The Summer Gear Show Says 2027 Is About Shaving Poles and Grams

The Outdoor Market Alliance summer show is where next year's catalogue gets shown to reviewers before it reaches a store, and this year's floor leaned hard on weight and price at the same time, which has not usually been the same conversation.

Kelty brought a budget ultralight tent, which matters more than a spec sheet suggests: the sub-two-pound category has belonged to cottage brands and cost accordingly. MSR showed a short-pole version of the Freelite that packs down further than the standard model. LOWA showed the Paceterra Pro on the footwear side.

Sleep systems keep getting sold as systems rather than parts. One bundle on the floor pairs a quilt, sheet, pad, pillowcase and pillow bladder with a dry sack to hold it, at just under three pounds for the 25-degree version.

The detail that will actually get used: Kelty's updated Loveseat has durable mesh and a cover that doubles as a pet mat, so the dog gets somewhere to sit and your partner gets the chair. Most camp furniture design is not this considered.