Outlet profile

Backpacker

U.S. outdoor-recreation specialty (apolitical, conservation-friendly)

Owned byOwned and published by Outside Inc. (Outside Interactive, Inc.), the Boulder, Colorado, outdoor media company led by CEO Robin Thurston. Outside Inc. acquired the magazine in 2021, after Active Interest Media (AIM) had bought it from Rodale.

FundingCommercial. Revenue comes from advertising (mostly outdoor gear and travel brands), print and digital subscriptions through Outside's membership offerings, affiliate links from gear reviews, and events. Outside Inc. is a privately held, investor-backed company.

On the administrationmostly neutral

Background

Backpacker's first issue appeared in spring 1973. Founder William Kemsley started it in Bedford Hills, New York, after about three years of preparation. Kemsley sold it to Ziff Davis in 1980, and it later passed to CBS Publishing and then to Rodale, which moved it to Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Active Interest Media (AIM) later bought it from Rodale, and the magazine moved to Boulder, Colorado, in 2007. Outside Inc. (formerly Pocket Outdoor Media, renamed in February 2021) acquired it in 2021 as part of consolidating outdoor titles under one company. Its content centers on trip planning, gear tests, wilderness skills, and conservation and access issues. Its gear reviews and advertising depend on the outdoor industry, which is a commercial tie readers should weigh. Outside Inc. has also drawn public criticism from some freelance writers over pay and business practices. The magazine's perspective is that of the outdoor recreation community: it generally favors public land access and conservation, but it is not partisan and rarely runs political commentary.

Sources

Profile compiled 2026-10-10; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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