On June 24, the launch meeting for the group standard Outdoor Sports Equipment—Part 4: Trekking Poles was held in Ningbo. The meeting aimed to establish scientific standards for trekking pole products, further advance the development of China's standardized outdoor equipment system, and foster a healthy market environment for outdoor products that better serves consumers.
Representatives from the Outdoor Industry Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “Outdoor Industry Committee”) and the Science and Technology Standards Department of the federation, along with representatives from participating companies and testing and certification organizations, attended the meeting.
Notably, JD.com and Tmall, two major e-commerce platforms, are also drafting organizations for this standard. Leveraging their extensive online reach, they will actively participate in promoting and implementing the standard, helping establish a positive correlation between compliance with the standard and sales of high-quality products.
During the meeting, technical representatives from participating companies discussed various technical aspects of trekking poles based on the draft standard, including strength, toughness, and compact storage. Consensus was reached on most of the proposed technical parameters, while more detailed reference data for certain provisions will need to be obtained through further testing.
Following a series of group standards, including Classification of Outdoor Sports Equipment, Outdoor Sports Equipment—Part 1: Sports Underwear, Outdoor Sports Equipment—Part 2: Handcarts, and Outdoor Sports Equipment—Part 3: Portable Lighting Equipment, this standard represents another significant initiative in the standardization of a specific outdoor product category. As the series of outdoor equipment standards continues to expand and improve, it will provide a stronger foundation for regulating China's outdoor products market, promoting the healthy development of outdoor sports, and creating a better market environment for consumers.
A technical representative from a company that previously participated in developing Outdoor Sports Equipment—Part 2: Handcarts noted that the company has strictly followed the standard in its manufacturing processes since its introduction. After two years of market experience and validation, the brand's high-standard, high-quality handcarts have gained greater consumer acceptance. The standard has not only helped regulate the market but also contributed to enhancing brand value to some extent. The company is actively supporting the development of the trekking pole standard, hoping to contribute to the industry while creating greater social and commercial value through the standardization of specialized product categories.
Moving forward, the draft standard will undergo experimental validation, further discussions, and expert review before its official release. The standard was approved for development by the federation, with support from the Outdoor Industry Committee. We welcome more companies committed to advancing standardization in the outdoor industry to participate in this initiative. Industry colleagues are also encouraged to contact us at any time with suggestions and ideas to support the industry's development.