Yeah, I had read about that right after we placed the order. The stitching on mine is all 100% awesome. I got the Coyote. Haven't checked every zipper yet but the ones I did look at appear to be the US-made ones.

I have had my bricks double-stacked in pairs, then wrapped in Gorilla Tape, then a thin sleeping pad, then another layer of Gorilla Tape. Probably going to rethink the stack design as it leaves very little room for the hydration bladder in the main pocket.

My GRC is on December 14th so I have a lot of time to get ready but I've already been rucking 5+ miles at least twice a week. And given that I carry a tool bag around most every day at work, I'm actually considering doing some kind of removable insert to carry my tools inside the GR1 at work during the day.

Given that a GR1 is too small for the listed size for Selection, I'll be buying a GR2 also before December 2014. My current plans are to do Challenge in December this year, then Heavy in Atlanta in October 2014 and Selection in Atlanta in December 2014.