TOUGH TRAVELER'S LATEST NEWS RELEASE IS...

Tough Traveler Ltd Receives 2008 Best of Schenectady Award

U.S. Local Business Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., December 12, 2008 -- Tough Traveler Ltd has been selected for the 2008 Best of Schenectady Award in the Sporting Goods category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA)

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association

CONTACT:

U.S. Local Business Association
Email: PublicRelations@USLBA.net
URL: http://www.USLBA.net

TWO LOCAL NYS/USA MANUFACTURERS COMBINE PRODUCTS

Tough Traveler Ltd. - a NYSOWA Supporting Member - has announced the local manufacture of a product for the Aurora Fire Starter™ a patent-pending product designed and manufactured by Solo Scientific, New Hartford, NY (near Utica, NY). The Aurora Fire Starter is a novel quick fire starter used by outdoors people such as hikers and campers, and is sold widely in the United States and also directly through the company’s website soloscientific.com. Tough Traveler has recently begun to manufacture an accessory pouch for the Aurora, allowing the Aurora to be conveniently and accessibly carried in a lightweight pouch on the user’s belt.

Tough Traveler Ltd. has designed and manufactured bag, pack, and luggage products in Schenectady, NY, locally for 38 years, with sales worldwide individually to consumers through toughtraveler.com and locally in the Schenectady retail store and factory showroom. Tough Traveler also custom designs and manufactures for businesses, agencies, associations, and other groups, and Tough Traveler is very pleased to be manufacturing the current Aurora accessory pouch for Solo Scientific and its customers, both outdoors consumers and outdoors retailers..

Ergonomic Backpacks for Women’s Comfort

Ergonomic backpacks can make carrying items on your back feel much lighter and feel be a lot better than carrying those same items in a shoulder bag or in your arms. This is the way to go for back comfort, and so the time out and about will be easier and more fun.

The Tough Traveler® Super Padre™ Series Picked By Chiropractors

These ergonomic backpacks have been wonderful for many women who travel, hike, take neighborhood walks, do light shopping trips, or even women who need a comfort pack for carrying to work. Instead of having a lot of weight on the shoulders – as most daypacks do - the Super Padre™ Series allows users to walk comfortably because much of the weight load is on the hips. The Super Padre™ series comes in seven models to suit small people to large, as well as providing space for many different items.

As a Student User said, “Now my books weigh less!”

The Super Padre™ series has been used widely, for women, men, youths, and children:

These backpacks are meant for people who like comfort, and the Super Padre™ Series was picked as best in an extensive chiropractic competitive test and was chosen for recommendation in the Allied Health of Wisconsin, Society of Chiropractors, Back Injury Prevention Program.

Some Other Tough Traveler Ltd. Ergonomic Products

Many other Tough Traveler® products are excellent for comfort, from new to old, from large backpacks such as the new Cloudsplitter™ to the world-known Tough Traveler® baby/child carrier backpacks used worldwide from Japan to England, from Canada to Chile, and covering the states of the USA. The comfort of the Stallion™ baby pack for hiking was recently noted in a 2008 article in the New York Times, and testimonials from customers worldwide on all the models of Tough Traveler® baby/child packs have been glowing over the 24 years of manufacture and sales of Tough Traveler® baby packs. So many women, fathers, and children have benefitted from the comfort over the years, well summed up by the comment, “I can’t live without it!”

Easy to Carry, A Pleasure to Use

Even the small Tough Traveler® Water Sprite® and the Jiff Bag™ have received awards for excellence. The Jiff Bag review said: "Our judges loved this bag because it's small and easy to carry but still tall enough to fit a bottle of water. Looks different enough to stand out too." Small bags, purses, duffels, large bags, luggage, backpacks, baby carriers, computer bags, briefcases, camera bags, messenger bags, etc.: For durability and convenience and good looks – and ergonomics - Tough Traveler® products have been designed and manufactured in Schenectady, NY, for 38 years.

Easy to Get, from Loudonville to London

For people in the Capital District, getting Tough Traveler® products is easy. The retail store is in Schenectady at 1012 State St, tel 393-0168, and the website www.toughtraveler.com ships both locally and worldwide. For people who are out of town, there’s the Tough Traveler toll-free number 1-800-GO-TOUGH, and there is email service at service@toughtraveler.com. It’s even easy to give Tough Traveler® products as gifts, including Gift Certificates, which may be purchased in the store or online.

Best Baby Packs & Kids’ Packs

The comfort of the Stallion™ baby pack was recently noted in a 2008 article in the New York Times, and testimonials from customers worldwide on all the models of Tough Traveler® baby/child packs have been glowing. Started for comfort on hikes, the Tough Traveler® baby/child carrier backpacks are now widely used also for travel, shopping, events such as fairs and museums, and neighborhood and home. Benefits of comfort and convenience have been outstanding, from babies able to ride comfortably and look around - or take a nap! - to parents, and even grandparents!

Recommended Widely

From local media to Consumers Digest, Good Housekeeping, Parents, Child, Outside, and Backpacker, Tough Traveler® baby/child carrier backpacks have been recommended for design and construction. One reviewer wrote: “... The Tough Traveler® child carriers… best on the market.. fit basically any baby or young child…. the Stallion carrier fits my traveling needs 100%... super deluxe, extra-padded child backpack is fully loaded with every feature and comfort you would want… [we] couldn't believe how lightweight.... [My sons] really liked how they could clearly see everything around them while sitting in the backpack--all was visible…This carrier feels wonderful--for both my children and me!"

“We Love Your Packs”

Some examples of testimonials and thank you notes are: “I recommend this product to everyone for ease of use, comfort, obvious durability and it's a very lightweight … great product;" “… so tough [and] have benefitted [us] .... I think I will still be using them someday when I have grandchildren! Thanks for a great product;" “I just wanted to let you know that we love your packs.... Our son rode ...through streams and over several high passes (14,000ft). He sang and laughed the entire way. The Wakhi people thought the pack was great…. your pack has gone to one of the remotest corners of the planet and admired by incredible mountain people;” “We go to the park, use it at the mall, & even around the house…! We love it - A great purchase!"

Make the Grade

Tough Traveler’s great ergonomic Super Padre™ Series has been recommended by chiropractors for kids 5 years, elementary, middle and high school, and college. The Super Padre™ Series was picked as best and was chosen for recommendation in the Allied Health, SC, Back Injury Prevention Program.

Also available are many other backpack designs, pouches, shoulder bags, duffels, computer bags, and waist packs that make the grade for kids from small to large.

USA Manufacture

For durability, comfort, convenience, and good looks, Tough Traveler® products have been designed and manufactured in Schenectady, NY, USA, using USA-made materials to provide excellence, employment ( both employees and suppliers), and comfort for customers who know Tough Traveler® products are made under USA environmental and employment regulations.

Easy to Get

Getting Tough Traveler® products is easy. The retail store is in Schenectady at 1012 State St, tel 393-0168. The website catalogue www.toughtraveler.com ships locally and worldwide. Also the Tough Traveler toll-free number 1-800-GO-TOUGH, and email service@toughtraveler.com are easy. It’s even easy to give Tough Traveler® products as gifts, including Gift Certificates, purchased in the store or online, and used in both.

Tough Traveler Ltd. continues to manufacture in the USA, and practices sustainable manufacturing here in NYS. Tough Traveler Ltd. has been featured on CNN’s Lou Dobbs Show on the “Made in America” segment. Tough Traveler Ltd. was picked for the SBA (Small Business Administration) Excellence 2007 Award, and many other media and customer recommendations have been received.

The Tough Traveler® Tri-Zip Business Carry-On™ was featured in Kiplinger’s Business Magazine and is sold for business travel worldwide. Additional to the website catalogue, Tough Traveler designs and manufactures custom luggage, bags, and packs for businesses, associations, and groups.

The Stallion™ has been picked by many other media and parents worldwide, and has been picked by Outside Magazine for its ability to be used by tall or larger parents. The Tough Traveler® BlueLux Pal’Mino™, a smaller Tough Traveler® baby/child carrier backpack, received the iParenting Excellent Product Award 2007, and the other Tough Traveler® baby packs have received commendations throughout the years, including from Consumer Digest, Sweat Magazine, Family Travel Forum, The Today Show, and many others. The Tough Traveler® Jiff Bag™ and Sprite Hip Pack™ also received Gear Awards this year from ShapeYou.com, a division of Shape Magazine.

Tough Traveler Ltd. operates a showroom/retail store at 1012 State St., Schenectady, NY, and a website catalogue and sales www.toughtraveler.com, and may be reached toll-free at 1-800-GO-TOUGH or service@toughtraveler.com. Tough Traveler ships locally, throughout NYS, throughout the USA, and worldwide.