Shit on Sale – July 2019

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Dissatisfied with last week’s 4th of July sales? You’re not alone. Sales events are meant to drive profit, so you’ll rarely find the bargains that pop up on the clearance rack (unless it’s one of those unicorns that’s always full price). So if 25% off a few apparel brands left you less than enthused, here’s July’s roundup of shit on sale (prices pulled 7/7):

 

  • Marker Kingpin 13 Touring Bindings – $352.50 or $317.25 with promo code through July 9th (Reg. Retail $649; 46% off or 52% off, respectively): Marker Kingpins were the end-all, be-all of downhill performance touring bindings until Fritschi cut some ounces and the Shift later popped onto the market. But they’re still a modern binding and a safe/reliable option on the scale of tech bindings. No skis? Wait til closer to Black Friday sales when shops take a deeper round of discounts on last season inventory. Need a lower DIN? The Kingpin 10s are also on sale here and here.

 

  • North Face Cat’s Meow Sleeping Bag – $79.99 (Reg. Retail $199; 60% off): If you’re shopping for a budget backpacking setup, this bag is the ticket. 20 degrees is warm enough to handle the shoulder seasons and high alpine camping, so unless you’re snow camping, you can cover all your bases with a single bag (and even then – I manage to layer and make it work with my Blue Kazoo, the down version of the Cat). My boyfriend’s compresses to the same size as my 650 fill Blue Kazoo, and hasn’t had any issues with wear & tear.

 

  • Osprey Dyna 15 Running Pack – $90.73 (Reg. Retail $140; 35% off): A color update on the Osprey Dyna line has moved black & grey to the clearance line in favor of Outdoorsy Girl Teal and I Hike Purple (apparently we can’t find our gear if it doesn’t come in those two signature colors?). I love the 15 – compresses down nicely for short days and doesn’t bounce. It’s also become my go-to choice for summer day hikes where I’m probably in pocketless running shorts, but still want easy access to my phone and my chapstick.

 

  • Deuter Women’s Guide 40+ SL Pack – $79 (Reg. Retail $180; 56% off): A few years ago, Osprey put out a women’s climbing video that, ironically, didn’t feature any climbing packs. Theirs have always been unisex. Most of the ones on the market are. Deuter’s already a gem for carrying selection parity across genders, and even better that it’s on sale. If you’re wondering about the difference between your standard hiking or backpacking packs and a designated climbing pack, climbing packs tend to stay more streamlined, without the mesh stash pockets that might get snagged and don’t store gear quite as securely. You’ll find more technical features, like extra gear loops on the waistband and a helmet carry. The ice tool attachments are more secure than your average gear loops (avoid being That Girl who has to post of social media about the ice axe that fell off your pack), and this one features bomber reinforced ski straps. The 28L version is on discount too here.

 

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Marmot Ether DriClime. Pic courtesy of Mitch Pittman

 

  • Salewa Women’s Ortles 3 GTX Pro Pant – $224.97 (Reg. Retail $499.95, 55% off): These are the Arcteryx Beta AR pants with a slightly different logo. Same membrane, generally the same fabric, full length zippers, one thigh pocket. Perfect quiver-of-one hardshell for skiing, hiking, and climbing of all types. The one thing they don’t have in common is a price of $500 with tax.

 

  • Patagonia Women’s Powslayer Bibs – $329.97 (Reg. Retail $599, 45% off): I feel like women have a love/hate relationship with most ski bibs. You don’t have to worry about snow down the pants if you wreck hard, bending over won’t expose the tramp stamp zone to a cold rush of air, and the shoulder straps alleviate a lot of fit problems for the big butt, tiny waist demographic. But they’ve also got weird quirks like covering your chest (as if boobs didn’t sweat enough already) and it takes forever to strip off all your gear for a bathroom break. Patagonia gets the women’s design right with the Powslayer. Dropseat zippers are easy to access, just an inch or two above your waist, and a lower rise beneath the bust line. These pants also get rave reviews from the women with athletic-built legs (aka, lots of skiers) due to the more generous cut in the butt & thighs.

 

  • Kari Traa Floke Long Sleeve Top – $29.97 (Reg. Retail $79.95; 63% off): This one is for the wool fans out there. Wool is getting expensive as droughts in Australia cut production and increased bidding competition for buyers. As an alternative, manufacturers are blending in fibers like modal, Tencel, and Lyocell, semi-synthetic fibers made from cellulose that share a lot of properties with wool. It wicks well, isn’t a breeding ground for BO, and gives merino some extra durability. However, it is a little slower to dry, so if you’re going to try out a merino/modal blend, experiment with something cheap.

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