Backpacker Magazine
Backpacker Magazine, operating under Outside Inc., is a long-standing U.S. outdoor recreation publication covering hiking, backpacking, gear, and survival content. It serves enthusiast hikers via print subscriptions, digital issues, Outside+ membership, podcasts, and a content-rich website.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Backpacker Magazine does
Backpacker Magazine is a U.S.-based outdoor recreation publication operating as a brand under Outside Inc., headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Founded approximately in 1973, the company produces editorial content spanning hiking, backpacking, gear reviews, trail guides, wilderness survival skills, hiking fitness, and thru-hiking adventure stories, with active publishing through 2026 across its website (backpacker.com), podcasts (Out Alive and Impossible Odds), social channels, and email newsletters.
The core product is the Backpacker Magazine publication in both print and digital formats, supplemented by digital magazine issues distributed through emagazine platforms and bundled into the Outside+ premium digital membership, which provides access to 15+ outdoor publications, exclusive content, and training plans. The technology platform is the broader Outside ecosystem, which integrates the magazine with companion apps including Gaia GPS (navigation), Trailforks (trail discovery), Outside TV (video content), and the unified Outside mobile app.
The business model is subscription-recurring across three streams: print magazine subscriptions, Outside+ digital memberships, and individual digital issue purchases. The primary customer segment is horizontal outdoor enthusiasts, including casual day hikers, multi-day backpackers, and thru-hikers pursuing long-distance trails in North America (USA and Canada). No enterprise customers, advertising anchor accounts, or named commercial logos are disclosed, and the publication operates with an estimated 11-50 employees as a niche vertical title within Outside Inc.'s broader media portfolio.
Backpacker Magazine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Backpacker Magazine
- Website
- https://backpacker.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Backpacker Magazine, operating under Outside Inc., is a long-standing U.S. outdoor recreation publication covering hiking, backpacking, gear, and survival content. It serves enthusiast hikers via print subscriptions, digital issues, Outside+ membership, podcasts, and a content-rich website.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Backpacker Magazine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Recreation Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Automotive & Transportation Magazines (MPAJAEAI)
Keywords
Where Backpacker Magazine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Backpacker Magazine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Print Magazine Subscriptions: Traditional print magazine subscription model with published issues (January/February 2022 being the most recent archived issue), sold through annual subscription billing cycles.
- Outside+ Digital Membership: Premium digital membership offering exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and access to digital issues across multiple outdoor publications within the Outside network.
- Digital Magazine Issues: Individual digital issues available for purchase through emagazine platforms, offering interactive digital versions of print content.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Digital Issue Access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Backpacker Magazine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Backpacker Magazine publishes outdoor recreation content through a print and digital magazine, podcasts (Out Alive, Impossible Odds), and the Outside+ membership platform. The publication covers hiking, backpacking, gear reviews, trail guides, wilderness survival skills, hiking fitness, and thru-hiking stories for outdoor enthusiasts in North America.
Product overview
Backpacker Magazine is a media company producing outdoor recreation content across multiple platforms. The core product is the Backpacker Magazine publication (print and digital), complemented by the Outside+ subscription service which provides access to exclusive content and training plans. Content is distributed through the website, mobile apps (Gaia GPS, Trailforks, Outside TV, Outside App), podcasts (Out Alive, Impossible Odds), and digital magazine archives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Backpacker Magazine A print and digital publication covering camping, hiking, gear reviews, trail guides, skills tutorials, survival tips, and outdoor adventure stories for outdoor enthusiasts.
- Outside+ Subscription A premium membership program offering exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and access to 15+ outdoor publications including Backpacker Magazine.
- Digital Magazine Issues Interactive digital editions of Backpacker Magazine available for individual purchase via emagazine platforms and included with Outside+ membership.
- Out Alive Podcast A podcast featuring real stories of people who survived unsurvivable outdoor situations and wilderness emergencies, available on the Backpacker website and podcast platforms.
- Impossible Odds Podcast A podcast following two friends on 8,000 trail miles over one year, documenting their thru-hiking journey along major long-distance trails.
Companies that use Backpacker Magazine
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Backpacker Magazine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Backpacker Magazine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- OutsidecoreBackpacker Magazine is powered by Outside, its parent company and media network. Outside provides the technology platform, publishing infrastructure, and ecosystem integration connecting Backpacker with 15+ other outdoor publications including Outside TV, Gaia GPS, and Trailforks.
- Outside AppcoreMobile application integrating Backpacker content alongside 15+ other outdoor publications, enabling subscribers to access all content through a single platform.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Backpacker Magazine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Gear Patrol: Digital-first men's gear and outdoor lifestyle publisher with strong affiliate commerce model. Comparable on the outdoor gear-review and shopping-intent monetization path, but younger and digital-native with no print heritage.
Direct peers
- Switchback Travel: Independent review-driven site focused on backpacking and hiking gear, with deep testing methodology. Highly comparable on the gear-review and thru-hiking trail-guide axis where Backpacker's authority and revenue both live.
- Outside Magazine: The flagship publication of Backpacker's parent Outside Inc. Covers the broader active-outdoor lifestyle — adventure travel, gear, fitness, and culture. Closest comparable: same parent, same subscription/Outside+ monetization, same cross-platform ecosystem, but broader topic scope.
- Adventure Journal: Digital-first publication covering outdoor adventure, gear, travel, and lifestyle. Comparable in editorial voice, long-form storytelling, and target demographic of engaged outdoor enthusiasts, though distributed primarily online rather than via print issues.
- Climbing Magazine: Long-running print/digital magazine focused on rock climbing, alpinism, and bouldering. Closely comparable niche outdoor sport publication with print heritage, gear reviews, skills content, and a similar subscriber-plus-ecosystem (also part of the Outside network).
- Trail Runner Magazine: Niche outdoor sport magazine covering trail and ultrarunning. Direct comparable to Backpacker in audience overlap (mountain athletes), business model (print + digital subscriptions), and content mix (gear reviews, training, trail features, race coverage).
- The Trek: Thru-hiker community publication covering the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails. Direct overlap with Backpacker's long-distance hiking content and gear-review audience; complementary but competes for the same reader attention.
Broad incumbents
- Runner's World: Flagship running publication under Hearst. Comparable subscription/digital magazine model and gear-review franchise, but focused on running rather than backpacking — overlapping but distinct reader segment.
- Men's Journal: Established mainstream men's active-lifestyle magazine covering fitness, gear, adventure, and travel. Broader in scope and more generalist than Backpacker, but competes for the same advertising and audience dollars around outdoor recreation.
Others
- REI Co-op Journal: Editorial publication from REI, the largest U.S. outdoor retailer. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — REI Journal benefits from REI's retail data and member base but lacks Backpacker's editorial depth on backpacking-specific skills and trails.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Backpacker Magazine social profiles
Digital presenceBackpacker Magazine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Backpacker Magazine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Backpacker Magazine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Backpacker Magazine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Backpacker Magazine
What does Backpacker Magazine do?
Backpacker Magazine publishes outdoor recreation content through a print and digital magazine, podcasts (Out Alive, Impossible Odds), and the Outside+ membership platform. The publication covers hiking, backpacking, gear reviews, trail guides, wilderness survival skills, hiking fitness, and thru-hiking stories for outdoor enthusiasts in North America.
When was Backpacker Magazine founded?
Backpacker Magazine was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Backpacker Magazine based?
Backpacker Magazine is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
How does Backpacker Magazine make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Print Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are outside+ Digital Membership and digital Magazine Issues.
Who are Backpacker Magazine's main competitors?
Gear Patrol is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Switchback Travel, Outside Magazine, Adventure Journal, Climbing Magazine, Trail Runner Magazine and The Trek. Broad incumbents are Runner's World and Men's Journal. REI Co-op Journal is listed as an others.
Does Backpacker Magazine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Backpacker Magazine.
What industry is Backpacker Magazine in?
Backpacker Magazine's product category is Outdoor Recreation Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAH, Travel & Outdoors Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAEAI, Automotive & Transportation Magazines. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.