Monthly Archive for October, 2009

Gregory launches monthly photo contest on ‘The Good Life’ social media page

As you may have noticed, Gregory redesigned its web site recently. OK, wait, don’t click on through just yet … this isn’t a post about our new web site … entirely. Now, it’s time to engage the folks out there who love their Gregory packs (YOU), and in exchange, you’ll have a chance each month to win a new Gregory pack.

Got your attention now?

Good. Here’s the deal. As part of the new web site, we incorporated a social media page called The Good Life. It’s basically an interactive room on our web site where customers can share experiences they’re having using their Gregory packs. We’ve already had a bunch of folks upload photos to the Good Life page, with short descriptions of what they were doing, along with a mapped location of where in the world they were with their Gregory.

Then, other visitors to The Good Life page can vote on which images they like best by giving a thumbs up, much like you do on Facebook.

Starting with November (and we’re actually kicking off November a little early … right this very moment that this post hits the blog), the person whose photo gets the most thumbs up during the month wins either a men’s Z25 or women’s Jade 25 backpack … color and frame size of your choice. You also get personal fame and fortune on the Gregory web site – your photo will be one three main marquee images that rotate across the Gregory home page during the following month.

Then, in December, the contest starts all over again. And then again … And then again …

Of course, over time, we’ll rotate what kind of pack you can win.

What qualifies for a photo for The Good Life? Anything you can do with your Gregory pack, be it backpacking, trail running, adventure travel, biking, climbing, commuting to the office – you name it.

Sweet. Start uploading!

Published
by
Dave
 on October 30, 2009
 in Gregory world and Share Your Story
. 2 Comments

This year’s theme: It Came From the Future

Ah, fall. The change of seasons, the air gets a little crisper, the light takes on that special quality, and things get a little … stranger. As if, somehow, it were the 1970s all over again. Unless you missed that decade. In which case it’s even weirder.

Testament to the fact that there’s not really a grooming manual over here at Gregory Mountain Products (so far, anyway), it’s once again time for the annual Gregory Facial Hair Contest. Growing commences tomorrow.

This year’s theme: It came from the Future.

Interpret that with your hair.

Here are the official rules of this year’s contest, from pack designer (and 2008 winner of the Grand Prize division) Mark Thibadeau (shown at left, failing to imitate Burt Reynolds. Remember him?).

Anyone can enter; judging is usually shifty and subjective. All entries must be based (however loosely) on the theme. Ladies, don’t be shy. This theme is carefully curated to be open to the fairer sex as well.  Creativity is welcome and encouraged!

1. The growing period starts on Wednesday, October  28th, and continues into the colder months.
 Continue reading >>

Published
by
Dave
 on October 27, 2009
 in Gregory world
. 3 Comments

The how-to department, for that year when you have the year off

As backpackers, arguably one of the most committed things you can do is a thru-hike of one of the biggies - the Appalachian, Pacific Crest or Continental Divide. So how do you plan for months on the trail?

Trailspace, an online forum of backpackers and other outdoor users that specializes in user reviews of gear, outdoor news and other outdoor-related info, just posted the first of four articles on how to think about taking on a thru-hike. 

Anyway, if the first installment is any indication - lots of practical info from experienced through-hikers - the series should be a useful primer on how to pull off such an endeavor.

Lots of interesting tidbits too. For instance, more than a thousand people attempt the AT each year; one in four make it. On the opposite coast, only 300 or so a year attempt the PCT, but nearly two-thirds finish. The CDT is apparently upping the ante enough that statistics are even hard to come by.

Keep an eye peeled over at Trailspace for the next installment.

Published
by
Dave
 on October 26, 2009
 in Hiking and backpacking and Hiking resources
. 0 Comments

What’s in your pack for the next two years?

If you’ve ever wondered how you’d pack if you were going to live out of a carry-on sized backpack for the two years, the couple in this video - in the midst of a 24-month adventurous trip around the world - has a tip or two.

It’s a different kind of packing (to state the obvious) than you do when hitting the trail, but of course some of the same principals apply, like loading weighter items in bottom and midsection of the pack, closer to your back, getting down to the basics, etc.

Anyway, really useful info on packing for un-weighted-down, adventure-oriented travel. And, of course, that’s the best way to travel.

Our customer service guru George, who’s got a tip or two of his own for travel, shared this video, and of course we like that these folks happen to have chosen Gregory packs (a classic Z pack and a newer Jade 50) for their two-year tour around the world. Regardless of that little bias on our part (how could we not have that bias, really?), this is good beta no matter what brand of pack you’re packing.

Beyond packing up your backpack, their site contains an amazing array of info on what to take for and how to think strategically about a long-term adventure travel trip.  I mean, just check out the their tip list and the detail they went into for budget planning.

Time to buy a plane ticket?

Published
by
Dave
 on October 22, 2009
 in Uncategorized
. 4 Comments

Putting Active Trail through the paces

From adventure racing Team nuun-FeedTheMachine’s blog, some thoughts from Team Captain Cyril Jay-Rayon (in action in photo) after using Gregory’s new Active Trail line of backpacks this season: 

Five years ago, I was looking for a backpack sponsor for our team. After a lot of research and testing, we concluded that Gregory not only made superb packs but also was committed to innovating in the lightweight and fast moving pack category.  Luckily for us, Gregory agreed to support us through our good friend David Egan, owner of Egan & Associates LLC , who distributes Gregory products in the Northwest and Alaska (David also distributes product from 3 other amazing sponsors: Teko, Ibex, and Atlas). Sponsoring a team like ours should only be undertaking by the most confident of companies because we don’t treat our gear well when we take it through extreme conditions for days on end, So their commitment to innovation is expressed not only through their sponsorship of a team like ours (where we provide a constant feedback loop), but also through the actions they take every year when coming out with new designs. Some offer improvements on existing proven designs while others are quantum leaps in innovation. 2009 is one of those quantum leap year with the introduction of the Active Trail line. Continue reading >>

Published
by
Dave
 on October 20, 2009
 in Athletes and Backpack tech
. 0 Comments

Watch out for … uh … bears

Just a little Monday morning reminder that, as cool as iPhone apps are, do remember to keep an eye down the trail as you’re hiking along.

Thanks to ModernHiker down in SoCal for this humorous (as it turned out, anyway) little story.

Apparently even bears are enamored by the bling of the iPhone. Good thing, too, that they probably don’t taste very good.

Published
by
Dave
 on October 19, 2009
 in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Reel Rock Film Tour ready to rock Sacramento

The Fourth Annual Reel and Rock Tour kicked off September 3rd in Crested Butte and will be in Sacramento this Saturday, the 17th. So what’s better than watching climbing films this weekend? Watching climbing films and winning an awesome Gregory pack.

Being that we’re headquartered in Sacramento and in the ‘mountain products’ biz, our support for the film tour is only natural. Three Gregory packs will be raffled off at film even at Pipeworks, so if you happen to be in the area make sure you attend for the chance to win a Z35-R, Muir and Imlay and see some of the world’s best climbers do their thing.

The film tour features the best new climbing and adventure films from around the world. The two films being showcased at each tour location are ‘Progression’ by Big Up Productions and ‘First Ascent: The Series’ by Sender Films and National Geographic Adventure.

In addition, two winning short films were chosen form each genre category (Action/Inspiration and Humor/Spoof) by viewers and Reel Rock Judges. You can view the winning segments HERE.

Published
by
Lauren
 on October 15, 2009
 in Events and Packs
. 0 Comments

Things to consider loading up for that other kind of backpacking

We often get pretty focused on, for lack of a better description, trail-focused (or perhaps off trail) backpacking, since that’s arguably the most demanding use our backpacks will be asked to perform. But adventure travel (think Europe, South America or South East Asia kind of backpacking) puts a whole different set of demands on both backpack and backpacker.

Some people use backpacks as a means to carry their stuff via bus, train, boat, hitch-hiking whatever …

Some folks travel with their belongings in a pack so they can get outdoors and backpack when they get where they’re going …

And in some cases, it’s a combo of those things.

Of course our packs are up for either, but a key component of traveling with a pack is the thing you put in it. Or, more to the point, the things you don’t but wish you did.

What are some key things you don’t want to find yourself without, when you’re halfway around the globe?

Here’s our take on that list. No doubt we’ve forgotten a thing or two. Submit a comment and tell use what we’ve left off the list.

Ear plugs. Don’t leave home without them. Whether your travel companions snores or there are things going on on the other side of paper-thin walls that you don’t want to hear, these are arguably the first thing that should go in the pack. Multiple pairs.

A travel towel- quick drying and bacteria resistant, key for staying in inexpensive places where linen service may not be part of the deal.

Travel converters/adapters.

Water purification. Key to wanting to keep traveling in remote places. Steripen and Aquamira (no bad taste) are two good, low-bulk options in different price categories.

Pack cover or pack-sized duffel - Both of these can do double duty: protect your pack from getting soaked during a monsoon, or help prevent damage to your pack when it’s tossed atop a bus or crammed underneath your seat. If you’re concerned about your pack while checking it underneath a plane, consider the duffel, because a rain cover will do little in that instance, but then you’re left with the problem of what to do with a duffel when you arrive. Here’s a few other tips from a past post on airline friendly traveling with your pack.

Inflatable neck pillow and eye shades. Key to be able to sleep when you need to. Inflatable is key, so as not to eat up too much space in your pack.

A bowl and utensils - you never know where you’ll be eating! The squishable ones from Guyot are very cool and very packable. Continue reading >>

Published
by
Lauren
 on October 14, 2009
 in Hiking and backpacking, Hiking resources and How to...
. 1 Comment

Always Thinking

We’ve seen about 1 and a half inches of rain in the past 6 hours here in Sacramento, and the storm just keeps on going.  High winds, fallen trees, flooded streets….and a flooded prototype lab here at the office.

So what do the ingenious designers and sewers do when a problem such as this presents itself?  Call the landlord?  Nah.  They try to figure out how to fix it themselves.  Good thing we have lots of ’supplies’ in the lab.

Enter foam.  The kind we use in our 3D harnesses and waistbelts.  The kind that is closed-cell, so most importantly, the kind that will not let water pump into the lab under the poorly sealed back door.  We’ve got a bunch of it here in the office for sewing prototypes and it worked perfectly in this instance as well.  These guys never fail to amaze me with their smarts.  Check out the photos.  There were of course, a few rounds of testing before the perfect solution was reached…

Published
by
Steph
 on October 13, 2009
 in Gregory world and Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Across the world but close to home

Typhoons aren’t out of the ordinary in the Philippines, but the ones that hit the country in late September and early October were well beyond the ordinary. One reportedly brought more rain in a day than parts of the country had seen in four decades, and winds topped 100 mph. Hundreds have died, uncountable numbers are homeless.

What does this have to do with Gregory? Along with manufacturing facilities located in California and in China, some of Gregory’s packs are made at a facility we’ve been working with for several years the Philippines. So our friends are among those who need our help. In a globalized world, things can get personal fast.

The Red Cross has been hard at work trying to assist typhoon victims. Yesterday, Gregory made a donation to assist the Red Cross’ efforts. If you feel so inclined and are in a position to do, please consider making one yourself. There’s a link on the Red Cross’ home page.

Published
by
Dave
 on October 9, 2009
 in Gregory world
. 1 Comment