THE GEARTRENDS® OUTDOOR SUMMER 2006 MAGAZINE

Welcome to the GearTrends® Outdoor Summer 2006 Magazine -- issued to the trade August 2006. As a GearTrends® website visitor - you now have direct access to the same market-leading editorial, feature articles and product information that industry professionals have come to rely on. To maintain the quality that our readers and members have come to expect in GearTrends® publications, we are providing all magazines only in high quality Acrobat PDF format. (You can download the FREE Acrobat Reader here)

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TOC | PUBLISHERS’ CORNER | CONTRIBUTORS
Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian. Check out how we are bringing SNEWS® subscribers “your news, your way.”

14 INDUSTRY TRAILBLAZERS | OUTDOOR HISTORY
Part 1 in a continuing series. Before there was a multi-billion dollar outdoor industry, these pioneers combined their passion and ingenuity to improve the way we explore...George Rudolf, Gerry Cunningham, Larry and Alice Holubar, Dick Kelty, George Lamb, Eddie Bauer, Lloyd Anderson, Leon L. Bean, and Colin Fletcher.

20 BIONIC BODIES | APPAREL
Is “body mapping” just the latest hype from the apparel marketing department or a legitimate concept to make us faster, stronger, better than we were before?

28 MERCHANDISING
Pointers to help you make the most of glass display cases.

32 CAMPING DELIGHTS | HARDGOODS
Whether you are car camping or in the backcountry, ease and comfort still are tops in gear, including the latest in stoves, backpacks, tents and bags.

40 MEETING OF THE MINDS | PADDLESPORTS
Folks agree that we’re swamped with too many paddlesports trade groups. But can people agree on a fix? TAPS, PPA and paddlesports companies are discussing options, including the formation of an all-new trade association.

46 PUTTIN’ ON THE SPRITZ | SKINCARE
A spa in the backcountry? Hey, it’s no longer just a dream. Sunscreen companies offer all kinds of lotions and trailside skincare. Plus, a few cautionary words about the continued growth of skin cancer.

53 SUPPLIER RESOURCE DIRECTORY | SPECIAL SECTION
A rundown of the latest products from the industry’s leading suppliers with a detailed overview of materials and characteristics.

62 LIGHT IS RIGHT | CLIMBING MARKET
Climbers don’t always like to shave, but they love shaving weight. For this season, equipment makers have focused on lightening the load.

72 IPOD EFFECT | TECHNOLOGY
Apple’s iPod is affecting society like few other products have in our time. We take stock of how the iPod is altering the way we design and market outdoor gear and ponder its future influence.

76 SILVERWEAR | FABRICS & FIBERS
Not too many things placed on the dinner table also belong in your underwear. But silver’s more than a pretty metal. It’s a first-class bacteria killer now used as an antimicrobial in apparel and footwear.

82 BUSINESS TRAINING | HIRING
Useful tips for finding the right person in a competitive hiring market.

84 ARE WE THERE YET? | ELECTRONICS
Tracking speed and distance can be a guessing game, but the latest pedometers and other electronics have made big strides with some trick new features and some accuracy.

90 STRIKING A BALANCE | TRAVEL
Tread carefully. That’s the message one adventure travel insider has for his industry, which is trying to grow while still protecting fragile cultures and environments.

94 THE PRODUCT ZONE
Featuring new products from AmeriBag, Atlas Snowshoe, Granger's, Baffin, Bemis, Buck Knives, Camelbak, Therm-A-Rest, SealLine, Coghlan's, Coleman, Consoltex, Dunham, Duofold, ExOfficio, Bridgedale, Garmont, GCI Outdoor, GoLite, Gregory, Hilleberg the Tentmaker, Horny Toad, Inov-8, ITW Nexus, Kinesys, Komperdell, Leki, Marmot, Merrell, Nalgene, Nikwax, Outdoor Research, Red Ledge, Spenco, The North Face, Timberland, TrailFlex, Tubbs Snowshoes, Adidas, Gore-Tex, Arc'Teryx, Pearl Izumi, and Woolrich.

100 ONE MORE THING | OUR HUMOROUS TAKE ON NANOTECHNOLOGY
Tiny robots in the underwear are just one fear when it comes to considering the worth of nanotechnology in our clothing future in this humor piece by Michael Hodgson, used with permission from Adventure Network -- www.adventurenetwork.com.