Every fall, the outdoor industry’s gear makers and storytellers gather in one place to talk about what’s next. This year, Outdoor Media Summit landed in Asheville, North Carolina, almost exactly two years to the day after Hurricane Helene’s flooding tore through the region. We’re happy to report the city looked fantastic: lively, rebuilt, and absolutely worth a return trip.
One of our favorite parts of the summit? Speed dating. But not the awkward kind. At the New Gear Speed Date, brands got a few minutes at a time to walk us through the gear they’re most excited about, and the media in the room voted on their favorites. We all geeked out over some cool new stuff. Here’s what stood out.
YETI: Way More Than Coolers and Tumblers
If YETI still just means “cooler” to you, it’s time for an update. Since buying cast iron maker Butter Pat Industries and pack maker Mystery Ranch in 2024, the brand has built out a full camp kitchen and now a serious hiking pack.
The kitchen gear had us daydreaming about campfire dinners:
- Cast Iron Ranch Pan: A 6-quart deep skillet, made in Wisconsin, for braising, simmering, and roasting outside over the fire or inside on your stove. It weighs 8.3 pounds, lighter than it looks, because it’s cast thick only where it needs to be.
- Stainless Steel Grill Press: Smash burgers and crispy bacon without the rust worries of cast iron. It’s 304 stainless steel and goes right in the dishwasher.
- Rambler Insulated Bowls: Vacuum-insulated bowls in three sizes that keep chili hot and potato salad cold, then nest together for packing.
Then there’s the Skala, YETI’s first true hiking pack, built with Mystery Ranch know-how. A pull-to-open RipZip shows you everything inside at once, and it comes in 32 to 60 liters with men’s and women’s fits. It also took home Judge’s Choice Gear of the Show honors at the summit.
NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair
The Stargaze is the closest thing to a hammock that still counts as a chair. The seat hangs from tensioned straps, so it swings gently, and the backrest reclines on its own when you lean back. No levers, no fiddling, just instant stargazing mode.
NEMO’s latest update makes it easier to set up and roomier at the shoulders, with a bigger padded headrest that fits taller campers. Two cupholders and side pouches keep your drink and phone within reach. It’s a splurge, but it sits low and stays steady on sand, rocky ground, or a spongy soccer sideline, so it earns its spot in the car.
ENO CloudView Folding Chair
Yes, another chair. Hear us out. ENO is an Asheville hometown brand, so it had plenty to show off. The one its team was most excited about was the brand-new CloudView Folding Chair, and the summit’s gear editors agreed: it was named an Editor’s Choice Gear of the Show winner.
The Stargaze swings, but the CloudView is all about cushion. It’s an oversized folding chair with a padded seat, headrest, and armrests, plus a breathable mesh back so you don’t overheat by the fire. The aluminum frame folds up fast, there’s a built-in cupholder, and the carry bag doubles as a ground mat. It holds up to 300 pounds and weighs 11, so think car camping, not the trail. Fair warning: it’s comfy enough that you’ll be pulling it out in the backyard between trips, too.
RTIC Double-Time Water Cooler
Lemonade for the kids, margaritas for the grown-ups? With the Double-Time, you don’t have to pick. A removable divider splits this 4-gallon cooler into two 2-gallon compartments, each with its own fast-fill tap. Pull the divider out when the whole crew wants the same drink.
A split viewport shows how much of each drink is left. Each tap locks for the drive and has an autofill setting for hands-free pours. Closed-cell foam and a freezer-style gasket keep drinks cold for up to two days. It’s also about 30% lighter than rotomolded water coolers its size, and TIME named it a special mention on its Best Inventions of 2026 list.
Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler Duffel
Eagle Creek is best known for travel luggage, but its newly redesigned Cargo Hauler is the bag campers should look at. It’s a gear-hauling duffel made from 100% recycled fabrics with a water-resistant coating, in 40, 60, or 90 liters.
A wide D-shaped lid opens the whole bag at once, and two end compartments keep muddy boots and smoky layers away from everything else. There are grab handles everywhere, the backpack straps tuck away when you don’t need them, and the empty bag packs into its own end pocket.
HydraPak Flux 1L
There are waterbottles galore at any outdoor industry event, but the Flux is unique. It looks like a regular water bottle and stands up on the picnic table like one. When it’s empty, though, you roll it up and stash it in a pocket. At 3.6 ounces, it’s about half the weight of a hard bottle.
A twist-to-drink nozzle with a dust cover keeps trail grit out, and a flexible handle clips it to your pack. Added bonus: it works with most 42mm filters, including HydraPak’s Filter Cap and the Katadyn BeFree, so it doubles as a filter bottle. It also comes in 750 ml and 1.5 L.
Grand Trunk Compass 360° UC Stool
Our third and final seat, we promise. This one comes with hardware, too: the summit’s gear editors named it an Editor’s Choice Gear of the Show winner.
The Grand Trunk UC (Ultra Compact) Stool packs down to 7.5 inches long and weighs 1.2 pounds, small enough to disappear into a daypack. The seat is built in, so setup is just popping it open. And it swivels a full 360 degrees, which turns out to be very handy when you’re tending the fire, passing s’mores, and chatting with the camper beside you. It holds up to 260 pounds and carries a lifetime warranty.
Travoca Rigel 35 Dual Zone eCooler
This one’s for campers who are done fishing soggy sandwiches out of melted ice. The Travolca Rigel is a 35-liter electric fridge-freezer, so there’s no ice at all. A removable divider splits it into two zones you set separately, anywhere from -4°F to 80°F. Frozen steaks on one side, cold drinks on the other.
It runs off your car’s 12V outlet, a wall plug, or a portable power station, and a Bluetooth app lets you check and change temperatures without opening the lid. Vacuum-insulated panels wrap the whole liner, the lid opens from either side or comes off completely, and the steel body is built for bumpy forest roads.
Zenbivy Core Bed and Ultralight Bed
If mummy bags make you feel trapped but quilts let in every draft, Zenbivy’s design is worth a look. A sheet with a built-in hood wraps your sleeping pad like a fitted sheet, and the quilt clips onto it. You get sleeping-bag warmth with the freedom to sleep on your side, your stomach, or however you land.
The Core Bed Bundle is Zenbivy’s simplest, softest setup, and it comes with everything: quilt, sheet, air mattress, pillow, and dry sack. The Ultralight Bed, which Zenbivy brought to the summit, trims weight with a half-length sheet, 900-plus fill-power down, and featherlight 10D Pertex Quantum fabric. In its lightest setup, the quilt and sheet together weigh about 20 ounces.
The Takeaway
If OMS 2026 had a theme, it was camp comfort without compromise: chairs that swing and swivel, a cooler that skips the ice entirely, and sleep systems that feel more like your bed at home. Keep an eye out for our holiday gift guide, too. It’s packed with even more gear we spotted at OMS.
In the meantime, if Asheville isn’t on your list yet, add it. The city is thriving, the locals are happy to see outdoor enthusiasts back to visit, and the Blue Ridge Mountains are right outside the door.
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