Backpacker Raises $10,000 For American Hiking Society

EMMAUS, PA, August 17, 2006 – Backpacker magazine will donate $10,000 to the American Hiking Society (AHS) following its special August 10 fundraising concert featuring popular blues/funk artist G. Love & Special Sauce during the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, UT.

More than 1,000 Outdoor Retailer attendees packed the Salt Lake City club Elevate for the high-energy, three- hour jam session, which was sponsored by Coleman, Thorlos, Hi-Tec, Backpacker and the AHS.

Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, the American Hiking Society is the only national non-profit organization dedicated to establishing, protecting and maintaining the nation’s footpaths and promoting the hiking experience. With a strong membership base of individual hikers and hiking clubs, American Hiking represents more than half a million outdoor enthusiasts and serves as the national voice of the American hiker.

“G. Love’s show was truly one of the most talked-about events at Outdoor Retailer, and we’re thrilled to have spearheaded this initiative on behalf of our entire outdoor community,” said Backpacker VP/Publishing Director Chris Lambiase.

“Most importantly, Backpacker and our fellow sponsors are proud to be able to make this donation to the American Hiking Society for all they do towards our shared vision to increase activity in America’s great outdoors, and to foster a commitment to preserve our country’s wild scenic places.”

About Backpacker:
Backpacker brings the outdoors straight to the reader’s doorstep, inspiring and enabling them to go more places and enjoy nature more often. The authority on active adventure, Backpacker is the world’s first GPS-enabled magazine and is the only one whose editors personally test the hiking trails, camping gear, and survival tips they publish. Backpacker’s six regional editions offer accessible, close-to-home getaways with detailed, tear-out maps to dozens of nearby hikes, as well as practical tips on dayhikes, camping and the best gear information available. This combination provides outdoors enthusiasts with the tools they need to make wilderness travel and backcountry experiences an everyday reality. Backpacker’s Editors’ Choice Awards, an industry honor recognizing design, feature and product innovation has become the gold standard against which all other outdoor-industry awards are measured. Published by Rodale Inc., Backpacker has a circulation rate base of 325,000 and is published 9 times a year. Backpacker’s companion web site, www.backpacker.com, is updated daily and features more than 30,000 hikes, a searchable and comprehensive database of outdoor gear with reviews (www.gearfinder.com), a special section for female hikers, and an all-new map and GPS center.