Coporate Companies and the real hiker

[Blister]

I just wanted to open up a posting to vent my angst against coporate companies that swear to support the outdoor enthusiast and then turn around to throw dirt in their faces. There are two different recent situations that have left me with a terrible taste in my mouth.
The first is being turned down for a simple sales position at the local EMS. I was sent a form letter, being rejected for the following reasons. #1 Lack of scheduale availability #2 Lack of outdoor experience #3 Lack of retail experience. I never was even given the opportunity to speak with any of the managment team in reference to a possible schedule. For anyone who knows me, a lack of outdoor experience????? C'mon. And finally a lack of retail experience, I have been an asistant manager as well as the store manager for a couple of outlets in manchester center. Should I be offended? Do they even care that they have successfully insulted me?
Moving on to complete insults. I have met alot of amazing people in the backcountry and have the highest respect especially for those conquering some of the hardest goals. Finding out recently that two of my good friends, one of which an active member here on whiteblaze, have been the victims of uneducated mudslinging from backpacker magazine.
In a new section of their magazine - they are taking it upon themselves to review videos for their readers. This particular video covering a one year triple crown attempt. By no means meant to illustrate a how to hike - but to share their adventure. Backpacker implies that both of these hikers are trustfund babies and go on to describe them in comparison to the television idiots of "Jackass". I have known both Fiddlehead and Pieps for over 10 years and have had the honor of hiking with them. In fact I hold them up on a pedalstool of sorts. Where does backpacker get off insulting individuals they have not researched. I would love to see an article written about real long distance hikers. Not feature articles about the extremists - highly backed with equipment and sponsors up the ass. The real hikers, that make sacrafices every year in order to pay their own ways. The real hikers who can think of their feet in the wilderness, making do with what they have without support by multi billion dollar companies. The real hiker whose quest for adventure comes from the heart and sole and not the wallet.
C'mon and join the rant.......

[neo]

I just wanted to open up a posting to vent my angst against coporate companies that swear to support the outdoor enthusiast and then turn around to throw dirt in their faces. There are two different recent situations that have left me with a terrible taste in my mouth.
The first is being turned down for a simple sales position at the local EMS. I was sent a form letter, being rejected for the following reasons. #1 Lack of scheduale availability #2 Lack of outdoor experience #3 Lack of retail experience. I never was even given the opportunity to speak with any of the managment team in reference to a possible schedule. For anyone who knows me, a lack of outdoor experience????? C'mon. And finally a lack of retail experience, I have been an asistant manager as well as the store manager for a couple of outlets in manchester center. Should I be offended? Do they even care that they have successfully insulted me?
Moving on to complete insults. I have met alot of amazing people in the backcountry and have the highest respect especially for those conquering some of the hardest goals. Finding out recently that two of my good friends, one of which an active member here on whiteblaze, have been the victims of uneducated mudslinging from backpacker magazine.
In a new section of their magazine - they are taking it upon themselves to review videos for their readers. This particular video covering a one year triple crown attempt. By no means meant to illustrate a how to hike - but to share their adventure. Backpacker implies that both of these hikers are trustfund babies and go on to describe them in comparison to the television idiots of "Jackass". I have known both Fiddlehead and Pieps for over 10 years and have had the honor of hiking with them. In fact I hold them up on a pedalstool of sorts. Where does backpacker get off insulting individuals they have not researched. I would love to see an article written about real long distance hikers. Not feature articles about the extremists - highly backed with equipment and sponsors up the ass. The real hikers, that make sacrafices every year in order to pay their own ways. The real hikers who can think of their feet in the wilderness, making do with what they have without support by multi billion dollar companies. The real hiker whose quest for adventure comes from the heart and sole and not the wallet.
C'mon and join the rant.......

backpacker magazine sucks neo

[Mags]

THe same issue also featured a HONDA DIRT BIKE ad.

All I can say is: "*** ?!?!?!?".


Backpacker is an "outdoor lifestyle magazine". It is aimed at an affluent customer who wants to look the part..but does not walk the walk. (Literally!)

Blleeeech!

[the goat]

backpacker blows. once you've been on one overnight trip, everything in it is rendered useless.

[Lone Wolf]

The new ATC mag is a rag too.

[K-Man]

Man, I just renewed my subscription...Can I have my money back?

[sliderule]

The real hiker whose quest for adventure comes from the heart and sole and not the wallet.

Anyone can have a heart. But only a hiker can have a sole.

[Skidsteer]

backpacker blows. once you've been on one overnight trip, everything in it is rendered useless.

That sums it up better than anything I've heard. Makes you wonder what a profile of their average reader would look like.

[DavidNH]

hmm..

Backpacker has always been one of my favorite magazines. There are articles about places to go backpacking and hiking, great pictures, and lots of reviews on gear.

Depending on the conditions one is hiking in one may or may not need the gear they advertize or review. But it can make the gear shopping a bit easier.

when they review stuff and gizmo a has five starts and gizmo E has 1 star..who would really want to get gizmo E? that helps to at least narrow the search down.

So what do you guys not like about backpacker? (other than when they print articles about places to backpack these places may no longer be uncrowded..)

DavidNH

[Skidsteer]

hmm..
when they review stuff and gizmo a has five starts and gizmo E has 1 star..who would really want to get gizmo E? that helps to at least narrow the search down.
DavidNH

They might have a little more credibility in this area if, every so often, one of their reviewers would come out and say," Gizmo E blows big time. It has no redeeming virtues, and I wouldn't use it again even if the company gave me one for free. Oh, wait a minute, they did give me one for free...

[Skidsteer]

Oh-and I also don't like dirt bike ads in a magazine entitled "Backpacker". Where I come from it's called prostituting yourself.

[Lost Soul]

That sums it up better than anything I've heard. Makes you wonder what a profile of their average reader would look like.

FWIW

I was doing some research for my MBA and recieved a Media Kit from Backpacker for thier advertisers...

Total Audience 1,280,000
male/female 72.7%/27.3%
median age 40.2
age 18-34 39%
age 18-49 78.1%
age 25-54 75.4%
Married 57%
college educated 83.6%
graduated college 52.4%
professional/managerial 38.0%
median household income $70,950

it goes on to report that
$$241,807,500 spent on outdoor equiptment/accessories
$60,539,700 on hiking boots
$82,026,000 on technical apparel
87.8% of subscriber buy high quality products - even if they have to spend more
75.9% of subscribers are willing to pay more for brands they like

in the last 12 months subscribers averaged
4.3 overnight wilderness trips
9.6 one day wilderness dayhikes
13.7 one day or overnight wilerness trips

So in summing up it seems that readers spend loads of money are then very few actually use it.

I will admit I do like to pick up the magazine on occasion, to buying outdoor gear I use less than I'd like to and I hate thier yearly "review of gear issue." What I do like is the exposure to a variety of places I'd love to go hiking... If I could find more time.


Lost Soul

[neo]

THe same issue also featured a HONDA DIRT BIKE ad.

All I can say is: "*** ?!?!?!?".


Backpacker is an "outdoor lifestyle magazine". It is aimed at an affluent customer who wants to look the part..but does not walk the walk. (Literally!)

Blleeeech!

you can say that again lol neo

[neo]

Man, I just renewed my subscription...Can I have my money back?

ya wasted your money dude neo

[Cookerhiker]

I dropped Backpacker when they first went corporate - so long ago, I forget. Maybe 1980? The founder sold it to a publishing company named Ziff-DAvis or something like that. I've gotten along fine without it.

[fiddlehead]

Thanks Blister Sister. I appreciate your kind words to me. Backpacker magazine is there to make money. Lots of money. If that means they have to insult thru-hikers to do it, i guess they will. If it means recomending some gear that does not belong in the backcountry, obviously they will if the companies are paying for advertising.
So it looks like those who realize this, quit buying it years ago.

I got a kick out of that review. 1st calling us obvious trust-funders! YOu can tell he never drove the "Spaceship" or even seen it. Saying we looked half baked most of the time. Well, show me someone who does 30+ miles a day in the snow, and i'll show you someone that usually looks half baked at the end of that day. When we decide to get baked, we don't do it half-assed!

[Blue Jay]

The EMS you applied to obviously has idiots for management. I've found some of the individual stores to be very good (Manchester and Rutland VT, Lanesboro MA) and some to be hopelessly bad. If you want a laugh go to a NY City EMS.

[neo]

The EMS you applied to obviously has idiots for management. I've found some of the individual stores to be very good (Manchester and Rutland VT, Lanesboro MA) and some to be hopelessly bad. If you want a laugh go to a NY City EMS.

the store in manchester vt has an awesome staff,they helped me find a ride to bennington after bus service was no longer availible.they were very helpful neo

[Sly]

Don't feel bad Blister, I've applied and/or send my hiking/retail/sales resume to 4 or 5 outfitters in the area and haven't been able to land a job either.

Maybe I'll apply again, especially ones that carry Western Mountaineering, and hope for the best.

[A-Train]

Forget EMS. You've got lots of experience and you don't wanna work there. The direction that place is heading is crap. The store in Burlington VT looks more like a clothing store than an outdoor store. I noticed last yr they started selling a surfing company line clothing (billabong or ripcurl or something) just to attract more of the casual customer rather than the gearhead. The company is looking to make money and will sell out to do so.
I work at a private non-chain, family run outfitter in Manhattan, and a guy came in the other day telling us that EMS sells UGGZ boots. Now if anyone is familiar with this fashion trend, you'll realize how far EMS has strayed from their old intentions to sell outdoor stuff.

Don't be discouraged. I've applied to different EMS' and never got a job, even with an AT thru-hike, and several other experiences under my belt. Not tryingg to say thru-hikers should be entitled to jobs because they hiked, just that spending 6 months in the woods should qualify you as much as many of the folks who work at this place. I applied when I finished the trail and I got a run around from the manager, even after a good interview. I kept getting called, and promised something was opening up. Eventually I was offered a job for holidays, and couldnt do it as a college student, and that was the end of that.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, but I hardly have any faith in that place anymore. As BJ says, the store in Manhattan is a joke. They moved down the block and moved into a place a fourth of the size of the old one. Most items are day packs, and clothing to attract "recreational" folks who are trying to look outdoorsy. Similar to the the things you see in Backpacker theses days..