Osprey Packs, Inc., an independent pack company located in the high desert and mountains of Southwestern Colorado, is unveiling a new collection of youth backpacks for spring 2008, the Sprint Series.

The Sprint Series brings Osprey’s legacy of deluxe custom fit to youth backpacks, and was designed with the understanding that a child’s body dimensions, proportions, and biomechanical properties are markedly different than those of an adult. These packs provide the best carry of any youth packs on the market by combining ergonomically correct fit, technical features tailor-made for youth, and Osprey’s signature design, quality, customization and durability.

Comprising three pack sizes, each with five inches of torso adjustability, the Sprint Series packs grow with your child, providing years of use. Features of the Ace (2900 cubic inches), Jib (2100 cubic inches) and Imp (1400 cubic inches) include:

• Peripheral aluminum frame with rigid foam framesheet
• Osprey’s AirScape ventilated foam backpanel
• Perforated EVA harness with mesh outer
• Size adjustable foam hipbelt with spacer mesh outer
• Built-in raincover
• Hydration compatible
• Two organizational pockets in the top lid
• Stretch nylon mesh front and side pockets
• Dual daisy chains
• Mesh harness pocket
• Retractable zippered sleeping bag compartment and single ice axe attachment on the Ace and Jib
• Four seam buckles on the smaller Imp allow it to attach to larger Osprey packsThe Ace, Jib and Imp are available in the colors blue yonder and cherry shake and retail for $149, $129 and $99 respectively.

For more information visit OspreyPacks.com

Osprey Packs, Inc., an independent pack company located in the high desert and mountains of Southwestern Colorado, proudly announces the promotion of Pam Hurley to program pack and pro deal manager.

“Osprey is very excited to make a larger commitment to packs and gear specifically designed for outdoor programs,” said Tom Barney, Osprey’s CEO. “Pam has a terrific background, energy, and commitment to ensure our program packs bring Osprey technology and fit to these important outdoor users.”

In her new role, Hurley will supervise Osprey’s program pack introductions, working closely with the Osprey management team to research program pack opportunities and coordinate the design and production requirements for this new pack series. Additionally, she will lead program sales efforts and execute marketing strategies. In her role as pro deal manager Hurley will be responsible for reviewing and updating the pro deal procedures, and overseeing the daily operations of the pro deal program.

Hurley spent the past two years as a valued member of the Osprey Customer Service Team. Prior to joining Osprey, she worked for a number of outdoor education programs, including Prescott College, Chadwick School, Athenian School, Women’s Wilderness Institute, and Crossroads School. She graduated from Prescott College with a B.A. in Adventure Education.

About Osprey Packs - From its humble beginnings building custom backpacks and sleeping bags in Santa Cruz California, to its current recognition as an industry leader, Osprey has always flown its own course. Their mission is to create innovative high performance gear that reflects a love of adventure and a devotion to the outdoors and the environment. Osprey defines success when it meets the demanding expectation of its most discerning customers. Based in Cortez, Colorado, Osprey has over thirty-two years of pack-making experience. For more information visit Osprey.com.

Designed for the adventure oriented enthusiast who is unwilling to compromise weight or comfort, the Talon Series from Osprey offers a unique melding of torso adjustability in an active, lightweight pack. There are 4 different sized backpacks in the Talon line. We particularly like the versatile Osprey Talon 33, however you won’t go wrong with any of the Talons.

The Talon 33 will meet the needs of everyone from the expert light and fast backpacker to the hardcore do-it-in-a-day alpinists. To keep you cool on the go, Osprey equipped the Talon 33 with a mesh perforated harness, mesh perforated hipbelt and the AirScape backpanel. The easy top loading and a floating top pocket combined with the hipbelt pockets, ice axe attachment, rope carry, tow loop and stretch woven front and side pockets keep you organized while the hydration sleeve fits even the largest bladders to keep you hydrated while on the go. The talon 33 comes in 2 sizes: S/M: 1900 cubic inches weighing 1 lb 12 oz and M/L: 2000 cubic inches weighing 1 lb 14 oz. Whether you hike slot canyons, spend the night in the forest, or ice climb, the Osprey Talon 33 will get the job done while keeping you fast, light and cool.

Osprey Packs has set a Retail Price of $130 for the Talon 33 Backpack

Buy This Pack Online Right Now @ MooseJaw.com - Use exclusive coupon code 22111 for 11% off full priced or 6% off on-sale backpacks and gear at Moosejaw!

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Osprey Packs has unveiled a new campaign designed to showcase customers’ outdoor experiences.

The contest, called Pack Your Passion. Go., begins August 2007 and runs through March 2008. Winning submissions will be used in Osprey’s 2008 ad campaign and receive a $100 cash prize, and an Osprey organic cotton t-shirt and cap. Successful entries should include the Osprey pack owner/enthusiast, the setting or environment they enjoy using their pack in, as well as a visual or written description of key pack contents.

“Osprey pack owners are among the most dedicated outdoor enthusiasts out there,” said Osprey Marketing Director, Gareth Martins. “We anticipate some really spectacular shots in majestic settings both remote and well traveled. And, of course, we can’t rule out a little of the strange and humorous.”

Osprey invites all customers to submit high-res images of themselves with their packs in their favorite environment, be it desert or alpine, urban or rural. In addition to the images, Osprey hopes to learn what makes their customers tick, and what essential, and defining, gear will always be found in their Osprey pack.

For complete information on the contest with submission guidelines, please visit www.ospreypacks.com/OspreyLifestyle/PhotoContest

Get a FREE Osprey Rain Cover with any Osprey Backpack purchase over $129 at Moosejaw.com. Simply add the backpack and the rain cover to your cart and you’ll see the rain cover automatically change to $0. Choose from 4 available sizes. From the Aura to the Crescent, keep your gear dry in a downpour with the free Osprey raincover from Moosejaw.

Osprey Packs Inc. cranked out multiple miles and much enthusiasm from its staff during Colorado’s Bike to Work Day on June 27, 2007. Of the 23 people who came to work, 18 chose to travel by bike, which collectively totaled 244 miles in commuting distance.

“We’re thrilled that nearly 100% of our staff biked to work today” said Gareth Martins, Director of Marketing for Osprey. “It is our hope that Osprey can set an example for other local businesses as to how important and fun not driving your car to work can be”. Though many chose to participate by pedaling in, Martins explained that more than half of employees bike, carpool or walk to work with some regularity throughout the year.

Traveling from several towns around Osprey’s Cortez headquarters, employees racked-up the miles and prevented an estimated 12.2 gallons of gas from being burned (20 miles per gallon average in a vehicle). Based on calculations from Sam Mix, Osprey Marketing Associate and Corporate Sustainability Coordinator, employees were responsible for preventing 340 pounds, or 28 pounds per gallon, of carbon from being released into the atmosphere.

As an incentive to pedal their way into work, Osprey offered $1500 in prizes to eager employees who participated. Prizes were offered for the event from outdoor companies including Outdoor Research, The McNett Corporation, Osprey Packs Inc. and Statik Mountain.

In addition to Bike to Work Day, the Osprey Sustainable Transportation Program provides financial incentives for non-motorized commuting to employees throughout the year. Since its inception in 2006, the program has seen 2217 individual non-motorized trips with $1108.50 paid in rewards to staff.

About Osprey Packs
From our humble beginnings building custom backpacks and sleeping bags in Santa Cruz California, to our current recognition as an industry leader, Osprey has always flown its own course. Our mission is to create innovative high performance gear that reflects our love of adventure and our devotion to the outdoors. We succeed when we meet the demanding expectation of our most discerning customers and they are proud to use our packs. Based in Cortez, Colorado, Osprey has over thirty-two years of pack-making experience. Visit OspreyPacks.com for more information.

Osprey Packs Atmos Series of backpacks were designed with the light and fast mantra in mind. The Osprey Atmos 50 is the mid-sized offering of the Atmos line and is a versatile 3000 cubic inch pack. It will fit a sleeping bag, clothes, food, and other necessities in the main compartment, while the accessible twin side pockets will hold Nalgenes, fuel and other cylindrical items. On the outside, diagonal compression straps allow you to strap anything you need to the outside of the pack. A supple shovel pocket can stash a shovel or just-in-case raingear. There’s also a hydration sleeve for storing your water bladder and a bonus stash spot behind the mesh back panel.

Speaking of the mesh back panel, Osprey equipped the Atmos 50, which is part of the “ventilated” line of packs, with a 3D breathable mesh fabric with a space between the mesh and the bag, allowing air to flow to your back. Osprey has built its reputation on comfort, and the ErgoPull Hipbelt combined with the AirSpeed suspension system allow you to carry up to 40 lbs in complete comfort.

The Atmos 50 comes in 3 sizes, the specs of which are as follow:

Small: 2800 cu. in. - 2 lbs. 15 oz.
Medium: 3000 cu. in. - 3 lbs. 1 oz.
Large: 3200 cu. in. - 3 lbs. 3 oz.

If you’re ready to join the light and fast revolution and want to keep your back cool and comfortable on your overnighters, look no further than the Osprey Atmos 50.

Osprey Packs has set a Retail Price of $200 for the Atmos 50 Backpack

Buy This Pack Online Right Now @ MooseJaw.com - Use exclusive coupon code 22111 for 11% off full priced or 6% off on-sale backpacks and gear at Moosejaw!

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Osprey Packs Pass On The Passion Program

Introducing Osprey’s Triple-R Offer for U.S. Customers - Recycle and Redeem for Reuse. Join Osprey Packs and The Mountain Fund in passing on the passion of backpacking. When you send your old or unused pack (must be usable by another human being) to The Mountain Fund and buy a new Osprey pack, Osprey will send you a 10% refund as a thank you! Here are a few organizations you’ll be benefitting:

Empowering Women of Nepal - Pokhara Nepal. A NOLS syle outdoor program for Nepali women designed to help those women find employment in the trekking industry.

Climb High Foundation - Working with women in Uganda, Climb High has worked to open up career opportunities for women to work in the trekking and climbing industry.

The Alpine Fund – Located in Bishkek, The Alpine Fund takes kids living in state run orphanages out for mountain hikes and adventures to help them re-socialize and form a support network that they will need to make the transition from life in the state homes to life in the real world.

Porter Groups – The Mountain Fund supports several porter groups including IMEC, IPPG and Porters Progress in Tanzania and Nepal, as well as their own porter support program in Peru.

Big City Mountaineers – Provides urban teenage youth in need of positve adult mentoring with challenging and safe wilderness experiences led by qualified outdoor guides.

Boy Scouts - Supporting poor rural Boy Scout troops in New Mexico and Colorado, your backpack will go to boys who want to backpack with Boy Scouts and cannot afford a pack.

If you’ve already purchased your new Osprey backpack, Download the rebate flyer and follow the instructions on how to send in your old pack and get your 10% rebate. If you haven’t bought your new Osprey backpack yet, we encourage you to use exclusive coupon code 22111 for 11% off full priced or 6% off on-sale backpacks and gear @ MooseJaw.com.

The Crescent 85 Pack from Osprey is an incredibly versatile full-featured men’s expedition backpack. This pack is built for the mission of carrying heavy weight in a comfortable, organized way. Osprey offers 5 frame sizes, six standard harness and hipbelt sizes. With easy torso adjustability, the ReCurve Suspension can be tuned to fit just about anyone perfectly. The ReCurve suspension is made from stiff aluminum stays and extra struts that help distribute your load as evenly as possible. The BioForm harness comes in multiple sizes with gender specific cuts, as does the BioForm CM hipbelt, which also happens to be heat moldable. The harness and hipbelt feature spacer mesh surfaces with no sewn seams for smooth body contact. Osprey continues to strive for maximum pack to body contact which gives even load distribution for maximizing comfort.

Now the Crescent 85 isn’t just a comfortable pretty pack. Its well organized big backpack too. Gear organization is a piece of pie with vertical zip panel access, wide mouth sleeping bag access and a built in stretch mesh pocket with zippered panel. The clever vertical zip access to the main compartment hides under the right compression flap, so you don’t have to dismantle everything to unzip. An included hydration sleeve sits in its own pouch on the back of the pack, and can detach to become a small self-contained hydration pack. There are 2 side and 1 overhead external pockets. The pack is of course stocked with plenty of well placed compression straps, allowing you to carry a snowboard or skis (diagonally) on your next winter expedition. Just in case you have questions about the packs durability, rest assured that the combination of twill nylon, plain-weave nylon and ripstop nylon will hold your gear securely. Osprey is confident too, thats why they’ve backed the Crescent 85 with a lifetime warranty.

Osprey Packs has set a Retail Price of $380 for the Crescent 85

Buy This Pack Online Right Now @ MooseJaw.com - Use exclusive coupon code 22111 for 11% off full priced or 6% off on-sale backpacks and gear at Moosejaw!

Do you own this pack? Please add your comments to this review if so.