Nite Ize Figure 9™ Wins Backpacker's Editors Choice Award

The Nite Ize Figure 9â„¢ Rope Tightener has been honored as a recipient of a 2007 Backpacker magazine Editors’ Choice Award, the most prestigious award in the outdoor industry, given annually to products in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials and/or performance.

Backpacker Editor-In-Chief Jonathan Dorn and his staff of editors and testers presented Nite Ize Owner Rick Case with the award at the annual Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 27th.

The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards, bestowed annually since 1993, honor the products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by teams of highly experienced hikers and climbers. With no set categories for the awards and no set number of recipients, the products and the testing process drive the award categories.

The Nite Ize Figure 9â„¢ Rope Tightener was one of only 16 innovative products that have been honored with a 2007 Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award.

Launched in September of 2006, the Nite Ize Figure 9â„¢ is the most efficient knot-free device for rope securing and tightening. The must-have fastener for recreational adventures, the Figure 9â„¢ is perfect for everyday use like pitching tents and tarps and tying bulky gear like kayaks, canoes, surfboards and camping gear to vehicles. The Figure 9â„¢ eliminates the frustration of tying, adjusting and untying knots. Made of strong aluminum, the Figure 9â„¢ has no moving parts and is easy to use with instructions laser engraved right on the device. Just wrap the rope around the Figure 9â„¢ as instructed, pull it tight and go.

The Figure 9™ is sold individually in two sizes, small and large, and in three convenient combination packages with rope for a variety of fastening applications. The large Figure 9™ secures loads up to 150 pounds. The small Figure 9™ secures loads up to 50 pounds. MSRP: $1.99 – 8.99.


“This year’s winners withstood the most rigorous testing process yet,” comments Dorn. “Our test team started off with 49 new products, narrowing them down to a final 20 after months of trail-testing. The finalists were then taken on extreme outdoor adventures from Oregon in a streak of epic weather to a wind-whipped day at Mt. Hood. Those that survived have earned the distinction of becoming the 2007 Editors’ Choice Award Winners.”

“We are thrilled and honored to be presented with such a prestigious award,” states Case. “We know that the Editors’ Choice Award will greatly support our retailers.”

The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards are the gold standard against which all outdoor products are measured, and are a seal of approval that can help put an outdoor company or product on the proverbial map. Each year at the Outdoor Retailer show, retail buyers use the awards announcements as a must-buy shopping list, knowing that their customers will be asking for these products in the spring.

Since their inception 17 years ago, the Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards have come to be regarded as the most sought-after award for outdoor equipment and apparel found in the industry. The impeccable outdoor credentials and rigorous field-testing standards of the Backpacker staff guarantee that these awards are an undisputed mark of quality for the companies and products selected.

All winners must excel under extensive field-testing conducted by Backpacker’s team of editors, who take hundreds of new products every year into the backcountry to put them to the test. This rigorous process ensures that the performance of the winners is truly worthy of distinction and meets the guiding principle behind the program: gear that is of real value to the readers of Backpacker magazine, who are very active, long-term outdoor enthusiasts.

The complete list of Backpacker 2007 Editors’ Choice Award winners will be officially announced to the general public in the magazine’s April issue, on newsstands March 13th.

About Nite Ize Innovative Accessories:
Nite Ize, Inc., founded by Owner Rick Case in Boulder, Colo. in 1989, is the innovative designer and manufacturer of Mobile, L.E.D., Flashlight and Hardware Accessories. Nite Ize, inventor of the Headband, creates products under these four unique brands designed to make every-day life easier and more functional. Nite Ize products can be found in the most recognized retailers in over 60 countries worldwide. For more information on Nite Ize, go to www.niteize.com or call 800-678-6483.

About Backpacker:
Backpacker brings the outdoors straight to the reader’s doorstep, inspiring and enabling them to go more places and enjoy nature more often. The authority on active adventure, Backpacker is the world’s first GPS-enabled magazine, and it’s the only magazine whose editors personally test the hiking trails, camping gear, and survival tips they publish. Backpacker’s six regional editions offer accessible, close-to-home getaways with detailed, tear-out maps to dozens of nearby hikes, as well as practical tips on day hikes, camping and the best gear information available. This combination provides outdoors enthusiasts with the tools they need to make active outdoor travel and backcountry experiences an everyday reality. Backpacker’s Editors’ Choice Awards, an industry honor recognizing design, feature and product innovation has become the gold standard against which all other outdoor-industry awards are measured. Published by Rodale Inc., Backpacker has a circulation of 340,000, is published 9 times a year, and last year was a recipient of a coveted National Magazine Award for editorial excellence. Backpacker’s companion web site, www.backpacker.com, is updated daily and features more than 30,000 hikes, a searchable and comprehensive database of outdoor gear with reviews (www.gearfinder.com), a special section for female hikers, and an all-new map and GPS center.