The "other" site's mag. cover

“I was home sick this week so my wife brought me home the latest backpacker mag. for me to read. I look at the front cover and I almost threw the thing away without even looking at it. For those of you who haven't seen it, it's a picture of "the wave" in SE Utah. Anyway, the picture depicts a fully geared backpacker hiking on the wave. The wave is within the Coyote Buttes BLM management area and is a DAY ACCESS ONLY AREA! The place is so popular and so fragile that the BLM has restricted the use of the area with permits and only allows day hiking.

So why in the world would a magazine depict breaking regulations set up by the BLM? There are probably thousands of people out there who saw this photo and said "Wow, I want to backpack there too." It's crap like this that causes the BLM to further restrict access to public lands. I'm so disturbed that I might actually go over to the other site and post a note to the editors.”

“Geez Rept, you've been gone for, like, ever. Glad to see you're still around.

Now, go give them hell!”

“I haven't seen it yet. I'll check it out soon.”

“That is such BS, yet typical. I think Backpacker Mag needs some seriuos competition. Whadda ya say Matt!”

“Looks like Gary's Place has their hands full.”

“Backpacker Magazine has a Jayson Blair working for them?”

“is there a way to hike across the land to a placce where camping is permitted?

you should write a serious letter , maybe they'll print it. surely someone else in the nation noticed this too.


another backpacker mag? OOOOOH YEAH! i'd buy it. i'd like a little more meat and less fluff......




I'm first in line to be a gear tester!”

“Doooooooon't get me started on their irresponsibility issues--we'll be here all day!”

“What's with Toyota and its' reckless driving ads? Disregard for image is lost forever.All media has become a whore of the consumer world.”

“Remember their cover with the guy sitting by his campfire on the shoreline?”

“I think the majority of people who subscribe don't backpack or have only been on a couple weekend trips in their lives. BP Mag is nothing but a coffee table trophy for most. People who actally know a bit about the sport usually find there is very little valuable content, lots of staged photos, and a lot of fluff.”

“But,isn't fluff good in sleeping bags?”

“Perfect for Phagdrus.”

“and the unusual pie eating contest also”

“If you look at their editorial guidelines for photos, it says how people must be outfitted in backpacking gear --NOT day hiking gear. That's what they ask for.

However, it's dumb/irresponsible of them to then use a shot like that and not go to the effort to check and see there's no need for overnight backpacks in that shot.”

“Three words - National Geographic Adventure. It isn't exclusively b'packing but is still a great mag. This month it had a really good article(ie the good and the bad) about the guy who had to cut his hand off in Canyonlands NP a few months ago.”

“How do we know the guy didn't go beyond the day use area and go on from there? I've backpacked through a day-use area to get to a destination.

Maybe the cliffs would have stymied him, or the day use area was too large for him to get through.

Anyhow, never heard of the place till now. Thanks!! 8)”

“There's no way to hike through the area. You go in, turn around and come out. When I saw the pic, I thought 'that looks just like the Wave, I wonder where this guy is backpacking.' Maybe he's on a training hike so he's loaded up his pack with 40 pounds of gear.”

“hahahha... editorial guidelines, baybeee! Clear and simple.”

“Here's part of the editorial guidelines:

Photography
BACKPACKER uses both stock photography as well as assigns photographers for magazine-sponsored trips. We use high-quality color transparencies in any format. We prefer to use photography that meets the following requirements:


The activity shown does not violate local agency guidelines or Leave No Trace principles (e.g., unless specifically allowed in that location, no tents within 200 feet of water).

No visible roads and no front country shots, unless specifically required by the article. BACKPACKER is about the backcountry experience and hiking in wild lands; photos taken at scenic outlooks on a road are not what the backpacking experience is about.

Packs and equipment shown in photos should reflect backpacking, not day hiking or car camping. We're not likely to run a photo of someone wearing a fanny pack on a trail, nor are we likely to use a photo showing someone cooking on a two-burner stove set up on a campground table.

They also say, although this is in regard to writing:

Accuracy
BACKPACKER prides itself on providing outdoor enthusiasts with reliable information. It's important that our contributors check all facts and figures. A full set of guidelines for fact checking will be provided to you with your first contracted assignment for us. In general, however, we require:


Confirmation of all facts and figures used within an article from a primary source.

For medical, nutrition, and technical advice, direct quotes from accepted professionals or experts.

Full contact information for every source used in creating an article.

An extra copy for our files of any map, catalog, brochure, or other primary source you may have acquired from a land agency or manufacturer.

I think they need to check things out a lot better than they are!”

“Is it possible to hike across the wave on a "legal" backpacking trip?

(I know Strat already asked this, but since it was the first thing that came to my mind when I read the post, I figured I'd ask again in different words. BTW Strat: funny how we always think alike, eh?)”

“Lizs - you seen they've got a job going at Backpacker?”

“dayhiker, that is a great magazine! Great articles and not as many ads as BACKPACKER. Someone said it right above, BACKPACKER is just a coffee table magazing for those who want others to believe they are had core. I think BACKPACKER is better now than it used to be.”

“http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=331427" TARGET="_blank">you could sort them out lizs :o)”

“I guess it would be possible to hike through Coyote Buttes to go to Paria Canyon but it would be really out of the way. Here's the BLM website: https://www.az.blm.gov/paria/

I'll let you determine how strict the BLM is about access to the wave.”

“I like how the last item on the job list says "Outdoor experience and an interest in backpacking" Evidently a burning passion for the topic at hand isn't all that important. You go over to NGAdventure and you get people like Tim Cahill who have a burning desire to be outdoors AND write well.”

“When I was at Trail Days, the people from Backpacker seemed about equally divided between avid backpackers and yuppies with their first real magazine writing job.”

“WK, You from Northern New England?
"Had core"?

I'm a backpackin' fool and I just about never crack a magazine.”

“I don't read backpacking magazines. What's the point? I'll learn more from actually doing than I'll ever learn from a mag.”

“Yea, I wish Tom. No, I have had no sleep and I cannot type. That is typical though, the typing.

Good point Bit”

“I don't care what they put on their cover”

“I don't read NG Adventure to learn about backpacking. I read it to hear about cool trips all over the world.

The latest issue had about 8 pages on the guy who had to cut his hand off. It also has an article about some folks in the 20's who had to go overland in Alaska by dogsled in the dead of winter to take medicine to a town that was having some sort of epidemic. Good stuff.”

“Why doesn't BACKPACKER have an annual swimsuit edition?”

“He he, its my lot in life to rag on misspellers~~~%^]”

“Or a Skinny Dip Edition?”

“I have not had a chance to read that article yet, dayhiker. I would have today, however I had to drive to work because the train is broken. Hard to read, talk on the cell phone, smoke, drink coffee and shave while driving.”

“Or a babes in backpacks, only backpacks edition.”

“Lemme get this straight....some of you guys who love TT wand a mag with less fluff and more meat???

:)”

“Boggles the mind doesn't it Fritz?”