Our Writers’ Favorite Gear from Outdoor Media Summit 2025
Treeline Review staff share their favorite gear and takeaways from the 2025 OMS
This year, the Outdoor Media Summit (OMS)—a conference in which outdoor media, brands, and PR agencies gather to share the latest in gear and industry news and look ahead at trends—took place in Durango, Colorado at the end of October.
Treeline Review had eight writers and editors in attendance. We learned about gear innovations, new trends, and other hot topics. In the New Gear Speed Dating event, in which we had 10 minutes with each brand to learn what’s coming down the pike, to breakout sessions in which industry professionals shared their insights and chances to test out gear in person outside, OMS provided numerous opportunities to learn and feel rejuvenated in our work.
The Treeline team was also honored to receive two awards on the last day of OMS–the People’s Choice Award for Digital Publication of the Year and AvantLink’s Affiliate of the Year award.
From birding excursions to packrafting, ice traction devices to portable campfires, and panels on building community to the pervasiveness of AI, our contributors share their takeaways from OMS 2025.
Interested in winter gear trends or gear that will be coming out right now? See our OMA Winter 2025 article.
We create reader-supported, objective gear reviews independently selected by our editors. This story may contain affiliate links, which help fund our website. When you click on the links to purchase gear, we may get a commission, without costing you an extra cent. Thank you for supporting our work and mission of outdoor coverage for every body! Learn more.
Becca Downs’ take
Treeline Review won both the People’s Choice Award for Digital Publication of the Year and AvantLink’s Affiliate of the Year award.
Prior to this year’s Outdoor Media Summit, most of my outdoor media experiences had been more gear centric. The biannual Outdoor Market Alliance events are completely gear and apparel focused, as are most of the smaller events put on by brands. And while OMS also sets aside time and space for gear talk, what I enjoyed most was the dialogue created by keynote speakers, panel discussions, and a conference room packed full of journalists.
How is AI Disrupting outdoor journalism?
A major theme that dominated discussion was the impact AI is having on outdoor media. And the sentiments were, in my view, sitting in two camps: those who see AI as a harmful obstacle and those who see AI as a powerful tool.
Our own Naomi Hudetz participated in a panel on “Disruption to Affiliate: How 3 Publications Are Responding.” And while AI isn’t explicitly mentioned in the panel title or description, all panelists mentioned it. To put it simply, outdoor media publications are taking hits from the rising prominence of AI, particularly on search browsers.
Think about it: when you search something like “best recovery shoes” on Google, you’re first met with an AI Overview and Google-affiliate shopping results. How often are everyday users scrolling past that overview? If you're lucky, they at least want to check the sources linked in the AI Overview–better hope your publication has hacked the SEO tricks well enough to be one of those linked articles!
As someone whose work often requires fighting against AI, I was surprised how many panelists spoke about the benefits of AI. When I attended the panel “AI in 2025: Things Your Company Should Be Doing,” my own biases led me to assume the panelists would be giving advice on how to counter the negative effects of AI on our publications. However, the discussion centered on embracing AI and using it to your advantage. And I can understand that–a kind of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” sentiment.
One panelist spoke about using AI to expedite customer service responses. Another talked about how he uses it to create advertisements for his small, minority-led organization that couldn’t afford a whole production. And to be fair, the panelists were clear that AI should not be used to replace jobs, they should just make the jobs easier. At the end of the day, everything required human eyes.
Personally, I found the dialogue intriguingly nuanced from a business perspective. However, there was a glaring facet of this conversation missing from a conference full of people who love and care about the outdoors: the environmental impact of AI. And, I know, this is a big, nuanced discussion in itself that deserves space rather than mentioned as an afterthought. But I was surprised and a little disappointed that I only heard it come up while mingling with a couple of journalists and never on the microphone.
New outdoor gear I'm excited about
But, alas. Switching to something lighter, the New Gear Speed Dating event offered a brief, fast-paced look at new outdoor gear. And while my notes are full of information, what excited me most was seeing new and improved adventure travel backpacks–a sign that adventure travel is a thriving interest for outdoor enthusiasts.
RTIC, a brand best known for durable, affordable coolers, is extending their ethos into fully waterproof, durable, affordable adventure travel packs. The Ultra-Dry Backpack comes in 26L and 60L sizes and are carry-on friendly. I’m stoked to test this fully waterproof option!
ALPAKA Gear is releasing their new 30L Traverse Travel Pack near the end of the month. The material is durable and the interior offers more open space and fewer organization options to accommodate travelers who prefer optimizing the open capacity of their pack.
The NEMO Vantage 30L and 40L Endless Promise Adventure Daypack—currently the Best Upgrade winner in our Best Adventure Travel Backpacks guide–now has new improvements, including a better water bottle pocket (which was really my only gripe with the old version).
In addition to these packs, more brands are leaning into crafting apparel that is versatile for adventure travelers–i.e., comfortable, durable materials, and a style that suits both trail and town. The brands LIVSN and TEREN are good examples of this. Unfortunately, TEREN is only making men’s clothing at this time until they have enough money to pay women to consult on women’s-fit clothing. But if you wear men’s-fit clothing, the pants and shorts are made with durable and soft material, and they can easily be dressed up for casual wear in town.
Gaining new ideas
One of my favorite parts of the whole conference was when everyone separated off to try an “excursion” activity with other attendees. I went birding in Oxbow Park with Master Audubon Birder Alison Kondler. Conversation with other attendees ebbed from our impressions of the recent AI panel discussion to the Spotted Towhee perched in a nearby tree. So, while we’re all feeling the weight of obstacles the outdoor industry is facing, it was also moments like seeing a new-to-us bird that reminded us why we’re here. I left the conference buzzing with ideas and hope. - Becca Downs
Mary Murphy’s Take
This year was my first year attending Outdoor Media Summit in Durango, Colorado. As someone who’s worked in the outdoor industry as a writer, editor, freelancer, I was not only intrigued by the event format, but by the diverse breadth of opportunities for interfacing with both people and new gear. The Summit squeezed in everything from in-person sessions, presentations, panels, and videos to hands-on product demos, installations, and group activities and hikes. Since several other Treeline writers have touched on the overwhelming presence of AI and its use/implications across panels and in-person discussions, I’ll share my main takeaways from the gear side instead.
The New Gear Speed Date session, touted as a highlight of the Summit for participating media, definitely lived up to expectations. The biggest thing I learned? You don’t actually need to attend a four-hour event or an hour-long zoom to discover new gear. Get real live people together in a room who are passionate about what’s new and what’s innovating right now, and yes, you’d be surprised what you can learn in 10 minutes or less! Would this format work for every brand, or any type of gear? Maybe not, but I was impressed as the mini speed date sessions went on (15-20 total!) at how different the fast product pitches, demos, and brand highlights could be.
My favorite pieces of gear I “met” at the speed dating session:
I’ve been in this industry for a while…my jaw rarely drops when I hear new gear specs. The MICROspike Ghost was a notable exception.
The Ghost is a redesign and improvement on arguably the most classic winter traction device: the MICROspikes. The Ghost has:
Improved TPU rubber connections instead of metal chains
Different angles on the spikes for better traction
The same number of spikes (12 per foot)
And, it’s 43% lighter (6.8 for a size M compared to 11.9 oz) for only $20 more. These aggressive, ultralight spikes are first on my list to test this fall as conditions on the trails start to change.
COAST’s recent launch builds on its still new-ish RL35R headlamp—a truly hands-free headlamp with 1,100 lumens, four color models, and over 12 commands activated via voice control. The new COAST FL97R headlamp is front-loading versus rear-loading, and ups the power to 1,250 lumens, with white, warm, red, and green lights, multiple beam shapes like arc and spot, and even more voice control commands. The front-loading headlamp option is a nice improvement on the rear loading, and works off of a rechargeable battery, or three standard AAAs. The Voice Control collection includes the EAL35R voice-control, 1,000-lumen lantern too.
The sky is the limit for all the uses for hands-free headlamp operation: maybe you are doing search and rescue, providing wound or emergency care, fixing gear with two hands, using a map and compass for navigation, or simply don’t want to fumble with buttons. Plus, a voice-activated function is a great accessibility feature.
Patagonia Apparel
We got a brief look at some key updates to the Patagonia R1, the lightweight and midweight base layers, as well as some new Capilene Cool layers for spring and beyond (the Cap Cool Daily and Cap Cool Trail were updated, and the Cap Cool Ultra will be new). The lightweight and sun hoodie and ultralight tech-y tees and tanks will definitely be on my radar for running this year and next. Patagonia’s Capilene Cool and R1 layers specifically are already so dialed—to me, if they are making changes, that’s a really good sign. Plus, there will be a new Houdini wind layer (sub-3.5-oz.) as well as wind protection pants.
Jeff, founder and CEO of PACKFIRE, said something in the first couple minutes of their product demo that stuck with me all afternoon: “We aren’t claiming that we invented the wheel, we just found a way to make it better.” The “wheel,” in this case was an outdoor fire pit, but one that’s significantly more packable, and therefore more portable. Because 20-40-pound fire pits simply can’t go anywhere that easily…and they take up room.
PACKFIRE’s concept is simple: the walls of the fire pit, the base, and rim fold completely flat. The design includes an elevated base with legs, and a backpack to fit it all flat and securely for transport. I appreciated that they are owning who they are: not the original inventors and not claiming to be, but passionate about the product and making it more portable. Currently, they make a 17-inch fire pit, but plan to launch a 10-inch and 14-inch PACKFIRE as well. -Mary Murphy
Kai Burkhardt’s Takes
Outdoor Media Summit is one of my favorite events of the year because not only is it a great place to see new gear, but the event also gives attendees tons of time to mingle, network, and learn from other folks in the industry. Talking with people behind the scenes at brands, those who work in PR, and other journalists is always the best part of OMS. And this year, it was even better since I was able to connect with so many Treeline contributors.
AI will never be able to feel and use the gear you’re hoping to buY
As I’m sure you've gathered, AI was the dominant conversation at the show. I won’t repeat too much of what everyone else has already said, but I do want to reiterate one point. It’s more important than ever for real journalists to actually test gear. It may seem obvious, but AI will never be able to feel and use the gear you’re hoping to buy, so thorough, honest testing is the best way journalists can survive through this change. I’m proud to work with the excellent folks at Treeline, and I want to thank you for your continued support so we can keep writing detailed and nuanced gear reviews with real hands-on testing.
Emphasis on Durability in Apparel
Speaking of gear testing, there were some exciting updates and newcomers at OMS this year. I noticed an emphasis on durability, which especially shined through in climbing apparel. Patagonia is coming out with some burly looking clothes that I can’t wait to try out while climbing, and TEREN (which only has men’s clothes at the moment) was showcasing a pair of upcoming pants infused with Kevlar and graphene. The founder said they’re as strong as thick canvas pants, while being as light as chinos. I’ll be sure to compare them to some of my other favorite climbing pants.
exciting new gear innovations
I’m also super excited to test out the PACKFIRE, the portable fire pit other Treeline staff has already explained, and alpaca socks from Hollow Socks. I’ve seen their ads featuring Forrest Galante in the past, but as a fan of Paka’s alpaca socks, I’m eager to compare the two.
If you love taking advantage of the comforts and luxuries of car camping, you might be familiar with Hest. They make memory foam mattresses and pillows that have given me some of the best nights of sleep I’ve had outdoors. That’s why I’m super excited for their yet-to-be-released camp chair. It has a super plush memory foam cushion on the seat and back that seriously made it feel like I was sitting on a couch.
Lastly, Dometic, the brand that’s basically synonymous with electric coolers, was showing off its non-electric coolers, the Recon line. The injection-molded hard coolers and portable soft coolers all had really intriguing design details that seem to be very well thought out. The hard coolers can even be opened from either side, and they have a small rail on the top so you can stack one on top of another without fear of it slipping off. -Kai Burkhardt
Chris Meehan’s Take
While I’ve been attending outdoor industry events for over a decade, this was my first opportunity to check out the Outdoor Media Summit and I really appreciated the focus on the media aspect of it. There were actually sessions relevant to writing about and for the industry—something I don’t remember seeing at any of the dozens of Outdoor Retailer shows I attended over the years, and something missing from the Outdoor Media Showcase at the Outdoor Market Alliance.
Insight from Hands-on gear testing
I also really appreciated the excursions that allowed us to get more hands on with some of the gear in the setting we all love—the outdoors! I was lucky enough to get out on Alpacka’s latest packrafts, the Zephyr, a new flatwater boat that was a lot of fun to paddle in on the Animas in Durango. It’s so new Alpacka doesn’t have any information about it on their site yet, but we’re hoping to get out in it next spring for more testing. It’s a little heavier and bigger than some of their other models, but it cruised a lot faster on the Animas than the other boats out that day.
gear on Chris’ Watch List
New Gear from Zenbivy
I was also impressed by Zenbivy. I don’t think I’ve seen them in person before. Though their Zenbivy Ultralight Bed Muscovy ExpeDRY impressed, what I was most impressed by was a conversion kit with adhesive loops.
That kit allows anyone to convert any quilt to work with a Zenbivy sheet and make it into an ad hoc Zenbivy bed—for waaaay less than buying the full system. They explained that they wanted to make sure people can experience the comfort of the system with a lower cost barrier and that when they’re ready to buy a new sleep system perhaps they’ll consider the full Zenbivy bed system—pretty reasonable in my opinion.
Teren Overlander Pants
The TEREN Overlander Pants intrigued me. With Kevlar and graphene interwoven into the threads of pants, I really want to see how durable they are. They had a wonderfully soft hand, good stretch and felt pretty thin, so I’d like to see how they handle rock climbing and other outdoor adventures that typically shred pants.
PACKFIRE Fire Pit
The PACKFIRE Fire Pit was another new piece of gear that looked really interesting. The 35-pound portable fire pit is not a piece I’d want to lug five miles in the backcountry. But it folds flat and fits in a hard-sided backpack in seconds, sets up in under a minute. Both make it really appealing for car camping and glamping as it takes up a lot less space than fire pits like SoloStoves.
Also impressive, the company went from an idea in 2023 to a finished product in about nine months. That’s probably largely because the founders and advisors include industry vets who founded companies including GCI Outdoors and Mountain Hardwear. However, as someone who lives in Denver, which has a wood burning ban, I’m still holding out for a gas-powered fire pit.
Pros and Cons of Made in the USA
Lastly, one of the sessions I sat in on: “Pros and Cons of Made in USA: A Roadmap,” was interesting. Featuring Jennifer Vierling, co-founder of Tailwind Nutrition, Thor Tingey, co-founder of Alpacka Raft, and Jeff Wagner, CEO of Mayfly Outdoors, the panel discussed how each of the western-Colorado-based businesses makes in the US and why, and touched on current issues, including tariffs. Among the key reasons for producing locally they cited are providing premium products and managing inventory and material supplies. For more info on other brands that manufacture in the U.S., see our article outlining our favorite made in the USA outdoor brands.
Interestingly, Wagner said that the tariffs have helped a little in pricing parity with competitors’ products from overseas. But the panel agreed that they’d rather just have stable pricing of goods–whether its materials they’re buying or products on the shelves. Without that stable pricing, it gets hard for them to predict sales, apply for the right amount of financing, and invest in growth. -Chris Meehan
Naomi Hudetz’s take
building trust in a world of ai
This was my first time at Outdoor Media Summit, and although I was speaking on a panel about "disruptions to affiliates" (which was basically about AI), I was surprised by how pervasive the topic was to the overall conference. Almost every person I met brought it up. The general consensus was that we can't ignore AI. It's not going away.
But at the same time, at Treeline, we're emphasizing even more than ever that we're real people testing actual gear. We want our writers to tell their story, even in gear reviews. We want our writers' passion for their sport to come through in their reviews because we want to connect with our readers.
We want to inspire our readers to do the things–thru-hiking, skiing, fly fishing. We're building community both online and offline by going to in-person events and meeting our readers in person.
We're building trust. We want our readers to trust that we aren't AI-generated content that just regurgitates what's already out there. We don't want to be an echo chamber.
Gear innovations
But back to gear!
I'm stoked to test the 2026 NEMO Dragonfly Bikepack OSMO 2P tent. I used the 2025 version on the 2,657-mile long Western Wildlands Route this year and loved it. They've made some significant changes, including a new pole structure at the top of the tent for increased headroom, and the rainfly has been extended all the way to the ground.
I'm always on the lookout for women's hiking pants with functional pockets, and the LIVSN Ecotrek Trail Pants delivers them and more. Four-way stretch, sustainability ethics, repair program, and lifetime guarantee made testing these a no-brainer.
I was also intrigued by the specs of Kahtoola's MICROspikes Ghost. They're 43% lighter than their original MICROspikes, at 6.8 ounces for a pair size medium. Yet they still have 12 spikes per shoe. I'm hoping the snow comes soon so I can test them.
Finally, I wouldn't normally get excited about a travel pillow, but HEST took it up a notch with their Pro Travel Pillow. Two things that have always bothered me about travel pillows: 1) the fact that the exterior is probably not very clean, as it seems to bump up against everything during transport, and 2) they're bulky.
HEST solved both of these problems with a compressible pillow that packs into a washable cover. It compresses down to maybe a third of its fully expanded size and attaches to your bag with a carabiner. I'll be testing it on a long-haul flight to Tokyo. -Naomi Hudetz
meg Carney’s Take
Treeline Review writer Chris Meehan at the happy hour before Outdoor Market Alliance. Photo by Evan Dudley.
This was my second year at the Outdoor Media Summit, and to date, it may be my favorite outdoor industry event. It is among the few events designed specifically for media, and its cap of around 200 attendees makes it one of the best networking events in the industry.
Although I’ve been before, this was my first year attending the campout on Sunday night before the full conference began. It is an even smaller, more intimate event showcasing a few brands, including Dometic, Coast, and HEST. If people can swing it, I found that campout to be a highlight for me because it was a smaller group, so it was easier to chat with people, and at the start of the conference, everyone was still full of energy and excitement.
Meg’s gear watch list
Moving into the conference, I have to say that while the New Gear Speed Date is effective, I find it very overwhelming and overstimulating. There is a lot of pressure to fit all of the information into a short time frame, but I do like the opportunity to see and meet brands to either strengthen relationships or create new ones. I was kind of disappointed in that I didn’t feel there were many standout gear updates this year. A few smaller brands did stand out, such as Hollow, ALPAKA, and TEREN.
That said, the gear updates that I’m most excited about are from NEMO Equipment. They’re a company I like to keep tabs on because they are very centered in sustainability and stand true to their core values and mission. NEMO has some exciting new gear coming for 2026, but a more recent update is to the NEMO Dragonfly Tent, where they’re extending the rainfly and increasing headspace, which I look forward to comparing to the original model I have. It has been among my favorite backpacking tents, and although the updates seem minor, I can see them improving usability.
The role of AI
As you can tell from other Treeline writers, AI was a hot topic at the summit. It has been top of mind for many media professionals, so I see why it permeated panel discussions and one-on-one conversations. The AI-specific panel I attended offered some interesting insights on optimizing AI SEO and on how brands can better integrate AI tools to improve team performance. The main pieces missing from the AI panel for me were how brands are tracking their AI footprint in terms of sustainability, and the ethics of using AI in outdoor media. -Meg Carney
gabaccia MorenO’s take
This was my first time ever attending Outdoor Media Summit and I was pleasantly surprised by the balanced mix of opportunities to network, learn, and enjoy the outdoors as part of the conference. Every session felt very purposeful and relevant to the media community. The inclusion of cause-based marketing as a topic and the role of advocacy in our work rang close to my heart, and I appreciated the case-based showcase of what that work can look like at the intersections of industry and politics.
I thought the breakout sessions’ structure was very clever and efficient. Having three different perspectives around a topic within a limited time allowed each speaker to package their knowledge into clear and actionable lessons without fillers. In every session I attended, I felt the generosity and honesty of the speakers in sharing their very personal processes and experiences. In other words, I felt like I could trust the content that was being shared.
My favorite parts of the event had to be the fun opportunities to connect with people. The opening reception was a good warm-up in that it provided opportunities to meet and connect with folks while walking to the venue, while waiting in line for our food (which was delicious), and then having time to sit down casually and get to know a small group of folks over dinner or drinks.
I was lucky to attend the Birding by Ear expedition sponsored by Dometic where we all got to test and take home a Nocs 8x32 Field Tube Waterproof Monocular. Our guide Alison Kondler, aka the “living Merlin app” and founder of Birding by Ear, was delightful to learn from. Watching and hearing her call different kinds of birds was inspiring and entertaining, especially when I couldn’t tell the difference between the real bird, a pre-recorded sound, or her voice. If the birding bug had already hit me, this expedition is when it stung me. -Gabaccia Moreno
Final Thoughts
Treeline Review has never been just about gear. We’ve been about community. And whether that is your local hiking, biking, or running club or our community of writers, we think it is important to have find a good group of people with shared interests to play outside with.
As we describe in our mission, the best gear is the gear that you love so much you will continue to use, year after year. So we don't think it's a bad thing that so many brands are focusing on versatile and durable items. If it means it'll get used instead of sitting in a landfill or in the back of your garage, we consider that a win for people and the planet.
Most of all, the joy of OMS is not in the gear trends, but in having a chance to gather with some of the Treeline Team. We're proudly a fully-remote company, which means our writers can live where they like playing outdoors. It also means we have fewer chances to give each other high-fives, birdwatch, or packraft together.
Getting us all together to celebrate the work we do is the best part of OMS.
