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Here’s all the best apparel, products, and gear we found at Outdoor Retailer’s winter 2023 show.

At last week's winter edition of the retail trade show Outdoor Retailer, more than 400 exhibitors took over the Salt Palace Convention Center floor. We headed to Salt Lake City, Utah to check out the newest and most innovative brands and products at the show, from fabric and textile manufacturers to winterproofing shoe and apparel brands.

The twice-yearly event was held in Salt Lake City until 2018, when significant outdoor brands like Patagonia and The North Face pulled out of the show to protest the federal government’s shrinking of protections on national monuments. The show moved to Denver, Colorado until this year, when it returned to Utah’s capital city to welcome thousands of journalists, gear enthusiasts, and brand representatives.

Though comparatively smaller than past Outdoor Retailer events, I toured booths from brands big and small during the event, getting hands-on time with products I've only ever seen online. After checking out the newest stuff from the likes of Skechers, Jack Wolfskin, Kavu, Baffin, Danner, and more, I rounded up seven products that stood out—from mainstay classics to the wildest innovations in the outdoors space.

The District is a striking bike from Cleveland brand Land Energy that can do it all. Paired with the brand’s app, the District can switch between an e-bike and a moped, capped at 27 and 37 mph respectively. Need more speed? You can turn it into a motorcycle or performance motorcycle by unlocking access through the app, allowing you to reach speeds over 70 mph.

These street-legal bikes are attractive, innovative, and unlike conventional motorbikes, reasonably minimal. Each bike comes with two standard batteries that offer a 40-mile range, though you can upgrade or swap them to reach a 120-mile range.

They come equipped with lightweight, proprietary aluminum wheels, e-Mark-certified headlights that project up to 3,240 lumens, and plenty of rear rack options. Depending on your build, the bike can weigh anywhere between 180 to 200 pounds, which is way lighter than the gas-guzzling variety.

Prices start at $7,800 and can be as much as $12,500, depending on the custom build of your street or off-road bike.

Steeped Coffee makes satiating your caffeine craving easy, whether you're camping, hiking, or commuting. The brand's pitch: make coffee as you would a cup of tea via completely compostable satchels.

Our deputy editor, Zoë Hannah, used these religiously when she was doing van life in New Zealand, where the product is commonplace. She said they're perfect for trips where you need to pack out your trash, especially compared to coffee grounds.

The brand offers light, medium, and dark roasts and an organic French roast in eight-count packs that retail at $14.99. It also has over 400 partnerships with specialty coffee roasters that offer blends available in Steeped's proprietary bags.

This is an excellent product for those who camp or can’t find the time to grab a cup of coffee during their commute. Just toss a bag into a mug, add hot water, steep, and you’re good to go. With a fully compostable bag at just a few ounces, this is a solid product to take on your next trip outdoors.

Seattle-based outdoor brand Kavu brought a wide array of products to Outdoor Retailer last week, but its biggest seller wowed me in person: the cotton canvas Rope Bag.

This attractive sling bag has two main pockets, one internal zip pocket, and two front pockets to stow away goods on a short hike or a weekend outdoors. It’s made with a rugged cotton canvas that breaks in and ages the more you wear it and the strap, as the bag’s name implies, is made of sturdy, soft rope that gives it some extra character.

The crossbody Rope Bag strap can be adjusted from 22 to 44 inches and holds up to 10 liters of goods. Kavu also makes a polyester version for weather resistance. Each model is available in various colors and patterns, keeping with Kavu’s eclectic styling.

European outdoor brand Jack Wolfskin showed off its latest innovation on the show floor of Outdoor Retailer with its waterproofing top, the Tapeless jacket.

Waterproof outdoor apparel is sewn together with seams that connect different fabric panels, like all clothes. Most brands use waterproof seam tape to cover those spots to prevent leakage. Jack Wolfskin’s Tapeless jacket is constructed without using seam seals, eliminating the need for 60 feet of tape through a proprietary single-fabric construction. This prevents the need to eventually replace the tape, and it gives the jacket a cool look.

Jack Wolfskin claims its Tapeless technology will “never leak or fail.” The company unveiled its Tapeless Jacket 2.0 on the show floor, which adds another chest pocket to its construction. While the 2.0 won’t release for another few months, you can grab the original innovation now.

Nanga is a Japanese outdoor brand that’s tough to find in the U.S., but as it makes some of the most exciting outdoor clothing on the market, you should get your hands on it if you can. As stylish as streetwear and as functional as outdoor apparel should be, Nanga showed off a wide array of winter styles at Outdoor Retailer. But I couldn’t get over this mini sleeping bag phone case.

This is, quite literally, a miniature version of the brand's Mountain Lodge bag, intended to keep your phone warm and close by. That padding gives your phone some cushioning and warmth if you’re in below-freezing temperatures, with a carabiner clip to attach to a belt loop or backpack. It can fit phones as large as an iPhone XS Max, and let's be real—it's just downright cute.

While most hiking sock brands rely on merino wool for warmth, Paka uses alpaca wool, resulting in a much lighter sock. And if you've ever shopped for merino wool socks, you'll be happy to know that the pricing for Paka socks is competitive, too.

The brand’s snug and cozy socks are built for mountaineering, hiking, skiing, and camping on snowy days. They dry quickly, with a water retention rate of eight percent, and regulate your body temperature, cooling and warming the feet as needed. These socks also won’t smell as odor-causing bacteria can’t fester on alpaca wool.

Paka offers free returns and exchanges on all of its products within 30 days, and, like merino wool, it's a renewable resource. Paka says all of its alpaca fibers are completely traceable, making its production cycle transparent to all consumers.

The RockPot is a 7.5-quart portable cooker powered by a manually heated plate called a RockTablet. You heat the RockTablet over an open fire or stovetop for 30 minutes, stick the plate at the bottom of your cooker, and place your food inside. No propane, electricity, or solar panels are needed—just heat the tablet and you're good to go.

While the RockPot is cooking a meal, you can move it with its top handle and lid, making it great for camping outdoors or making a road trip meal. It’ll also keep food warm while you’re out on a hike or the slopes, all without the risk of burns or fire hazards.

This is an excellent device for making group meals like soups and chilis. It’s also dishwasher-safe!

Kevin Cortez is a Commerce Editor for Popular Mechanics, Bicycling, and Runner’s World. A culture and product journalist for over nine years, he’s covered everything from men’s fashion and sneakers to e-bikes and video games. He was most recently the style editor for a leading product-recommendation site, and previously covered the music and podcasting industries at Mass Appeal and The A.V. Club. In his spare time, he walks his perfect little dog, Cash, and reads graphic novels. He has also written for Leafly, Input, Vulture and Genius.

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