As mentioned in my Trails.com Review, one of the perks I got from signing up for Trails.com’s free 2-week trial was two free issues of Backpacker Magazine.

Both issues arrived as promised, allowing me to take a look at Backpacker after several years’ hiatus (I was a subscriber a while back).

What strikes me right away is how big an influence technology has on the outdoor industry today—and on consumers.

Backpacker Magazine occasionally resembles an issue of PC World, thanks to the infusion of GPS and other tech devices that people are now carrying with them when they venture into the backcountry.

Editorially, I find Backpacker a tad bland and also busy. The magazine doesn’t seem to have settled on a single, effective look or feel. Like many magazines in this genre, Backpacker can at times resemble not so much a feature publication as one big advertisement.

On the positive side, the sheer quantity of content in Backpacker is impressive. The editors do pack a lot of tidbits into the pages. I’d prefer fewer subjects covered in greater detail (especially regarding gear reviews), but I did appreciate the wide range of topics.

After mulling it over for a while, I decided to go ahead and subscribe. What pushed me over the edge were two feature articles which I thought were quite good: detailed, in-depth, and interesting. That was enough to make me sign up for a year. If Backpacker can continue delivering high-quality feature content, I’ll be happy.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 at 9:35 am and is filed under Hiking. So There.