We all love the wilderness, but not all of us are great stewards of the land. Sadly, trash on the trail is an all-too-common sight these days. At this year’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, the crew at Granite Gear explained how they are pitching in to help our wild lands.
The “Grounds Keepers” initiative began quite organically. Granite Gear noticed that many long trail hikers were taking it upon themselves to pick up garbage along the way. Many of these hikers just happened to be using the company’s gear for their adventures (not a big surprise, as GG has numerous items made for thru-hiking). The company and the hikers have now teamed up to Pack It Out. This year, a team of 15 hikers along numerous American long trails (PCT, AT, AZT and many more) will collect trash with specially outfitted Granite Gear Crown series backpacks. As of the OR show, the team has already collected over 600 lbs of trash! Major good karma points to both the Grounds Keepers and Granite Gear on this venture.
The good karma does not stop there. Back on Independence Day, Granite Gear unveiled their new Minnesota Made pack lineup. All the gear is crafted by employees at the Two Harbors, MN headquarters. The series features urban/light hiking packs such as the Crux, and two different sizes of duffel bags for the gym or traveling. Plans are in the works to source materials from right here in the USA for future additions to the Minnesota Made line.
Finally, the company has made one notable upgrade to the popular Crown2 backpack: an improved hip belt. The old RE-FIT system was a two-piece unit that some customers complained was causing hot spots above their waist. Granite Gear redesigned the hip belt into a folding, one-piece system that should alleviate those problems. The new and improved hip belt will be available on all the Crown2 packs moving forward.
If you want to find out more regarding the Pack It Out Grounds Keepers initiative, or check out the new Minnesota Made series of packs, check out the company website at www.granitegear.com.