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.

Edited by dpnoll on 02/09/2008 13:26:49 MST.

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).

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

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.

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

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.

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!

Edited by kennyhel77 on 02/09/2008 18:09:44 MST.

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.

Edited by Dondo on 02/09/2008 20:54:11 MST.

> 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.

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

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

;-)

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.

Edited by ben2world on 02/10/2008 00:19:06 MST.

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

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

Et Tu, Sarah?

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.

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

Patrick,

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

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.

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.....

>>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.