Less is more: the waterproof and windproof NS60 Jacket by Tropicfeel is a real quick-change artist. It consists of two separate garments and can be worn in at least four variations. Thus, it covers quite different applications.
Especially when traveling, you have to be prepared for different kinds of adventures - but you don't always want to take half your closet with you for that reason. The Spanish brand Tropicfeel has specialized in the needs of travelers with different product categories. With the NS60 jacket, the company has developed a product that clearly provides more space in the suitcase and therefore deserves an ISPO Award.
The NS60 jacket consists of two separate garments, a mid-layer, and a vest. By combining both styles and thanks to many other clever details, you are perfectly equipped in an instant for any travel weather and for any environment. Thus, the jacket can be worn in different ways: either just as a mid-layer, a vest, a short jacket, or a parka.
NS60 Jacket has excellent waterproofness and breathability, hitting 15K/20K at hydrostatic head and water vapour permeability tests. It has a body-mapped insulation and a triple fleece distribution to maintain warmth and aid thermoregulation.
At the same time, this NS60 Jacket is lightweight and easy to pack. The simple look fits as well in nature as in urban environments.
The windproof and waterproof NS60 jacket is designed for weather conditions between 0 and 15ºC. The main fabric of the PFC-free jacket is made of durable polyester, coated on the inside with a graphene membrane: graphene helps balance skin temperature in cold weather by transferring heat from warm parts of the body to colder parts, such as the arms and hands. Different grammages of 100% post-consumer recycled material PrimaLoft® Gold insulation were also used in the extendable jacket to accommodate the body's needs.
An adjustable hood, an integrated neck tube, waterproof zippers, and cuffs with thumbholes complete the weather protection and provide even more comfort.
In addition, Tropicfeel has used body-mapping to strategically place various fleece materials in the mid-layer to match the body's response to activity. For example, the upper part features a gridded and highly breathable fleece fabric, while the lower part is a fleece fabric with a more brushed inside that allows for trapping heat. This helps to balance the thermal ratio of the layer and increases breathability in sweaty areas. Zipper pockets on the sleeve and a large chest pocket offer plenty of storage space.
The jacket is cut unisex and fits both men and women in different sizes.
Wide range of uses thanks to clever details
Waterproof and windproof
Body-mapping for fleece and jacket
Urban, timeless look
With the Climfeet insole, the French company SoleCooler has succeeded in creating a real innovation. The reversible insoles can cool and warm in a purely natural way. Especially for outdoor athletes in extreme conditions a great invention.
To warm feet, there are many ways. Warming socks or insoles that achieve the same effect, for example, battery power. Insoles with cooling effect are also available, of course. What didn’t exist until now, to our knowledge: insoles that warm on one side and cool after turning. The manufacturer SoleCooler has dedicated itself to this topic and has come up with a real innovation. To give it an extra twist and underline the innovative character: Climfeet insoles work through a natural thermodynamic process. Whether warming or cooling the feet, the temperature functions are triggered by foot pressure alone. Sounds like magic? If you approach the subject objectively, it becomes understandable.
It all started for SoleCooler CEO Bruno Aubert in 2018 after a conversation with a friend who worked in a cold storage facility. “I realized that safety shoes, initially for professionals, had practically no thermal capabilities". In fact, after some research, it turned out that no shoe could hold heat for more than 30 minutes, not even hiking and mountain boots. Inventor Aubert wanted to change that. “This is the first time the principle of reversible air conditioning (compression/expansion of air) has been applied to a flexible material less than 6 mm thick, with energy generated only by the pressure of the feet on the ground," says the SoleCooler founder.
The heat-regulating insoles work on mechanical energy alone. As long as you move, the process is triggered. “When you put your foot on the ground, you cause an energy of 10 watts, which is more than enough to trigger the mechanism of the insoles," Aubert said, explaining the chemical thermodynamic process and how Climfeet works. Climfeet insoles therefore use a completely natural process, converting the mechanical energy of our footsteps directly into heat and cold, just like a heat pump, but without electricity or chemicals and therefore without any limit on operating time. Visually, it is easy to distinguish the temperature performances of each side of the Climfeet insole. The red side provides a heat output of up to 4 degrees, while switching to blue cools the feet down to minus 3.5 degrees.
Climfeet offers a contemporary product that takes a sustainable approach. The material is made of silicone. “The production of silicone has nine times less CO₂ pollution than petroleum products," says Aubert, describing the reason for the material selection. Three production sites in Europe. Asia and the USA are also designed to reduce CO₂ emissions during shipping. The concept with regard to sustainability has been thought through to the end: when returning the used product, the end user can pack it in the recyclable PP box provided and simply send it back to the manufacturer.
With its Climfeet product, SoleCooler is targeting all athletes who train on frozen or hot surfaces, people who have cold feet per se (senior citizens, etc.) and the numerous workers in the construction industry or cold stores. With Climfeet, the SoleCooler company wants to provide these people with a product, which will make their daily lives or their respective activities easier. “The advantages of our Climfeet insoles for the end user are mainly the ease of use and the unlimited time of operation, as well as the comfort," says Aubert about the extended qualities of his invention. The advantages for retailers are directly related to the simplicity of use (no defective battery, no waste, etc.), the innovative and environmentally friendly product and SoleCooler’s 2-year warranty. An innovative product that can be sold in addition to a sports shoe.
Innovative character
Sustainable concept
Simple usability
Usability on both sides
The Pursuit Shock Trekking Pole from Black Diamond features a variety of eco-friendly materials such as cork and algae based resin, while reducing fatigue and joint pain thanks to its design.
The big idea of the Black Diamond Pursuit Trekking Pole was to integrate as many eco-friendly materials and innovative designs as possible. In these poles, Black Diamond replaced traditional petrochemical EVA with BLOOM algae based resin. It is also the first time BLOOM algae foam is used in an outdoor hardgoods product outside of footwear. The pole shaft is 7075 aluminum, making it a long-lasting and sturdy pole. Aluminum can also be infinitely recycled into other consumer goods at the end of life. The grip of the pole consists of 100 per cent natural cork, which comes with heaps of performance characteristics provided by nature: it is naturally lightweight, dirt-repellent, provides good moisture management and is odor resistant and anti-allergenic, too. And, of course, as natural material, it is biodegradable and compostable. Recycled nylon fibers were used for the wrist straps.
Ergonomics and comfort are the two main design points of the Pursuit Shock Trekking Pole. Handling as well as the touch and feel of each surface has been thought about from a user perspective. All contact points use a soft or natural material against the skin. Adjustment of the pole is easy and intuitive. »With our soft touch Flicklocks, improved grip and grip-top ergonomics, new baskets, upgraded straps, and sophisticated application of colors and finishes, the Pursuit Series stands apart«, says Paul Leonard, Mountain Business Unit Director at Black Diamond.
A sleek design also lets integrated tools for adjustment and emergency stay hidden until they are needed. A 1.5 mm hex bit tool is built into the shaft for in-field maintenance and it is replaceable with any standard hex bit. Further, the poles have been designed with thru-hikers and longer hikes in mind. »We focused on a redesigned shock mechanism built into the top of the pole, which allows for better grip ergonomics and stealth, a mechanism that has a softer, more effective movement designed to reduce fatigue and provide consistent cushioning, comfort and support over any type of terrain and distance.«
The grip has also been optimized for both small and large hands and a wider variety of users’ needs. The Pursuit Shock Trekking Pole grips were designed by a team of men and women. Both weighted in on features size and comfort, so the size and length of the poles have been tailored with both genders in mind. As opposed to creating female-specific trekking poles the brand opted to make these poles in two specific sizes. As some women have larger hands than some men and would also appreciate a longer version of the pole, the Pursuit Shock Trekking Pole comes in sizes S/M and M/L for anyone to choose the best fit and color for them. »We’ve moved away from gendered models; instead, offering s/m and m/l models that have optimized grip sizes and lengths to better fit users of all sizes«, explains Paul Leonard. The poles are available in foam green and octane, two colorways that will appeal to men and women.
Finnish children's clothing specialist Reima is known for its high-quality and functional clothing. With the new Osteri Jacket, the Scandinavians present a versatile and sustainable winter jacket that has won the ISPO Award 2023.
In Scandinavia, children naturally spend a lot of time outdoors. Robust, warm and comfortable clothing is essential, especially in the winter months. Sari Perttunen, Reima Chief Creative Officer, explains, „The Reima brand heritage is to let kids enjoy the great outdoors, feeling comfortable whatever the weather. Thus we aimed at creating a new outdoor product for post-covid times, with inviting colors, a gender-neutral fit and sustainable design to cater for variating weathers. It was also important to cover the taste of kids in different ages; starting from 5 year old pre-schoolers up to 12 year old pre-teens.“
The Bluesign approved fabric of the Osteri Jacket is 52% recycled polyester and 48% recycled Seawool polyester. The latter contains nano-particles from discarded oyster shells that give the polyester fiber a wool-like, soft surface. In addition, the Seawool fibers have better insulating properties compared to regular polyester and wool. A natural property of oyster shell is its low conductivity. This gives the fibers anti-static and anti-bacterial properties, which inhibits odor. A PU membrane makes the jacket waterproof and breathable. The jacket is lined with Bluesign approved Fellex Ocean Ecofill insulation, which helps keep our oceans clean. Certified Ecofill fibers come from 100% plastic waste collected from coasts without organized waste management.
The product designers of the Osteri Jacket deliberately chose this mix of materials, as Sari Perttunen explains: „We also wanted the Osteri jacket to be a pair for our previous ISPO Award winner, the waterproof Megapito winter boots 8, and so our choice of materials had two key drivers: versatility and sustainability. The waterproof, oyster-shell-containing main material as well as the easy-care Oceanfill insulation are both high-performance, yet rich in recycled material.“
It is in extreme weather conditions that you can see whether an outdoor product delivers what it promises. With the Nordic Lynx, the Danish tent specialist Robens has a well thought-out expedition tent in its range that is particularly suitable for winter camping thanks to many clever features. The concept was honored with the ISPO Award 2023.
The two-person Robens Nordic Lynx 2 tunnel tent is designed for winter conditions. While gliding through fresh powder during the day or proving your survival skills while ice fishing, the Nordic Lynx provides a safe and functional base to relax in during the night. Robens product manager explains the tent's design concept this way, "As an outdoor enthusiast, I wanted to create a fully featured winter tent, but one that could be used year-round thanks to its classic design, natural color, and space and weight savings. Based on this idea, we developed the Nordic Lynx tents. They are reliable borderline year-round tents that, once purchased, also leave enough money in the wallet for outdoor adventure."
A combination of smartly designed features ensures easy handling and functionality of the Nordic Lynx tent. Thanks to large pole channels and long peg loops with additional guy ropes, the tent is easy to pitch. Long snow guards keep the snow out and the interior dry. The long zipper pulls are easy to use even with gloves on. A side door with double zipper for flexible ventilation provides access to the large extended vestibule. The cleverly designed ventilation system protects the front and back from snow and insects and can be regulated from the inside in any weather.
An expedition tent like the Nordic Lynx 2 should have an optimal balance between the necessary stability, a low weight and the smallest possible pack size. To meet this requirement, the product designers of the Nordic Lynx 2 decided to use high-quality anodized #7001 T6 large diameter alloy poles in combination with Robens 20D 380T siliconized rip-stop nylon with PU coating on the inside. This construction also allows the seams to be bonded, improving durability.
All in all, the Nordic Lynx is a very durable tent with many features for a perfect winter adventure. The tunnel tent is available in three sizes. The Nordic Lynx 2 sleeps two and weighs 3.3 kg, while the Nordic Lynx 3 sleeps three and weighs 4.1 kg. Four people can sleep in the 4.6 kg Nordic Lynx 4. At under 5 kg, all three tents are light enough to carry in or on a backpack. If you're traveling with more luggage and hauling your gear behind you on a pulka, you can safely stow your tent in the Robens Sled Tent Bag, available as an accessory.
This convinced the jury:
