devastaded

[David Olsen]

They requested a free tarp to try 2 years ago. I have yet to
see their write up on it.

[Russell Swanson]

I do the same with the Gear Issue as most of you folks. Flip through, shake my head at 98% of the gear choices, then move on to my own decisions about gear. But I also understand that they need to make money to produce such an exciting magazine. If that comes with the penalty of pushing products from the large manufacturers, then I can deal.

Yes, I said exciting magazine. If someone can recommend another magazine with reports on backpacking routes all over the US (and sometimes other places, too) complete with photographs and narratives that make me wish I was on the trail every time I flip through its pages, please point that publication out to me so I can subscribe. I look forward to every issue I get, not for the gear talk, but for inspiration. I get the gear talk here.

That said, it would be great if BP mag would spotlight more cottage industries. I carry almost nothing they feature, with the exception of a Western Mountaineering sleeping bag. But just because my pack isn't in glossy photos in every other issue (actually, it was in the aforementioned JMT-in-a-week issue) doesn't mean I feel the need to criticize a magazine that a bunch of like-minded folks work very hard to produce. For the most part, I think we should be thanking them for putting together their magazine.

[Dondo .]

David, the editor probably really likes your tarp and uses it all the time but is afraid to come out of the closet as an Uler.

[Richard Scruggs]

David —

If you'll send me a free silnylon alphamid, I'll write about it somewhere.

JRS

[Greyson Howard]

When I was younger, I loved getting these gear guides. I would flip through, saying, I want that, and I want that, and i want that.

Now, very rarely is there anything in the gear guide I would actually want.

That being said, backpacker is still a good magazine, and definitely has some sway in the backpacking community – I went on a group hike on the Tahoe Rim Trail this summer, and 10 of 15 people had the same pack – backpacker's gear of the year choice.

Hiking as a UL hiker amongst heavy hikers wasn't bad either, I didn't catch coodies from them or anything…

[Sumi Lavin]

In the long run I would trust Backpacker to offer better suggestions than this site for packs. This site seems to give a pass to eveything that comes along. Backpacker knows better than to highly recommend a pack like the frameless one that was just reviewed here. 30 lbs is a stretch. It might be OK for a die-hard base-weight hiker, but Backpacker has to be more responsible.

Naturally there will be differences of opinion between the 2 entities. The community here at BPL would in fact be devastated if Backpacker suddenly usurped all that BPL was here for. The BPL community should be jumping with joy that tarps are dead.

[kristin hostetter]

Just got done reading this thread–haven't checked in here in a while, as I was swamped putting together that Gear Guide issue that you all love so much (when am I going to learn that sarcasm doesn't translate online?).

OK, so seriously, I've posted a similar sentiment in these forums in the past, but I think it's worth repeating: Not all backpackers and hikers are ultralighters, nor do they aspire to be. People like to experience the wilderness in different ways, and who am I to judge? We unapologetically cover the full range of gear, from the UL stuff to the not-so UL stuff.

In the grand scheme of magazines, Backpacker is a niche special interest publication. And I'm glad that there are places–such as this–that people can come to if they are drawn to the even smaller niche of ultralight backpacking. I'm always puzzled (and a bit disappointed) by the "us vs. them" nature of some of the posts I read here. The way I see it, we all love the same thing. We just have different ways of doing it.

respectfully,
kristin hostetter
gear editor
backpacker

[EndoftheTrail]

Kristin:

I agree with you. But don't be too disappointed about reading our threads here. Remember, this forum is a UL forum — and members congregate accordingly — so it's only natural that genuine UL gear would get us more excited. I think all of our criticisms should be viewed in this light.

As a comparison, I can easily imagine that members of "Car Camping" forum might scoff at the UL stuff they see on the same Gear Guide — impossibly tiny tents, mummy bags, etc. and wondering why anyone would use them — never mind paying 2, 3, or even 4 times the price! And why on earth Backpacker Magazine would waste pages on this stuff? Each forum has its own focus and should be viewed accordingly.

[Franco Darioli]

Yes, I'm with Ben.
In most cases people "graduate" from car camping, day walks and standard week-end backpacking to single and multi day lightweight outings through the acquired  knowledge and experience. Eventually it makes sense to carry less so that we can be out more. However BP does not follow this "personal" evolvement, it remains the same all rounder, trying to cater for most and not the niche market that BPL is  focused on. Because of this, several members here will comment about how Backpacker is less relevant than it was . Contrary to how some of the remarks read, Backpacker has not worsened or lost the plot, we have changed. Also, in my case, because I am based in Australia, the nicely illustrated  and detailed articles about some of those beautiful parks over there are almost irrelevant , so from purchasing the mag regularly I now buy it two or three times a year (yes, including the Gear Guide issue, not here yet). Franco

[EndoftheTrail]

Irrelevant? Hardly! Those articles are there precisely to entice you Aussies and Kiwis to come visit!

We'll leave an extra shrimp on the barbee for you. :)

[David Noll]

Kristen
Kristen, when I started this thread it was tongue in cheek. I do still car camp, backpack and canoe and even if my camping style has moved toward ultralight it doesn't mean that we don't
appreciate what Backpacker has done for our activity. I didn't
mean to offend anyone.

[Dondo .]

Kristen, I hoped you noticed that some of us were just having a little fun here. My posts, at least, were as mocking of our own pretensions here at BPL as they were of Backpacker.

As a side note, there's a thread on EN 13537 ratings on your own Backpacker Gear forum. A poster has started a data base of EN 13537 ratings for sleeping bags collected from the manufacturers' European web sites. I don't know if an article complete with a listing of ratings is something Backpacker would touch with a ten foot pole but it would be a very valuable service to your readers.

[Miguel Arboleda]

One of the wonderful things about the BPL forums is that, among the many forums I am a member of, BPL members tend to be a very tolerant and good-natured lot. I have never encountered any serious flame wars, even with such tinder-dry topics as gun-carrying and…erm… footwear… and nearly always members work out differences then and there. This is quite unusual in the online world and something to value a lot. I would have no qualms about joining quite a few members here for a multiday hike. I think I'd truly enjoy members' company.

I think it says something about the community here, Kristen, if you feel comfortable enough to openly express your feelings without fear of castigation. At the same time, I think it says something about Backpacker magazine staff when someone like Kristen regularly drops by and reads what we are writing. It shows that Backpacker is interested in what we are doing, and that BP staff are probably very much like any of us… lovers of the outdoors.

[Anonymous]

Kristin,

I too feel disappointed and a little embarrassed with the attitude demonstrated on BPL. Until the recent “Gear Guide” issue of Backpacker Magazine some of the fine members / nonmembers of Backpacking Light were busy waving pitch forks and torches at the BPL Staff (Ref. tread: Why Are We Even Still Here?) Then there was the whining, moaning, and complaining over the origins and pricing of gear in the Gear Swap tread. Seems some posters feel the world revolves around them and the need to judge others while imposing their ideas on others without giving much thought on how they come across or offend.

My apologies

Roger

[Tom Clark]

Kristin,
Yeah, it's a tough passionate crowd here at BPL. Many of us enjoy parts of Backpacker Mag, and would like more excuses to subcribe to it. Can you help us out and provide more lightweight gear reviews and in depth articles on technique?
Tom

[John S.]

This thread from the beginning was tongue in cheek. It's too bad it's being made into something worse. If you want to read some real bashing of backpacker magazine, go read their own message boards.

[shawn weld]

People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we get along? Can we stop making it, making it horrible for the older people and the kids?…It’s just not right. It’s not right. It’s not, it’s not going to change anything. We’ll, we’ll get our justice….Please, we can get along here. We all can get along. I mean, we’re all stuck here for a while. Let’s try to work it out. Let’s try to beat it. Let’s try to beat it. Let’s try to work it out. – Rodney King LA Riots, 1992

[Greg Mihalik]

'making it horrible for the older people…'

OLDER people ?

Now it's going to get ugly….

[Ryan Luke]

"Madness is rare in individuals–but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule." Friedrich Nietzsche

[Dondo .]

>>This thread from the beginning was tongue in cheek. It's too bad it's being made into something worse.

Yup. It's confusing that some folks are taking it so seriously. Maybe it's hard to communicate tongue in cheek over the internet.

[Dondo .]

>>People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we get along?

What fun is that? ;-)

[Ken Helwig]

Dondo I did notice that. Most on here noticed too.

[Ryan Gardner]

My generation grew up "flirting" and "making moves" with the lady folk via text messages. I for one can tell you that things can get pretty ugly when you try to crack jokes or be sarcastic with text only.

[Frank Perkins]

Like most, I scoff at the gear guide for not naming all our faves [mld, oware, tarptent, ula, mld, gg, etc] as their favorites. However, I do think the article on half the weight, twice the fun was evolutionary for them.

Although, I'm not sure I agree with the "ditch the map" suggestion.

[Dondo .]

>>However, I do think the article on half the weight, twice the fun was evolutionary for them.

Covering ultralight wilderness travel is nothing new for Backpacker. They published an article way back in April '94 called "Less is More" by Mark Jenkins. The author's total pack weight for four days in the Beartooth mountains was 16 lbs. This was in the day before UL cottage manufacturers. John Fayhee's article about fastpacking the Gore Range trail was published in October 1996. There was a piece by Peter Potterfield about "The Ray Way" in the February 1998 issue. In the June 1998 issue was a very amusing article called "Modern Man vs. Mad Dog" in which a mismatched pair of backpackers get together for a trip accompanied by a photographer and Backpacker writer. In the accompanying photo Jeff, a techno-packer, looks like a walking gear store and is carrying 45% of his body weight. On the right is Mad Dog, the garage-sale minimalist carrying 13% of his body weight. In the middle is the writer, a smiling young woman named Kristin Hostetter.

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