Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — It's been a tough year. A lot of waiting, a lot of patience, a lot of compassion have been required amongst political uprests, quarantining and watching lots of people we know (maybe even ourselves) coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Well, let's just say we deserve an adventurous summer spent outdoors. Now that vaccines are widely available, and people are feeling more safe and secure, let's dive into a summer full of sunshine, fresh air, mountains, deserts and all the things that make us Utah folk happy and healthy.
To help you utilize your summer in its best fashion and optimize your upcoming adventures, here is a list of a few cool summer products (many of them local):
The Coalatree adventure pants/shorts
Located in our very own Sugarhouse, this local brand has absolutely crushed it in the game of creating eco-minded, adventurous attire. These versatile pants are perfect for any outdoor adventure while being fashionable enough to wear out on the town.
Not only are these pants/shorts made from recycled materials — recycled plastic and recycled coffee grounds, to be specific — but they're also waterproof, breathable, tear-resistant, made from an antimicrobial material, and pack down into a front pocket for travel or to use as a small pillow.
I got my adventurous Dad a pair last year and he never takes them off. Thank goodness they have microbial material.
Check out the Trailhead Pants at coalatree.com.
The Buccaneer skillet
This is honestly one of the greatest cast iron skillets I've ever come across. The creators have launched four different successful Kickstarters, perfecting their craft more and more each time.
What's cool about this skillet is it's as great as a castiron, but much lighter. It's 50% lighter than a traditional castiron skillet, so you could throw this skillet in with your backpacking gear no problem. It's light, non-stick, and it has a special "cool" handle that will stay at a cool temperature no matter the cooking source. Feel free to stick this in the oven, over a fire, or on the stove without having to use potholders ever again.
Check out The Buccaneer at indigogo.com.
Lomi: Turn waste into compost at the push of a button
Interested in gardening this summer? This genius product takes your food waste and turns it into nutrient-rich compost soil. The food and scraps that we don't use not only go to waste when we put them in the trash, but when we mix our food with all of our other trash (plastics, other waste, etc), the food is sent to a landfill and produces methane gas — a big contributor to our air pollution.
With Lomi, you can reduce up to 50% of the waste you send to the landfill and reduce your carbon footprint.
Check out Lomi at indiegogo.com.
LIT Outdoors Tammock
Another local company, LIT Outdoors, created the perfect product for your summer adventures — a hammock and tent all combined into one. The Tammock is perfect for camping trips in our Utah deserts where no trees are around to hang your hammock on. This genius design is the best way to get a good night's sleep in a hammock while being protected from external disruptions, such as wind, rain or animals.
Check out the Tammock at litoutdoors.com.
Gamma Jacket: Graphene-infused, all-seasons jacket
This jacket is perfect for us Utahns because it keeps you warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot. With the bi-polar weather of the Utah desert, it's exactly what we all need.
The thermoregulation happens because the jacket is infused with Graphene; a material that's a powerful thermoregulator, breathable, antibacterial and 100% waterproof.
This jacket also has 10 different pockets (two of them hidden) for us pocket lovers.
Check out the Gamma Jacket at kickstarter.com.
XION CyberX eBike:
If you're like me, you're obsessed with your eBike. And if you're also like me and like to go fast, you find the eBikes on the market just aren't fast enough — which is why this new eBike looks absolutely epic.
It's got fat tires, full suspension and can go up to 50 mph for up to 100 miles. Not only that but it looks pretty cool as well, with LED lighting and customizable, laser-printed side panels (perfect for looking slick at the downtown city bike rides).
Check out the Xion CyberX eBike at kickstarter.com.
MOZA Slypod Pro: For content creators
If you're a photographer, videographer, or any kind of content creator, this is exactly what you need for your summer adventures. This is an ultra-lightweight, 3-in-1 monopod designed to help you film and take professional photos without lugging around tons of different heavy gear.
It's got all kinds of cool features packaged up into one lightweight pod. Some of its features include an electronically adjustable monopod, a lightweight electric slider, an extendable jib arm, to name a few.
Check out the MOZA Slypod Pro at kickstarter.com.
KUBE 4: The Portable Concert System
This is such an awesome product for bringing the party anywhere you want. Whether you're having a barbecue in the backyard or camping in the desert, this is the best speaker to bring the entertainment. It's got high volume and exceptional quality for up to 40 hours. But the best part is it's super lightweight so you really can bring it anywhere.
Check out the KUBE 4 at kickstarter.com.
Mckinnon camera backpack
Salt Lake City company Nomatic is back again with a really cool Kickstarter. Great for content creators, photographers, videographers or anybody who could use a solid backpack — this bag is legit. It's already received over $1.3 million dollars in funding, and for good reason.
It's got some really cool organization features to keep everything neat and tidy — such as a ladder system, dividers and different cubes compartments that you can put in and take out. And if you're like me and you're a huge fan of pockets and little secret compartments to store things, this backpack has absolutely everything. It has a special pocket for your laptop, two magnetic pockets for your water bottle, quick top access, and lots of small pockets for your smaller items.
Oh, and it's totally water-resistant and durable, ensuring you won't be worried if you get caught in the rain somewhere.
Check out the McKinnon camera backpack at kickstarter.com.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and enjoy your summer!
