I recently attended the SHOT show in Vegas and originally had no intention of documenting the trip but I did end up seeing some interesting new vendors so I thought I’d share a few with you readers. Mainly because I’m always rooting for the small startup guy who’s out there hustling and has some great ideas. For those unfamiliar with the SHOT show it’s, Shooting-Hunting-Outdoor-Tactical convention held annually in Las Vegas. This event isn’t open to the public, from the SHOT show website ” Admission at the SHOT Show is RESTRICTED to the shooting, hunting and outdoor trade and commercial buyers and sellers of military, law enforcement and tactical products and services ONLY. The show is not open to the public, and NO one under age 16 shall be admitted (including infants). ” Somehow I weaseled my way in as a media correspondent. It was a fairly crazy event, heavily represented by the tactical and military folk, so much so that while walking the floor I was excited to see brands I recognized (Remington, Federal, Vortex, etc.) vs. body armor and tactical helmets. I believe there were some 12-miles of vendor isles with some 2,300 exhibitors. Below are a few of the smaller exhibitors who may be of interest to my readers. And I do apologize, I said I’m not a product endorsement guy and here I am with two posts in a row. We’ve got to get thru these slower winter months somehow.
Omeals – I liked these guys because it’s an alternative to my go-to Mountain House freeze dried meals. I still think Mountain House makes a great product that will likely always be my primary choice in the backcountry but Omeals did appeal for a couple reasons. One, just a change of menu from House. I’ve eaten enough Chili Mac for a lifetime so having a few new menu choices is always appealing. But mainly because they come with a self heating unit, likely similar to an MRE so you don’t need a stove. I’d only consider these for a one or two day outing because of the weight but definitely might be worth a look. They retail for about $8 similar to Mountain House but they are only a single serving vs. two for House, so watch out for that. These guys were the biggest of the start ups, as they’re already in REI.
Combat Wipes – I’m kind of embarrassed to be writing about this one but wet wipes are thing of beauty after you’ve been in the field a few days without a shower. What I liked about their wipes is that they’re biodegradable, which is a concern I’ve had with standard wipes for a while. They claim that if buried one inch deep they will be completely gone and 3-days to 3-weeks, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. They offer an Active, Commando and Gaia (for women). While they’re all listed as “scent-free” I thought the active had more of a smell than the Commando, so for hunting I’d probably lean towards the Commando’s. The Commando’s are also black for combat situations, so you’re not waving a bright white flag around giving the enemy something to shoot at. I did give them a tug test on the showroom floor they seemed every bit as resilient as standard baby wipes. Currently only available on Amazon.
QuikCamo – These guys caught my eye because I’m in the market for some new leafy/ghillie camo for the upcoming turkey season. Their stuff looked good and was super lightweight which is really what I’m in the market for, some of those ghille suits are HEAVY. I also liked the look of their lightweight gloves with their 3D leafy camo, since your hands and head are the things moving around the most, seems good to conceal them the best you can. These guys were probably the smallest of the startups, a father-son team and they’re entering a pretty saturated market so I wish them the best of luck. If you’re wanting to add a 3-dimensional element to your game this year give these guys a look.
Rokman Backpacks – I really like the looks of this system mainly because they’re advertised as 100% waterproof and keeping gear dry is always a concern when exploring the woods. I almost didn’t include these guys because their stuff isn’t cheap (not even close) but I haven’t found any of the high-end pack manufacturers that are and these guys really appear to have a well-thought-out system. Everything was modular and easily integrates with other components. One little detail that stood out was a belt loop for knives, pistols, bear spray, etc. It seems so obvious and I’m I’m not sure why every pack manufacturer doesn’t have this feature? One other thing that I noticed which was a potential selling point was that with the meat shelf extended on the carbon pack frame and acts as chair for glassing or sitting around camp, kind of along the lines of the portable stadium seats folks carry these days.
We’ll see if I return to the SHOT show 2021. It’s seems I’d find more product geared towards hunters/anglers at a typical outdoor show, ISE (International Sportsmans Expo) for instance but I did like that this show was setup for business not retail. You definitely got a peak into the outdoor manufactures world thru a different lens. Time will tell..
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