OutdoorGB looks to the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series

2009 sees big changes to the format of the Championship, the innovative changes will see the creation of a series as oppose to the one off event of previous years. The series will comprise of 8 events taking place across some of the most internationally renowned cities, where the world's top athletes will compete head to head in a bid to be crowned ITU Triathlon World Champion. The series will wrap up with the Grand Final in Australia's Gold Coast on 9th September where the overall ITU Triathlon World Champion will be decided.

The change to the format also brings much larger cash prizes, with the final bonus pool almost tripling that of previous years. Each event will feature a prize purse of $150,000 (all prizes in US dollars) with the Grand Final offering $250,000; the total combined prize pot at stake in the battle to become ITU's 2009 world champion is a record $2 million.

This new format for the Championship will bring massive exposure to the up and coming sport of Triathlon, televised coverage will provide a platform in which the sport can be viewed by millions. Using a similar model to that of F1 racing, where top athletes’ battle head to head throughout each stage in a bid to become overall champion, this change is a significant step forward in the history of the sport. The new format will bring mass participation for thousands of different age-group athletes with the ITU Age-Group, AWAD and Sprint World Championships all being staged at the Grand Final event along with Junior and Under 23 competitions. The Championship's format change will create a distinct sports product that will offer excellent opportunities for the athletes, sponsors, host cities and TV broadcasters involved. The Finnish manufacturer of precision sports instruments, Suunto as stocked by OutdoorGB, is one such sponsor.

Suunto, one of OutdoorGB's leading brands, have signed up to serve as the official timing and data partner for the duration of the 2009 ITU World Championship Series. The partnership with Suunto will provide a unique opportunity to integrate cutting-edge technology into the triathlon events and televised coverage. Suunto will collect high performance data from competing athletes which will then be delivered direct to TV screens across the globe. Collected data will include GPS, real-time speed and distance information and heart rate information. The usage of this data in TV programming will significantly enhance the television viewer's experience, offering a whole new level of interaction. Perhaps the greatest level of interaction is the fact the products used by the athletes are all from Suunto's T-Series range, which are available to purchase from OutdoorGB.

Products such as the Suunto T3c coupled with a Foot Pod provide the opportunity for the amateur athlete to emulate the athletes as seen on their TV screens. With fitness products like those from the Suunto T-Series readily available and the amount of TV exposure of Triathlon events, there is always a possibility that those watching on TV this summer could perhaps step up their game, improve their performance and see themselves competing in future ITU World Championship Triathlon events.

Throughout the ITU World Championship, OutdoorGB will be providing regular updates here.

2009 ITU Triathlon World Championship event diary:

Tongyeong, Korea, 2nd May - 3rd May 2009

Madrid, Spain, 30th May 2009 - 31st May 2009

Washington D.C, USA, 21st June 2009

Kitzbühel, Austria, 11th July - 12th July 2009

Hamburg, Germany, 25th July - 26th July 2009

London, England, 15th August - 16th August 2009

Yokohama, Japan, 22nd August - 23rd August 2009

Grand Final - Gold Coast, Australia, 9th September - 13th September 2009

OutdoorGB guide to Casio Pro Trek Watches

There are watches that tell the time and there are watches that could save your life. Casio Pro Trek however can do both. For days out in the wilderness, a Casio Pro Trek Watch can be a serious adventuring tool. Whether you are hiking, biking, climbing, fishing or camping, there is a Pro Trek to be adorned upon your wrist. Designed for the harshest of environments, Casio Pro Trek watches are perfect for those who love the outdoor life.

With Pro Trek watches, you get the superb built quality and ruggedness you would expect of something that is going to get abused when outdoors, as let’s face it these are tools and tools are expected to be used. But more than just being something that can be bashed around like a brick, Pro Trek watches feature cutting edge technology and are packed with gadgetry. So packed, you will constantly discover new features and learn something everyday. The basic premise of most Pro Trek watches is Casio's unique Triple Sensor System. The Triple Sensor System accurately measures temperature, barometric pressure and direction. The latest Pro Trek models however go beyond this, offering even more advanced features. Here’s a rundown of the feature found in Pro Trek watches and the models sold by OutdoorGB they can be found on.

Auto Light Switch

More often than not outdoor activities require the use of both hands and without some kind of "operation" from Dr Frankenstein, getting a 3rd hand doesn't come easy. Without a third hand lighting up you watch can prove tricky. Lucky then that Casio developed the Auto Light Switch, whenever you are in low-light conditions and you need to illuminate you watch all it takes is a flick of the wrist to bring the watch into the viewing position and you have instant illumination. Featured on all OutdoorGB Pro Trek Models.

Tough Solar is a feature now found across many Casio models including G-shock and of course Pro Trek watches. With tough solar you will never need to change your watch battery again. Instead the Casio solar power system combines a super-sensitive solar panel with a high-capacity rechargeable battery that operates the various high load functions with ease. The solar panel is super sensitive and can even generate power under low fluorescent light. Featured on PRG-60T-7AVER, PRG-80L-3VER, PRW-1300-1VER, PRW-1500-1VER, PRG-50L-2VER, PRW-1300-1VER, PRG-60L, PRG-120-1AVER, PRS-201-1VER, PRW-1500T-7VER, PRW-1200-1VER and PRG-100-3VER.

Tide Graph

Those who regularly fish the ocean will agree the best fishing can be expected at about the change of the tide from flood to ebb. The tide graph will keep you posted on the moon age and the ebb and flow of the tides to help you select the best time and way to fish and support your creation of an effective fishing plan. As you acquire more and more experience, you shouldn't be surprised if you start bringing home a better catch than the old salts. Featured on PRW-1500-1VER, PRS-201-1VER, and PRW-1500T-7VER

Barometric Pressure

Whether you need alerting to approaching trouble or reminding to take your swimming suit along, the barometric pressure function shows a graphic display of readings taken at regular intervals, revealing the pressure trend at a glance. When the pressure is rising, the weather is likely to improve, when it's falling, there is usually worse weather ahead. Featured on PRG-60T-7AVER, PRG-80L-3VER, PRG-50L-2VER, PRW-1300-1VER, PRG60L, PRW-1500T-7VER, PRG-40B-2VER and PRG-100-3VER.


Altitude

Estimate your altitude based on barometric pressure readings. The higher the altitude, the lower the barometric pressure. Changes in altitude are displayed as positive or negative values with respect to an altitude you input in advance. Featured on all OutdoorGB Pro Trek Models.

Temperature
The temperature generally decreases by approximately 6.5°C with every increase in altitude of 1,000 meters, or 3.6°F with every increase of 1,000 feet. If the temperature at 1,000 meters is 10°C, therefore, the temperature at 3,000 meters will probably be about -3°C. Featured on all OutdoorGB Pro Trek Models.

Wave Ceptor
Wave Ceptor technology is probably the most powerful tool you will ever wear on your wrist. Always have the confidence to know the right time. Offering the ultimate in perfect timing, wave ceptor technology ensures absolute accuracy, to the second by automatically picking up a signal from radio transmitters in locations all over the world. Wave Ceptor will readjust the time up to 6 times a day and if that isn't enough it will also readjust for daylight savings. Featured on PRW-1500T-7VER, PRW-1200-1VER, PRW-1300-1VER and PRW-1500-1VER.

Kit Out Your Canine

The dog - mans best friend, the faithful companion to so many humans around the world. The partnership of people and canines is one that will probably last forever. Our love of dogs is so great that those four-legged friends are regular fixtures at all kinds of outdoor events. We have seen Dobermans on deck, Collies at climbing events, West Highland Terriers walking, Havanese on the hill, Cairn Terriers camping and Karakachan kayaking. Ok, so they may not have been taking part in all instances, but they were there and here at OutdoorGB we think it is about time people took notice and kitted out their pet correctly.

Here are a few of the things that will see your canine companion properly prepared for the great outdoors:

The Mountain Paws Dog's Dinner Collapsible Bowl is a great solution for dogs for hungry dogs when outdoors. With a drawcord top, the Dog’s Dinner Collapsible Bowl allows you to safely store food until Rover/Fido is hungry.

He wanted to come, so let him carry his own supplies. The Ruffwear Approach Pack Ii features a harness chassis providing superior fitting, load carrying stability and improved support without excessive straps so your four legged friend can carry his load in comfort.

Stop him getting blisters and unleash the canine athlete inside with the Ruffwear Bark'n Boots Grip Trex. Dogs want these because they stay on, easily fit, are comfortable, durable and provide amazing traction.

It can sometimes get quite chilly out on the hill and as good as it is, natures coat is just sometimes not enough. Save his blushes and warm him up with the Ruffwear K-9 Overcoat Ii. Reducing the loss of core body heat, the K-9 Overcoat also protects your dog from the wind, rain, snow, brush and burrs.

As independent as they are, sometimes dogs just need to be kept on a lead and what better lead than the Nite Ize Nite Dawg Leash. With 100,000 hours LED life and visible up to 1,000 feet in the dark, the Nite Dawg Leash will enable you to always know where that terror of a terrier is when it gets dark

Compact Keela Coat

Why does British weather have to be so unpredictable? One minute the sun is shining, the next it is pouring down with rain. Here at OutdoorGB we have found ourselves in this situation more times than we care to remember. We have been at festivals, we have been playing golf, we have been going out for a leisurely stroll, we have been going for a strenuous run and all of these times it has poured down with rain and we have ended up soaked. Its always hard to judge and harder to dress for the weather. If you take a coat, you are eventually going to end up boiling and wanting to take it off. But if you take it off then you have to carry it around!

What to do? Do you take full waterproof clothing then end up lugging it around like a packhorse? Or do you chance it with the risk of getting soaked? Maybe you should take a look at the Keela Neutronic Packlite Smock Jacket. So small and light, you could stick it in your pocket and forget about it.

Festivals in the UK last year were a classic situation for getting drenched. We found ourselves standing around in the crowd for our favourite band, not going anywhere for fear of losing our spot, then the heavens went and opened. Everyone was getting soaked, people were wearing coats but looked like they were sweltering. Others were pulling on ghastly plastic ponchos and then there were the shrewd few improvising with bin bags. No way was we paying a tenner for a plastic poncho made from the same material as carrier bags and somehow we didn't think we could pull off bin bag chic. If only we could have just whipped out our Keela Neutronic Packlite.

In that particular situation we didn't have the Keela Neutronic Packlite, so we got rather wet, fool I hear you cry. We had a coat but that was all the way in our tent, by the time we had gone and got it, we would have have missed the band, lost our spot and come back resembling some kind of drowned rodent.

Next time we are taking the Keela Neutronic Packlite, small light and hardwearing, unlike plastic ponchos it won't rip after one wear. Versatile too, it would be handy on the golf course too, easily fitting in amongst your clubs. You could also use whilst running, walking, just out and about really, its pocket size means it is convienent wherever you are.

Keela were born and bred in Scotland so they know quite a bit (to say the least) about miserable weather, the Neutronic Packlite isn't just for light showers, this jacket will perform when it really starts to tip it down, with the Super Flylite fabric also gives good protection against biting winds.

And no need to worry fashion freaks, the Keela Neutronic Packlite isn't no lairy coloured shell-suit type thing and you can accessorise it a hell of a lot better than a bin bag. It is rather minimally designed, adorned with only a small Keela logo and comes in red, yellow and electric blue for those who want to stand out from the crowd and black, charcoal and khaki for those who like to fade into the background.

Find out more here

Suunto Lumi – uniting ‘elegant’ and ‘digital’

When it comes to watches, elegance and digital are two words rarely spoken together, well positively that is. When most women think of elegant watches, they think about watches that just sit and look pretty, watches that win in the style stakes but lose when it comes to features. You would never imagine an elegant watch to have a digital display, elegant watches are delicate with diamonds aren't they? But what about a watch that looks good and has something going on upstairs? Now diamonds are wonderful, diamonds are a girl's best friend, but they are no good substitute for a compass when out trekking. The Suunto Lumi is the watch that brings together fashion and function, the watch that brings a touch of glamour to the outdoors. The watch that unites the words elegant and digital, digital? Yes digital, the Lumi features a digital display, yet it is suprisingly elegant.

Suunto know its not illegal to like active outdoor pursuits but still look good. They know that there must be plenty of us women out there who want to enjoy the great outdoors, but also want to look good at the same time. Now the fashion police may not patrol woodland areas but still that is no excuse to look a right old mess is it girls? If you are a girl who loves trekking and adventure, the Lumi is for you. Instead of carrying around your oversized handbag to pack all your gadgets into when out in the wilderness, you should take the Lumi. The Lumi packs an altimeter, barometer, stopwatch and a digital compass all into one elegant unit, try fitting all of those into the latest Miu Miu.

The Lumi isn't even that big, you would think a unit packed with so many gadgets would be rather large and cumbersome but it's really not. It may be the sister of the Suunto Core, but like many siblings its not the same size, the Lumi is the Core's little sister not it's identical twin. Don't get us wrong we aren't claiming the Lumi is as small and dainty as a normal formal watch, no what we are saying is the Lumi is functional and feminine. With a smooth rounded body and a clean minimalist screen, it's obvious why the watch was named after the Finnish word for snow. After all it has a barometer and weather trend indicator and what weather condition is more beautiful than snow?

The term brains and beauty couldn't be more appropriate, the Lumi speaks four languages, English, French, Spanish and German. Like your own personal assistant, the Lumi will count to and from special days you want to remember, will inform you about sunrise and sunset times for over 400 locations worldwide and will keep a log of your activities, you overall duration, your altitude and how high you have climbed. Plan your outfit and be prepared for the weather, the Lumi will use it's barometer to forecast the weather and will recieve storm warnings. Plus of course the Lumi shows the time, has a stopwatch and an alarm.

Beauty, versatility and hardcore outdoor functionality all rolled into one, the Suunto Lumi is perfectly suited to formal occasions as much as it is to your next outdoor adventure. This versatility is possible due to easily interchangeable straps, change the strap to suit your mood or the occasion. Outdoors you may want to use the Sportif strap, practical and plain yet still pretty due to the range of colours available, think bright yellows and pinks, colours previously unavailable on a outdoors watch. When it comes to more glamorous occasions, go for the Florette strap which features a pretty floral design that brings femininity and features together. If you don't want to wear the Lumi on your wrist it can be worn as a pendant using the pendant string and carabiner jacket. The carabiner jacket opens up a world of possibilities for the Lumi, allowing it to be attached just about anywhere.

Ladies if you are into hiking, rock climbing, kayaking or skiing, don't be pigeon-holed into using manly products, forget geeky clunky watches that drown your wrist, instead bring elegance to the outdoors with the Suunto Lumi.

Find out more about the Suunto Lumi here.

Garmin FR60 announced

Following on from the success of the Foreunner 50, Garmin have just announced the launch of its successor, the Garmin FR60.

Announced in conjunction with the 2009 ISPO Winter trade show in Munich, the Garmin FR60 looks set to raise the bar when it comes to fitness watches.

The FR60 will log every mile and every minute you cover, tracking your time, heart rate and calories burned. When bundled with the wireless foot pod, the FR60 will also be able to track your speed and distance, whether indoors or out.

The standout feature from its predecessor, is the use of Wi-Fi technology. Once you have finished your workout, the Garmin FR60 will wirelessly send your workout data to your computer for later analysis.

The FR60 will boast advanced training tools, such as training alarms and workout goals and will also feature Virtual Partner mode, which lets you race against a virtual partner to help you improve your performance.



The FR60 will utilise wireless ANT+ technology, allowing it to connect to other ANT+ compatible devices such as the included hear rate monitor, the optional foot pod or even ANT+ compatible fitness equipment. The optional foot pod will allow wireless data transfer to track your distance and speed effortlessly. Using advanced accelerometer technology, the foot pod collects and sends precise data about your movements, gathering distance and speed data that is 98 percent accurate, right out of the box.



For instant feedback about how hard you are working, the Garmin FR60 connects wirelessly to the included lightweight, flexible digital heart rate monitor to continuously track heart beats per minute and to display your heart rate zone, so you can monitor and improve your fitness level.

Triathletes will embrace the versatility of the swim-friendly FR60 as it helps them train and race indoors or outdoors, on the bike, in the water or on the trails. The featherweight foot pod enables the FR60 to track and record speed, distance, calories burned, steps and cadence without excess burden. Cyclists will enjoy the versatile options of adding a bike speed and cadence sensor and a handy bike mount.

The benefits of the Garmin FR60 will continue long after you have completed your workout, by pairing the FR60 with Garmin Connect, users can automatically log their workouts, track their totals, share workouts with coaches, friends and family and participate in an online fitness community with similar interests.

Available in red, lilac and black, the FR60 will come in both male and female versions and is set to be released Spring 2009.

The Garmin FR60 will be available from OutdoorGB, more Garmin fitness products can be found here.