Gregory Goes There

on October 30, 2008

. 1 Comment

REEL ROCK

This Saturday the Reel Rock film tour came to Sacramento Pipeworks and Gregory was on hand to donate raffle items and enjoy the films. If you haven’t seen this tour yet, check out their site for a location near you, it is worth it. There is a series of short films, including some winning submissions from a contest they held earlier this year, and the feature film ‘The Sharp End’ is intense and amazing.

Some lucky raffle winners left with recycled, one of a kind Gregory chalkbags which one of our sample sewers, Nick, made out of returned and reused Whitney packs. We also donated a Z35-R, a new Z35, and 2 products that we are currently only selling over in Japan–a messenger bag and daypack. Here’s what one of the sweepstakes tables looked like, it’s no wonder so many people bought extra raffle tickets with so many goodies to be had!

All of the money raised from the entrance fees and extra raffle tickets sold went to C.R.A.G.S., our local Sacramento climbing advocacy group and affiliate of the Access Fund.

Published

on October 27, 2008

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The killer backpack workout

I know, I know, you already know how to get a good workout with a backpack. That’s one of the main points.

But I’ll bet you didn’t know how to get this workout with a backpack. At least I sure didn’t.

Laugh you might (and you probably will; we all did), but I’ll say this: In doing PT to rehab from an injury recently, my phsyical therapist gave me a little bonus and showed me a few core-strengthening exercises to do using a bosu ball. I snickered, and thought of those aerobics classes at the gym.

Then I tried to do them and realized just how weak my core was.

I’ll bet this may be much the same.

Published

on October 23, 2008

in Hiking resources

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Come join us at Sacramento Pipeworks

CRAGS is hosting the REEL Rock Film Tour on October 25th at Sacramento Pipeworks.
Doors open at 7 pm.

Admission is $10 and includes a raffle ticket and free beer/beverage. There will be a DJ on hand spinning reggae before and after the films (and who doesn’t like reggae).

Reel Rock will be premiering a new film, The Sharp End by Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen, and Sender Films. The film features Sacramento’s own Alex Honnold, Dean Potter, Mike Patz, Steph Davis, Tommy Caldwell, Jonny Copp, Lisa Rands, and many more as they risk everything on the world’s most dangerous and committing routes. Watch as they run out trad routes, boulder highballs, scale ice covered alpine walls, and commit to all or nothing free solo ascents.

Gregory will be supporting our local climbing organization CRAGS, by donating prizes for the raffle at this event. Come out to Pipeworks for some good movies, a good cause and good times. For a complete schedule of the Reel Rocks film tour, check out their website, http://www.reelrocktour.com/.

Published

on October 22, 2008

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Sharing is Caring

Recently here at our office, we began a new committee for community outreach and volunteering. Everyone has their favorite charities, organizations or causes to volunteer for and sponsor, and this group, named Gregory Gives Back, will take all employee nominated groups into consideration.

The first official activity the committee will be engaging in (and asking all of us to help with), is a canned food drive. We’ll have a bin here in the lobby of our office for collection and will be donating to one, or hopefully many, of the local shelters and food banks in Sacramento. With the holidays fast approaching, food pantries will be going through more stock than usual, and will need everyone’s help to boost their supplies. So if you’re in the Sacramento area, stop by the office November 1st - December 19th to drop off your canned goods, and if you’re not our neighbor, don’t feel left out! Visit www.feedingamerica.org or www.findfoodbank.com to find a drop off location near you.

Although we sometimes forget that cold weather exists while basking in the warm and sunny California weather, there are many people across the nation that need coats for the upcoming winter. In conjunction with News 10, our local news affiliate, we will be collecting new and gently worn coats for both children and adults to donate to our local Sacramento Coats for Kids chapter. We will have a bin for this in our lobby as well and will be accepting donations November 1st-December 17th. You can find out more about this organization, and where you can donate coats locally, at their website, http://www.coats-for-kids.org.

As the group meets more often, they’ll be coming up with more ideas, both local and national – maybe even worldwide), that Gregory wants to be a part of. We’ll keep sharing our choices with you to try and spread the love, and if any of you out there have a favorite organization that you think we should know about, send the recommendation our way. We’ll put it into the pool for our next meeting.

Published

on October 22, 2008

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What do running and planting trees have in common?

In his home country of Japan, Gregory ambassador Hiroki Ishikawa recently organized a two-day trail running event, the second year he’s put together the Madarao Forest Trails 50km.

Part racing event and part volunteer work, participants not only race either 50 or 15k, depending on the category they enter, but they also plant trees in the Madarao Highlands as a way to give something back. The combination of that kind of action is still somewhat unusual and a new idea to the trail running community in Japan.

It’s a race, but it’s also a weekend of community bonding over common interests and a common cause. Pretty cool.

To give you a sense of the popularity, and the reputation Hiroki enjoys in his home country (for those of you not reading from Japan), the race was capped at 500 participants, and it filled up by mid-July, about a month after registration started. The race and other activities took place Oct. 3-5.

Hiroki designed the course, which he had run many times, to include three summits (1,382, 1,135 and 1,022 meters), four lakes and the long Japanese Beech Trail. He also set up five aid stations to offer water, energy food, bananas, and - of course - bamboo-leaf covered sushi en route.

The main event started early on Sunday, Oct. 5, Shuttle buses took the runners to the starting area for the breakfast at 5 a.m., followed by the opening ceremony at 6 a.m., and race starts of 6:30 for the 50k and 7 for the 15k. The final runner made it to the finish line of the 50k a little more than nine hours later.

Published

on October 21, 2008

in Gregory Goes There, Gregory world and Uncategorized

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Donuts, it’s how he stays so thin

That, or climbing 5.14.

D90 Audio and Steadicam from Tim Kemple on Vimeo.

Published

on October 20, 2008

in Gregory world and Joe's World

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Fitting a backpack with Gregory founder Wayne Gregory

Wayne Gregory has arguably more experience than just about anyone designing backpacks. He’s be doing it for 40 years, and for 31 at Gregory Mountain Products, the company that bears his name. So who better to offer up some advice on how to fit a pack?
Among other things, Wayne (and Gregory) was the first to design packs in frame sizes that mimic their wearer’s torso length. That’s a big deal because if you don’t have a pack that’s the right torso length, you won’t be comfortable carrying it. Period.

Here’s a little video clip where Wayne explains how to properly fit a backpack, and some of the ideas that make Gregory packs carry so comfortably.

Published

on October 14, 2008

in Backpack tech, How to... and Packs

. 9 Comments

Seattle Times gives thumbs up to Gregory’s fit for women

The Seattle Times likes the trend of gear made to fit women … as well as the fit of the Deva 60.

Gregory’s benchmark pack for women’s specific fit - and one the perrenial best-sellers in the line - rose to the top of the heap during a recent Times gear test.

Published

on October 13, 2008

in Media

. 0 Comments

Getting ready to move on!!!

The Nor’Easter was A DANG blast!!!! Lots of rain, but LOTS of fun too. For the climbing aspect we got ONE solid day in. For the partying aspect we got FOUR!!!! I was the MC for introducing all the bands and up-coming spectacles, which was kinda fun man! As well I gave a slideshow Saturday, which was accompanied by Ethan Pringle and Kevin Jorgeson.

Continue reading >>

Published

JoeKindKid

on October 4, 2008