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Unfortunately, each year brings a massive number of new products for the outdoors enthusiast to choose from and, to be frank, there is far too much of it for the average walker, climber or mountain biker to understand, let alone try out. Because there are so many jackets, boots, rucsacs and other obvious gear, essentials for survival and navigation (two of the cornerstones of good practice in the hills) are often overlooked.

The omission of some of these less obvious, but potentially crucial, product categories is something that we’ll attempt to put right by identifying a couple of key developments in the areas of personal survival equipment and maps and compasses. A feature of both product types is that, despite their lack of technology led sales buzz, both brand owners and consumers seem to have taken renewed interest. While the appeal of the ‘alpha male’ survival gear might be self-evident, it’s probably harder to explain the continued interest in paper, folding maps and liquid filled compasses. However, the extraordinary truth is that, whilst every walker seems to proudly sport the latest GPS unit these days, sales of traditional navigation tools are on the increase. Indeed, according to the second biggest online retailer of Ordnance Survey Maps, Above and Beyond, sales are steadily growing.

The Swedish brand, Silva, is a classic example of a company that most of us regard with affection borne of a childhood spent trying to get past the navigational impasse of “the red end points North”. The extraordinary fact is that their ageing Expedition 4 is still a de rigeur piece of equipment for serious mountain types and 2011 will see the continuation of significant product launches by Silva.

Unusually for Silva, their 2011 introductions are not so much individual products, as a concept applied to several products from simple urban direction finders to military grade expedition compasses. In short, Silva has used pared down information and coloured elements in order to make compasses at all levels easier to use. A compass like the top rated mirror sighting Expedition S incorporates a clinometer and GPS measurement scales, yet retains a very clean interface that aided by a contrast colour bezel.

A particular surprise in 2011 has been the intense interest in survival gear, which is an area of the market that is usually regarded as a small niche. This has been driven by Gerber launching the Bear Grylls range that encompasses fire starters and survival packs as well as a variety of knives. In truth, it’s the Ultimate Fixed Blade Knife, with its survival orientated features, that has led interest in the range and become a best selling product already.

It is easy for manufacturers of outdoor gear to focus all their attention on developing new products in the  core segments such as boots and waterproofs. Thankfully, 2011 has shown that they are also investing in essential, niche equipment that keep all climbers, walkers and outdoors enthusiasts safer.