Reviews For Outside Magazine


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I got this on a free promotion because i bought some sports item here and i thought cool. Turned out it's one, if not the worst magazine i've ever read. I get the feeling it's not much more than a picture layout for people with plenty of cash to entice them into buying more things. I really wanted to rate it one star but somehow those one star reviews somehow lose credibility- i mean how bad can it be? so ok, I'll give it one and a half. Complete garbage, and that's another thing i feel bad about.

outside Magazine verses Backpacker

Outside magazine sucks there's no product reviews in it or very little.When I took the Backpacker magazine there where lots
of outproduct reviews Im going to buy backpacker magazine
again for this reason.

Is this Men's Journal...

... or any other corporatized magazine. I've read Outside for several years now, and it's become just another glorified catalog to sell stuff with shallow writing: e.g. best Tequilas in Mexico, etc, etc. I used to enjoy this magazine when it contained incisive writing from John Krakauer and others, and it was about the outdoors. Now it's basically corporate drivel. If I covered the title it could be Men's Journal or any such mag. I imagine that these editors must go from place to place taking their homogeneity and dull corporate editorial skills with them. This will be the last year that I read it.

No Longer the Outside I Loved

I subscribed to Outside when it first appeared many years ago. The writing was superb. The magazine truly covered the outside. Jon Krakauer's writing was top-notch and I really enjoyed David Quammen's informative "Natural Acts" articles. Then there was the monthly guide to what was happening in the night sky (meteor showers, lunar eclipses, etc.). It was an intelligent publication. Now? It's nothing but a place for gritty macho boys to show off, and for manufacturers of macho fossil-fuel-hogging motorized toys. The only time women are featured in this magazine now is when they're half- or less- dressed. It's sexist, it's superficial, and it's crap. I don't know why they changed the format, but it was definitely for the worst. I dropped my subscription back in the '90s and haven't been back since and have no desire to ever again subscribe to this cheapened version of what was once a great magazine. If I could give it no stars, I would!

Outside - rename it Couch Potato

This was for many years the best outdoor and travel magazine available. Sadly it has lost it's direction, the content is now very variable and in my opinion frequently has hidden left wing political messages. I think that the Editorial Board should take responsibility for the demise of a great magazine and resign. Finally given the change in content Outside needs to be renamed "Couch Potato"

Seriously... change the name to 'GQ Rugged Version'

I subscribe to many outdoor themed magazines and have to say that I have never seen a magazine take such a dive in quality as quickly and drastically as this. Gone are the great tales of survival and adventure (except in one issue per year). Instead the magazine is filled with dozens of glossy photos of males modeling overpriced clothing. Add to this the sheer volume of advertisements and you have very little left for stories or expeditions. Most of the travel notes are for places that cost terribly much money and would be better represented in Conde Naste or National Geographic Traveler.

For true outdoor enthusiasts I recommend Runners World (it is geared towards running but does feature some great product reviews), Trail Running, and National Geographic Adventure. Outside magazine is obviously a marketing outlet and I am sure they make big income from the obviously biased product reviews and destination write ups. I understand this is how the world works... but I will find other sources for my outdoor fix... such as actually going outdoors. This is not the magazine for true outdoor enthusiasts, but for those who want to dream about buying the gear and never actually using it.

Too many Male-Oriented Photos are disappointing

Loved the magazine, but after two years of it, the onslaught of mostly bare-chested men both in the mag and on the cover was too much. Where are the women? If it is targeting the gay audience, please say so. Each month, I'd count the number of men vs. women photos and there are very few women. Just unshaven boys. Not my cup of tea, so my subscription hasn't been renewed.

Too many ads!

This used to be my favorite magazine, but now it's just ad after ad after ad. I go outside to get away from it all, and I like to read about climbing, biking, hiking, etc., when I have to be inside. All the ads drain the joy from me.

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