Baltoro 70, Deva 60 earn Backpacker 2008 Editors' Choice Award

Bestowing one of the outdoor industry's most prestigious awards on two of Gregory's newest backpacks, this month Backpacker Magazine gave its 2008 Editor's Choice Award to the recently redesigned Baltoro 70 and women's specific Deva 60. The award was announced in the magazine's April issue.

The Gregory Z30 was also named 'Best All Around' daypack in Backpacker's annual Gear Guide, the March 2008 issue. The magazine noted that its most finicky tester called the Z30 "darn close to the perfect daypack for general duty."

Given annually since 1993, the Editors' Choice Awards are bestowed on products with outstanding innovation in design, materials and/or performance, according to Backpacker. They honor the gear that magazine editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of testing by teams of highly experienced hikers and climbers.

The mid-sized Baltoro 70 and Deva 60, flagship products in the Gregory line, employ the Response Auto Fit Suspension, an innovative suspension system that improves pack fit and comfort by using pivot points on the hip belts and shoulder harnesses that allow the packs to automatically adjust to and mimic the contours and hip angles of their wearers.

The Baltoro and Deva - which bear the same names as predecessors in the Gregory line - also employ lighter, stronger materials in the 2008 models, resulting in packs that weigh a half and quarter pound less respectively than the earlier models bearing the same names. In addition, Gregory is using innovative techniques such as co-molding technology, allowing foams of different densities to be thermo-molded into the suspension simultaneously, creating an ultra-clean and super-durable system.

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Spend a quick '36 Hours with Joe Kinder'

Gregory-sponsored climber Joe Kinder recently relocated base camps from New Jersey to a more, much more, rural location. Hurricane, Utah--pronounced "her-ah-cun" by the locals"--is located in southwest Utah and is close to world class climbing and backpacking. Joe has set up shop there with some other professional climbers. Watch the video and see how Joe spends his days away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Watch the video here.

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GregoryGoesThere.com: It's about Backpacking

Reflecting a passion for adventure in all its forms, and providing a community forum for all things related to Gregory Packs, Gregory Mountain Products recently launched the blog www.GregoryGoesThere.com.

The site will be a hub for things that happen at - and are related to - Gregory Packs. It will also be a place for interesting news more peripherally connected to the outdoors, adventure and adventurous travel - anything the crew at Gregory finds connected to their roots and wants to share with the broader community. Gotta have a home for that.

And, perhaps most importantly, it's an opportunity for Gregory and its community to interact - a place where people can ask questions, share information, and generally become part of the Gregory 'tribe.'

Some of the other things that will find a home at GregoryGoesThere.com:

• Insight on backpack designs and technology
• Perspective on pack fit, comfort and function
• Interesting hikes, trips, outdoor adventures
• Insight and comments from everyday people who use Gregory  Packs
• Posts on Gregory athletes: who they are, what they're doing
• Information on events Gregory is organizing or will be taking part in
  

Check it out and connect with Gregory.

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Upcoming events where you can connect with Gregory Packs

Appalachian Trail Days - During the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's annual Trail Days event, May 16-18 in Damascus, Va., Gregory will be on site to repair wear and tear on packs hikers are using to travel the AT, offer fit clinics, as well as show the latest Gregory packs. Trail Days attracts a large group of hikers and features music, games, hikes, workshops, food, and a variety of other activities. More information is available at www.traildays.us.

 

Backpacker Get Out More Tour - Gregory is an official sponsor of Backpacker Magazine's Get Out More Tour, which will feature more than 60 stops between April 10 and Nov. 16, 2008. Along the way, the tour coordinators, Randi and Sheri Propster, will be using Gregory packs in their presentations on how to plan and organize outdoor trips, use gear properly. They will also be giving away Gregory packs at five festivals along their route. Between April and June, the team will be in the east, with stops planned between North Carolina and Connecticut and out as far as Michigan in the Midwest. For specific dates and tour stops, visit www.backpacker.com/getoutmore.com.

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Gregory Packs returns to private ownership

Simultaneously as Gregory Packs relocated to its new Sacramento headquarters in early April, the company also got new ownership. In a management-led buyout, Gregory was purchased in a deal that returns the company to private ownership - and gives it a significant boost toward continuing to build the most innovative packs in the world.

The new ownership, Gregory Mountain Products, LLC, was formed by partners John Simons, Gregory's President for the last two years, along with investors Warren Kanders and Robert Schiller. They purchased the business from Bianchi International, which has owned the company since 1983 and, since then, had been acquired by a larger parent company.

"The people involved in this effort bring a proven track record of building teams and helping companies succeed, and that's what we plan to do at Gregory - give it the resources it needs to take things to the next level," Simons said. "As well known as Gregory already is for building innovative suspension and packs that fit, I think it's clear that Gregory has its best years ahead of it. Now with Gregory the sole focus under this ownership, we'll continue to design, build and deliver packs that fit, are comfortable, are durable, and exceed our customers' expectations."

Wayne Gregory, who founded the company in San Diego in 1977, will remain in his role on the design team.

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