The winners of the ISPO Award 2022 at a glance

Perfect for the mountains: with the 880 gram lightweight 30-liter Guide 30 backpack, Deuter was concerned with finding an optimal comfort-to-weight ratio and creating a product that is oriented to the actual needs of the target group. In concrete terms, this means that in addition to the low weight, the focus was on easy handling and easy access to the contents, many carrying options and a comfortable carrying system with a good fit - even with a climbing harness. Although the backpack looks minimalist, rope, ice axe, poles, helmet, goggles, cell phone and hydration system can be stowed safely and easily.

This lightweight, waterproof and ultra-comfortable backpack was one of the judges' favorites. The wide, vest-like shoulder straps with pockets and the soft back system adapt to the upper body, provide a body-hugging fit and unrestricted freedom of movement. The special carrying system also means that everything is always within easy reach. Depending on the use and equipment, the backpack can be adjusted thanks to elastic multi-purpose attachment straps for a variety of attachment and compression options. Actually made for mountaineering, the urban design also fits great in the city.

The Canadian brand BN3TH Apparel has focused on the special needs of athletic men and developed a design für base layer pants that causes less problems during sports or they can even be omitted. The so-called 'MyPakage Pouch Technology' keeps everything in place in the intimate area and prevents uncomfortable friction or compression.
The Glacier Creek pants are made from merino wool and are certified with the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). It is made of 83 percent merino, 13 percent polyamide and 4 percent elastane.

With the Squeeze Bottle with integrated water filter LifeStraw manages to find a good solution for various problems. The all-in-one product is lightweight, small packable and therefore better to carry than a normal drinking bottle. Thanks to the built-in water filter, you can use it to drink water anywhere without worrying about its cleanliness. The filter technology is based on a membrane microfilter. It does not require energy, electricity or any other power source to work. In addition, the flow rate has been increased. Perfect for any adventure and long sports sessions in the great outdoors.

The water filter LifeStraw was developed 17 years ago, now it has been further improved. New is that it can be used as a straw and you can thus drink directly from rivers and lakes. In addition, a thread has been incorporated that fits on standard drinking bottles. Thus, you can also use the straw only as a filter device. It protects against 99.999999 percent of bacteria, 99.999 percent of parasites and 99.999 percent of microplastics and other contaminants and has a capacity of 4,000 liters.
Weighing only 65 grams and taking up very little space, the LifeStraw Peak water filter straw fits in any backpack and is perfect for any emergency kit or survival trip.  

This lightweight jacket is not only made entirely of recycled polyester fabric, it is also completely recyclable again. To achieve this, Adidas relies on mono-material. That means the jacket doesn't have to be laboriously disassembled into its components for recycling, because fabric and all other ingredients, such as the Velcro fasteners and yarns, are also made of polyester. Zippers or spandex were dispensed with.
Interesting also the construction: behind the main pocket is a tunnel, which allows the wearers to use this either as a hand warmer or to close the hip straps of the backpack and thereby keep the kangaroo pocket accessible.

Conclusive end-of-life concept: With the NXT Level Bio Down jacket, the New Zealand outdoor brand Kathmandu presents a biodegradable insulation jacket. It is soft, warm, lightweight and made entirely of biodegradable materials. The used biodegradable nylon polymer is called 'Amni-Soul Eco'. The fabric, sewing thread and zipper are based on it. All other materials are of natural origin and naturally biodegradable. It is lined with 600-fill duck down, certified with the Responsible Down Standard (RDS). Cotton was used for the labels.
The compostability is also continued in the packaging.

Even more sustainable: Helly Hansen has relaunched its best-selling hardshell jacket from made of recycled fibers. This increases the overall sustainable effect and the topic moves out of the niche. The recycled material is Ocean Bound material, which is made from discarded and lost fishing gear that would otherwise end up as marine debris. The bluesign® product also features a PFC-free DWR treatment. But that doesn't mean compromises have been made on function. The 3-layer construction has fully sealed seams and is specifically designed for use in rough terrain on the mountain.

With the MTL Skyfire 2 trail running shoe Merrell sends a real lightweight into the race. With a weight of less than 200 grams, the shoe nevertheless offers sufficient protection, agility and above all decent speed thanks to the integrated BZM-8 plate. This plate lies between two layers of FloatPro Foam™, Merrell's most responsive midsole. For grip and minimal weight with maximum traction, Merrell uses the Vibram® MegaGrip® outsole with five-millimeter lugs. This extra lightweight construction is designed to reduce foot fatigue. This not only makes you faster, it also prevents injuries. The target group is professional trail runners.

With the Rogue outdoor shoe, Merrell is targeting backpackers and combines technologies from the trail running sector with the comfort, protection and durability of classic hiking boots. Designed for a wide variety of terrain and almost all weather conditions, the ankle-high shoe is particularly lightweight. For the upper, Merrell relies on Gore-Tex and ballistic mesh, which is particularly lightweight and robust at the same time. Since backpackers are often young, the design plays an important role: The neon orange optics is guaranteed an eye-catcher.

The special feature of this multifunctional high-touring backpack is the carrying system. Wearing comfort provides the wide, padded shoulder and hip straps and the close-fitting, reinforced with metal braces for full contact back, plus the used material. Ortovox relies namely not only in clothing on wool, but for the first time in a backpack. Thus, the carrying system consists of 80 percent Swisswool from the Swiss Alps. Thanks to the climate-regulating properties of wool and its excellent moisture management, the backpack remains comfortable to wear in a wide range of temperatures.

In the summer of 2023, the mountain sports specialist Rab launches its first bike wear collection. Crowning this new line is the Cinder Phantom Jacket, which combines experience from mountain sports with the needs of the cycling world. The minimalist jacket is feather-light and waterproof at less than 100 grams. The ergonomic fit with curved front zipper, pre-shaped sleeves and slim hood that can be stowed under the helmet provide plenty of comfort and protection on every ride. Well thought out are the details: the jacket can be stowed in a small stuff sack, which you can easily attach to the bike frame.

Ultralight, highly functional and yet soft: This 3-layer jacket puts an end to stiff, bulky silhouettes and achieves real wearing comfort. This was made possible by a new type of zipper, the Integra from zipper specialist YKK, in which the zipper teeth are directly connected to the waterproof fabric. There is no need for a zipper tape or extra seam sealing. This not only reduces the weight, but also the stiffness of the jacket. Paired with an ultra-lightweight 3-layer Gore-Tex Active laminate (only 70g / sqm) and a minimalist equipment a perfect equipment for mountain sports.

With the Terra Scout headlamp, the Swedish manufacturer Silva proves that the issue of sustainability is possible even in hardware - specifically in headlamps. All plastics are recycled and even the lamp unit contains so-called Revo material. This consists of recycled polymers mixed with plant fibers from hemp and causes up to 90 percent less CO2 emissions compared to standard plastics. Silva does not dye the material, so each headlamp has a unique look. The energy supply is via rechargeable batteries or alkaline batteries.
In addition, the lamp is particularly lightweight, easy to use and affordable.

Adidas combines current innovations from the field of sustainability with urban style and the idea of easy entry. The robust hiking shoe in urban look was developed for light adventures and is suitable for many applications. New is the use of the spring launched, PFC-free and durably waterproof Gore-Tex ePE membrane in combination with a PFC-free finish, as well as recycled materials and Parley fibers made from recycled ocean plastic.

In this t-shirt Odlo relies on the fiber technology Nuyarn and combines it with wool. Unlike conventional spinning processes for synthetic textile fibers, which compromise the potential of the fibers by twisting, Nuyarn designs fibers along a high-performance core. This yarn performs better in all areas: In stretch, loft, strength, drying time and mechanical abrasion. In combination with wool, for example, this results in faster drying times, greater elasticity and better seam strength. Above all, the material feels wonderfully soft on the skin.

The simple ideas are often the best: The South Tyrolean sledge manufacturer Bachmann Rodel has developed a patented system for braking and controlling sledge safely and easily. The system works intuitively: brakes are attached to the runners of the sledge, which move downwards when the steering rope is pulled and grip the snow. In this way, sledges becomes safer and also takes away the fear of those who have little experience in sledging.  

The Vertix 2 is best described as a smartwatch designed for running and the great outdoors - including cycling, hiking, climbing and mountaineering. That's because it's the first watch in the world to offer dual-frequency GNSS, which enables precise positioning via five different satellite constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou and QZSS) with impressive accuracy in complex environments. In addition, there are classic training features.
The smartwatch offers a free global map display, buttons and touch screen, ECG/HRV and 240 hours of battery life on a single charge.

Komperdell from Austria has developed a women-specific trekking pole that is 40 percent lighter than conventional trekking poles. With only 175 grams per pole, this innovation is one of the lightest products on the market. The enormous weight reduction was made possible by the use of an ultra-light carbon pole, which is break-resistant and just as resilient as an aluminum pole. The Powerlock 3.0 closures are made of forged aluminum and can withstand loads of up to 200 kilograms. Ergonomically shaped cork handles are lightweight and comfortable to the touch. The poles have an adjustable length of 90 to 120 centimeters and a small pack size of only 57 centimeters.

These bike pants from the Canadian brand BN3TH Apparel are aimed at male cyclists with their novel, patent-pending MTB-specific STS (Sea-to-Sky) seat pad. The pad's cover is three millimeters thick, and the surface is made of a blend of 82 percent nylon and 18 percent spandex. A central channel is designed to reduce pressure and numbness while riding. Equally innovative is the MyPakage Pouch technology, which is also patented. A special crotch construction keeps everything in place in the intimate area and prevents friction or compression. An IONIC + No Stink Technology also reduces odor.

What happens to a product at the end of its life cycle? Schöffel thought about this and created an example of the circular economy with the lightweight outdoor pants Circ Pants Looop. The pants are made of recyclable polyester and can be converted back to 100 percent polyester at the end of their use phase. This is made possible by the patented revolTEX® technology, a highly efficient recycling process in which polyester is dissolved and converted back into its basic chemical building blocks. This creates raw materials without the use of fossil fuels. The design goal of the pants was to combine the mono-material with the performance requirements of hiking pants.

The idea behind the product was to develop a warm jacket that can be worn during activity without getting too warm. It is therefore the perfect layer for high aerobic activities in cold and wet environments. Thanks to the synthetic down filling, the jacket keeps you warm permanently and is breathable thanks to the novel 50/50 construction. This construction allows a certain distance between the insulation lamellas. Combined with a high CFM outer fabric, this creates an airflow from the inside to the outside, which promotes better temperature management. An insert under the arm reduces the volume and improves the fit.

Multifunctionality is the basic idea behind this enormously adaptable 3-in-1 backpack, which you can adjust to 22 or 40 liters volume depending on your needs. So you need only one backpack, but cover various applications. A lot of attention to detail goes into the Shell's accessory ecosystem, which helps to better organize contents and make the best use of space. Its removable interior compartment with integrated compression system packs up to 20 percent more items and helps keep things organized. Strategically placed zippers make it easy to resize the pack. Plus, the Shell is made from 100 percent recycled fibers from pre- and post-consumer waste.