My FINAL issue of Backpacker, ever!

[Doctari]

OK, I bought a Backpacker magazine, June issue.

If it was to magically become twice as good, no, 4 times as good It would only improve to CRAP.

It contained:
A FAKE “letter from a reader” that is actually an advertisement for “The ropes” sex potion. Check out a recent “US” magazine to read the identical “Letter” & see what I mean; it’s almost word for word the one in B/P.
6 car ads, 5 for SUVs
A 6 page article on hiking in the wild far away wilderness of, , , , , , Los Angeles. With; Maps, satellite photos, GPS coordinates, Glossy photos.
An ultra tiny article on One Leg.


Oh well, my 2¢

Suffice it to say I shall never buy a Backpacker Magazine or anything from Rodale press again.

Oh, BTW, they deleted a similar post on their web site. Don’t blame them, just found it funny they left one on Piercing & one on a Testicular festival but couldn’t stand one that criticized them.


Doctari.

[Lone Wolf]

That rag has sucked for years. Outside mag. too.

[Frosty]

That rag has sucked for years. Outside mag. too.

I think Outside is worse. Their target reader owns a Mercedes or Lexus SUV, a "wilderness" condo on the shores of Lake Tahoe, and cigarette boat in Florida they use once a year on their annual South Beach vacation.

[Alligator]

Outside mag blows! I got that mag for free one year and I still wouldn't read it.

But, Doctari, don't you think the SUV companies are targeting an appropriate audience by advertising in Backpacker?

Just some thoughts here.
1. Fitting three packs and three hikers into a small car can be difficult. If you have a family and you enjoy these pursuits, a small car won't cut it.

2. Outdoors people often enjoy multiple pursuits. Although you might get two boats on a Toyota Celica, it is difficult when they are 16' canoes.

3. Four wheel drive sure comes in handy when doing car drops in winter, especially in New England.

4. While I often go backpacking, sometimes I car camp with family and friends. They seem to think this is really roughing it, and I get to have cold beer handy. I could after all be spartan, but my fold out chair with the arm and leg rests is oh so comfy. Anything smaller than a station wagon is out of the question.

While I don't own an SUV, I would not feel guilty owning a reasonably sized model, given my activity levels.

Now if the ads were in City Dweller or Urban Life...

[smokymtnsteve]

I drive a ford escort wagon and have no trouble at all with 3 folks and thier gear.

[rumbler]

Every re-supply ride into towns that I got on the trail was either a pick-up, a van or a SUV. Well, and one boat.

Of all the people who legitimately can claim that they use the capabilities of an SUV, the outdoor activities crew - including backpackers. kayakers and the like - would be high on the list.

Now, you can still not like the ads and as a result not buy the rag. But I bet the target margeting is fairly dead-on in this case.

[Lone Wolf]

Hardly anyone BACKPACKS anymore. They should rename it SLACKPACKER or GOLITER or HURRYUPHIKER.

[smokymtnsteve]

Hardly anyone BACKPACKS anymore. They should rename it SLACKPACKER or GOLITER or HURRYUPHIKER.

..right on wolf

you are a fairly intelligent person

[The Scribe]

morning all

As a sportswriter I deal all the time with "what's important to one person means nothing to another". And this is in a relatively small geographic area of west-central Maine.

Cover one team winning the state track championships and get a slug of emails from parents on other teams saying we are biased. Focus on the other teams and we miss the real "news" of the story.

It's a no-win situation.

I can't imagine something on a national scale such as the 'rags' mentioned here.

You can't please everyone. if there is a story on The Whites in it I would be real excited but the people out west might not be. And vice-versa.

As far as advertising goes, it is the only reason they are able to publish. They would not exist at all if it wasn't for the ads they run. Your daily paper which might cost you anywhere from .50-.75 cents would cost maybe $3 if they tried to recoup all their expenses via circulation. I can only imagine what a glossy national magazine (regardless of what you think of the content) would cost in the same thing was attempted. No one would by it even if it contained pullitzer prize articles every issue.

Let's face it, they need to sell ads, and the target market right now are the baby-boomers who's SUV's never touch a grain of sand. If their demographics showed that the average reader of Backpacker was 18-21 with an annual income of 15-20K, then the ads would reflect that. Instead of the Lincoln Navigator, they would be advertising parts wharehouses for old Honda Civics.

I know I sit in editorial meetings where we brainstorm story ideas. Some fall in our lap (the Maine high school kid, Mark Rogers, just drafted fifth in the nation in the MLB amateur draft), other times we really have to work hard to come up with stuff.

I thought the LA story was kind of cool. It took a man who lives in a concrete jungle, and explained how he turned his environment to his advantage to train for a hike. They might have more subscribers in Los Angeles alone than all the AT fans put together.

I get Backpacker (or Slackpacker or whatever you want to call it). Some things in it appeal to me more than others. The SUV ads? I ignore them. Couldn't afford them anyway.

Just my .02

pcm

[Alligator]

I drive a ford escort wagon and have no trouble at all with 3 folks and thier gear.

I could bust your rear axle with just my beer cooler

Not all of us shelter under a book by Edward Abbey.

Add in one extra person and another activity and a car is quickly overloaded. I will admit that while my wife drives a Subaru wagon, we would be hard pressed to fit two kids and gear in the back. For folks in this situation, it may be necessary to upgrade to a mini-van or SUV. Two car seats, kid's gear, and camping gear would just not fit in a station wagon. It really depends on the location and the need for 4WD.

[smokymtnsteve]

I hike and backpack...how much can you carry or need?

[minnesotasmith]

What is a good magazine for nonslackpacking AT thru-hikers?

[The Scribe]

Yes, very good question.

[Lone Wolf]

There ain't one.

[TJ aka Teej]

What is a good magazine for nonslackpacking AT thru-hikers?

WhiteBlaze.net!

[Alligator]

Stick with WHITEBLAZE.NET You're sure to get lots of input. There are tons of pictures. Or if you want a more human account, follow a journal over at trailjournals. Although you will probably have to filter out some of the slackpacking if this is a concern...

[U-BOLT]

Of all the people who legitimately can claim that they use the capabilities of an SUV, the outdoor activities crew - including backpackers. kayakers and the like - would be high on the list.

Nobody can legitimately claim they need one of those obscene gas guzzlers.

[Fiddleback]

I think Doctari was just upset about the 'fake letter' (it's labled "Advertisement" at the top of the page) 'cause it wasn't more specific!

But as a long time subscriber I have to admit that, issue to issue, BP is inconsistent. Sometimes I devour nearly every page and sometimes I flip through it and toss it aside...like June's issue.

FB

[tarbubble]

we can squeeze 3 people and gear into our little 3-cylinder, 4-seater Chevy Metro (40+ mpg, although probably a little less with that kind of load). 2 packs in the tight-squeeze cargo area, one in the 4th passenger seat

that said, we bought a Subaru wagon last year because we live in a crazy area with oodles of cellphone-yakking, latte-sipping, curb-jumping Hummer H2 drivers (many of which drop off and pick up their kids at the Jr. High next door, thus loitering around my neighborhood twice a day). i have a young son and honestly fear what would happen if one of those oversized gas hogs was to ram my little tin-can Metro with my baby inside. the Subaru will also come in handy when we move up north (where they actually have winters). but i admit, for around town it is overkill and i feel guilty, even though at 22 or so mpg it's less of a gas hog than a lot of other cars.

[Jaybird]

OK, I bought a Backpacker magazine, June issue.
If it was to magically become twice as good, no, 4 times as good It would only improve to CRAP...............etcetcetc...................... ...Doctari.

you didnt enjoy the photos of "OneLeg"????????????????????


& my 3-cylinder METRO got 52 miles per gallon & I LOVED IT!