Gear guide: new brands

Gear Editor Chris Townsend introduces 17 outdoor equipment companies that have launched in recent years – and takes a look at some of their best kit.

This gear feature was first published in the May 2018 issue of The Great Outdoors.

The last few years have seen the launch of many new outdoor brands offering a wide range of gear from packs and trail shoes to solar energy and tent pegs. Often using social media and blogs for marketing, crowdfunding for finance and websites for sales, these are companies of the digital age. Many of them have environmental credentials too. The hills and wild places don’t change though, and the value of these brands will be seen in how the gear performs. Having tried items from many of them I’m quite impressed. These brands really are adding valuable options. That so many are springing up is a sign of the good health of innovation and creativity in the outdoor equipment field. Here’s a rundown on some of these brands, in no particular order.