Osprey Packs Named Outside's Best Places To Work

Following their recent recognition from REI as Vendor Partner of the Year, Osprey has also been honored with the Best Places to Work award from Outside Magazine.

Osprey came in the ranks under Group Three, which is comprised of companies with 15- 49 employees.

This survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in the country that not only create a great work environment but also promote an environmentally friendly business process and create a work-outdoor life balance for employees.

“We are honored to be among this elite group of companies in our industry that strive towards excellence in business practices, which includes all facets of business from the employee, to retail and to manufacturing,” said Erik Wegner, manager of Human Resources for Osprey Packs. “This great honor reaffirms our ongoing efforts to conduct business with high integrity, both on the employee and consumer level.”


Check out more information on the program and Osprey's award at http://www.bestplacestoworkoutside.com/.

Your Water Bottle is Dangerous – Adventure and Environment on Steve Casimiro's NGA Blog

"Special Report: Your Water Bottle IS Dangerous

If your water bottle is made of polycarbonate plastic—and most Nalgene and Camelbak bottles sold over the last few years are—it’s probably unsafe for you to use.

Nalgene, the largest manufacturer of outdoor water bottles, announced today that it will stop selling bottles made of polycarbonate. Polycarbonate contains a manmade chemical called bisphenol A (BPA), which leaches from the plastic at levels dramatically higher than previously thought..." (text by Steve Casimiro, continue reading here)

This excerpt taken from Steve Casimiro's Blog , The Adventure Life, that includes posts on everything from travel and adventure to sustainability and environmental issues to reviews on coffee mugs. Of course, the blog features some of Steve's brilliant photography and even tips on getting great shots in the field.

Mountainfilm Goes Live With National Geographic

Want a taste of this year's Mountainfilm in Telluride Festival? Try this link to National Geographic Adventure's website.

The first video up is by Trip Jennings, a National Geographic Young Explorer Grantee and a 2007 Adventurer of the Year. He and his buddies went to Papua New Guinea for the first descent of the Pandi river, whose origin is an underground cave.

GoPro accepting sponsorship applications

GoPro is accepting sponsorship applications from racers and athletes for 2008.

GoPro is looking to outfit top amateur athletes across the country with its lightweight and convenient wearable digital video cameras.

Anyone interested in being sponsored is encouraged to visit SponsorHouse.com, MXResultz.com or MXSSponsor.com to apply for 2008 sponsorship.

GoPro's goal is to make it affordable and convenient for amateur athletes to shoot on-board or on-helmet video during their sport.

To capitalize on the growing success of its Motorsports HERO camera, GoPro has recently hired motorsports agency, NXTagency, to develop strategic marketing initiatives and manage grassroots sponsorship opportunities for amateur racers and athletes across the U.S. wanting to GoPro.

Video and photos taken with the GoPro's line of wearable sports cameras and accessories are located at www.goprocamera.com.

Ruth's Hemp Foods' Chia Goodness Makes A Splash Online

Ruth's Hemp Foods introduced a new product to their line-up, and reintroduced the world to the nutritious benefits of the chia seed, which reminds many of us of the chia pet.

But, packed with omega-3s, calcium and protein, to name a few, and packaged with Ruth's famous hemp seed and other great natural products, this seed and new breakfast cereal are making waves. Not only is it highly nutritious, but it is very delicious.

Check out Treehugger's assessment of this amazing breakfast cereal, as well as Supermarket Guru's.

Climb it? It's Just Fun to Pretend You Can Say It!

It is Hvannadalshnukur (pronounced KWANNA-dalsh-nyooker). It's the highest peak in Iceland and part of the Vatnajokull glacier - the largest glacier in Europe.

The story is that the folks at 66˚ North are climbing it - along with 300 other people. 66 North is partnering with Icelandic Mountain Guides to sponsor a mass ascent of Hvannadalshnukur. Organized training for all participants began in February. The goal is for everyone to summit on June 7, 2008.


Beyond the pursuit of adventure and sport, the goal of the mass ascent is to raise awareness of the marked increase in world glacial melt. The hope is that through facilitating this mass ascent, 66˚North will enable more people to gain a firsthand awareness of the importance of glaciers to environmental balance. Though glacial melt is a serious topic, 66˚North also celebrates the joy of activity and human achievement. Follow the progress here.

Outdoor Industry Foundation Repositions for the Future

Outdoor Industry Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing participation in active outdoor sports, is executing a repositioning effort that will change the way it supports and organizes programs going forward. As part of this effort, the organization will change its name to The Outdoor Foundation. In addition, The Outdoor Foundation contracted us, Verde PR & Consulting, as their communications agency of record, effective April 1, 2008.

Through the repositioning effort, The Outdoor Foundation will maintain its support for Teens Outside and it will evaluate additional programs to ensure that the organization is supporting the most effective platforms to increase youth participation in outdoor activities. The Outdoor Foundation hired Verde PR & Consulting to help facilitate transparent and consistent communications during these efforts. Read the full story on Outdoor Industry's website.