A backpack isn’t something you carry, it’s something you wear.
For Wayne Gregory, comfort has always been essential. That’s why, since its founding, the brand that bears his name has offered backpacks that aren’t accessories to be slung over one’s shoulders, but rather complements to a set of gear designed to provide outdoor enthusiasts with all the comfort of a tailored suit.
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The origins of Gregory Mountain Products and the pursuit of comfort
Wayne Gregory was a 14-year-old Californian Boy Scout when he designed his first backpack with an internal wooden frame. It was certainly an excellent solution for the industry and for such a young man, but it wasn’t quite what he expected from a comfortable trekking backpack. He replaced the wooden frame with an aluminum one, but his first company, founded in 1970, when he was 22, was unsuccessful.
However, the idea of making “his own” comfortable backpack continued to buzz around in his head, and it was strengthened when his wife refused to wear backpacks that left bruises on her back.
In 1977, Wayne started the company that still bears his name today: Gregory Mountain Products.
Gregory innovation comes from wearability
Wayne Gregory’s goal always remained to build more comfortable and durable backpacks using extremely simple yet functional designs.
Thus he created – and sewed – Cassin, the first backpack with an internal frame of different lengths and customized back supports, which set a new standard of comfort for this type of product.
The next evolution was the first contoured frame that conformed to the curvature of the back and spine, followed in 1978 by the first “Fit & Comfort For Life” backpack guarantee, Gregory’s famous lifetime guarantee that is still ongoing today.
From field innovation to Gregory backpack technologies
Wayne tested “his” creations live on and down the nearby mountains, and field testing by the young experts of Team Gregory is still an essential step for every prototype designed in the offices in Salt Lake City (Utah).
The story of Gregory Mountain Products quickly transcended national borders, beginning in 1986 when the brand embarked on its long journey across Asia from Japan. It’s a history studded with successes, technological innovations, and the evolution of materials to offer ever-improving products in terms of performance, efficiency, comfort, and safety. From the first active suspension system, with a hipbelt that flexed and moved with the body in 1992, to the patented self-adapting and self-rotating shoulder harness technology in 1998, from the iconic Baltoro with the first independent 3D rotating hipbelt that flexed and moved with the body in 2006, to BioSync technology for a new generation of packs that move and flex with the wearer’s body in 2009. And then, in 2017, the exclusive and award-winning 3D forming technology, with the launch of the first revolutionary quick-drying 3D hydration reservoirs, to 2019 with the Free Float dynamic suspension technology, which allows for a more natural walk and a new standard of dynamic fit and comfort.
Gregory: Innovation, Sustainability, and Inclusivity in the Outdoors
Over the years, Gregory’s innovation has not been limited to the development of award-winning expedition, trekking, and multifunctional daypacks. It has also coincided with the adoption of concrete measures to assess and reduce its environmental footprint. Gregory has thus become a leader in sustainable backpack design, collaborating with LCA (Life Cycle Analysis), a sophisticated analysis process that allows designers to reduce environmental impact by cross-referencing data related to materials, travel, usage cycle, and activities. It has also encouraged the growth of female participation in mountain sports by offering women-specific models and, most recently, has created products for plus sizes.
Gregory Plus Size: Outdoor backpacks designed for every body type.
One of Gregory’s goals is to create opportunities for access and introduce as many people as possible to the benefits of the outdoors. From this mission, a complete collection of plus-size products was born in 2021, to offer maximum comfort and enjoyment to this underserved yet passionate group of outdoor adventurers.
Gregory’s Plus Size offering covers the most popular backpack, day hike, hydration, and outdoor accessory categories. It’s not simply an extra-large version of standard products, but a reimagining of the fit and comfort to accommodate larger sizes. The Plus Size backpack collection includes models 2 to 6 times larger than the original size, fully adjustable to fit your body type. They’re designed to prevent the shoulder straps from chafing under your armpits and feature a wider waistbelt, increased padding and shoulder strap length, and improved pocket accessibility, so you can grab your essentials without having to stop and remove the pack.
