Sometimes聽the best new gear is also the most affordable鈥攊nnovation is great,聽but less so if it raises prices to inaccessible levels for most of us who play in the outdoors. So our editors scoured the trade-show floor at Outdoor Retailer this week to find the most compelling products under $50.
Jetboil Jetset Utensil Kit ($10)

As we all know by now, sporks don鈥檛 work. So invest in a set of utensils instead. I鈥檝e been using the fork, spoon, and spatula in 聽this聽summer, because they pack down small but extend when I鈥檓 ready to get cooking. Plus, the nylon construction can withstand the high temperature of a pot or skillet. I鈥檓 not sure if these are dishwasher safe, but they haven鈥檛 melted on me yet.
鈥擶ill Egensteiner, senior editor
Coast EAL13 Lantern ($30)

Coast has quietly been making some of our favorite lights and multitools for years. The EAL13聽is another solid entry in the Portland, Oregon,聽company鈥檚 lineup. It鈥檚 versatile鈥攚ith four lighting modes (low white, high white, red, and flashing red)鈥攁nd has carabiners on the top and bottom for hanging in a tent or above a camp table. The globe comes off if you want a wider beam, but my favorite feature is the magnets on the bottom that allow you to slap the lantern on any metal surface, like聽the side of your truck if you鈥檙e parked on the shoulder of the road but need to stay visible to other drivers.
鈥擶.贰.
Matador Quick Ties (Four for Under $10)

Matador鈥檚 new reusable zip ties, called Quick Ties, are one of those brilliant little products that offer an intuitive fix to a common problem. I buy single-use plastic zip ties by the hundreds and absolutely burn through those fantastically useful little guys. They are a necessity in my field-repair kits, regardless of the sport. I鈥檝e also found myriad uses for them while tinkering with gear in my garage and on home projects that require a quick, easy fix. They are so inexpensive and useful that I use them pretty thoughtlessly, which I know is wasteful. While I drink my water, coffee, and booze almost exclusively out of reusable vessels, I typically聽wouldn鈥檛 think twice about using a dozen zip ties to fix a piece of gear for a day, then throwing them away when I got home and found a more permanent fix. Matador鈥檚 reusable Quick Ties use natural rubber and a toggle to deliver all the useful microratcheting of their single-use counterparts in a package that can considerably cut down on your plastic waste if you鈥檙e a heavy user like me.
鈥擩oe Jackson, Gear Guy
Kokopelli Packraft Delta Series Feather Pump ($40)

Ultralight and ultracompressible, pack rafts are an ideal tool for long, multisport adventures that may involve some time on water and some time on, say, a bike. They weigh mere pounds and fold up into something resembling a loaf of bread. The only catch: they inflate using a manual bag pump, similar to a bellows, which usually takes upward聽of five minutes (and involves a decent arm workout). Kokopelli鈥檚 new poses a significant upgrade at a relatively insignificant cost. This electric six-ounce plastic brick, about the size and shape of a point-and-shoot digital camera, screws onto your raft鈥檚 air valve and pumps it full (using an electric fan) in less than a minute at the push of a button. The pump is rechargeable via a USB, and the company says a single charge is good for as many as 50 inflations. What we鈥檙e most stoked about: it鈥檚 compatible with most other brands鈥 rafts (and sleeping pads and air mattresses), so you don鈥檛 have to own a Kokopelli product, or even a pack raft, in order to benefit from it.
鈥擜riella Gintzler, assistant editor
Patagonia Hats ($35)

Trucker hats are part of my daily outfit, and I never stopped to consider what the majority of bills are made of: plastic. Patagonia has been working with to turn used fishing nets found off the coast of South America into hat brims. Upcycled gear isn鈥檛 anything new, but we love the fact that these new Bureo-Patagonia hats will be built with traceable materials. The revamped construction will be widely available in Patagonia trucker hats and caps in 2020.
鈥擩eremy Rellosa, reviews editor