Justin was in New Zealand studying as well as working on a grant doing population and migration studies of indigenous birds. Here’s the story behind this particular photo from his trip:

“I spent two months this summer tramping all over New Zealand from Rotoroa (basically the northernmost point of the north island) to Steven’s Point (you guessed it, the southernmost point of the south island). This photo was taken near Arthur’s Pass, Cass, New Zealand (which has a population of literally1). I know this to be true because his name is George and he has a lovely pig/sheep/llama farm and he hosted me to a much needed refueling of delicious breakfast goodies as well as some local knowledge about what was edible and inedible throughout the area. This particular picture was a surprise to me. I had no idea my companion was shooting. It wasn’t great weather, but in my opinion, it captured the essence of New Zealand’s rugged Southern Alps. It was breathtaking, truly the most remarkable, challenging, invigorating, inspiring trek of my short life thus far.”

Have a great photo with a great story to go with it? Submit it to our Good Life page and you’ll have a chance to win some great Gregory gear.  Up for grabs this month is a messenger bag in our popular digi-camo print. Not familiar with this product or fabric? That’s because it’s another Japan only goodie, not available in the US, and uber-exclusive.

Good luck!

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Now that you have 104 newly opened peaks in Kashmir to ascend this summer, you’ll be happy to know your 2011 trekking adventures will be equally, if not more exciting. Next February, The Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) will open, stretching 2,800 miles and crossing through five countries: Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Pakistan.

For thru-hikers, the trek is estimated to require 150 days to complete and depending on which route you take, you could be trekking over 4,500km. However, if you don’t have 5 months to dedicate to hiking the full Himalaya mountain range, the GHT will be sectioned off into nine shorter segments, each taking between 18-35 days to finish.

If you think you’d like to be one of the first few people to access the trail, the adventure trail company ‘World Expeditions’ is organizing the inaugural trip for Feb. 15th, 2011. You may chose the entire 150 day journey or one of the smaller sections.

Some of our most popular packs, like the Z55, are purchased for thru-hikes like the AT and the Pacific Crest Trail, so if you’re looking for a pack to handle 150 days or 30 days on the Great Himilaya Trail, well, we hope you know where to look.

Via The Adventure Blog

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“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.’ ”

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Yellowstone
Created by timelapse photographer, Andrew Curtis

via Kyle Cassidy at Wend

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Back in July 2008 Ryan Powell set off to hitch-hike across America with the goal of creating a documentary of the people he met along the way. And nearly two years later, he’s still at it. The term ‘hitch-hike‘ is relative in this situation as he has only allowed himself to accept rides when drivers voluntarily stop to ask if he needs one. So, in turn, Ryan has seen most of America on foot. How does this story relate  to Gregory?

Well, when you’re carrying everything you own on your back across amber waves of grain and purple mountains majesties, you better have a comfortable, yet functional pack. Ryan chose the Gregory Palisade 80 to accompany him on his journey and, unfortunately, Ryan had some initial difficulties with the hip-belt. While we’re very proud of our quality control in general here at Gregory, it’s difficult to achieve a perfect track record, and Ryan’s problem stemmed from an isolated batch of defective plastic material from one of our suppliers that caused the waist belt frame to crack. This was a problem for a limited number of other Gregory customers who unfortunately also got a pack with one of these defective hip belt frames.

In our mind, the measure of a company is not whether you have the occasional problem, but how you deal with that problem to keep the trust of a loyal customer. We proactively communicated with our customers concerning this topic, and we also tried to help customers directly, rather than having them go through a retailer. In this case, John Sears from Gregory’s R&D contacted Ryan to explain the problem and offered to send him the newest Whitney 95.

After much use, Ryan was extremely pleased with the quality and functionality of the pack. So last month, while he was ‘on the road,’ Ryan stopped by the Gregory headquarters in Sacramento to meet the crew and thank them for their help. During his visit he met with John Sears, Director of R&D and Nick Kelso, Sample Maker who beefed up his pack by replacing worn out and dirty parts on his pack as well as reinforcing seams. Here’s what he had to say about his visit:

‘The people at Gregory are awesome. I was there for five hours, talking pretty extensively to almost everyone in the building. The also fed me, an act that always wins major points with me, But mostly it was just cool meeting them and seeing a little bit of their operation. It’s clear that they spend a lot of time working to make their products the best they can be, largely listening to feedback from people like me.’ -Ryan Powell via his blog

It’s people like Ryan who really get to know our packs and without people like him, we wouldn’t have the quite the same insight about our packs as we do. So, we sincerely appreciate their feedback and always enjoy hearing their stories.

Thanks, Ryan and good luck with Aimless.

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So who were these ‘testers’?  We gave Gregory Ambassador Joe Kinder a Torre 33 nine months ago, and had one of our female employees, Molly, test two of the women’s specific models over the past 4 months.  Both of them LOVE the mountains (obvs), so these were the perfect packs for them to put through the ringer, through a multitude of activities, with each of their very different packing styles.  Here’s what they had to say:

Name: Joe Kinder
Pack Tested: Torre 33
Activities: Climbing, Approach, Bolting Routes

The Review:  “I’ve been using the Torre 33L for the past 9 months. My objective was to put this joint to use and try to kick its ass, use it in every situation, and then provide feedback. So far…to this day…I haven’t been able to damage it in the slightest. No rips, no holes, nothing. The zipper is still intact, the material is completely fine.

The harness system is amazing. It is a mold that offers total support and comfort. I pack this thing with bolts, draws, my drill, a rope, harness, shoes, water, and food. NO problem. The access to the interior is SO easy with the opening design. I am in love with this pack.”

Name: Molly Maguire
Packs Tested: Inyo 45 & Cirque 30
Activities: Backpacking/Climbing Yosemite, XC Skiing, Snowshoeing, Ice Climbing

The Review:  “I used the Inyo 45 for an overnight backpacking trip in Yosemite with some newbies and was amazed at how much I loved it. I usually use a 60-80L pack and have been known to use that 80L for overnighters with new hikers to carry as many creature comforts for them, as possible. I fit everything I wanted to, everything was able to be organized, all the pockets are in good places, and there’s more than enough of them.  And after everything was stuffed inside, it was super easy to get to it, this pack’s access is awesome. The approaches when climbing were easy b/c of the narrower waistbelt, so I could be wearing my harness and still take big, scrambly steps. The smaller packs in this line are great for a sport rack, the larger accommodate a trad rack, and with 3 volume sizes, you can do any length climbing/hiking trip.

In Ouray, I used the Cirque 30 as a day pack, out xc skiing and snowshoeing, as well as ice climbing.  The Wraptor Stabilizer during the skiing and snowshoeing totally pulls the load up into your back, it feels super stable, like I had total freedom to move and the pack stayed still and stable, and didn’t throw me off balance (which can happen when you pack like me and come in at a whopping 5 feet tall :). It fit all of my climbing gear while I was trolling around the festival - crampons, harness, carabiners, belay devices, an extra rack - and still had enough room for my helmet inside too. I didn’t feel scared at all about throwing it down on the ice, the materials are bomber and super abrasion resistant.”

There you have it folks. Man and woman, coming together and agreeing that these All Mountain packs are AWESOME. What do you all think of these packs? Psyched to try them out? If you’re still not sold, check out the video for some more info on the features, Fusion LTS suspension, and what makes these packs so great.

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As a result of years of regional turmoil and unrest, few have explored the ‘cursed’ Prokletije mountains of Albania. Since the dying of tensions over the last decade, Drs Philip Huges, Jeff Blackford and PhD student Rose Wilkinson recently traveled to the widely undocumented region to research features carved into the landscape by past glaciers and unknowingly stumbled upon the real thing.

Their expedition led to the discovery of four glaciers, all previously unknown to geologists, glaciologists and researchers. Given the latitude, researchers were surprised to find the glaciers at such an unusually low altitude of roughly 6,500 feet. But due to the high amount of snowfall per year and cool temperatures, these glaciers have been able to survive.

The discovery was documented in the December 2009 issue of Arctic, Antartic, and Alpine Research and a full scholarly paper will be released later this year.

Along with putting the Prokletije region on the map for researchers, the discovery also put the mountainous region on the map for backpackers and adventure travelers looking to explore relatively untouched territory.

Via Gadling blog

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The winning snapshot resulted from a few too many minutes of shut-eye, one too many granola bars and, unfortunately, a hike down a crater in the dark. Ayelet Niv and her fellow backpackers ended up a little behind on their trek from the Red Sea to the Syrian/Lebanese border due to a extended lunch and nap break, which forced them to finish their long trek in the dark. Thankfully they completed the journey safely despite the minor setback and Ayelet was able to share this amazing photo with the Good Life community.

If you think you have the next Good Life photo winner, post it on our website for the chance to win a Muir 24 or Imlay daypacks shown below.

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Gregory Product Designer, CJ Whittaker, set out to design a bag that was extremely versatile, a pack you could use for anything. As there was nothing quite like that in the Gregory line previous to the new All Mountain packs, the design team started from scratch. They began with the basics, a suspension that would allow the wearer to move freely and features that would accommodate a wide range of gear, which meant a lot of research both inside and outside of the office. So the team drew a great deal of their inspiration for the pack from doing the activities in which the pack was meant to be used, including skiing, climbing, hiking and mountaineering.

The team custom built the Fusion™ LTS suspension system to move with you in situations like a multipitch climb, backcountry skiing, or mountaineering where it’s essential that the pack is comfortable and stays out of the way for better performance. Starting with the existing Gregory 3D suspension seemed to be the most logical as it’s foam components keep their shape, are super comfortable, and offer a right-off-the-shelf fit. By narrowing waist belt and harnesse design, it allowed for superior range of motion as well as provide access to a climbing harness without removing the bag from your back. Additionally, the pack features the Alpinisto pack’s Wraptor™ Stabilizer system that pulls the lumbar pad right to the small of your back, auto-locating it to the correct spot for optimal carry.

When it came to bag design, designers wanted a feature rich bag, with a clean design, so they set out to pack as much functionality into each feature as possibles. Most features tuck away into their own pockets, like the ice axe loops, so they won’t get caught on branches, other gear, etc. The ski attachment haul loops allow for either forward or backward placement depending on where you want the weight to sit. And probably the most unique feature to this pack is the full-zip access, which means the skirt opens up and the bag butterflies open, so you can access all of your gear at once.

The fabrics are light-weight, but beefed up in areas that need reinforcement, like the sides, where skis, trekking poles, or other gear often cause abrasion on the pack body. And the for the bottom panel fabric, they used 1680 ballistic nylon fabric. So rest assured, you can drop the pack on the ground a million and half times and you won’t have a problem.

The Fusion™ LTS is the ultimate one-stop-shop pack. Don’t believe us? Check out CJ’s video below, where he details all the great features, suspension, function and uses for these all new Gregory packs.

View the full line of Fusion™ LTS packs HERE.

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