The Backpacker Magazine

“Backpacker sucks so bad we all could give matt his info. to for one of his own mags! Who needs a better mag where you can actually enjoy! I do I do!!”

“your are right prowler, I have kept my subsription because I got just enough out of it.....but this last issue really sucked.”

“Have you ever read a negative review of any gear in *Backpacker*?”

“no! never thought about it that way! they would loose there advertisements, you think?”

“Sass are you and Birch coming to the great Mnt. Laconte extravaganza!!?????”

“I would sure take the magazine a bit more seriously if I thought they were honest in their reviews. Everything they try is awesome. How the heck can that be? I used to read the reviews and even had based several purchase decisions on them. Not anymore. I only like the trip stories and weekend trips section. Most of the rest of the mag is junk, imo.”

“Mt laconte? I must have missed that one. Which thread?”

“Memorial Day weekend! TD's trip!”

“Leconte Extravaganza thread!”

“Oh, no. Not right now at least. I don't know, maybe that's what we should do. You bringing your little one along Prowler? Is it a car camping type deal, hike in a few miles? I'll go read the thread. =)”

“yes, my wife son 2, and little girl are coming as well! Not all of us are doing all 42 miles but I am!

Sherpa and his wife and kid are going as well. a whole bunch of us are going. we will be back at the camp ground every night to enjoy a good meal!”

“See, the problem is if I go I'll really want to hike. I don't wanna stay at the campground with the girls while you guys are out having fun. I can't though. I have to relax that weekend and not do more than eight miles a day. My 60 mile walk is the following weekend. I want to go somewhere I can putz around and camp but not have to work too hard. It would kill me to watch you all march off every morning! I would like to come down there sometime this summer and meet y'all though!”

“I lost all respect for Backpacker when they reviewed a set of music speakers. Lighweight for the trail, of course.”

“I gave up on Backpacker a couple of years ago. Articles were so predictable and NOT-helpful. I, like Steve Hiker couldn't belive that they were reviewing speakers for the back country!”

“Sassafras, would you share some details on your walk plan, two days? where? have you done it before? any particular motivation?etc. I'm very curious.”

“I have read reviews that weren't particularly glowing but I wouldn't call them bad. I've also read reviews where the reviewer had problems with the product that would have caused me to curse profusely and they still put a positive spin on it. I've also seen them list problems with a piece of gear that would have made it downright dangerouse in the field and they still put a positive spin on it. I've also seen them give bad advice, often repeating one of their advertiser's current marketing as advice and I've also even read some dangerous advice. I cancelled my subscription years ago after the 3rd issue. Compare it with other hobby magazines in other specialty areas and overall it's about on par with them, they all do that.”

“mmmmgood, its the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day, around the 'burbs of Detroit. raises money for breast cancer.

go search for the "save boobs, save lives" thread. it'll tell you everything you wanted to know about the walk.”

“go search for the "save boobs, save lives" thread. it'll tell you everything you wanted to know about the walk."

And more!”

“MY fave was when they put "first heated tent" on the cover..and reviewed a huge canvas moose hunting tent that had a stove...i mean please..they used those back in '49. 1849! The number of offshore hiking trips outnumber any US trips now....and i'll be damned if they ever have any east coast trips reviewed. It's also funny when they review 6 things against each other...it's a 4 way tie for 2nd place...my subscription will lapse....word!”

“mmmmgood, like Smiley said, we're doing the Avon 3 day Breast cancer walk. So, not as crazy as it might at first appear. Only 20 miles per day and a one time deal to raise funds for medically underprivilaged folks and research. Certainly not in the most pristine area! lol”

“Yeah, Backpacker mag was greatest thing since sliced bread the first few months after I began backpacking. However, a few years ago I failed to renew my subscription and have noticed I can read every worth reading article (if there is any) while my wife finishes her shopping. It would be cool to take a poll to find out what TTers generally think and why they buy Backpacker. New destinations are my guess.”

“That last issue had a "I Saw The Light" going ultralight article that was a contest between Jonathan Dorn (is anyone else sick of seeing pics of his bright and smiling face in every mag???) and another who carried heavy gear. Seems to me the EXACT article was published within a half-a-year ago. I know they recycle articles every once in a while, but that was ridiculous.

btw - I still dig the mag!”

“National Geographic Adventure magazine rocks. It is typically broken down with several weekend or week trip ideas in the US, one international trip on the cheap, one large domestic, indepth travel story, one large international, indepth travel story, and one interview with an adventurer. It doesn't really have gear revies, which is fine since it's easier to stay updated on the net.”

“Got my new issue a day or two ago. Seemed like Dorn was preoccupied with mooning people and getting in the buff with one of the female gear reviewers.

I thought they were making a turn for better a few issues ago, but I guess not.

However, I still enjoy enough of the articles to keep my subscription. We get our magazines real reasonable through one of those school fundraisers so I don't mine a buck or two an issue.”

“thanks Smiley and Sassafras, sounds like a very worthwhile endeavor. I tried a search for "save boobs, save lives" (several times) kept getting "no matches found. But I think I get the idea”

“"Have you ever read a negative review of any gear in *Backpacker*"

They have a reputation for tearing lightweight gear limb from limb. Remember the Esbit test they did in the middle of winter and b!tched that the boil time was too slow? Remember the time they loaded down a GoLite Breeze with heavy weight gear and b!tched it hurt and they couldn't get everything in it?

This bunch of corprate wankers are so far out of touch with the backpacking comunity it's not even ironic. They sure are in touch with the gear companies though.”

“if you have a subscription aren't you "supposed" to get it a few days before the newstand??..i always get mine a week after wal-mart”

“Nigal, you stole my thunder! You corporate wanker!

I read the mag for destinations.”

“I second Dayhiker that Nat. Geographic Adventure is the best. I still get B/P, but it's a 20 min. read. The 'Graphic has lots of great articles.”

“HAHA! I am THOR the Stealer of Thunder!!”

“I like backpacker magazine!

Some of the stuff sucks and some of it is cool.

8)”

“i dont' think i ever read it... seems like more commercialized bping, why doesn't somebody make a mag worth while?

does anybody read national geographic adventure... my mom has a subscription, i've paged through it, some interesting things... but it's hard to find them in all the junk... it might be a good mag, i don't pay a whole lot of attention”

“Backpacker is OK....but like any other magazine, when you have subcribed to them for a few years...they get repetitious.”

“I have to agree, I use to LOVE Backpacker, but it seems like it has gone down hill. I especially scratch my head when there are articles that are about other sports... I think that if I wanted to read about those, I would buy that kind of magazine. I also have noticed that they are not very forth right about their gear reviews and have stopped giving them ranking and break down of features.

I still have my subscription but I am seriously considering not renewing it.

Another disappointed reader

Sparky”

“i thought the tree article in the most recent issue was kind of interesting. i like when they do things like that. one time they did a feature about copycat animals(color mimmicking) and i also remember one about plants with good pictures for comparison.
i haven't totally written off the mag but it has been in a slump”

“opie...

i know what not to get you next year for christmas. i didnt know you felt that way. you never told me!”

“I don't think I'll be renewing my subscription, either. Same complaints as everyone else. I'm getting tired of reading an entire article and all the sidebar stories in about 5 minutes. Sometimes I find the ads in the back more interesting than the rest of the magazine.”

“If this year's Gear Guide is an example of the direction that BP Mag is taking under Dorn's guidence, I don't think I'll be renewing my subscription either.”

“I haven't subscribe to that mag in years. In fact I find many magazines to be nothing more than a waste of paper and the same goes for newspapers.

Does anyone know what happens to all the mag's and papers in the newsrack after they are out dated? I saw a frightening action years ago while on the college campus. The person simple grabbed the remaining old free college papers and stuffed them into the trash can. The stack must have been twenty inches tall. And just think of all the other 'free racks' scattered across campus. Do the big bookstore chains and city newspapers have a policy about proper disposal of old material?

I read at the rack. I never will buy a mag without first flipping thru it. If there is something interesting in it, I may purchase it.”

“Where else are you going to get to check out new gear that the local outfitter doesn't have instock, items you never heard of or read about on the net? I don't buy tons of gear, but i do like to keep up on new items and technology. Wherelse can you vicarously read about trails on the other side of the continent, areas that you'll probably never get to, and never even would've heard of unless you didn't read about it. And new food ideas are always a plus!

I think through experience we all become atune to the activity and know what we want, prefer and like...and what we don't want, wouldn't prefer and hate. But up until then the learning experience is heightened by every imput we get, no matter where the info comes from. Once a person has reached a certain point of knowledge, we know the superflourous gear when we see it, the lame articles when we read it, etc.

I too have my complaints, but I still derive something from it...the Mag hasn't lost it's sparkle, yet!”

“BP isn't all bad though, they have about one, maybe two articles a year that really grab me. Like the one where the two brothers hiked the Wild Coast with only provesions they found on the beach. Or the one where the dirtbag hiker MadDog went hiking with the ultra gearhead. The writing was still so fluffed up it left you wanting more.

Now BP Mag of the 70s and 80s, now THERE was writting!”

“I must admit I find it pretty irrelevent to any hiking in Australia, but their gear reviews do have a little bit of bite compared to Australian reviews. It's also good to see whats coming out, it usually takes a couple of years before it gets here. (You dont know how spoilt for gear you lot are!)”

“Buddur, nice writing, but you and Ice Tea better run spell check...heheheehe. ;-)

And Briar Rabbit, breaking my heart with his take on newspapers!! *sigh*

Yes, usually newspapers and mags get picked back up. You better believe there's a recycling program and we use recycled paper.”

“A common magazine disposal is to cut off the front cover and return for credit then discard the rest”

“I can see it now. Any and all trips any of us take to Oz will turn into gear resupplies for Bunyip. (BTW, congrats getting your logon info)”

“I get it because it helps feed my addiction.

In reality, it is not as important to me as it was, now that I have on demand, customized information from the internet.”

“i read it and will continue to get it.”

“When I fly, I always, Backpacker and Outside Magazine with me.”

“Everything takes 3 or 4 months longer (minimum) to get to Oz. I was talking to a girl in Oz about the film, "Proof of Life" starring Russel Crowe. It was out on videotape in Canada...and it haven't been shown in their cinemas yet.”

“I remember when "Outside" did an article on Dead Horse Point (in Canyonlands) a few years back. Before then, DHP was a favorite refuge of mine - pristine and wild. In the year following the article, the amount of trash and people in the area skyrocketed, and it's never been the same again. Magazines like "Outside" and "Backpacker" are doing more to ruin the "outside" and "backpacking" than just about anything else.”