How the 1970s Backpacking Boom Burst upon Us

Once in a while, it's too hard to refuse buying yet another t-shirt on Ebay. This handsome little number should be arriving any day. Thank you, Justin.The first issue of BACKPACKER appeared in the spring of 1973, and in it, founding editor William Kemsley explains, "It took us three years to put together the first issue of Backpacker. In that time we debated some serious questions among ourselves."A couple of years back, in 2007, Kemsley wrote an article for the AMC's magazine, Appalachia, titled "How The 1970s Backpacking Boom Burst Upon Us" about the beginning of BACKPACKER. The article has a recognizable feel...

One morning on the AT in 1963, I woke up in camp, yawned, stretched, and heard the patter of rain on my tent. I changed my hike plans, snuggled a little deeper into my sleeping bag, and decided to cook breakfast beneath the tent fly. The only others at this campsite that morning were some teenage boys standing around a campfire. I barely could see them through the trees.While eating my oatmeal, it began raining more earnestly, causing the other campers to scurry out of sight. At first I paid little attention. But while savoring my coffee and beginning to peel an orange, it dawned on me that those campers had taken down their tent and left camp with no intention of returning to put out their fire.

If anyone has the rest of the article (only a portion of it is online) let me know.

Dr. Bronner's

Yeah, it's good for shampooing your hair, washing your body, brushing your teeth and shaving your face while you're out on the trail (who shaves on the trail?), but if you've got nothing to do but waste time around the fire before you get tired, there's not much better reading material than Dr. Bronner's labels. Click the image to read it now, but I'd wait until you're out under the stars. Or you can leave the soap at home and read a far more interesting book. Guess that works too...

TumpLine

A tumpline is a strap attached at both ends to a backpack used to carry an object by placing the strap over the top of the head. The strap utilizes the spine rather than the shoulders as standard backpack straps do. In North America, you're most likely to see a tumpline being used on a Duluth Pack and/or to portage a canoe. (Canoe link opens as a PDF)I've actually never used one of these while backpacking. Have you?