Archive for the 'Packs' Category

Backpacker Magazine honors the Z55, Jade 50 with ‘best all-around’ pack

 

“This pack rose to the top of a crowded- and very competitive- category due to its total load transfer, comfort, and conveniently laid-out packbag.” -Backpacker Magazine, 2010 Gear Guide

It sort of feels like snagging first place in the fourth grade science fair. Only this time, we don’t run the risk of being beat up at recess, and the judges, well, let’s just say they’re not meandering around a gym scrutinizing Styrofoam balls and foaming Coke bottles.

No, all jokes aside, these judges have put our packs through it all, rigorously testing every feature in environments they’re meant to handle. So to us, there is no higher compliment than to receive ‘best all around’ packs of 2010 from the good folks at Backpacker Magazine who really do put our packs through the paces.

Beyond the Z55 and the Jade 50 being named winner of ‘best all-around’ packs, a number of other packs were called out in the gear guide with notable comments. Here’s what they had to say:

Miwok – “Testers loved this soft-backed day pack for the way it shifts seamlessly from hiking to biking to running.”

Z35 – “Here’s a load hauler for day hikers who chronically overpack. The tubular steel stays and nylon framesheet can handle up to 30 pounds, and weight is effectively distributed to the hips.”

Baltoro 70 – “With a perfect capacity for longer trips, this stable, comfortable top-loader cruised to a 2008 Editor’s Choice Award. And those test packs from two years ago are still going strong today; our staff regularly bickers over them for weeklong trips with heavy loads.”

Denali Pro 105 – “ ‘I’ve carried a person in this pack,’ writes an editor who’s used it for almost 10 years. ‘That’s how big and supportive it is … Indestructible too.’ ”

Published
by
Lauren
 on February 26, 2010
 in Awards, Backpack tech and Packs
. 0 Comments

And the reviews are in…

At Gregory, we put our packs through rigorous testing, and with our new Fusion LTS line, it was no different.  We claim that these are the ‘go anywhere, do everything’ packs, and so we had to test them as such.  Well the reviews are in, they’re glowing, and we couldn’t be more psyched for you all to give these packs a try yourselves.

So who were these ‘testers’?  We gave Gregory Ambassador Joe Kinder a Torre 33 nine months ago, and had one of our female employees, Molly, test two of the women’s specific models over the past 4 months.  Both of them LOVE the mountains (obvs), so these were the perfect packs for them to put through the ringer, through a multitude of activities, with each of their very different packing styles.  Here’s what they had to say:

Name: Joe Kinder
Pack Tested: Torre 33
Activities: Climbing, Approach, Bolting Routes

The Review:  “I’ve been using the Torre 33L for the past 9 months. My objective was to put this joint to use and try to kick its ass, use it in every situation, and then provide feedback. So far…to this day…I haven’t been able to damage it in the slightest. No rips, no holes, nothing. The zipper is still intact, the material is completely fine.

The harness system is amazing. It is a mold that offers total support and comfort. I pack this thing with bolts, draws, my drill, a rope, harness, shoes, water, and food. NO problem. The access to the interior is SO easy with the opening design. I am in love with this pack.”

Name: Molly Maguire
Packs Tested: Inyo 45 & Cirque 30
Activities: Backpacking/Climbing Yosemite, XC Skiing, Snowshoeing, Ice Climbing

The Review:  “I used the Inyo 45 for an overnight backpacking trip in Yosemite with some newbies and was amazed at how much I loved it. I usually use a 60-80L pack and have been known to use that 80L for overnighters with new hikers to carry as many creature comforts for them, as possible. I fit everything I wanted to, everything was able to be organized, all the pockets are in good places, and there’s more than enough of them.  And after everything was stuffed inside, it was super easy to get to it, this pack’s access is awesome. The approaches when climbing were easy b/c of the narrower waistbelt, so I could be wearing my harness and still take big, scrambly steps. The smaller packs in this line are great for a sport rack, the larger accommodate a trad rack, and with 3 volume sizes, you can do any length climbing/hiking trip.

In Ouray, I used the Cirque 30 as a day pack, out xc skiing and snowshoeing, as well as ice climbing.  The Wraptor Stabilizer during the skiing and snowshoeing totally pulls the load up into your back, it feels super stable, like I had total freedom to move and the pack stayed still and stable, and didn’t throw me off balance (which can happen when you pack like me and come in at a whopping 5 feet tall :). It fit all of my climbing gear while I was trolling around the festival - crampons, harness, carabiners, belay devices, an extra rack - and still had enough room for my helmet inside too. I didn’t feel scared at all about throwing it down on the ice, the materials are bomber and super abrasion resistant.”

There you have it folks. Man and woman, coming together and agreeing that these All Mountain packs are AWESOME. What do you all think of these packs? Psyched to try them out? If you’re still not sold, check out the video for some more info on the features, Fusion LTS suspension, and what makes these packs so great.

Published
by
Steph
 on February 10, 2010
 in Packs
. 0 Comments

Returning home after 30 years of loyal service

Our customer service department recently received an inspiring email from Steve DeLellis requesting to retire his 30 year-old Gregory Cassin backpack at the Gregory headquarters in Sacramento.

After 30 years of companionship, Steve knew his pack had “one more ‘big-one’ left in her.” So, he packed his Cassin for a final trek up the Cerro Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest mountain in the Americas. While he reported his “pack endured the hardships of the expedition without wavering,” he felt it was now time “to give her a fitting retirement among friends” at Gregory.

We are so honored to accept Steve’s loyal companion and will be happy to find her a home on our planned ‘history wall’ featuring other Gregory packs of the past.

Read Steve and his Cassin’s story below.

31 January 2010

I was the smartest kid in the world…weren’t we all at 16 years old? I knew what I wanted, and did my research. I asked my parents for the cream-of-the-crop, custom built Gregory Mountain Products “Cassin” backpack for my 16th birthday. Though only 16, I had plenty of backpacking mileage under my belt…and lots of vertical “mileage” on the rocks. I learned to enjoy the outdoors at a very early age, and while growing up in Kentucky, took full advantage of everything the Red River Gorge and the Daniel Boone National Forest had to offer.

Though I had to agree to sell my not-so-old Kelty backpack and had to agree that the pack would be a combination birthday and Christmas gift, my parents reluctantly consented. I did my part…filling out the order forms that Gregory required, with all of the necessary information…height, weight, girth, age, etc….and put them in the mail. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when my pack arrived. It wasn’t long before it was on my back, heading down the trail, or being hauled up, or down, some rock face.

Over the years, she was there with me. She took care of me through a month in Yellowstone, during one of the worst forest-fires in the parks history (1989?), in the Rockies for the 3 summers I lived in Vail Colorado, hiking, backpacking or rock and Ice climbing. My Cassin never argued about what I asked her to carry, or where I asked her to carry it. She’s climbed too many of the continental United State’s 14,000-footers to count. She’s rafted whitewater, slept along the cliff-base in Estes Park, carried my ropes and ice-screws through Jackson Hole while taking a break from the Tetons…and who can even remember all the trips to the Red River Gorge.

While sleeping alongside Enloe Creek in the Smokies, she hung from the trees to keep my food safe from the bears. My Cassin never complained about the task at hand or the burden she bore. Occasionally, I would strap on an accessory pocket or water bottle, I could always find a place to hang crampons, ice axes or trekking poles and sometimes even more. On several trips overseas, my Cassin was converted from civilian play, to the more serious work of my military career. She’s been in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans and the Philippines. She’s been to Honduras and Panama carrying the tools of my military trade instead of the toys I’d much rather be playing with.

On January 17, 2010 my 30-year old Cassin carried nearly 30kg of gear to the high-camp on Cerro Aconcagua in Argentina. In the early morning snow and sub-zero temperatures on the 18th, my Cassin “held down the fort” as my expedition mates and I headed out for the summit. Nine hours later six of us stood at 22,841 ft marveling at the extremes that the mountain had thrown at us. We were 20-strong only a few weeks before. The distance, altitude and climate had whittled us down to 13 climbers at high camp; of those 13 only 6 of us were strong enough to make the summit bid.

I slept well the night of January 18, 2010. Shortly after breakfast on the 19th I took several photos of my Cassin, loaded and ready to descend…looking like a sentinel on that mountain, happy to be fully loaded once again and ready to go wherever I asked her to go. She has been my faithful partner around the globe. She has served me better than I would have ever imagined. She had made you proud. Thanks so much for the opportunity to have shared so much with her!

Steve DeLellis
30-year Gregory Mountain Products Ambassador

Published
by
Lauren
 on February 1, 2010
 in Adventure travel, Gregory world, Packs and Share Your Story
. 0 Comments

World’s coolest pack: the Z 65

In the wise words of Roy Wallack from the LA Times, the Gregory Z 65 is the ‘world’s coolest pack.’

He calls the pack ‘very comfortable, smartly designed, and practical for overnight treks an all-out fast-packing.’ He also mentions its unique Jetstream ventilation system featuring a concave back panel, which allows the area between your shoulder straps and the small of your back to breathe.

And the best part? He couldn’t find anything he ‘disliked’ about the pack.

Read the full review HERE.

 

Published
by
Steph
 on January 27, 2010
 in Backpack tech, Hiking resources, Media and Packs
. 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

The word of Gear Junkie on the Muir 24

Gregory’s got a new line of six day packs out this Fall designed the be the packs you grab when you need something versatile. The intent  is to work equally well for outdoors use, around town, for the commute, or for travel. Versatile feature set do double duty - for instance, an interior sleeve works equally well for a laptop or a hydration system, and the hip belt tucks away when not needed for trail use.

So, let’s say your headed overseas and want bag that works great for a carry-on, but will also make a great day hiking companion when you get to your outdoors destination. The Technical Day line fits the bill. Similarly, if you like a pack that works for the daily trudge to the office, but want something that works on the weekend just as well, yep, we’ve got it covered.

The Gear Junkie delivers its verdict on one of the new models, the Muir 24, in a post today.

There are three men’s and three women’s packs between 18 and 28 liters in the lineup.

Published
by
Dave
 on September 4, 2009
 in Media and Packs
. 0 Comments

Jason Mraz, recycling, Gregory packs and how it all ties together

Have you heard the song “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz? If you haven’t, you either A. live in a cave B. don’t listen to cheesy music or C. don’t listen to cheesy music.

I personally like the song, but I’m also a twenty-something girl who lives vicariously through ridiculous love songs like this little gem. So, why are we discussing Jason Mraz’s hip song when we should be writing about more important topics, like, say, backpacks?

Well, it just so happens that our very own Z55 merited a silver screen appearance in the song’s music video. So, no matter how lame you think the song is, you have to admit, Jason has pretty great taste.

On a different, but not completely unrelated note, the Outside Lands Music Festival held in San Francisco this coming weekend (28th-29th) will feature, among others, drum roll please…Jason Mraz. Now, by this point you should be savvy enough to guess we’re not just updating you on the pop singer’s status (that’s what twitter’s for @jason_mraz).

No, more importantly, Gregory is partnering with the recycling program at the festival called TRASHed Recylcing. The program aims to keep the festival site clean by picking up compostable cups and plastic bottles in exchange for some sweet prizes like 5 classic series Gregory day packs.

So, if you happen to be grooving to Jason Mraz at the festival this weekend, pop on over to the TRASHed recycling booth with compostable cups and plastic bottles and cash in on Gregory swag and other awesome prizes.

Published
by
Lauren
 on August 27, 2009
 in Events, Packs and Sponsorships
. 0 Comments

Women wouldn’t wear men’s hiking boots …

And you shouldn’t wear their packs either. So, other than color, what’s the real difference between men and women specific backpacks?

On the shelf, gender specific backpacks look very similar, aside from the color and maybe size. So, what’s the nitty gritty behind the two different designs?

Turns out, there’s no shortage of differences. Women’s center of gravity, shape, and even the way we organize gear in our packs are all different from our male counterparts, so it makes sense that our packs reflect those differences. Gregory makes sure it stays on top of fit and other differences in men’s and women’s packs by making sure it has an extensive panel of women testing its new designs and providing feedback.

In a nutshell, here’s a few key differences that make Gregory’s women’s packs stand apart.

Our shape, in fact, is more appropriate for backpacking than the male body as our wider hips act as more of a shelf, so the weight rests a little more easily on that shelf. Gregory’s women specific backpacks, therefore, have waist belts that either adjust to accommodate women’s hip angles (in the case of the Response and Expedition series packs) or are set at slightly more of an angle to better match a woman’s hip shape (In the case of JetStream, Fusion and Active Trail series packs). Continue reading >>

Published
by
Lauren
 on August 13, 2009
 in Hiking and backpacking, Hiking resources and Packs
. 0 Comments

Gregory Jade 35 women’s pack gets an A+ from Outdoor Divas

Outdoor Divas, the well-known retail shop based on Boulder’s Pearl St. Mall that’s carved out a niche specializing in women’s specific gear, had nice things to say on their blog this week about Gregory’s Jade 35 women’s pack. The packs in the Jade series are the women’s specific counterparts to Gregory’s popular Z series packs, lightweight day and backpacking packs with ventilated back panels. In all there are five women’s specific packs in the Jade lineup currently, with two more new ones to be added to the line starting in January. Gotta like it when you get an A+ on your women’s packs from an outdoor shop that specializes in gear that works well for gals!

Published
by
Dave
 on July 31, 2009
 in Awards, Packs and Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Green Living Project takes on South America

Ever notice how much we tend to focus on what’s not working instead of what is working. And with the media’s ’sky is falling’ take on things, it’s easy to understand why every problem looks we’re up you-know-what creek without a paddle.

So, Gregory decided to take a different approach and team up with the Green Living Project, which lends us that much needed paddle to one of the larger issues weighing heavy on everyone’s mind- global warming. The project takes a positive approach and documents stories of successful sustainable living projects going on around the world with the goal of inspiring people with ways to get involved and help promote sustainability.

Most recently the crew returned from South America where they filmed 8 unique sustainability projects across Brazil, Ecuador and Peru. In order to make their journey, Gregory outfitted the 5 travelers (including celebrity actor Sebastian Roche) with the Whitney 95, Deva 85, Palisade, Miwok, and Alpaca Duffles.  The packs proved durable in carrying their multimedia equipment throughout the brutal conditions of the Amazon, volcano regions, and mountainous regions of the various South American countries.

Last year, the crew focused on Africa recording 20 different sustainability projects, including community development, water conservation, organic farming, women’s empowerment, solar and biogas renewable energy programs, mountain gorilla, cheetah, leopard, rhino and hyena conservation projects, eco-tourism and responsible adventure travel destinations.

If you’re a sustainability advocate, a passionate world traveler or interested in finding a way to give back, these films are definitely worth seeing.  You can still catch the end of that film tour as well as the premiere of the South America film in Salt Lake City throughout Outdoor Retailer, July 21-24.

Published
by
Lauren
 on July 15, 2009
 in Adventure travel, Packs, Sponsorships and sustainable
. 0 Comments