The outdoor way of life - one generation - Friedrichshafen

Press Tour OutDoor 2018 Friedrichshafen - The OutDoor is celebrating its twenty-fifth jubilee. In business terms, 25 years represents a generation. In a generation, many things can change and the Outdoor has certainly changed too.

New outdoor sports have arrived, new trends have been established. However, the outdoor spirit remains the same, and is stronger than ever. Outdoor activities offer an alternative to the hectic, stress and urban demands of everyday life. Outdoors means slowing down, getting away from it all and enjoying the natural world. This is what makes it so appealing. What’s more, there are so many innovative products to enhance the outdoor experience. On Sunday, 17 June 2018, the OutDoor show opens its doors to trade visitors for four days. A tour of the exhibition halls makes it very clear that combining innovation and nature is good for the future, as well as for business.

German Alpine Association (DAV) Bouldering Championships 2018

The OutDoor has hosted climbing competitions for a number of years. This year, the 2018 German Bouldering Championships is open to the general public. This is where Germany’s top female and male boulderers come to battle it out. Climbing is a growing social trend, the world over. For the first time, the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo is going include sport climbing - with a combination of speed climbing, bouldering and lead climbing. In many parts of Germany, climbing is on the school sports curriculum and new climbing walls and bouldering gyms are literally spreading rapidly. What makes bouldering so special? Why is its appeal so strong?

Trangoworld: Bouldering - a sport and a lifestyle

Trangoworld is named after the famous Trango Towers in Karakorum. Climbing 2,000-metre high walls on a 7,000-metre high massif might not be for everyone. However, bouldering is different. It involves technically demanding climbing moves, not on the other side of the world, not involving extreme expeditions, but available to everyone across Europe, including in Trangoworld’s home region. The Spanish brand from Zaragoza has a long history - since 1928 - and has repositioned itself a few times over the years. These days, it specialises in supplying functional sports leisurewear. The company’s principles: To promote an active and healthy lifestyle, to combat inactivity, boredom and urban stress with outdoor activity and respecting nature. We’ll see plenty of relaxed bouldering styles and the world’s first self-inflating bouldering crashpad.

Sea to Summit - ultralight outdoor gear from the outback

Generally, when we talk about mountaineering we ignore the fact that the summits are mainly just the final tips of the mountains climbed. When Australian mountaineer, Tim Macartney Snape decided to climb Everest in 1990, he walked all the way from sea level to the 8,848-metre summit. Sea to Summit - Tim and Roland Tyson, a keen climber and product designer chose it as the name for their new company. And as climbing an 8,000-er from sea level is pretty hard work, they knew exactly what the key element of their product design had to be - saving weight. Sea to Summit don’t do lightweight, they do ultra-lightweight. Their original ethos "To equip and inspire”, continues to drive the company’s research and development into new techniques, materials, technologies and production methods. As a result, they develop ingenious, functional products with a "no worries” Australian attitude.

Roughstuff - Natural fibres are functional fibres

Their story sounds like it comes straight out of the 1960s. What do you do when you can’t find the products you want? Make your own. First for yourself, then for your friends. This is how many of the big outdoor brands started, such as Marmot or Patagonia - and the same applies to Roughstuff. Founder Tobias Stork wanted hard-wearing clothing that could take some punishment, not lightweight gear that threatened to fall apart the first time he used it - rough stuff. Seven years have passed since and the brand from Guetersloh, Germany has made a name for itself. Tobias Stork insists on sustainable manufacturing and having a positive environmental footprint. He argues that this is only possible if you use genuinely sustainable, long-lasting materials. His material of choice is thick woollen Loden cloth. It’s robust, waterproof, highly breathable, resistant to sparks, warm, versatile - and easy to repair. Thinking outside of the box can lead to the development of exceptional products. 

Tecnica: The first ever fully customisable multifunctional shoe

How to achieve the perfect fit? By customising footwear and adapting it to fit a specific foot shape. But is this possible in large enough quantities to make them affordable for normal consumers? Tecnica demonstrates that it is. Last year, the Italian brand launched the first ever custom adaptive shape moulded trekking boot. This year, it is following it up with the first ever individually customisable multifunctional low-cut shoe. The idea behind it? Similar to a ski boot, the shoe can be heat-moulded and shaped to fit each specific foot. Using a specially-developed machine, retailers can quickly and easily customise the shoe directly in store to fit a customer’s feet - in just 20 minutes.

Ortlieb: Waterproof and made in Germany

Few firms have had such a sustainable and long-lasting impact on their sector as Ortlieb. Before Ortlieb, bike bags were made of simple stitched pieces of fabric. If you wanted to keep your gear dry, you put it in a plastic bag. Today’s bike bags mainly have sealed seams and are super robust. What’s more Ortlieb bags are all high-frequency welded which makes them waterproof, but also dust-proof and long-lasting. In addition, they are made in Germany and come with a five-year guarantee. Ortlieb is launching a new product category at the OutDoor, it represents a further step forward for waterproof packs. It’s an optimal combination of rucksack (as it can be worn as a pack) and a duffel bag (with a special zip solution). A fine example of outstanding design that works in practice and at an affordable price. And naturally, it’s 100% waterproof and made in Germany.
 
The 25th OutDoor jubilee edition show takes place from Sunday 17 to Wednesday 20 June 2018 and is open to trade visitors only. For more information, please visit: www.outdoor-show.com and www.facebook.com/OutDoor.Show/.