Survey Reveals Adventure Travel has ManyDefinitions.

LOWELL, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 1998--

Timberland Packs and Travel Gear Releases Survey Results

Adventure travel is not just a hot trend, but has become a lifestyle choice for a growing and diverse consumer market. Timberland Packs & Travel Gear conducted a nationwide survey

of over 130 of the nation's top travel agents and luggage store managers to uncover adventure travel trends of today's vacation and luggage consumer. Because of the expanding market, the survey revealed adventure travel has come to mean different things to different people based on their personal lifestyle habits.

"Adventure travel has come to have broad meaning as today's travelers look for unique ways to add a little adventure to their daily lives," says Rick Blackshaw, vice president Timberland Packs and Travel Gear.

The survey was conducted to determine where people are going on their adventure vacations and what type of luggage they prefer to travel with. The Timberland Packs and Travel Gear survey supported the belief that adventure travel does mean different things to different people and is a very popular part of today's active lifestyle.

Where Are Travelers Going?

Travel agents surveyed throughout the nation reported that consumers are taking adventure vacations which range from biking, trekking, horseback riding, or mountain climbing to cruising on a luxury yacht or commissioning a private jet. Travel destinations showed less variation however.

Of the travel agents surveyed, over 35% reported that expedition safaris through Africa are by far the top destination request for adventurous vacationers nationwide. Adventure tours through South America were reported by over 25% of the agents surveyed, making it the second most popular destination point for adventurers.

Beyond these two destinations, the survey also noted a wide variation of the more exotic adventure vacations including shark diving in South America, watching Humpback Whales give birth at Seal Island, driving through the silk road of China, or gorilla trekking in Rwanda.

What People Are Spending

The national survey revealed an adventure vacation package ranges from $2,000 to $6,000 per person. Some adventure goers however are willing to pay up to $50,000 for their ideal get away. Extravagant trips such as this have included traveling on a private jet that served as hotel while flying around the world or exploring Greenland via dog sled.

Who's Going Away?

Of people electing to go on adventure excursions, 48% are young couples according to travel agents surveyed. Next in line to sign up for adventure get aways were groups of friends, coming in at 28%. Travel agents also reported that 22% of those taking trips are families which includes grandparents, parents and children all traveling together.

What Are Adventure Travelers Buying?

"There's no such thing as `conventional' travel luggage today," says Greg Ereckson, executive vice president of Bentley's Luggage Corporation. "Because the individual is enjoying a shift from a sophisticated work environment to a more casual professional lifestyle, the vacations people chose to participate in are also changing. This change transcends their luggage needs as well. More and more professionals wish to have a piece of luggage which combines their business travel demands with personal weekend adventures."

When questioned on how they would define adventure travel gear, luggage store retail managers mentioned durability as the top feature, along with the ability for the piece to convert from a typical travel bag to a backpack.

The survey ironically uncovered that most of the luggage store customers are purchasing adventure travel pieces with wheels making them the top selling items. Luggage store managers also reported that 77% of adventure luggage purchases are made by men, while 17% are made by women. The 25-35 age group purchased the most adventure gear at 57%, followed by 18 to 25-year-olds at 27% and 35 to 50-year-olds at 16%. When purchasing adventure travel gear, 67% of the managers surveyed reported black as the most popular color, followed by green at 13%.

"Our findings demonstrated that adventure travel means different things to different people," says Blackshaw. "We will continue to offer adventure luggage that suits the diverse needs of those who decide that trekking through Europe is their ideal adventure to those who define adventure travel as trekking through the streets of New York City. Luggage plays an important role in both fulfilling their diverse vacation expectations and reflecting their adventure persona."

The Timberland Company, headquartered in Stratham, NH, designs, engineers, markets, distributes and sells premium quality footwear, apparel and accessories for men and women. Timberland products are sold in over 60 countries worldwide through specialty and better-grade department stores, in addition to its own retail locations. Shares of Timberland's Class A Common Stock are traded publicly on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TBL.

Timberland Packs and Travel Gear are designed, engineered and manufactured under license by Eastpak, the leading backpack company. Eastpak is a division of The Coleman Company, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of outdoor recreational products. It offers widely diversified products for camping, leisure time, hardware and home safety and security markets in the United States, Canada and more than 100 other countries.

    CONTACT: Triple Dot Communications
              Kim Sousa
              ksous@tripledot.com
              (617) 723-8929