The tour kicks off with tonight's event, which will be held in the REI store in Raleigh, North Carolina at 7pm. (Note that this event, along with certain others held in REI stores, requires registration.) According to Pentax Imaging Co. president, Ned Bunnell, Backpacker Magazine's tour presents the company with an ideal opportunity to introduce consumers to its ruggedized Optio WG-1 / WG-1 GPS compact cameras, as well as its weather-resistant K-5 digital SLR, and Papilio binoculars.

As well as the opportunity to learn about Pentax's products, attendees will enjoy a 75-minute seminar hosted by Sheri and Randy Propster, experienced backpackers who spent 222 days hiking the entire 2,160 miles of the Appalachian Trail in 1999, a feat they followed up when in 2006 they became only the third couple to complete the 6,800+ mile, coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail, and there will also be some outdoor-related prizes on offer. Other participating sponsors of the Get Out More Tour include Woolrich, Cordura, Spot, Leki, PrimaLoft, DeLorme, Subaru, and Vasque.

Courtesy of Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., following is the current list of tour dates, times, and locations. Note that a few locations mentioned in Pentax's press release aren't currently included in this list, including Dayton, OH; Red Wing, MN; and Traverse City, MI. We recommend visiting the official Get Out More Tour website for the most up to date info.

Thursday, April 7, 7:00pm
REI - Raleigh, NC
*Registration required, visit REI Raleigh online for details.

Tuesday, April 12, 7:00pm
Great Outdoor Provision - Wilmington, NC

Thursday, April 14, 7:00pm
REI - Charlotte, NC
*Registration required, visit REI Charlotte online for details.

Saturday, April 16, 2:00pm
Mast General Store - Valle Crucis, NC

Tuesday, April 19, 6:00pm
Bass Pro - Nashville TN

Wednesday, April 20, 7:00pm
Rock / Creek Outfitters - Chattanooga, TN

Thursday, April 21, 6:30pm
Mast General Store - Knoxville, TN

Wednesday, April 27, 6:30pm
Phillip Gall's - Lexington, KY

Thursday, April 28, 6:30pm
The Benchmark - Cincinnati, OH

Tuesday, May 3, 6:00pm
Cabela's - Triadelphia, WV

Thursday, May 5, 7:00pm
Blue Ridge Mountain Sports - Henrico, VA

Saturday, May 7, 11:00am
Gander Mountain - Roanoke, VA

Friday, May 13
Trail Days- Damascus, VA

Tuesday, May 17, 7:00pm
REI - Atlanta, GA
*Registration required, visit REI Atlanta online for details.

Wednesday, May 18, 6:30pm
Bass Pro - Spanish Fort, AL

Thursday, May 19, 6:00pm
Massey's - Metairie, LA

Wednesday, May 25, 6:00pm
Brasingtons Adventure Outfitters - Gainesville, FL

Friday, May 27, 6:30pm
Bill Jackson - Pinellas Park, FL

Saturday, May 28, 1:00pm
Mosquito Creek Outfitters - Apopka, FL

Sunday, May 29, 2:00pm
Mast General Store - Columbia, SC

Tuesday, May 31, 7:00pm
Half Moon Outfitters - W Ashley, SC

Saturday, June 11, 12:00pm
Gander Mountain - Kingston, NY

Sunday, June 12, 2:00pm
EMS - Albany, NY

Tuesday, June 14, 7:00pm
REI - Marlton, NJ
*Registration required, visit REI Marlton online for details.

Wednesday, June 15, 7:00pm
REI - Conshohocken, PA
*Registration required, visit REI Conshohocken online for details.

Thursday, June 16, 7:00pm
REI - Rockville, MD
*Registration required, visit REI Rockville online for details.

Tuesday, June 28, 6:00pm
Cabela's - Hamburg, PA

Friday, July 1, 6:30pm
Woolrich Company Store - Woolrich, PA

Saturday, July 9, 11:00am
Ramsey Outdoor Store - Paramus, NJ

Tuesday, July 12, 7:00pm
REI - West Hartford, CT
*Registration required, visit REI Hartford online for details.

Wednesday, July 13, 7:00pm
REI - Norwalk, CT
*Registration required, visit REI Norwalk online for details.

Thursday, July 14, 6:30pm
REI - Hingham, MA
*Registration required, visit REI Hingham online for details.

Tuesday, July 19, 6:30pm
Outdoor Gear Exchange - Burlington, VT

Thursday, July 21, 6:00pm
EMS - North Conway, NH

Saturday, August 6, 2011, 2:00pm
Al's Sporting Goods- Logan, UT

Tuesday, August 9, 2011, 6:30pm
Jax Mercantile - Fort Collins, CO

Wednesday, August 10, 2011, 6:30pm
REI - Denver, CO
*Registration required, visit REI Denver online for details.

Thursday, August 11, 2011, 6:30pm
Jax Mercantile - Lafayette, CO

Saturday, August 13, 2011, 2:00am
The Base Camp - Billings, MT

Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 7:00pm
REI - Portland, OR

Wednesday, August 24, 2011, 7:00pm
Backcountry Essentials - Bellingham, WA

Thursday, August 25, 2011, 7:00pm
REI - Seattle, WA

Tuesday, September 13, 2011, 7:00pm
REI - Berkeley, CA
*Registration required, visit REI Berkeley online for details.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 7:00pm
Mel's Cotton - San Jose, CA

Thursday, September 15, 2011, 6:30pm
REI - Fresno, CA
*Registration required, visit REI Fresno online for details.

Saturday, September 17, 2011, 2:00pm
Santa Barbara Outfitters - Santa Barbara, CA

Sunday, September 18, 2011, 12:00pm
REI - Manhattan Beach, CA
*Registration required, visit REI Manhattan Beach online for details.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 7:00pm
Adventure 16 - San Diego, CA

Thursday, October 13, 2011, 6:00pm
Midwest Mountaineering - Minneapolis, MN

Saturday, October 15, 2011, 2:00pm
Erehwon Mountain Outfitters - Kildeer, IL

Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 7:00pm
Champaign Surplus Store - Champaign, IL

Saturday, October 22, 2011, 2:00pm
Bass Pro - Rossford, OH

Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 6:00pm
Moosejaw - East Lansing, MI

Thursday, October 27, 2011, 7:00pm
Apex Outdoor Gear - Grand Rapids, MI

Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 6:30pm
Fin & Feather - Iowa City, IA

Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 7:00pm
Alpine Shop - Kirkwood, MO

Thursday, November 17, 2011, 7:00pm
Canfield's - Omaha, NE

Saturday, November 19, 2011, 2:00pm
Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop - Lawrence, KS

Wednesday, November 30, 2011, 6:30pm
Summit Hut - Tucson, AZ

Friday, December 2, 2011, 7:00pm
Backwoods - Bee Cave, TX

Saturday, December 3, 2011, 7:00pm
Backwoods - Fort Worth, TX

Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 7:00pm
Backwoods - Oklahoma City, OK

Thursday, December 8, 2011, 7:00pm
REI - Houston, TX