Backpacker

Backpacker is an American lifestyle magazine publication that features information on wilderness hiking and adventure. It has been published since 1973. Backpacker magazine is currently published by Outside and is based in Boulder, Colorado.

The first issue of Backpacker appeared in the spring of 1973. The first editor's note written by William Kemsley, the founding editor, explains that it took three years to put together the first issue of Backpacker, and that the founding editors worried that America in the early 1970s did not contain a backpacking community large enough to support a magazine. It also expresses Kemsley's goal to support the magazine primarily through subscriptions rather than advertising.

At BACKPACKER, we inspire and enable people to enjoy the outdoors by providing the most trusted and engaging information about backcountry adventure in North America. We are committed to honesty, respect, and cooperation in all our relationships. We understand and respond in a timely fashion to the product and service needs of our consumers. We take a leadership role in educating and partnering with others who share our interests and values. We support programs, policies, and behavior that encourages protection of our current wilderness areas and well-considered designation of new ones. We are committed to display the highest quality of compelling photographs and inspiring stories. We provide our industry with superior service, resources, and audiences. We promote sustainable, low-impact use of wilderness. We support and encourage one another to innovate, lead, grow, take risks, share ideas, and express a passion for the wilderness.