Osprey is proud to announce that we will be attending the action-packed Dominion Riverrock Festival in Richmond, Virginia during the upcoming weekend of May 17-19. We’re super excited to be a part of the only festival of its kind, one that combines the best of both the outdoor adventure and the music worlds. Throughout the Fest, there will be endless competitions in biking, hiking, running and climbing, as well as performances by top notch artists such as Toots and the Maytals and many more!

Not only will there be on-going comps, music and fun, we’ll be there hosting our own events. One such activity will be the infamous Osprey Packs bola ball toss, which you can play to win a pack! All proceeds will be donated to the Blue Sky Fund, which makes your chance to win a pack that much better. We’ll also be selling packs in alliance with Blue Ridge Mountains Sports at a killer 20 percent off, and our very own Osprey Athlete Ben Clark will be guiding hikes with Virginia Trail Blazers and signing free posters throughout the weekend.

If you’re in the area and looking for a mind-blowing good time with loads of things to do, stop by our booth to check out the packs, get a poster or try your chance at bola ball for a good cause! Connect with the Fest on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and share the #riverrockrva love!

Bike, Events, Music Festivals, Osprey Athletes, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, Retail Promotions, contest, travel ben clark, biking, Climbing, Dominion Riverrock, festival, hiking, music, Osprey Packs, outdoors, running, Virginia

Mountain2Mountain's Shannon Galpin and Georgian photographer, Mikhail Galustov ride through the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo: Warren Buttery

Dare to believe in our common humanity.

Six years ago, Shannon Galpin walked away from her career as an athletic trainer and used her own limited funds to launch Mountain2Mountain and “be the change” she wished to see in the world. Today, Shannon and the M2M team, are just returning from their latest trip to Afghanistan where they launched the Streets of Afghanistan project and rode bicycles through Kabul to raise awareness of cultural barriers and empower women and girls in conflict regions.

We believe in the power of voice as a catalyst for social action.

Here at Osprey, we are proud to support Shannon and M2M’s work, both in the US and in Afghanistan. This year in particular, we’re incredibly proud of Shannon, who is one of the National Geographic Adventure’s Adventurer of the Year nominees—and you can vote for her throughout all of November and into January! To celebrate and stoke the fire of Shannon’s work, we’re highlighting this incredible organization for the entire month of November. Please join us and spread the word about M2M.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Use your voice. Share a photo or video from M2M with your online network on Facebook. Make sure to tag M2M and Osprey Packs in your post.
2. Tell a story. Post a photo of your own on the Osprey Packs Facebook wall. Your photo can be of someone that inspires you, or an image that you believe exemplifies our common humanity. Just make sure to write a short caption that tells us about your image.

At the end of the month, we will be choosing three people at random to highlight right here on our blog and Facebook page and we will also award each winner with an Osprey Raptor Hydration Pack!

It didn’t take long before Shannon gathered a crowd of other bikers and formed a bike gang. Photo: Warren Buttery

Please share your stories between November 7 and 29. We will choose three winners on Friday, November 30. You can share and submit  from anywhere in the world, but we will only ship prizes to addresses within the United States and Canada.

Bike, Osprey Culture, causes, contest, travel afghanistan, bicycling, conflict regions, contest, giveaway, human rights, international affairs, mountain2mountain, shannon galpin, women's rights

It’s that time of year again: National Geographic Adventure has nominated ten individuals to stand in the running for 2013 People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year. This year in particular, we’re incredibly proud to announce that the outstanding Shannon Galpin of Mountain2Mountain is one of the Adventurer of the Year nominees — and you can vote for her starting today, November 1st!

M2M, which Shannon founded in 2006, “believes in the power of voice as a catalyst for social action,” and has touched the lives of many since its inception. In its latest project, Streets of Afghanistan, M2M utilizes the power of photography as the voice of change.

In 2009, Shannon became the first woman to bike in Afghanistan, challenging societal norms and gender perceptions in that part of the world. In general, Shannon’s work has seriously highlighted the significance of perpetuating equality for women and girls in conflict regions, and will continue to impact generations to come.

For good reason, Shannon is nominated as Humanitarian of the year. Via Nat Geo Adventure:

The 38-year-old has braved some of the most violent periods in Afghanistan—a country considered by many humanitarian agencies to be the worst place in the world to be a woman—to work on women’s education and health. She fostered midwife training to combat infant and maternal mortality in the Panjshir Province. In Kabul and Kandahar, she helped develop reading programs for the daughters of women in prisons, some of whom were jailed for adultery after they were raped or for escaping arranged marriages.

She has used her bicycle as an icebreaker with village elders in remote mountain villages, and in a particularly bold fundraising act, she’s mountain biked 140 miles across the Panjshir Valley. In Afghanistan, women cannot ride bikes because of laws and social customs, a fact that Galpin believes has hindered women’s education by preventing them from being able to independently travel to school. As a foreign woman, Galpin was able to cross this boundary and turn it into a conversation starter.

Women’s rights are personal for Galpin. At 19, she survived being raped and knifed while coming home from work in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“I couldn’t think of anything worse beyond what had happened than being labeled a victim,” says Galpin. “I was petrified that I would be viewed that way and would have to wear that label for the rest of my life.”

Want to vote for Shannon Galpin? Go here to do so through mid-January.

Events, Osprey Culture, adventure, causes, contest, travel, video 2013, Adventurers of the Year, bikes, mountain2mountain, National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, photography, shannon galpin, streets of afghanistan, vote

Last week we brought you a post with tons of information about Osprey partner Rios Libres, an organization that’s fighting hard against proposed damming on Patagonia’s pristine and incredibly powerful rivers. If you haven’t already gone ahead and signed the Rios Libres petition against HidroAysen’s proposal to dam the Baker and Pascua here, don’t feel bad, we’ve got another opportunity for you to take action, and it’s pretty awesome in and of itself.

Launching today, Thursday, June 21st — and running through Tuesday, July 3rd is the Rios Libres Petition Contest, in which you can help keep Patagonia Wild and win prizes at the same time! To TAKE ACTION, and be entered for a chance to win an Osprey Atmos or Aura backpack, all you have to do is go here to sign the petition, and then be sure to SHARE it on Facebook or Twitter.

Want more background info? Here’s the scoop on the proposed dam project:

Last year, Chilean officials gave the green light to the HidroAysén project, which would build five mega-dams on two of Patagonia’s wildest rivers. Now, one of the two corporations behind HidroAysén has suspended progress on the project indefinitely. Urge Chilean President Piñera to show environmental leadership at the upcoming Earth Summit by overturning the approval of HidroAysén and saving Patagonia from destruction.

Conservation, Product, contest HidroAys, patagonia, rios libres, take action

The Winning Poster for Durango!

Check out this amazing poster promoting Stage 1 of the US Pro Cycling Challenge created by Osprey’s Graphic Designer, Tim Calkins. This super cool poster won a national contest in which entries were submitted and a winning poster chosen for each hosting city as well as an overall event poster. Tim’s poster won first place for the Durango stage which will be the kickoff city for the entire event.

Osprey is proud to be an Official Partner of as well as the Official Backpack of the 2012 US Pro Cycling Challenge. We are extremely excited to watch some of the world’s best riders take on the challenging and scenic byways that Colorado has to offer.  Osprey will be present at the finish line Expo of each stage with loads of cool displays, games, giveaways, etc..  Stay tuned for details, but mark these dates in your calendar now!

August 20 -Stage 1: Durango to Telluride

August 21- Stage 2: Montrose to Crested Butte

August 22- Stage 3: Gunnison to Aspen

August 23- Stage 4: Aspen to Beaver Creek

August 24- Stage 5: Breckenridge to Colorado Springs

August 25- Stage 6: Golden to Boulder

August 26- Stage 7: Denver Time Trial

Bike, Southwest Colorado, contest US Pro Cycling Challenge, USPCC

Deep thoughts in BC... Photo: Gareth Martins, Osprey marketing director via Instagram

Unless you’ve been living in a deep, dark cave… You may have noticed that there is a lot of cool stuff going on out there. So, we thought it was high-time we started rounding up some of our faves each week. We call it the Osprey Round Up.

Osprey’s marketing director, Gareth Martins, has spent the last week in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains with Evan Stevens. Between Facebook photos and video blog posts, the two have made it pretty clear that they’ve been finding plenty of powder despite the sketchy conditions. Thanks for rubbing it in, guys. Stay safe out there!

Photo: Ace Kvale, Elevation Outdoors

“It requires a rare vision, perhaps one bordering on delusion, to perceive the possibility of change in the monochromatic world of the hope-blind.” — Timmy O’Neill in Elevation Outdoors.

In another corner of the world, Osprey athlete Timmy O’Neill is in Kathmandu, Nepal for the next two months studying to be an ophthalmic tech at the Tilganga Eye Institute working on behalf of the Himalayan Cataract Project and Dr. Geoff Tabin. After his stint in Nepal, Timmy will travel with Dr. Tabin to Ethiopia to put his newly learned skills to work. Read more about what Timmy is doing with the Himalayan Cataract Project in his recent story in Elevation Outdoors.

Also exciting news this week a little closer to our own backyard, Polartec launched a contest giving away an all expenses paid trip to the 5Point Film Festival next month. Free airfare and travel, lodging at Avalanche Ranch Resort, $500 and Patagonia and Polartec gear… it doesn’t get much better than that. All you have to do is enter. Good luck, we hope to see you at 5Point!

Have a great weekend and happy Friday!

Events, Friday Round-up, Osprey Athletes, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, contest, travel 5Point Film Festival, backcountry, British Columbia, Colorado, health, Himalayan Cataract Project, international, nepal, selkirk mountains, ski, Timmy O'Neill

From its early days exploring the peaks of the Front Range to its insightful work to protect Rocky Mountain National Park, to the countless first ascents by members all over the world, the Colorado Mountain Club and its members are leaders in exploration, adventure, education and conservation. In its 100th year, the organization continues with its many strong traditions and is poised to become a more dynamic organization for the enjoyment of all who love Colorado’s mountains.

Read more…

Conservation, Events, Osprey Culture, Product, causes, contest Colorado Mountain Club, contest, giveaway, Syncro Hydration Pack, take action, the conservation alliance

We are proud to support 5 Gyres, an organization that is on a mission to research, educate and ultimately end plastic pollution in our world’s oceans. To understand the impact of plastic pollution, the crew sails through the five subtropical gyres. And now you have the opportunity to go with them.

Read more…

Events, Osprey Culture, contest, travel 5 Gyres, Algalita Research Institute, contest, fundraising, oceans, plastic, plastic pollution

Our Llewellin Setter, Maggie, on a frigid day during in the Driftless Wisconsin winter. Photo courtesy Annika Swenson.

Dogs have a way of snuggling, running and playing their way into our lives. Heck, my dog is lying on top of my feet as I write this! After 2 weeks and dozens of wonderful photos from our Facebook fans we’ve chosen three final winners… congratulations to Clint Huffman, PK Kopischke and Annika Swenson! And an honorable mention to Mandy Creighton. We loved your shot of Lucky leaping in Australia, but unfortunately winners are restricted to the US only.

Thanks to all who participated and who give your dogs a warm and kind home this winter. We’ll leave you with the caption from one of our winners, PK Kopischke, that seems to capture this wonderful relationship we have with our canine companions:

You came to me at 2:30 in the afternoon on this day back in 1996. A little wet ball of peanut butter fur. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I was smitten. For the next 13+ years, we travelled thousands of miles over earth, snow and water. You never complained and always had a smile & wet kiss at the end of the day’s journey. We saw more of the Rockies than most ever will. Finally, the day came that your body could no longer keep up with your insatiable Love for the outdoors. You chose the time to join all the others in a place I shall someday see. For all the years of ‘unconditional’ Love that you shared with everyone you met, I speak for all… We Love & Miss You. Happy Birthday! Zuke

Happy Friday.

Osprey Culture, Product, contest, photos contest, dogs, photo contest, Product

Earlier this week, we kicked off a Going to the Dogs Winter Photo Contest to celebrate our furry friends and we’re loving all of the photos our fans are posting! With so many great photos, it’s always tough to pick a winner… so congratulations to Eric Rhein and Amy White Schmitz! Eric, you’ve won a Karve 6 Sidecountry pack and some Zukes treats for Doc, and Amy, you’ve won a Verve 10 Hydration pack along with some tasty Zukes treats for Winston and Madeline too!

Because we have so many amazing entries, we’ve pulled together a photo gallery below of a few more of our favorites. And for all of you dog lovers out there, don’t worry it’s not over yet, we’ve still got more great prizes up for grabs next week. All you have to do is enter!

Happy Friday!

Friday Round-up, contest, photos giveaway, photo contest