Topic

devastaded


Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 54 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1227211
    David Noll
    BPL Member

    @dpnoll

    Locale: Maroon Bells

    I just got done reading the Backpacker magazine 2008 gear guide (5 min) and found out that tarps are out and big backpacks are in. Guess I'll have to retool so I can carry 50# instead of 20 or so. Not.

    #1419843
    Ryan Gardner
    Spectator

    @splproductions

    Did Backpacker ever say tarps were in? (I know they did mention GG's SpinnTwinn tarp once). That was a quick fad. Does anyone want to buy my MLD Grace Duo? (I gotta keep up with the trends).

    #1419846
    Andrew Richard
    Member

    @fairweather8588

    Locale: The Desert

    I read that too and though the exact same thing. For them the tarp fad lasted as quickly as it arrived.

    #1419872
    Vick Hines
    Member

    @vickrhines

    Locale: Central Texas

    Tarps have a learning curve that does not challenge 12-year-olds but seems to be daunting for grownups with cash. They also provide the manufacturers and retailers with a miniscule profit margin. The conclusion should be obvious.

    #1419883
    EndoftheTrail
    BPL Member

    @ben2world-2

    Tarps are also daunting to adults with cash and insect phobia. :(

    #1419885
    Elliott Wolin
    BPL Member

    @ewolin

    Locale: Hampton Roads, Virginia

    You have to take anything Backpacker says with a grain of salt. Two months from now they could have a full spread on the latest tarps, with testimonials from half the staff.

    Despite this kind of nonsense, I still get Backpacker, and usually enjoy it.

    #1419888
    Ken Helwig
    BPL Member

    @kennyhel77

    Locale: Scotts Valley CA via San Jose, CA

    Not defending the magazine with this (that is my disclaimer). Their last regular issue actually had an article on hiking the JMT lightwieght style. They did mention quite a bit of cottage gear manufacturers. The magazine is ad driven and I am sure that there are alot of stuff that goes on behind closed doors per se. I bought the gear guide due to my gear obsession. As much as Backpacker annoys me…and it does most of the time, they do come up with a few cool things to review on each issue. Heck they had the new Clearview sleeping pad and chair in their gear guide. Cool. Will I ever renew my subscription? Hell NO!

    I don't know about you all, I am tired of sitting on rocks and logs and having my skinny butt hurt after an hour. I need that pad and chair to rest my old bones!

    #1419897
    Dondo .
    BPL Member

    @dondo

    Locale: Colorado Rockies

    Not to defend Adpacker mag but here's what they actually said:

    "But first, a few big-picture observations from individual testers, some of them pretty provocative. Let us know if you agree-we're wrestling with a few…..

    2."Tarps are dead." There's no middle ground here. Critics on the staff argue that the emergence of dependable ultralight tents have made them obsolete. Tarp fans think the critics are sissies."

    Also noted in this issue:

    SMD Wild Oasis got named top ultralight tent.

    A couple of our members have been running around behind our backs and contributing Reader's Tips to Adpacker. Take a bow, Eric Blumensaadt and Benjamin Tang.

    #1419898
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    > 2."Tarps are dead." There's no middle ground here. Critics on the staff argue that the emergence of dependable ultralight tarps have made them obsolete. Tarp fans think the critics are sissies."

    Clear as mud. ???
    Does this mean that heavyweight canvas tarps are dead because UL tarps have replaced them? Fair enough if so.

    #1419905
    Dondo .
    BPL Member

    @dondo

    Locale: Colorado Rockies

    My bad, Roger. I changed my post to read what Backpacker actually said.

    #1419909
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    Don't forget that sell out Jason Klass. Hehheh!! He has had actual small articles in the mag.

    ;-)

    #1419916
    EndoftheTrail
    BPL Member

    @ben2world-2

    May it please the court, I hereby present as Exhibit "A" — page 89 of Backpacker Magazine 2008 Gear Guide – a "foot saving" advice from Backpacker reader Sarah Kirkconnell.

    #1419920
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Hey guys – I am not sure about this 'sellout' business. How about a 'fifth column subversion from within' concept instead?

    #1419936
    Dondo .
    BPL Member

    @dondo

    Locale: Colorado Rockies

    You mean working within the system to change the system. Oh, I get it now. Unh hun.

    Et Tu, Sarah?

    #1419937
    Patrick Coulson
    Member

    @pcoulson

    Locale: No California

    It kills me to read passionate members ripping on each other because they are sharing their passion in other magazine. I think it is good that the readers are getting out there and spreading the word even if it was in a major backpacking magazine. Heck I am glad there are people out there enjoying the out doors and learning. Plus I like to think of backpacker Magazine as a 101 course. People start there to learn and then grow into other forums such as these to expand their knowledge. So now rather than ripping on our BPL friends we should be excited that they are getting their 15 min of fame in a very small pond.

    #1419938
    john Tier
    Spectator

    @peter_pan

    Locale: Co-Owner Jacks 'R' Better, LLC, VA

    Guilty, if you like…. page 187 marketplace…. I prefer to think of it as education and conversion….The overburdened and uncomfortable deserve a chance to find to find a better path.

    Pan

    #1419939
    Dondo .
    BPL Member

    @dondo

    Locale: Colorado Rockies

    Patrick,

    We all know each other from this and other forums. We're just joking around. Emoticoms would help though.

    #1419943
    Miguel Arboleda
    BPL Member

    @butuki

    Locale: Kanto Plain, Japan

    Another guilty party here. I wrote a number of articles and got them published in BP about ten years ago. (Am I going to tell the lynch mob which issues… nooooo!) Before I even knew anything about UL, though. And they weren't about gear. Which I guess is one thing the BP does have to offer, human interest stories. I haven't read BP in a while though, because it is too US concentrated for someone who lives in Japan, but when I pick it up there are always great articles about experiences people had and trip reports and such, which I also love to read.

    #1419949
    Ken Helwig
    BPL Member

    @kennyhel77

    Locale: Scotts Valley CA via San Jose, CA

    I got a good chuckle outta this. I could tell that this was done tongue and cheek.

    Now hey, by us infiltrating into Backpacker, we can change that monolith of a magazine and make it ours…..

    #1419954
    Dondo .
    BPL Member

    @dondo

    Locale: Colorado Rockies

    >>Another guilty party here. I wrote a number of articles and got them published in BP about ten years ago.

    Thank you for confessing, Comrade Miguel. We will forward these articles to the People's Revolutionary Committee for Ultralight Correctness (PRCULC). Hopefully, there will be no problems.

    #1419958
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    Lol…yeah, it was "Sarah Kirconnell" from PA – saved I tell ya! ;-)

    #1419960
    Elliott Wolin
    BPL Member

    @ewolin

    Locale: Hampton Roads, Virginia

    Don't forget, Backpacker is a major source of info for the backpacking world, and the more that learn about it and do it, the better. I don't care if they go UL style or not, as long as they go, and vote to protect the places we all love so much.

    Beware arguing about the aesthetics of the music while Rome is burning!

    Long live Backpacker magazine…

    #1419967
    Matthew L.
    BPL Member

    @gungadin

    Locale: Pittsburgh, PA

    I agree with Elliot. We have "seen the light" and have become much happier hikers and adventurers because of it (I sure have). But in a way, we are the unusual ones (at least to 95%). Although hiking the way we do seems totally normal (and correct) to us, others think we are totally crazy. Heck, the weight of my Big 3 is less than 1.25 pounds! That simply isn't normal!:)

    #1419978
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    While I joke and all, I am still very appreciative of BP magazine. They did after all wet my appetite years ago when I first started hiking – and most of all? The feature they did on my business in December was amazing for how many people it reached.

    #1419980
    Lynn Tramper
    Member

    @retropump

    Locale: The Antipodes of La Coruna

    I vote that we infiltrate BP with the aim of making their readers carry MORE and HEAVIER gear, rather than lightening thier load. I prefer my wilderness experiences to be just that-wilderness. The fewer people I run into in the woods, the happier I am. An overburdened backpacker is less likely to spend time backpacking, so heavy is good. Let's keep UL a secret!

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 54 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Get the Newsletter

Get our free Handbook and Receive our weekly newsletter to see what's new at Backpacking Light!

Gear Research & Discovery Tools


Loading...