What happened to Outside magazine?
Once a scrappy, mud-splattered bible for dirtbags and alpine dreamers, Outside magazine decided to go full “Hold my adaptogen latte” and embarked on a corporate vision quest. In 2021, the publication was swallowed whole by Pocket Outdoor Media (later rebranded as Outside Inc.), a conglomerate that’s less “weekend warrior” and more “weekend merger.” The result? Imagine a grizzly bear putting on a tie to host a TED Talk about trail-running socks. That’s the vibe.
The Great Talent Exodus (and Other Mildly Alarming Plot Twists)
Soon after the acquisition, the magazine shed staff like a husky in summer. Beloved editors and writers scattered to the wind, prompting readers to wonder: “Did Outside trip into a crevasse?” The remaining team leaned hard into SEO-friendly listicles (“14 Best Hydroflasks for Surviving Capitalism”), while investigative journalism took a backseat to “10 Ways to Yoga Your Way to a Better Credit Score.” Priorities!
- Print issues? Thinner than a ultralight backpacker’s patience for RV tourists.
- Digital strategy? A paywall taller than El Capitan, plus a membership model that promised “exclusive content” and “community.” (Spoiler: The “community” was just ads for $120 leggings.)
But Wait—There’s a Membership Badge!
In a move that shocked absolutely no one, Outside Inc. rolled out a “Outside+” subscription, bundling the magazine with streaming workouts, event discounts, and a vague aura of exclusivity. Think of it as a National Park Pass… if the parks were replaced by Peloton instructors yelling about mindfulness. Loyal readers now face a moral dilemma: Support the outdoor-industrial complex or print out Wikipedia articles and duct-tape them into a zine. Choose wisely.
Today, Outside magazine exists in a quantum state—both “alive” and “not the same”—like a campfire story where the ghost is capitalism. You’ll find it peddling “wellness adventures” and gear guides, but its soul? Last seen hitchhiking toward a quieter trailhead, muttering about the good ol’ days of paper maps and unchecked recklessness.
What is the best outdoor magazine?
The One That Doubles as a Bear Deterrent
Let’s be real: the “best” outdoor magazine is whichever one you can swing like a flail when a raccoon mistakes your trail mix stash for a Michelin-starred snack. But if we’re ranking them by *survival utility*, look for titles with:
- Pages thick enough to double as kindling (or makeshift snowshoes)
- Gear reviews written by people who’ve definitely argued with a marmot
- At least one photo of a summit sunrise that makes you question your life choices
Outside Magazine is a classic, but only because they’ve mastered the art of making you feel guilty for not owning $500 hiking pants.
The One That Doesn’t Judge Your Campfire Cooking
Some magazines will shame you for eating cold beans straight from the can. The best ones? They’ll include a “Gourmet Wilderness Recipes” section that’s 90% “how to char marshmallows without setting your eyebrows on fire.” Backpacker Magazine gets points for their “Leave No Trace” ethos, but deducts a few when they casually suggest carrying a portable espresso maker. Pro tip: If the magazine doesn’t have a Venn diagram comparing tent weight to regret weight, it’s not speaking your language.
The One That Secretly Wants You to Get Lost
The crown jewel of outdoor mags is whichever publication includes a fold-out map that’s slightly inaccurate—just to keep things spicy. Look for gems like:
- “10 Hidden Waterfalls (That We Definitely Didn’t Make Up)”
- A quiz titled “Are You a Mosquito Magnet or Just Unlucky?”
- Ads for dehydrated meals that taste like “nostalgia” (read: salt)
Field & Stream once suggested using a magazine as a doorstop for your tent. Bold move. But if you’re not using your copy to fan campfire smoke into your buddy’s face, are you even outdoorsing?
The One That Answers Questions You Didn’t Know You Had
The best outdoor magazine is the one that devotes 12 pages to debating the merits of wool socks vs. synthetic, then casually drops a story about a guy who hiked the Appalachian Trail with a pet chicken. National Geographic Adventure is a contender, but only if you ignore their “How to Photograph Mountain Goats Without Crying” tutorial. Remember: If it doesn’t make you mutter, “Wait, is this satire or a cry for help?” keep looking.
What are the big three outdoor magazines?
The Holy Trinity of Trail Mix Enthusiasts and Tree Huggers
When Mother Nature drafts her newsletter, these three magazines are her ghostwriters. Outside, Backpacker, and Field & Stream form the Big Three—a trio so iconic they’ve probably been used as kindling in more campfires than you’ve had hot s’mores. They’re the Gandalf, Dumbledore, and Yoda of outdoor media: wise, occasionally cryptic, and prone to dramatic warnings about weather.
1. Outside Magazine: Where Adventure Meets Existential Crisis
Outside is the quirky overachiever of the group, blending hardcore expedition stories with articles like *“Why Your Hiking Boots Are Judging You.”* Founded in 1977, it’s the magazine equivalent of that friend who’s equally likely to summit Everest or write a haiku about moss. Notable features:
- Gear reviews that make you question your life choices (“Do I *really* need a $400 compass?”)
- Profiles of people who’ve survived bear encounters … and then adopted the bear.
2. Backpacker: For Those Who Think Maps Are Decorations
Backpacker is the Swiss Army knife of outdoor pubs—practical, slightly obsessive, and obsessed with trail trivia. It’s where you learn to pack a 40-pound tent into a walnut shell and which berries will kill you (spoiler: most of them). Highlights include:
- Step-by-step guides to surviving a squirrel uprising.
- Top 10 lists of “Best Views You’ll Forget to Photograph Because You’re Out of Batteries.”
3. Field & Stream: Where Flannel Meets Philosophy
Field & Stream is the wise old uncle who smells like pine sap and knows 17 uses for a fishing hook (including marriage counseling). Since 1895, it’s championed hunting, fishing, and the art of convincingly blaming your equipment. Classic content:
- Articles like “How to Convince a Moose You’re Its Uber Driver.”
- Recipes for gourmet campfire cuisine (read: hot dogs with optional pinecone garnish).
Together, these three titans form the Outdoor Media Voltron, dispensing wisdom, questionable advice, and the occasional reminder that you’re probably just one mosquito bite away from a Shakespearean tragedy.
Who is the parent company of outside magazine?
If you’ve ever wondered who’s pulling the strings behind Outside Magazine’s tales of epic hikes, gear reviews, and existential crises about whether granola is a personality trait, let’s lift the corporate curtain. The proud parent company is Outside Interactive, Inc.—a name so outdoorsy it sounds like it was focus-grouped by a mountain goat. Founded in 2021 (yes, during the pandemic, because even chaos couldn’t stop their quest to monopolize your adventure dreams), this media behemoth is like the REI of storytelling, but with fewer coupon emails.
The Corporate Trail Mix: What Else Do They Own?
Underneath Outside Interactive’s flannel-clad umbrella, you’ll find a chaotic yet oddly inspiring roster of brands, including:
- Gaia GPS (for when you absolutely need to get lost in style).
- AthleteReg (because even ultramarathoners need someone to handle their admin).
- Peloton Magazine (no, not that Peloton—this one involves actual bikes that move forward).
Think of them as a corporate Yeti—big, mysterious, and always lurking in the background of your outdoor obsessions.
Wait, Did They Just… Merge With Everything?
In 2021, Outside Interactive swallowed Outside Magazine like a hungry bear at a campsite buffet, merging it with Pocket Outdoor Media. The result? A multiplatform gorilla that’s part media, part event organizer, and part digital guidebook. Their mission? To be the Swiss Army knife of outdoor content—even if that means occasionally dropping a metaphorical compass into a metaphorical crevasse.
So next time you’re reading about “The 10 Best Waterproof Socks for Surviving Your Emotional Baggage,” know that Outside Interactive, Inc. is the wizard behind the Gore-Tex curtain. They’re not just a parent company—they’re the aggressively enthusiastic camp counselor you never asked for but secretly appreciate. Now go slather on some SPF.
