The age restriction is most likely for legal reasons, idiot.

Im pretty sure I could hold my own with the vast majority of 21 year old contesters, and im only 17. You don't have to be 21 to be the toughest guy. These rules is bs.

Try this link:
http://www.backpacker.com/tough-guy-challenge-week-1/skills/15608

WOW

anyone having trouble accessing the first weeks program?

I followed the link in the email for the first weeks challenge and it brings me back here.

The way I read it the section "4. Winner Selection." provides the guide to how they will select the winner of the title of "AMERICA'S TOUGHEST BACKPACKER." This person will be featured in the magazine.

Where as the section saying "3. Contest Rules. Prize winners will be determined by a random drawing" provides that the "prizes" will be given away through a drawing which includes everyones name who entered.

Being the winner of a contest and the winner of a prize are two different things.

I agree with Matt's comment. Very funny. This all reminds me of that commercial with Gunny Lee Ermey where the guy on the psychiatrist couch says, "and that's why yellow makes me sad I think..." (You fill in the rest). http://www.rleeermey.com/

yes... I certify (with my right hand on the book of BACKPACKER) that the winner will be chosen based on his or her badassery. Not any random selection. ...now go outside.

OOPS - just noticed 2010 in Rule 3 - seems like the rules are mixed in with a previous contest's rules - sorry Shannon!

Winners ARE randomly chosen(read the entire rules - Shannon!):
3. Contest Rules. Prize winners will be determined by a random drawing from all eligible entries to be held at the Backpacker Magazine Headquarters in Boulder, Colorado on or about July 15, 2010. Winners will be notified by phone call, certified mail and /or e-mail on or about July 15, 2010. To claim the prize, winners should follow the instructions contained in his / her notification.

hey wimps, go back to CandyA**Land.

If you're complaining about the name, I'm pretty sure you're automatically disqualified from being considered the toughest anything...

To the women afflicted with PCS (Political Correctness Syndrome): given the fact that you can bear a child makes you the ultimate bad*ss. After seeing my wife carry my son and bring him into the world, I have a whole new respect for women and their strength.
THAT being said - this just wouldn't sound right if it was called "Tough Person" Challenge, so can we just leave it as "Tough Guy Challenge?"

GIRL POWER!! LMAO! STFU or GET OUT.

this is why no one likes women, you complain too much.

Uh. Wow. I'm heading back to the wilderness. Send me a smoke signal when you get done whining.

How about adding another criteria: "Mental toughness - Must be thick-skinned. Must have a survior instinct."

No, not literally "thick-skinned." It's a metaphor, kind of like 'tough guy.'

Winners are not random. See rule #4:

4. Winner Selection. All entries will be judged by Backpacker Magazine based on the following criteria: 1) Physical endurance; 2) Navigation skills; 3) Survival skills; and 4) Strength in a 5-minute video filmed in the backcountry. In the event of a tie, the person among the tied entrants with the highest score in physical endurance will be the winner.

Uhhmmm, get over it you bunch of whiners, if you don't like it don't do it. Quit sucking up Dan and Kathy you must have a complex about being considered just a "plaything". Nobody can make you feel that way except yourself. Instead of bitching at Outside mag why don't you spend your time finding the women who are taking the paychecks for their work?

It's just a name for a contest, just quit whining. If your tough enough to do it just go for it. Who cares about the name? Would it sound cooler if it was called the " Tough Person contest"? Geez, just get over yourselves.

Ooh, some "toughguy" contest-did anyone bother to read the rules? The winners are totally random! "3. Contest Rules. Prize winners will be determined by a random drawing from all eligible entries to be held at the Backpacker Magazine Headquarters in Boulder, Colorado on or about July 15, 2010." And why make "strength" one of the criteria? It's not usually the "strongest" who survive, but the one who keeps his/her head in a crisis. B-o-o-o-o-gus!

Ooh, some "toughguy" contest-did anyone bother to read the rules? The winners are totally random! "3. Contest Rules. Prize winners will be determined by a random drawing from all eligible entries to be held at the Backpacker Magazine Headquarters in Boulder, Colorado on or about July 15, 2010." And why make "strength" one of the criteria? It's not usually the "strongest" who survive, but the one who keeps his/her head in a crisis. B-o-o-o-o-gus!

Please stop being so over-sensitive! "Tough-Guy" simply has a better marketing sound than "Tough-Gender-Neutral"!
Now let's all put on our big-BOY pants and play nicely with one another.
Namaste

I agree whole-heartedly with Kathy. Up until this point Backpacker has been basically gender nuetral- unlike most other "outdoorsy" magazines. Outside has become GQ or Maxxim, for the outdoors.
I have met MANY female athletes- and I'm not talking about professionals, I mean the every day girls that are all over this country- that could easily whip most men. Backpacker should know better than this- just look at the list of Backpacker's staff and/or testers. Hello?!? Kristen Hostetter ring a bell? Or Kelly Bastone?? Nancy Bouchard? Katie Herrell? Tracy Ross? Kim Phillips? I could go on... But the point is that Backpacker should know better than to go down the "men only" road. DON'T DO IT BACKPACKER, DON'T DO IT.

Please, PLEASE don't go down the stupid road that Outside magazine did when it turned into a low-quality gritty boys' magazine! There are plenty of us women who are backpackers and who subscribe to Backpacker, and the title of this thing just turns me off! Don't we women count to Backpacker? I've subscribed to Backpacker almost since its inception in the '70s. It is the only hiking magazine left that I can stand to read. Outside, as I mentioned, turned itself into a "men's only"
magazine - a total turn-off! And its quality went way low, too. Please Backpacker: don't take away the ONLY remaining hiking magazine that still includes women as something more than playthings for men (as Outside has done; the only time Outside features women is when the women are either nude, or nearly nude!)!!

Not thrilled with the name of the challenge. Then the side not of (or gal). Perhaps tough Hiker, Backpacker, Survival, Outdoor Enthusiasts would be best.

This sounds like an adventure with the added benefit of maintaining a high fitness level and shapening skills for all those future outdoor activities.

This sounds like an adventure with the added benefit of maintaining a high fitness and shapening skills level for all those future outdoor activities.

Bring it on!

I am looking forward to the challenge. Gear up and let's get to exploring!