… for trade shows. 
Pardon us for a period of time while we hike through the concrete jungle and eat poorly.
Monthly Archive for January, 2009
Suspension systems that allow air flow across your back are certainly in vogue these days. Everyone seems to have one, and so does Gregory.
Such ventilating suspensions definitely have their benefits, namely that as you sweat, the moisture on your back can more easily evaporate. So they work great in warmer weather.
Nearly all of these kinds of backpacks rely on a so-called ‘trampoline’ design, meaning that a mesh back panel is stretched across a structure that supports that mesh. (The mesh is stretched across rods or other supports, either side to side, top to bottom, or both.) Think about a how a trampoline for kids works, and you’ve got the idea. And this works great when you’re talking about the kind of weight that you’d carry in a day pack.
In fact, Gregory has its own line of packs that uses a variation on this trampoline technology. Jet Stream DTS (Dynamic Tension System) Suspension is a beefy version of a trampoline design. The twist on Gregory’s approach is that the rods that support the mesh are designed to flex as more weight is loaded into the pack, which makes them become more rigid. Thus, Jet Stream DTS suspension offers more support as more weight is loaded into the pack. Gregory uses this suspension in packs between 20 and 35 liters in size.
The problem is (at least in Gregory’s view), this suspension reaches its limit around 25 to 30 pounds. Put more weight than that in your pack, and a trampoline suspension simply doesn’t transfer the load effectively into the lumbar region of the pack, and then on into the waist belt. Or said perhaps more appropriately, it doesn’t transfer the weight nearly as effectively as it could.
And for the backpacker wearing your pack, that means they are not carrying weight as comfortably as they could. Which is why Gregory has two versions of Jet Stream Suspension.
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Backpacker Magazine does a lot of polls to understand who its subscribers are. It also polls its subscriber base on the gear they use, what kinds of activities they participate in, and a whole host of other subjects. Good stuff, since it definitely pays to know who it is that’s in
terested in what you’re doing.
And good stuff for companies that build backpacks, since one can deduct that readers of a magazine with the name Backpacker might be interested in buying what you’re making.
Over the years, Gregory has been psyched to be ranked by Backpacker readers as a favorite pack brand, consistently topping categories that ask readers to rank pack brands that offer the best comfort, highest performance and most advanced technology.
We were excited once again to see in the current January issue that the average Backpacker subscriber’s favorite pack brand is Gregory. We know internally that making the most comfortable packs is in our DNA, but it’s nice to have confirmation that you’re reaching one of your core audiences.
As if we all needed any more evidence, Backpacker reported recently that getting outside makes yo
u smarter.
A recent University of Michigan study determined that memory and attention improved greatly for people who took a walk in a park versus those who walked through an urban setting. No surprise, really, but nice to see evidence that hitting the re-set button makes a lot of sense - both for you and for whoever your employer happens to be. People often laugh when you tell them you’re more productive when you get outside during your lunch hour, but …
So if taking a talk in the park approves memory and attention, we’re betting a backpacking trip will make you a genius.
Definitely more productive than sitting around trying to think of something clever to update your Facebook status with.
Here’s the latest report from Gregory athlete and ultrarunner Hiroki Ishikawa, who was one of the driving forces behind the new Active Trail line that’s hitting stores in January. Gregory’s design team worked closely with Hiroki in designing the Rufous, the 8-liter ultra pack in the line.
It’s tough to keep up with Hiroki. In the last month, he not only spent three days running a 71-k route, the Queen Charlotte Track, elsewhere in New Zealand, he then ran the 60 K Kepler Challenge Mountain Run 60KM, where he finished fifth, then headed right on over to Hawaii for the Honolulu Marathon.
Kepler Track is one of the nine trails (there people call trail a track) called Great Walks in New Zealand, where the scenery is awesome. This trail runs through a national park, going for 60 kilometers in one big loop, and the race has 21 year of history. I got there 3 days before the race for my physical conditioning. As having the race in 3 days time, I was feeling a little too dull from just finishing the Queen Charlotte Track, so I focused on stretching mainly and some jogging.
The day before the race, the racers have the equipment checked and receive their race number (mine was 172, just as my height…). Since there could be some dangerous points during the course depending on the weather, you had to take a rain jacket and pants, two long sleeve tops, tights, glove, beanie, and survival blanket – these were the prerequisites that you had to either take or wear. All of the participants were checked during the race.
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