Gregory wins ‘Gear of Year,’ ‘Best of Adventure’ awards

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gregory Mountain Products this month won two national media awards, a 2009 ‘Best of Adventure’ Award from National Geographic Adventure and a 2008 ‘Gear of the Year’ Award from Men’s Journal.

The awards were bestowed on Gregory’s Z30 and Miwok day packs and the two unique suspension systems those packs are built on. Both awards called out comfort and innovation as the primary factors in the decision to honor Gregory with awards.

“Few day packs get the same design attention as their larger backpacking brethren, but the Gregory Miwok is an exception,” National Geographic Adventure said in its review. “With a clever bit of biomimicry, the 18-liter pack’s hip belt and shoulder harnesses stretch like tendons to deliver flexibility on demand.”

And Men’s Journal noted in its Gear of the Year Award that the Z30 carries equally as comfortably with just a few items or stuffed to its 30-liter capacity. “… That’s because of Gregory’s Jet Stream DTS Suspension. The lightweight steel stays increase support as you add more weight to the pack, resulting in a frame that’s always perfectly dialed in.”

The Miwok is part of Gregory’s new Active Trail line for 2009, eight men’s and women’s day packs for hiking, cycling and trail running that all use the company’s new Bio-Syncâ„¢ Suspension. Modeled after the way tendons work in the human body, Bio-Sync uses two attachment points at each shoulder harness and waist belt interface, with elasticity built into each of those interfaces, so that the entire suspension moves with – and mimics – its wearer’s body during activity.

The Z30 was the first pack to use Gregory’s Jet Stream DTS suspension, which is also an active suspension in that it adjusts to the amount of weight in the pack, offering more support as more weight is added. Based on consumer interest in the Z30 and smaller Z22, Gregory this fall began offering four more men’s and women’s day packs that employ Jet Stream DTS suspension.

For more information about Gregory packs, visit www.gregorypacks.com or call 877.477.4292.

About Gregory Packs

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2007, Gregory Packs has been the longtime leader in expedition, backpacking and day packs. Gregory is world-renowned for setting durability, comfort and performance standard in backpacks. In recent years, Gregory won awards for its pack designs from such diverse media outlets as Backpacker Magazine, Popular Science, National Geographic Adventure, Consumers Digest and Alpinist Magazine. Responsible for many industry firsts in backpacking fit and design, the Gregory research and design team, including company founder Wayne Gregory, continues to lead the way in innovative backpack technology and performance.

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