For those who don’t know what the heck we’re talking about when we mention terms like Response AFS or Jetstream LTS, we’ve put together a Gregory tech term glossary to help fill you in. We’ll post one tech term each week until we run out.
Response CFS (Custom Fit Suspension)- CFS system was designed for heavier weights, up to 70 lbs, and longer trips, like five days, a week or longer. You’ll find this system in both the Whitney95, Palisade80 and the Deva85. Features of the CFS system:
- 5-point angle waistbelt- You’ll find a left and right pull tab by your waist. Both tabs are hooked up to a 5-point adjustment, which allows you to adjust the angle of the waistbelt by pulling up on the tab and then fixing it down to lock at the desired angle. For longer trips and heavier loads, we feel that it’s better to match your hip angle, then lock the hip belt in place, to provide better load transfer with heavier weights. This contracts with out Response AFS system which automatically adjusts to your hip angle, which we’ll discuss in a moment.
- Auto-Cant shoulder harness- The shoulder straps are attached to the frame by rotating triangular panels that auto-adjust as you move, to adjust to your shoulder width. Those triangular panels also serve as a tool to micro-adjust the frame to your torso. The shoulder harnesses themselves come in Men’s and Women’s fit for different shoulder lengths.
- Aluminum stays- The full frame sheet on the CFS is supported by two 2-3/4″ aluminum stays, along with a hollow anti-barreling cross stay, that will not buckle under extreme weight, but instead transfer pack weight superbly to lumbar region. That means comfort when carrying heavier weights.
Stay tuned for another installment of Gregory tech…
It’s what we do. One of the most frustrating things for me to see is someone who has an ill-fitting pack. It seems to be a far too common occurrence, but a few minor things can help to find all-day pack comfort. And believe you me, I too, was once a skeptic.
I once thought shoulder/back pain, blisters, and sore hips were all a part of the natural progression that is backpacking. Then I came to Gregory where Wayne ‘fit’ me for a pack, and 40lbs later, I was an instant believer. I immediately recalled thousands of miles of pain and discomfort and I asked myself, ‘Why?’ It seems so easy, and yet so many get it wrong (myself once included). We always recommend seeing a retailer for a proper fit and recommendations, but sometimes it just isn’t feasible. Either way, finding the length of your torso is key. Every brand seems to do it just a little differently, eventhough we would like to standardize this process across all pack brands … it would help everyone.
If you have yet to see our fit video with the man himself, do be sure to check it out.
We measure ‘torso’ from the C7 vertebrate to the iliac crest. The C7 vertebrate is the largest vertebrate at the base of your neck. The iliac crest is the very top of you hip bones and not the boney ‘side’ of the hip as many assume. An inch or more can be all the difference in getting a pack that ‘fits’. We see this all too often. “I have a 24” torso, but you only make packs up to 22”, what am I to do?” Well, my answer to that is measure your torso again, and I’m right 100% of the time (that’s right). I’ve personally only seen one torso longer the 21” (not to say there aren’t more than one of you out there, and said gentleman, was definitely at least 7’ 4”), and only a handful that are near 21”. Contrary to popular belief, and one of the hardest things that we try to pass to our consumers is ** Torso length DOES NOT directly correlate to your height **. My best example is I’m 5’10” and my boss is 6’2”, both of our torsos are just over 18” (making us both a medium torso). Combined with his hearty waistline, and barrel chest, he too would have thought a large size pack would fit him better. 
While snow showers might not be in your forecast this upcoming week, look out for the annual Leonid meteor shower, said to be at its peak on November 17th between 3:30 and 5:30 a.m. Historically, Leonid meteor showers (or storms) have been among the most spectacular. Although many say you can’t predict the intensity of a meteor shower, reports state this cycle may produce more than 500 meteors an hour.
November 12-13, 1833 marked both the discovery of the Leonid meteor shower as well as the birth of meteor astronomy. In the early morning hours of the November 13, 1833, the meteor storm erupted causing both panic and wonder. Reportedly, the storm estimated over one hundred thousand meteors an hour.
The last Leonid storms (1,000+ meteors per hour) occurred from 2000-2002 producing up to 3,000 meteors per hour. This year the moon will be a waxing crescent, meaning the sky will be dark enough to see the light show. Although the showers will supposedly be the strongest in the early hours, you can still catch the show leading up to and after. So pack your Gregory backpacks and head out beyond the city lights to catch what should be a remarkable meteor shower.
It’s about that time, as those of us who live in more northern climes are well aware, for the blower to turn on. People are already hiking for turns in the Wasatch and elsewhere, albeit with caution mode on (hopefully). Those rocks aren’t too deep yet …
Which makes it good timing for a little Gregory gear school, heading into ski season. One of the beauties of Gregory’s award-winning Targhee and Drift ski and snowboard packs is that they carry skis and boards in a few different ways for different situations. However, because there’s a few options for attaching your snow toys, it’s also useful to have primer on the finer details.
Read on for some beta on how all this works.
In an effort to provide information about the Gregory brand consolidated in one place on the web, Gregory is adding individual sites off its home page at 
The majority of the things we take for granted are the ones, that if taken away, we would miss the most. And for those who enjoy the outdoors, losing the ability to see would be one one of those things.
stretches from Mexico to Canada. Their attempt in 2010 will mark the first time a handicapped person will lead their team along the 2800 mile journey. Trevor will also be the first blind person to complete the journey beginning to end. To aid Trevor, Gregory will be sending him a 
