Backpacker Contributor's Guidelines

Our readers are knowledgeable and experienced backpackers, therefore we accept only authentic, well-researched, well-crafted stories (see the section on "Accuracy," below). We're not interested in slavish imitations of stories we've already done. As always, you should carefully study several issues of the magazine before submitting a query. The best articles have style, depth, emotional impact, and take-away value for the reader.

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• Foot-based travel: BACKPACKER primarily covers hiking. When warranted, we cover canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and other human-powered modes of travel.
• Wilderness or backcountry: The true backpacking experience means getting away from the trailhead and into the wilds. Whether a dayhike or a weeklong trip, out-of-the-way, unusual destinations are what we're looking for.
• North American destinations: We only occasionally cover foreign locales. Our defined market is North American destinations.
• Advice for improving the backcountry experience: Our readers want to know how to, when to, where to, and with what. Every BACKPACKER article incorporates one or more of these things. We write not merely to inspire our readers to do something, but to help them identify and research new places to go, techniques and skills to use, or the gear to take.
  
• While a portion of BACKPACKER is written by staff and regular contributors, we encourage freelance authors to submit query emails for features and departments. Approximately 50 percent of our features and more than half of our departments are written by freelancers. Please note that it's rare for a writer new to BACKPACKER to break into the magazine with a feature assignment. Direct your efforts toward establishing a working relationship with us via department assignments first.

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Destinations: BACKPACKER uses pieces that go beyond a mere description of a trail or place. Our destination stories are almost always first person and based upon the author's recent trip experience. Readers should come away with a strong sense of that particular outdoor experience, a firm grasp of the location's character, and the inspiration to duplicate the trip. Journal-style articles are generally unacceptable. Word counts vary widely from 1,500 to 5,000 or more words but most contain a full Expedition Planner sidebar (contact, permit, season, hazards, map, guidebook, and other useful information; look at past BACKPACKER issues for examples and style).

Personality: Backpacking doesn't have star athletes like you find in bicycling or some other outdoor sports, but plenty of unique personalities exist to write about. Colorful, controversial, historically significant, amusing, unusual, or unique people are what we're looking for, especially those who have a direct impact on how or where others hike. In 2007 BACKPACKER inaugurated a new 2-page profile that we call "The BACKPACKER Interview," which will run in most issues. Contact Associate editor Shannon Davis (see contact info below) to submit potential profiles for this new interview feature.

Technique: Skill-based articles in BACKPACKER feature high levels of take-away value. A good technique piece also has information relevant to all skill levels (e.g., beginner, intermediate, and advanced hikers). Often our technique pieces take non-narrative forms.

Gear: Our Field Tests and comparative gear reviews are always written by writers we've worked with before. If you're interested in writing such articles, start by querying our equipment editor about the Gear department (see "Departments," below).

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Trail Log: This is our monthly collection of reader letters, stories, polls, a photo contest, and a timely news item or interview, which is the only assigned piece for the section.

Adventures: A backpacker's definitive source for finding new, fun, and worthwhile backcountry hikes. The Adventures section is divided into several departments. Successful pitches are geared toward a specific department and are chocked full of facts, description and enthusiasm. Our goal is to inspire people to get outside, and this section provides them with the tools to do so.

Nature: Informative articles that explore the science and wildlife of the natural world from the unique perspective of hikers and outdoors people. The Nature section helps readers understand and appreciate what they see on the trail by covering the environment, politics, national parks, and how-to advice like observing animals in the wild, and avoiding natural hazards.

Skills: The advice source for all essential hiking and adventure skills, with information targeted to help both beginners and experts. The section is divided into the following categories:

Technique-what you need to day-hike, backpack, or do just about anything in the outdoors, all digested into easily understood articles geared to every ability level.
Food-explores all aspects of trail nutrition, cooking methods, and food preparation. Tested recipes and creative and tasty food suggestions are a must.
Health-examines the physical and psychological aspects of fitness, first aid, and nutrition as it relates to backpacking. This section covers topics from poison ivy to snakebites to altitude sickness.

Most BACKPACKER departments take a single topic within the scope of that section and cover it thoroughly. Again, the more take-away value for the reader, the more appropriate it is for BACKPACKER.

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• Confirmation of all facts and figures used within an article from a primary source.
• For medical, nutrition, and technical advice, direct quotes from accepted professionals or experts.
• Full contact information for every source used in creating an article.
• An extra copy for our files of any map, catalog, brochure, or other primary source you may have acquired from a land agency or manufacturer.

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Allow 2 to 4 weeks for replies. All queries should be emailed to the appropriate editor (see below), or mailed to the following address: BACKPACKER, 2520 55th Street, Suite 210, Boulder, CO 80301.

Features: Dennis Lewon, Deputy Editor, dlewon@backpacker.com; Evelyn Spence, Articles Editor, espence@backpacker.com; Tracy Ross, Senior Editor, tross@backpacker.com;
Trail Log & Adventures: Shannon Davis, Associate Editor, sdavis-at-backpacker.com
Nature & Skills: Jason Stevenson, Associate Editor, jstevenson-at-backpacker.com
Gear: Kristin Hostetter, Gear Editor, khostetter-at-aol.com

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• The activity shown does not violate local agency guidelines or Leave No Trace principles (e.g., unless specifically allowed in that location, no tents within 200 feet of water).
• No visible roads and no frontcountry shots, unless specifically required by the article. BACKPACKER is about the backcountry experience and hiking in wildlands; photos taken at scenic outlooks on a road are not what the backpacking experience is about.
• Clothing and gear and equipment shown in photos should be appropriate to the activities specifically requested. backpacking, not car camping. We will not run a photos of hikers wearing jeans, and sneakers, nor clothing that is out of date (more than 5 years old). Gear in the photos should also be current and fit properly.

Assignments: BACKPACKER hires photographers on a contract basis and sends them out on assignment. These assignments are grueling, as they often involve lots of mileage over rough terrain. Not only that, but you have to get your pictures while moving through the terrain, carrying your own photo and backpacking gear. Because we're a small publication, our budgets and time restraints are quite restrictive in this area, thus we tend to work only with photographers that we know to be capable of always bringing back results, no matter what the conditions. Interested photographers should email the photo department and be prepared to present a portfolio of photographs taken in the backcountry.

Contact: Photo editor Julia Vandenoever (jvandenoever@backpacker.com) or associate photo editor Genny Fullerton (gfullerton@backpacker.com)

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