Unfortunately, each year brings a massive number of new products for the outdoors enthusiast to choose from and, to be frank, there is far too much of it for the average walker, climber or mountain biker to understand, let alone try out. Because there are so many jackets, boots, rucsacs and other obvious gear, essentials for survival and navigation (two of the cornerstones of good practice in the hills) are often overlooked.
We will try to put this partially right by taking a look at some of the best new gear that has arrived on the market in recent months. In particular, there have been significant, and successful, launches in personal survival equipment for the outdoors, as well as the more traditional category of maps and compasses. Whilst many might suppose that walkers and cyclists, in particular, have moved from map and compass into the shiny new world of handheld GPS systems, it is a fact that sales of maps are as strong as ever. In fact, Above & Beyond, the UKs biggest online retailer of OS Maps, report steadily increasing volumes for these essential mountain companions.
Readers might be surprised to know that Silva, the compass of choice for most walkers, climbers, Guides and Scouts for decades is not only still going, but is thriving. Whilst the venerable Expedition 4, a compass so robust that “planned obsolesence” clearly never got to Sweden, is still the Companys best selling compass in the UK, a raft of new launches for Summer 2011 have strengthened the claim of Silva to be “the” compass company.
Silva seems to have broken with the tradition of launching separate products for different uses and has, instead, introduced several lines that embrace a common concept. Three products that address very different navigation needs are linked by their clean interfaces (a lot of the usual guff has been tidied up) and the use of colour coding elements to improve use. The Expedition S is a good example of a serious compass that has stripped of the non-essential information and yet still features a clinometer, mirror sighting and even a couple of GPS scales.
A particular surprise in 2011 has been the intense interest in survival gear, which is an area of the market that is usually regarded as a small niche. This has been driven by Gerber launching the Bear Grylls range that encompasses fire starters and survival packs as well as a variety of knives. In truth, it’s the Ultimate Fixed Blade Knife, with its survival orientated features, that has led interest in the range and become a best selling product already.
It is easy for manufacturers of outdoor gear to focus all their attention on developing new products in the core segments such as boots and waterproofs. Thankfully, 2011 has shown that they are also investing in essential, niche equipment that keep all climbers, walkers and outdoors enthusiasts safer.


