Are you going to be there?

MCS will be heading to Birmingham’s NEC on Friday 26th March for the opening of the Outdoors Show and we would love to see you there. To meet up at the show please contact jo@mcspr.co.uk

MCS. is pleased to announce the addition of the Craghoppers brand to its existing impressive portfolio.

Craghoppers, a household name in the Travel and Outdoor markets, has been producing quality, high performance clothing and accessories since 1965. Recognising the progression in travel giving consumers the chance to go anywhere in the world all year round, Craghoppers has developed successful summer and winter collections which are designed to cater for a multitude of environments.

Starting with immediate effect, MCS will be handling all of Craghoppers public relations activities in the UK.

The Z55 and Jade 50 are complete redesigns of two mainstays over recent years in the Gregory line – packs designed for all-around use, and perfect for one to three or four nights out. For 2010, Gregory redesigned the ventilated suspension in a backpacking first – the first packs to offer true ventilation, because there is no mesh – or anything else – stretched across the mid-back and resting against the wearer’s back.

Beyond that, despite being ‘lightweight’ category packs, the Z55 and Jade 50 employ a full frame-sheet design, and new adjustable waist belt. That means, as Backpacker testing verifies, they carry heavier weights extremely well because they yield load transfer to the wearer’s body in the most effective way possible, translating to excellent fit and, therefore, ultimate comfort.

To find out more about Craghoppers and see the full product range please visit www.craghoppers.com

The perfect solution to start your holiday with a bang

Fancy a quick-pitch tent that is sturdy and long-lasting?  In a hurry to pitch your tent and get on with your holiday?  Outwell^® has the answer with its brand new Smart Tunnal Concept – a range of quick pitch tunnel tents that come with the full range of sophisticated features that are the hallmark of Outwell quality and design.

Outwell’s Smart Tunnal range comes in three strikingly stylish models – Fusion 200 & 300 and Vision 200.  These mini-versions of full size tunnel tents offer great stability, good internal space and are easy to pitch and transport.  The larger Fusion is available in a choice of either two or three person models and provides separate storage space with a unique and roomy porch with two large windows, as well as ample sleeping accommodation and the Outwell Fixed Ground System (OFG System) to protect against the elements and also keep those creepy crawlies out.  The Vision is a compact twin hoop design that weighs only 3.5 kilos, yet provides enough sleeping space for two people.  Available in a range of vibrant colour options, all Smart Tunnal tents fold down easily into their own carry holdall for easy portability.

All models pitch in seconds and have a pre-attached inner with a mesh pocket, in addition to a fully waterproof and breathable flysheet.

For further information on the Outwell range please visit www.outwell.com

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GoLite, the premier manufacturer of lightweight, high performance, sustainable apparel and equipment designed specifically for outdoor athletes, announced today the GoLite Product Take-Back Program, a first of its kind in the outdoor industry. GoLite will take back and reuse, repurpose, recycle, and/or store for future recycling any GoLite apparel or equipment, regardless of its condition, that the company manufactured since its founding in 1998 (This does not include GoLite footwear, which is made by a separate company).

The intent of the program is to enable consumers to avoid ever sending their used or unwanted GoLite products to a landfill when there are so many positive options for giving their products a second life. GoLite will help consumers learn why their used GoLite products are not only “not trash,” but actually an opportunity to do the right thing cloaked in well-used performance gear and apparel.

By visiting www.golite.com customers can learn more about how to repair or repurpose their product locally, and if they decide to send it back to GoLite, the company will repair, donate, repurpose, recycle, and/or store for future recycling everything they get back, lock, stock and zipper pull.

Gregory’s new Z55 and women’s specific Jade 50 backpacks, which feature Gregory’s innovative JetStream LTS ventilated suspension, this week earned 2010 “best all-around” pack accolades from the US Backpacker Magazine, in its annual Gear Guide to the world’s best outdoor equipment.

“This pack rose to the top of a crowded – and very competitive – category due to its total load transfer, comfort, and conveniently laid-out packbag.” Backpacker editors wrote. “Result: awesome stability and big-load comfort. ”

The Z55 and Jade 50 are complete redesigns of two mainstays over recent years in the Gregory line – packs designed for all-around use, and perfect for one to three or four nights out. For 2010, Gregory redesigned the ventilated suspension in a backpacking first – the first packs to offer true ventilation, because there is no mesh – or anything else – stretched across the mid-back and resting against the wearer’s back.

Beyond that, despite being ‘lightweight’ category packs, the Z55 and Jade 50 employ a full frame-sheet design, and new adjustable waist belt. That means, as Backpacker testing verifies, they carry heavier weights extremely well because they yield load transfer to the wearer’s body in the most effective way possible, translating to excellent fit and, therefore, ultimate comfort.

GoLite has been honoured with Backpacker magazine Editors’ Choice Award, the most prestigious award in the outdoor industry, given annually to products in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials and/or performance.

Backpacker Editor-In-Chief Jonathan Dorn and his staff of editors and testers presented GoLite with the award at the annual Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, Utah on Thursday, January 21st.

The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards, bestowed annually since 1993, honour the products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by teams of highly experienced hikers and climbers. With no set categories for the awards and no set number of recipients, the products and the testing process drive the award categories.

GoLite’s extensive use of Tier 1 recycled fabrics won the “Green Award” and was one of only 15 innovative products honoured with a 2010 Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award. GoLite has replaced virgin, petro-chemical based materials in 100% of its main pack fabrics, travel luggage and in all of its sleeping bag collections with Tier 1 recycled nylons and polyesters, which have been shown to have up to 70% (for nylon) and up to 80% (for polyester) reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while performing on par with their conventional alternatives.

GoLite’s product director Kevin Joyce said, “We’re honoured Backpacker has chosen to recognize our use of Tier 1 recycled fabrics. Our integration of these fabrics significantly advances our goal of achieving sustainability without sacrificing our commitment to high performance apparel and equipment.

The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards are the gold standard against which all outdoor products are measured, and are a seal of approval that can help put an outdoor company or product on the proverbial map. Each year at the Outdoor Retailer show, retail buyers use the awards announcements as a must-buy shopping list, knowing that their customers will be asking for these products in the spring.

Since their inception, the Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards have come to be regarded as the most sought-after award for outdoor equipment and apparel found in the industry. The impeccable outdoor credentials and rigorous field-testing standards of the Backpacker staff guarantee that these awards are an undisputed mark of quality for the companies and products selected.

All winners must excel under extensive field-testing conducted by Backpacker’s team of editors, who take hundreds of new products every year into the backcountry to put them to the test. This rigorous process ensures that the performance of the winners is truly worthy of distinction and meets the guiding principle behind the program: gear that is of real value to the readers of Backpacker magazine, who are very active, long-term outdoor enthusiasts.

The complete list of Backpacker 2010 Editors’ Choice Award winners will be officially announced to the general public in the magazine’s April Gear Guide issue, on newsstands March 2, 2010.

 -ENDS-

About GoLite

GoLite is the premier global manufacturer of lightweight, high performance, sustainable apparel and equipment designed specifically for outdoor athletes. GoLite is dedicated to transforming the outdoor athlete’s trail experience by designing and developing simple, beautiful high performance gear that lets people experience nature more with less. GoLite is committed to building a truly sustainable business, one that minimizes its environmental impacts and manufactures its products in factories that are fair, safe, and non-discriminatory. GoLite products are available in 23 countries worldwide. For more information visit www.golite.com

About Backpacker:

Backpacker (www.backpacker.com) brings the outdoors straight to the reader’s doorstep, inspiring and enabling them to go more places and enjoy nature more often. The authority on active adventure, Backpacker is the world’s first GPS-enabled magazine and website, and the only outdoor media whose editors personally test the hiking trails, camping gear, and survival tips they publish. Backpacker’s Editors’ Choice Awards, an industry honour recognizing design, feature and product innovation has become the gold standard against which all other outdoor-industry awards are measured. And the magazine recently launched mobile media applications that allow users to text-message hiking maps and directions to their phones. In the last four years, Backpacker has won five National Magazine Awards, the publishing industry’s highest honor. In 2008, the magazine won the NMA for General Excellence, joining The New Yorker, Mother Jones, GQ, and National Geographic as top winners in their respective size categories. In 2009, it won three awards, including General Excellence Online. Backpacker has also won numerous other print, design, and digital awards, and its writers have been recognized in prestigious contests and best-of-the-year anthologies.

GoLite, the premier manufacturer of lightweight, high performance, sustainable apparel and equipment designed specifically for outdoor athletes has released its 2009 Sustainability Report. The ground breaking 156 page document is a first for GoLite and is a comprehensive account of the company’s environmental and social practices and footprint.

Focusing on GoLite’s environmental practices and impacts which includes; product responsibility, waste minimization, climate impact, social effect including labour policies, global human rights and community involvement, the report offers a transparent insight into the company. The sustainability report also complies to and fulfils the high standards set by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which is arguably the world’s most credible and trusted framework for corporate responsibility and sustainability reporting.

The report highlights key points such as:-

-          GoLite is striving to eliminate or mitigate 100% of its environmental footprint and be a model company in how they treat their employees and the community.

-          Three of the company’s goals set in 2006 to be accomplished by the end of 2010 have been fulfilled a year ahead of schedule. These include; using a majority of Environmentally Preferred Materials in its products by mass (currently at 67%); achieving 100% compliance with their factory fair labour Code of Conduct; and using zero percent restricted or banned substances in any product.

-          Within the Spring 2010 collection GoLite made the move towards full conversion of its product line to Environmentally Preferred Materials (EMP’s) when it replaced virgin, petro-chemical based materials in 100% of their main pack fabrics and travel luggage. Tier 1 recycled polyesters and nylons have also been used within the full sleeping bag collection. Tier 1 materials have been shown to have up to 70% (for nylon) and up to 80% (for polyester) reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while performing on-par with their conventional alternatives.

The extensive report has been peer audited by an Assurance Committee comprising of leaders in the outdoor and sustainability fields and along with GRI staff the document was awarded as having an A+ standard of reporting.

Commenting on the report GoLite’s Co-Founder and Chief Sustainability Officer, Kim Coupounas, said, “Building a sustainable business is an expression of our brand essence and our passion. It’s also good for our planet, good for our customers, and good for our business.  We hope the report inspires others in the outdoor industry and the corporate world in general to do the same.”

The full report can be viewed at http://www.golite.com/Meaning-of-Lite/Transparency.aspx and directly following the release of the report GoLite will be seeking direct feedback from consumers and other relevant stakeholders via email, social media, and other channels.

-ENDS-

About GoLite

GoLite is the premier global manufacturer of lightweight, high performance, sustainable apparel and equipment designed specifically for outdoor athletes. GoLite is dedicated to transforming the outdoor athlete’s trail experience by designing and developing simple, beautiful high performance gear that lets people experience nature more with less. GoLite is committed to building a truly sustainable business, one that minimizes its environmental impacts and manufactures its products in factories that are fair, safe, and non-discriminatory. GoLite products are available in 23 countries worldwide. For more information visit www.golite.com