A look at New Element’s outdoor brands

66 North, Knog, Exped and Life Is Good were among the brands represented by New Element when I Love Outdoor visited in October 2010 for a thorough introduction to the coming winter’s and following year’s products.

Icelandic brand 66 North had come through the financial crisis strongly and had plenty to offer for winter and the next season. We looked at everything from very thin windbreakers to warm down parkas.

Knog focused on cycling accessories with personality. The FRANK’s DOG shoulder bag stood out: its very wide strap made it unusually comfortable to carry. We also saw the Party Frank lock in 12 colors and the popular Frog Strobe and Beetle bike lights.

Exped was already familiar to many readers through its lightweight stuff sacks and down-filled sleeping mats, which had helped it gain market share in the preceding years. As we had recently reported, Ola Skinnarmo had also chosen Exped equipment.

For summer 2011, Exped planned an Ultra Light range spanning tents, storage and sleeping mats. According to New Element’s Ulf Waldekrantz, advance sales were strong. A tour-skating backpack was also due that year, launching exclusively through Naturkompaniet, with more information to follow.

New Element also carried lifestyle brand Life Is Good, founded by brothers Bert and John Jacobs. The original account tells how they used their last $78 to print 48 T-shirts featuring Jake, the character that became the brand’s familiar face. All sold on the first day. By the time of this article, the brand had spread widely around the world and was described as generating billions of Swedish kronor in revenue.