Therm-a-Rest® Haven™ Top Bag Named Best of Adventure

Seattle, U.S.A. – Cascade Designs, Inc., the Seattle-based industry leader in the design and manufacture of premier outdoor equipment, is proud to announce that the company’s new Therm-a-Rest Haven Top Bag has been honored by National Geographic Adventure magazine with a Best of Adventure gear award. One of 26 products recognized as the most groundbreaking for 2010, the Therm-a-Rest Haven Top Bag was selected for its design innovation that delivers warmth and comfort at two-thirds the weight of a traditional 20-degree sleeping bag.

“It’s been a long time since a sleeping bag could boast true innovation, yet the Top Bag has done just that.” wrote Adventure West Coast Editor Steve Casimiro in the Best of Adventure Issue. “It might look like a traditional mummy sack from above, but the bottom is cut out so you can slip your pad inside and lie right on it. … You’ll never roll onto cold, hard ground again.

The Best of Adventure gear winners are nominated and selected by Adventure editors with the guidance of a Retail Advisory Board composed of 34 of the leading U.S. outdoor retailers. Members of the Retail Advisory Board weigh-in with their expertise on the level of product innovation and report on what products consumers are particularly excited about in the marketplace.

The unique zipper-less design of the Haven Top Bag takes full advantage of inherent mattress warmth, eliminating unnecessary insulation between mattress and sleeper for optimal performance and ultra-light comfort on the trail. Featuring premium box-baffled 700-fill goose down wrapped in durable 20D nylon, a full hood and enclosed foot box for warmth and draft control, the impressively lightweight 1 pound, 6 ounce (624 gram) Haven Top Bag integrates with any insulating mattress, delivering an EN-13537 rating of 20°F(-6°C). The bag’s innovative wrap-around design provides room where it is needed most without excessive air space for maximum efficiency, and features an elasticized opening for easy entry and exit. The bag also features a built-in chest pocket for convenient storage of headlamps, hats, gloves or music and packs up easily in a compact six-by-nine-inch stuff sack provided.

“We’re extremely proud to receive this award,” said Jim Giblin, Senior Softgoods Designer for Cascade Designs. “Unconventional designs like this require a shift in thinking and we’re excited that Steve and the Retail Advisory Board recognized the outstanding benefits of this different kind of sleeping system.”

The versatile Haven Top Bag integrates with any mattress and can be secured with easy-to-use straps (included) or used without straps in warmer weather. For colder weather, a tapered Therm-a-Rest ProLiteâ„¢ or ProLite Plus mattress can be easily slipped inside providing draft-free warmth. The Haven Top Bag will be available in two sizes, regular and large, for $239.95 and $249.95 USD and will be in stores January 2010. The December 2009/January 2010 Best of Adventure Issue of National Geographic Adventure is on newsstands now.

About the Therm-a-Rest® Brand

Seattle-based Cascade Designs, Inc. has been the market leader in premium outdoor comfort for more than 35 years, designing the finest portable outdoor sleeping and seating solutions available under the Therm-a-Rest brand. The company’s commitment to quality manufacturing and innovation ensures that every product offers unrivaled comfort and reliability. All Therm-a-Rest mattresses are made in the Seattle, U.S.A. and Cork, Ireland manufacturing facilities. For more information on the Therm-a-Rest brand, visit www.thermarest.com.

About National Geographic Adventure

National Geographic Adventure, winner of four National Magazine Awards, is the fastest-growing magazine in the outdoor category and the ultimate guide to the adventure lifestyle. Published eight times a year, with a rate base of 625,000, National Geographic Adventure has 2.8 million readers. It is available by subscription (800-NGS-LINE) and on newsstands in the United States ($4.99) and Canada ($6.99). Its editorial mission supports National Geographic’s corporate global mission to inspire people to care about the planet. The magazine’s Web site is www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure.

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