keep tabs on our store as these featured products will be added shortly!
NiteIze Figure 9
NiteIze Figure 9 Carabiner
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Cool products! Can’t wait to see them available on expeditionoffroad.com!
These are great products. Are they available now?
The products that we have previewed here on the blog should all be available for purchase on our store by the end of this month (February). The Outdoor Retailer show was our chance to see the products before they were available for sell. We will post an announcement as soon as the products that we have reviewed are available for sale. We greatly appreciate the comments and questions!
Slick looking flashlight! and the KnotBone looks pretty sweet too! Nice!