DENVER — In an industry with thousands of brands innovating and making new products every day, it’s hard to stand out. Nonetheless, these gear companies are changing the game for their corners of the outdoor industry, setting new trends and creating new ways to optimize outdoor recreation.

Vssl - Geared for life

“Vessl makes modern tools for the outdoors,” Jarris Neufeld, spokesman for Vssl, told KSL.com. “Some of our top products are our camp supplies and first-aid kit. All of our units are a flashlight and compass combination, and then each of those units has a different set of items inside of them.

"So, our camp supplies does fire starters, water purification, ropes and razor blades, and things like that. (It's) your whole entire camp in your backpack: small, compact, lightweght, 200 lumen light and a compass on the other end.”

Vssl seeks to make products ideal for backpacking and traveling light and small, so you can have everything in a petite package that is extremely easy to transport. Products like these are changing the game for backpacking, which presents a constant struggle to minimize how much you pack:

• Vssl Camp Supplies ($129): Contains a light, compass, mini first-aid kit, a firestarter kit, rope, a razor, a fishing kit, a candle, a wire saw, a water purification kit, a whistle, two gear ties, a sewing kit, a can opener and adventure tape.
• Vssl First Aid ($125): Contains a light, compass, adventure tape, large bandages, knuckle bandages, steri-strips, two disposable thermometers, antiseptic towelettes, a blood-clotting agent, antibiotic and burn cream, aspirin, ibuprofen, tweezers, a whistle and safety pins.

Wandrd

“We were born in Orem, Utah, and it was my brother and I that started it,” Ryan Cope, founder of Wandrd, said of his company. “We were sitting at home, both complaining about the lack of stylish camera bags out there. We were getting into photography and most bags just looked kind of frumpy and didn’t have the function that we wanted. So, we said ‘what the heck?’ and made our own bags.”

They created a versatile travel-photography bag, which was designed to be both stylish and functional, according to Cope. Their first bag raised about $115,000 on Kickstarter, and they have expanded from there to make specialized bags for photographers, travelers and commuters.

“Last week we launched a bag on Kickstarter called the Duo Day Pack, and it’s more of an organizational daypack for the commuter and photographer,” Cope said. “We launched five days ago and we’re already at $350,000 on Kickstarter, so it’s doing really well.”

• Duo Day Pack ($190 on Kickstarter): Has a camera cube, organizational compartments, padded laptop sleeve, dual side access, mesh pockets, cord organizers and more.

Hideaway Water Bottles

“Hideaway is the world’s most collapsible water bottle,” Niki Singlauv with Hideaway Water Bottles said. “We have two sizes, 17 ounce and 25 ounce, and both collapse down to just an inch. You can fit it in your purse or back pocket.”

These water bottles limit the need for plastic water bottles and are far easier to carry when empty than other popular bottles, like Nalgenes or Hydro Flasks. “It’s great for going through TSA at the airport or for travel,” Singlauv said. “It’s dishwasher safe, nontoxic and BPA free.”

• 17-ounce bottle with spout lid ($25): Holds 17 ounces of water and condenses down to 1.5 inches, making it ultra-packable and environmentally friendly.

Kokopelli Packrafts

“You know packrafts already,” Andrew Duran, spokesman for Kokopelli Packrafts, told KSL.com. “Standard packraft material is light, and the whole idea is to pack it easily and roll it.”

The gap that Kokopelli unearthed, according to Duran, was a packraft which catered to guides, the military and universities who were going to consistently have large quantities of people using them. Normal packrafts are made of a light material which is highly bendable, and they are prone to popping when they are heavily used. So, Kokopelli decided to create their Recon packraft, which provides an option otherwise untouched by the river running community.

“This one deflates and inflates and is way stronger,” Duran said. “This is going to disrupt the guide market, which other packrafts are not a part of right now.”

• The Recon (from $900): Engineered from their toughest material, Kokopelli’s says the Recon is self-bailing and lasts longer than any other packraft in their possession. This product was featured as Outdoor Retailer’s best new item.

Know of other companies disrupting their side of the outdoor industry? Tell us more about them in the comments.

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