Outdoor Insight

July 2021 • Outdoor Insight • 15 outdoorinsightmag.com C otopaxi and NEMO announced the launch of a new trade-in recommerce program with Trove and REI to give customers more Used Gear options. This collaboration and resale program aims to allow Cotopaxi and NEMO to quickly enter the resale market, Trove to further its mission to create a world with less waste through a more circular economy, and REI to continue growing its high-quality used gear assortment. REI will sell Cotopaxi's and NEMO's preowned merchandise through its existing Used Gear resale site. Through this partnership, Cotopaxi, NEMO and REI will be prolonging the lifecycle of their products, offering customers sustainable design and product integrity, while engaging conscious consumers and driving a more sustainable and circular retail economy. Customers can trade in their Cotopaxi and NEMO items in exchange for a gift card by mailing in their gently used gear and apparel. The items are sent to Trove, which assesses each product, assigns a condition grade, and cleans and/or repairs the item prior to approving it for photography and placement for sale on REI's Used Gear site. All partners worked closely to build out this unique trade-in program to give customers more options. Customers who want to trade in a preowned product can choose whether to use REI's mail-in trade-in program or go directly through Cotopaxi or NEMO. The value of each product will be the same no matter which option the customer chooses. Customers who initiate trade-ins through REI's program will receive an REI gift card and those who initiate trade-ins through each brand's program will receive a gift card for that brand's website. l COTOPAXI + NEMO + REI: TRADING IN B ritish apparel brand Rab is making its entry into the pack market in Spring 2022. Rab is a sister brand to pack brand Lowe Alpine — both are owned by Equip Outdoor Technologies. Rab's new pack line is part of Equip's strategic initiative to build upon each of its brands' strengths, offering more opportunities for customers, according to the company. New pack ranges from both Lowe Alpine and Rab for Spring/Summer '22 are built based on Lowe Alpine's expertise rom more than 50 years of pack innovation and design. Tim Fish, product director at Rab & Lowe Alpine, explains: "This step offers a fantastic opportunity to drive future product innovation and development, strengthen both brands, and expand the visibility of our depth of knowledge, expertise, and rich heritage in pack design." Rab's brand new pack collection focuses on the fast, light and vertical. The Aeon franchise is a series of three pack ranges that are tough, technical and built from 50% recycled fabrics. Equipped for the mountain, the Aeon is posi- tioned as "multi-tool" of packs, with models and sizes to suit a wide variety of mountain activities such as mountaineering, fast hiking, trail running, scrambling and via ferrata. For climbers, there is a new range of packs launched under Rab's new ONE80 climbing collection. Built for life at the crag, they are constructed from ballistic nylons and with a detailed climbing feature set. From larger volume packs for long approaches and heavy racks, to smaller, lighter packs for trips to the climbing gym, there's something in the range for every climber. Meanwhile, Lowe Alpine is launching the Sirac series of multi-day adventure packs, as well as updates to its popular Airzone and Cerro Torre ranges. The Sirac is built around the new Air Contour X carry system, featuring an injection-molded back panel and a CNC wire space frame to provide a torsional lattice structure cushioned with soft, high recovery foam for comfort. With reduced weight and body-mapped flex, this carry system enables dynamic movement and a comfortable, secure carry across varied terrain. The Sirac series consists of packs for men and women, ranging in size between 40L and 65L. l RAB: GETTING INTO PACKS

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