Tag Archive for 'Gregory Z55'

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

Blind Adventurer aims to complete the Pacific Crest Trail

The majority of the things we take for granted are the ones, that if taken away, we would miss the most. And for those who enjoy the outdoors, losing the ability to see would be one one of those things.

At 35, Trevor Thomas went blind. For 30+ years, Trevor had been an avid outdoorsman, whose passions included skiing, running, and mountain biking. But after losing his sight to a rare eye disease, these pursuits no longer seemed possible.

However, after attending a motivational speech by Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Everest, Trevor resolved that the activities he could do, he would do extremely well. And in just five years, he’s accomplished just that. Trevor has become the first blind person to successfully complete an unassisted thru-hike of the 2,1755 mile Appalachian Trail- all with the help of his Gregory Z55. He’s also managed to summit, Mt. Mitchell, the tallest peak on the East Coast, as well as Mt. Evans and Longs Peak in Colorado.

Recently, Trevor has joined forces with Team Farsight in hopes of completing the 2800 mile Pacific Crest Trail, which stretches from Mexico to Canada. Their attempt in 2010 will mark the first time a handicapped person will lead their team along the 2800 mile journey. Trevor will also be the first blind person to complete the journey beginning to end. To aid Trevor, Gregory will be sending him a Z65 built with Gregory’s new 2010 redesign of the JetStream LTS suspension system.

Beyond his accomplishments, Trevor fills his time with rock climbing, long distance hiking, and adventure racing. See an interview with him on Blue Ridge Outdoors’ website.

Published
by
Lauren
 on November 10, 2009
 in Adventure travel, Athletes, Hiking and backpacking and Sponsorships
. 1 Comment

Princeton Tec Lights On Heads photo contest winners

 

The Princeton Tec Lights On Heads contest has come to a close and the winners have been announced. The winning categories are as follows: Best Overall, Best Action, Best Cooking, Best Bouldering, Most Dramatic, and Most Creative. Of more than 200 entries, 18 photos (three photos for each category) won an assortment of gear prizes, including three Gregory packs. The three photos to snag a Gregory pack prize include a snapshot of riders repairing a flat tire and a broken disc on the 2008 24hrs in the Canyon bike race, an climb out of a waterfall cave entrance and a rad picture of camp lights on Mt. Rainier.  See photo winners below.

Best Overall

1st : Long Day
user name: travelglass
Prize: CASCADE DESIGNS Moonroom 2

2nd: Mt. Rainier Summit bid
user name: simpsonphotography
Prize: GREGORY Z55


3rd: DSCN4056
user name: b corwin
Prize: LEKI

Best Action


1st: Add H2O to a tight spot
user name: wilkinsbb7
Prize: GREGORY Z35

2nd: Smith and Wesson .500
user name: inua
Prize: OUTDOOR RESEARCH

3rd: 7335955-TF_dirtydozen_2008.02.02_0482

user name: nickbike

Prize: SCARPA

Best Cooking
1st: Cooking by Headlamp
user name: adam m m
Prize: LEKI

2nd: Cooking by Worley’s
user name: arniolafur
Prize: OUTDOOR RESEARCH

3rd: ben & jerrys
user name: imangiardi
Prize: SCARPA

Best Bouldering
1st: PTS1
user name: KevinZiechmann
Prize: OUTDOOR RESEARCH

2nd: patina
user name: Zinja
Prize: IBEX

3rd: Headlamp3
user name: necross84
Prize: PRINCETON TEC

Most Dramatic
1st: Biff in the Crow’s Nest with a Headlamp
user name: Pleuston
Prize: IBEX

2nd:  023
user name : Merlin Adventures
Prize: LEKI

3rd: Late night repairs
user name: northfacejmb
Prize: GREGORY Wasatch

Most Creative


1st: thelucas
user name: thelucas
Prize: PRINCETON TEC

2nd: Foggy Headlamp Boy
user name: Mark Griffith
Price: IBEX

3rd: Angels
user name: eivhje
Prize: SCARPA

Published
by
Lauren
 on October 7, 2009
 in Sponsorships
. 3 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

Z pack makes list of top 50 most innovative outdoor products over last 25 years

Gregory’s had a couple of backpacks in its line over the years that have earned cult status among those in the know.

One is the Denali Pro, basically an expedition backpack made for hauling 50 pound-plus loads in comfort. Or as comfortable as you can be hauling those kinds of weights. Why’s it called the Denali Pro? Because it’s the pack of choice for a lot of pros up in AK’s Alaska Range.

Another classic Gregory bag built more for everyday kind of loads is the Z Pack, which has morphed through design upgrades over the years into today’s Z55 and, more broadly, led to Gregory’s Z and Jade packs series.

Last week, Gregory’s original Z Pack made a list of the top 50 most innovative outdoor products over the last 25 years compiled by SNEWS, one of the main news publications that covers the outdoor industry. SNEWS, which these days is owned by the same folks that own Backpacker Magazine, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. So this list, which was assembled by the SNEWS editorial team, will be whittled by SNEWS readers’ votes to the 25 most innovative pieces of outdoor gear in the last 25 years. Then, those 25 pieces of gear will be profiled in the summer issue of SNEWS magazine, in association with its 25th anniversary.

The Z Pack (that’s an early one shown in the photo) essentially pioneered the category of lightweight backpacks with suspension substantial enough to carry bigger loads more comfortably. In its day it was, and, in its current form as the Z55, continues to be one of the top sellers in the Gregory line. So while sales tell us it’s a popular pack, it’s also nice to get a little recognition from longtime editors who cover the outdoor industry that indeed the Z Pack was a thoughtful design that set standards in the business.

The voting that will narrow the top 50 list to 25 goes on until April 15. In this instance, only subscribers to SNEWS, which is a daily online news service and publishes its magazine twice a year, can vote.

Published
by
Dave
 on April 6, 2009
 in Media
. 0 Comments

Amazing Race stage winners cross finish line with Gregory on their backs

Anyone who knows the Gregory brand knows it’s not unusual to run into a Gregory pack in just about any corner of the world. That apparently includes traveling around the world on TV.

Margie and Luke Adams, a mother-and-son team from Denver participating in this season’s 14 installment of the Amazing Race, won the first leg of 14th running of the race, which aired Feb. 15, wearing a Gregory Jade 50 and a Z55 on their backs. No doubt the Jet Stream suspension helped them jet to the finish line …

Although being on TV isn’t exactly why we build packs, it’s nice to see folks on an adventure-oriented show like this one choosing a Gregory, particularly in a reality series like this one where participants carry everything they need on their backs throughout the race and no doubt count on the pack to stand up to some abuse and function effectively over the long haul. We had no idea Gregory was on the backs of an Amazing Race team, till we got an e-mail from our astute reps out in the NW this morning.

Keep an eye peeled through the next 10 episodes to see how Margie and Luke fare. The show airs Sundays at 8 eastern.

Published
by
Dave
 on February 24, 2009
 in Gregory Goes There and Media
. 0 Comments