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Why Should a Person Become a Member of BPL?


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Home Forums General Forums General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion Why Should a Person Become a Member of BPL?

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Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 29 total)
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  • #1256052
    Eddy Walker
    Member

    @ewker

    Locale: southeast

    About the only part of this site I get on is the forums and you don't have to be a member to do that.

    Is the rest of the site worth the cost? What did you learn from the rest of the site that you couldn't get from the forums.

    #1581591
    Juston Taul
    Member

    @junction

    Locale: Atlanta, GA

    It's pretty easy really. BPL exists because of the efforts of few. It is supported financially from those who sign up as members. The members also support BPL by adding valuable information for you to digest. You can digest for free, or show your thanks by your added support. It takes money to run this website. Plain and simple.

    I am thankful, therefore i'm a member.

    EDIT – Spelling

    #1581594
    Steven Evans
    BPL Member

    @steve_evans

    Locale: Canada

    I was playing on the forums for about a year before I became a member. The reason for joining was simply because I was going to order about $300 worth of gear from the store and saw that it would be cheaper if I bought a membership…so I did.
    Since then, I have renewed my membership because for the ~$15/year, I think the articles are worth it. Don't forget that when you become a member, you can look back at all the articles from the past, and there is tons of good stuff there.

    The technical articles appeal to me the most but I enjoy most of them.

    #1581600
    Ike Mouser
    Member

    @isaac-mouser

    the articles are worth it, the one on footwear solved a million issues for me, as have the others. Articles, all about the articles.

    #1581602
    Cayenne Redmonk
    BPL Member

    @redmonk

    Locale: Greater California Ecosystem

    BPL was the only non-military source for reliable, mathematical information on carried weight and distance, and by extension how far one could walk with a given amount of food.

    #1581605
    Marco A. Sánchez
    Member

    @marcoasn

    Locale: The fabulous Pyrenees

    + Access to all BPL articles (A lot of interesting things!)
    + Discounts on the Gear Shop
    + Sometimes, preferential access to products (Important, given the usual limited stock)

    #1581608
    Hendrik Morkel
    BPL Member

    @skullmonkey

    Locale: Finland

    +1 for the Articles. For me they are worth the 25$. Plus I know who I am supporting with my money, and I find that nice.

    #1581611
    Roger B
    BPL Member

    @rogerb

    Locale: Denmark

    It was BPl.com that has taken me to where I am today. without it I would have continued to think 10 kg was a light pack. The articles and the forums provide wonderful information from all perspectives, it is then up to the reader to distil what is relevant to them.

    #1581613
    David Chenault
    BPL Member

    @davec

    Locale: Queen City, MT

    The articles are worth the price of entry.

    #1581617
    Misfit Mystic
    Member

    @cooldrip

    Locale: "Grand Canyon of the East"

    I agree with everyone about the articles. No other information outlet I'm aware of considers the technical/scientific aspects of gear performance. The tests on CO emissions from stoves is worth the $25 to me. So are the MYOG articles; they have saved me far more money than a paltry $25.

    It's more than all that though. Like Juston, I see how BPL fosters and supports the UL community. How much harder would running a successful business like MLD, SMD, GG etc. be without this site? How many of the cottage makers would survive? Would we have super-cool cottage makers like ZPacks, eNlightened, or KookaBay without this community to put the word out?

    It's funny, years ago while managing a big outdoor shop in SLC, I was talking about the small but emerging UL gearmaker's trend with Jerry Gollar. We both kinda came to the conclusion that the key for success was a different marketing strategy that didn't use big advertising dollars to get the word out. BPL provides a means for the small companies to directly market to a very targeted audience. It also allows near instance feedback on products, allowing makers to fine-tune their offerings in a way that's unavailable/unwieldy for the mainstream companies.

    By becoming a member, IMO you are not only supporting this site, but indirectly supporting the entire UL community. I feel I get more value from my BPL membership than almost anything else I buy.

    #1581627
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    The forum is worth the membership fee. I figure the members are subventing the cost to host the forum.

    #1581644
    John Whynot
    Member

    @jdw01776

    Locale: Southeast Texas

    The "members only" articles are worth the membership.

    Plus, I like the idea of supporting an entrepreneurial effort…

    #1581653
    BlackHatGuy
    Spectator

    @sleeping

    Locale: The Cascades

    The forums are worth the price to me. The articles are a bonus. FWIW, I also think that the forums should be open to anyone to read, but only members should be able to post. And before the flames start, I'm not intending that comment at any person in any way, but instead as a 'business decision' comment.

    #1581662
    Mark Compton
    Member

    @rasputen

    Locale: West of the Great Smoky Mtn's

    I joined for all the above listed reasons and for the advancement of my kids outdoor experience. I've made this their site!

    I had them split the cost thus giving them a sense of ownership and expanding their hiking community. We sit around read reviews,view photos and trip reports,and plan hiking trips.

    The bonding is worth triple the annual fee!

    Mark….

    #1581664
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Eddy,

    Not much more than I can add to what has been said, however you might consider that the "investment" of a few dollars in a BPL membership could save you well over a hundred dollars in your future purchases.

    As you probably already know, there are a lot of UL product choices out there and they can be very expensive.

    Many of these products are not available at your local outdoor retailer to get some hands on experience.

    In many cases, buying them can be a bit of an act of faith; trial and error.

    Yes, the people on the forum are generous in giving you their opinions and experience to help you out.

    However, take into consideration that the articles on BPL give you a scientific examination/review of the very products that you might be considering to purchase. The reviews are indepth and that goes well beyond subjective opinion.

    If after reading one of the BPL articles you discover that the product that you were thinking of buying was not right choice for you- how much of a savings would that be in your time and money?

    Speaking for myself, the 1st year of my membership on BPL was the biggest return on my investment and helped propel me deep into the UL experience. The articles gave me a huge education into all the various aspects of UL backpacking and in return has helped me to put my two cents into answering questions from non members.

    As much as BPL has given me, I like to show my appreciation by giving back by being a member to support this passionate community.

    Do yourself a favor and join for one year.

    I have no doubt that you will get more than your money's worth in your first year. Cheaper than buying a pile of books on the subject, savings on gear at shop, and top notch advice on how to spend your hard earned money wisely.

    All this for about the cost of going to the movies for two.

    -Tony

    #1581679
    Misfit Mystic
    Member

    @cooldrip

    Locale: "Grand Canyon of the East"

    Mark, you are my hero! I wish more parents engaged their children with a resource like this, rather than a video game or youtube. That's a new reason I have for being a member: the legacy it leaves for those generations who come after.

    #1581681
    Devin Montgomery
    BPL Member

    @dsmontgomery

    Locale: one snowball away from big trouble

    Because the articles, unlike the forum, are always about things relevant to backpacking! ;)

    #1581682
    Scott Bentz
    BPL Member

    @scottbentz

    Locale: Southern California

    Finding this site was a godsend to me. I was struggling with a heavy pack, knew I wanted to lighten up, was trying to do so on my own and then found BPL. That's when everything began to make sense. The wealth of information in the articles is amazing. I continue to learn every day here on the forum.

    I also want to make sure a resource like this is always available. That is why I pay a membership fee.

    #1581685
    Travis Leanna
    BPL Member

    @t-l

    Locale: Wisconsin

    I agree with Nick and Douglas. The forums are incredible, and the articles are icing on the cake. Imagine any magazine subscription you can think of, including Backpacker. For about the same price, you get SO much more! I learn more in one week on the forums than I do an entire year with Backpacker. (not trying to trash Backpacker or anything, but I'm just saying…)

    #1581688
    John S.
    BPL Member

    @jshann

    One issue I have is now the discounts are being given to MLIFE members first and members at a later date. That is a surprise. Not much may be left for the larger majority?

    #1581770
    Michael L
    BPL Member

    @mpl_35

    Locale: NoCo

    I joined recently because I am interested in Lightweight backpacking. I like to support what I like. So I give to the national parks ($$ since I am too far to volunteer) and to sites like BPL that provide useful information.

    I can't (yet) contribute to discussions but I can "put my money where my mouth is"!

    #1581774
    Ryan Tucker
    BPL Member

    @beartoothtucker

    i like the idea that life or members get advance notice on gear. just like american express, "membership has its privileges".

    #1581840
    Eddy Walker
    Member

    @ewker

    Locale: southeast

    To everyone who replied with why I should join. It seems everyone says the articles are worth it by themselves.
    Since I can't read the articles I really don't know what they have to offer. I will have to take everyones opinion on them.

    You all have some valid points and I will think it over.

    #1581873
    Tomas Reinhardt
    BPL Member

    @tomky

    Locale: Tatry

    Number of articles:
    Gear: 1 every week OK
    Places: 5 within the last 3 months
    Techniques: 1 within the last 3 months
    Trends: 2 within the last 6 months
    Technology: 0 within the last 6 months !!!
    Seem like most valuable articles are missing.

    #1581878
    EndoftheTrail
    BPL Member

    @ben2world-2

    The articles are few and far between. The "member discounts" are a joke since the discounted prices at BPL's store are far too often higher than the regular prices of other retailers.

    My membership has lapsed. I post here frequently and I know I should contribute something — and in all probability I will eventually cave and re-up my annual — but the articles by themselves motivate me very little at this point!

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