Throwback Thursday: The Gear Guide Transformation

by Shey Kiester September 11, 2014 Leave a Comment

Oh how the times have changed. Flipping through archived issues of Backcountry, I stumbled across an atrocious sight in the 2000 Gear Guide: tedious blocks of text and specs listed like the classifieds section of a newspaper. What might have been innovative then now harks back to a simpler time, when Tuas were cutting edge and tele skiers were content to smoke their patchouli (or whatever).

Issue 24, 2000

Issue 24, 2000

Luckily, the magazine and its design have changed a lot in the last 14 years. This year’s Gear Guide is straightforward, and it’s a far cry away from the overwhelming information blast in Issue 24. We’ve learned a thing or two since 2000; a little bit of design goes a long way. (Or, in the case of the tele skiers, a little bit of patchouli will still make you smell like a dirty hippie).

gearguide

Issue 98, September 2014

We’re working toward publishing our 100th issue and celebrating 20 years of Backcountry Magazine. Can you believe it? Well, since we all can’t put our beers together with celebratory cheer, we’ve unearthed early editions of the mag, dug through them and pulled stories, photos, quotes, gear relics and more for your enjoyment. —The Editors

Filed Under: Stories Tagged With: Throwback Thursday

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