Hi All -

I just received the November issue of Backpacker. As I flipped it over to remove it from the plastic wrap, what did I find myself looking at but an ad for Honda dirt bikes! It felt like a kick to the stomach to me. Dirt bike ads in a magazine that is SUPPOSED to be devoted to BACKPACKING?

I've always felt that the backpacking community was a group who really cared about the environment and the land and the uses thereof because we are the ones out there; we can see the detrimental effects of clear-cut logging, mountaintop removal, minerals extraction, and yes, motorized vehicles. We see it while getting around on our FEET.

This ad in Backpacker struck me as so wrong. I've seen the damage wrought by dirt bikes, close-up. I've seen the scars of ATVs - scars that last for years.

I don't know about you, but I'm going to write to Backpacker to complain. I realize, of course, that they need ad revenue in order to produce the magazine, but I feel they have a responsibilty about what kinds of ads they allow. The ads should be commensurate with the purpose of the magazine. There are plenty of ads they can feature about products having to do with backpacking, without resulting to this kind of desecration.

Leave the ads for motorized "toys" to Outside magazine - Outside sold itself out long ago.

At least the dirt bikes have to be a step up from the full page "male enhancement" ads they were running in the back the past couple of years. ;-)

> Dirt bike ads in a magazine that is SUPPOSED to be devoted to BACKPACKING?
My understanding is that Backpacker mag is (now) owned by a large publishing conglomerate. It's sole function now is to generate an RoI for the company.

This is why BPL does not permit the typical web-site advertising.

Cheers

Then again, they did do a favourable review of the GG Gorilla backpack, too. So they can't be all bad... :^)

About clear cuts, write your Congressman/Senator.
Duane

Roger,

What's "Rol" stand for?

I looked it up but nothing seems to fit:

Acronym Definition
ROL Roland
ROL Romanian Leu (former Currency Unit, ISO)
ROL Rule of Law
ROL Rock of Love (TV show)
ROL Rise of Legends (video game)
ROL Rotate Left
ROL Review of Literature (in research)
ROL Rank Order List (medical residency)
ROL Rate On Line (insurance)
ROL Rate on Line
ROL Ride on Lille (French roller skating club)
ROL Reorder Level
ROL Record of Learning (New Zealand)
ROL Reduction-Option Loan
ROL Rock Out Loud (band)
ROL Return On Life
ROL Rocketry Online
ROL Release of Lien
ROL Reddito Operativo Lordo (Italy)
ROL Reconfiguration of Lot (infrastructure management; Australia)
ROL Republic of Logarithms (micronation)
ROL Reactor Operating Limit
ROL Retired Officers Luncheon
ROL Rear-Of-Leg strap (skydiving)
ROL Run of Loom (textiles)
ROL Republic of Liberia
ROL Ray of Light
ROL Registration On-Line (various schools)


Daryl

ROI = Return on investment

Thanks John,

The type face for the "I" threw me. Thought it was a small l (L).

Daryl

Kathy said:
"I just received the November issue of Backpacker. As I flipped it over to remove it from the plastic wrap, what did I find myself looking at but an ad for Honda dirt bikes! It felt like a kick to the stomach to me. Dirt bike ads in a magazine that is SUPPOSED to be devoted to BACKPACKING?"


Your getting to excited about motorcycle ads in backpacker magazine.

I have photos of my Dad and friends and have the stories he told me.How he his buddies back in the 1950's and early 1960's would use motorcycles to go camping in the High Sierras for camping legally approved by the forestry service. The very same trail we use for backpacking now in High Sierras

Plus their is still thousand of acres of BLM land out their people use motorcycle or small all terrain vehicles for camping and hunting in secluded areas.

Plus before or during a forest fire the forestry service or CDF in California use bulldozers for fire breaks.
Terry

I guess I've read too much Edward Abbey, then.

However, I still hold with my original posting. Backpacking is done by humans on their feet, not on motorized vehicles. Let the dirt bike companies advertise in the various motorized sports magazines. We have enough noise pollution in the cities - we don't need to transfer that to the wilderness. One of the reasons I go to wilderness areas is to get away from the noisy human world.