Sidetracked Magazine Issue 20 Cover

[jameso]

.

[jameso]

There can't be many occasions when such an elaborate garment would be justified in bikepacking .



But I expect there's probably one...

Post of the week

[MuddyPete]

Thank you James, I'm flattered .

[Owen]

I'm a subscriber to Sidetracked, I really like it - it's varied and covers some ace stuff. I don't really feel like its a lifestyle magazine as the expeditions and stuff in it look hard. I've flicked through some outdoor mags, like Trail Runner (or Running, dunno which one) and that's a bit mad - you'd think from that you need head to toe Goretex and £150 trainers to go for a run in the hills - a £2 fell race from a pub would blow their mind.

But then again, I also like Off Road (the gravelly Cyclist magazine) so what do I know

However, my first reaction to the Sidetracked cover and story was "is that a joke", followed by "I'm not subscribing again". But once I'd thought about it for a bit, I came to "really, who cares". There's loads of stuff in the magazine I'm never going to do, like wing suit flying off an exotic mountain, but so what.
It's interesting to read about stuff that's not for me. I'm not going to buy any of the NF/Gucci stuff, so I don't feel like they're trying to sell it to me personally. And I'm unlikely to be investing in it once I have read it so I'll just move on with my life.

[jameso]

Thank you James, I'm flattered .

I'm sure Reg is too

[RIP]

Hmm.... yeee-e-e-s....

I dunno, I go to my parents just for the day and the whole Place gangs up on me.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Uhm. I mentioned this to Dee while having tea. She looked a little bemused and asked whether a collaboration between Gucci and TNF and the ensuing PR was doing anything to help ease the plight of starving children or whether it will ultimately exploit them further?

Tea time's always fun at our house.

[thenorthwind]

Thanks for the replies, especially the one's that made me laugh - MuddyPete, Colin, I'm looking at you.

I've always thought of Sidetracked as fairly, and I hesistate to use this word, but can't really think of a better one, authentic. Sure, there are articles about big sponsored expeditions (but big expeditions have always needed sponsorship/publicity) and some are clearly packaged and aimed more squarely at the Instagram audience - slack liners*/wingsuit divers, I'm looking at you. Maybe I'm naive. Maybe sometimes I just want to look at pretty pictures of people doing hard/dangerous/uncomfortable stuff I'll never do in places I'll never go. Don't see anything wrong in that. But there's plenty of more low-key stuff, and often a bit of bikepacking. Short article from the HT550 in the one I'm reading at the moment.

*Whilst watching some of the Kendal Mountain films at the same time as a fell-running friend, he messaged me just saying "god, slack liners are [fond of self-pleasure] aren't they"

[Bearbonesnorm]

*Whilst watching some of the Kendal Mountain films at the same time as a fell-running friend, he messaged me just saying "god, slack liners are [fond of self-pleasure] aren't they"

What's it to be #LineWanker or #SlackWanker?

[ledburner]

*Whilst watching some of the Kendal Mountain films at the same time as a fell-running friend, he messaged me just saying "god, slack liners are [fond of self-pleasure] aren't they"

What's it to be #LineWanker or #SlackWanker?

Like this... Over a 200ft gully, zoom in unless your hawkeye.

[thenorthwind]

*Whilst watching some of the Kendal Mountain films at the same time as a fell-running friend, he messaged me just saying "god, slack liners are [fond of self-pleasure] aren't they"

What's it to be #LineWanker or #SlackWanker?

[thenorthwind]

*Whilst watching some of the Kendal Mountain films at the same time as a fell-running friend, he messaged me just saying "god, slack liners are [fond of self-pleasure] aren't they"

What's it to be #LineWanker or #SlackWanker?

Like this... Over a 200ft gully, zoom in unless your hawkeye.

That's quite some wrist action!

[ledburner]

*Whilst watching some of the Kendal Mountain films at the same time as a fell-running friend, he messaged me just saying "god, slack liners are [fond of self-pleasure] aren't they"

What's it to be #LineWanker or #SlackWanker?

Like this... Over a 200ft gully, zoom in unless your hawkeye.

That's quite some wrist action!

I just had finished along climb, (1200 vert ft, guided.) to celebrate surviving to my fifth decade

The is the ' where are the holds' pitch. (section of the route). Angels crest Squamish 5.10.

Yes that is not heather but 80ft redwwods

[lune ranger]

I'll just drop these here.





Frankly, I can't understand how no one ever hunted me down to represent their brand on a glossy magazine cover

That or some part time work as Freddie Mercury’s stunt double

[Verena]

Perhaps he needs one of these?

IMG_20210124_192610 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

I didn't even know that the ponytail beanie was a thing, until I saw an advert for them, so as I was half way through a beanie hat to match my jumper, I thought maybe not such a stupid idea - I find that with a lot of hair, woolly hats struggle to stay put (I'm sure many of you can identify )

Although as I was putting the finishing touches to it last night, even I had to chuckle to myself and think of Toyah

IMG_20210124_191819 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

[RIP]

Doubles up as a nice pot cosy as well .

[psling]

Can you make MUCH smaller ones too? I can think of an alternative use in this freezing weather...

[Bearlegged]

?

[boxelder]

@northwind - I hesitate in posting this, as it could be misconstrued as a dig at you, which it isn't.
I wonder if your reaction is because you see Sidetracked as being a bit niche and discerning, in a leisure pursuit that is becoming ever closer to mainstream? Is it a bit like when something you don't agree with crops up in your social media feed and the instant reaction is "WTF, that doesn't belong here"? Or, when something crops up on here that gets huffed and puffed at, and ridiculed? I suspect most of us on here would, to a degree, wish that bike packing remained a fringe and rather strange past time. Also that advertising, branding and certainly Haut Couture was kept out. I'm not sure that North Face are much more than a fashion brand these days. My daughters don't lust after Buffalo Mountain shirts or Paramo pants.
I've not read the accompanying article, so what do I know, if it gets more people to read the article and discuss the issues, then job done. It's clearly got you thinking.
If a couple more front covers like that crop up, then maybe time to worry.

EDIT - so it seems to be available online, and if the article is the same as the printed version, there's no discussion of sustainability is there? Seemed to be about the importance of story telling, myth and history/folklore in climbing. Alongside lots of pics of the guys in NF/Gucci togs. Gucci’s creative director is a climber it seems and a mate of Chin?
If I was a subscriber, I'd be struggling to see the value to me of the article in terms of inspiration or education or whatever. It's filler text at best with pictures of branded clothing, some of which is clearly on the wrong side of Form:Function.

Contrast it with Matt Waudby and Clare Nattress' Norwegian feature or Tom Hill in Eastern Europe - there's fairly obvious product placement, but it doesn't get in the way of inspiring and interesting writing/pics.

[Verena]

Can you make MUCH smaller ones too? I can think of an alternative use in this freezing weather...

[Mythste]

Oh you bunch of crusty miserable old gets! (He said mostly with sarcasm)

It's delightful to see pictures of "questionable" fashion choices some of you made over the years, I seem to be getting bolder the older I get and I thoroughly enjoy fashion forward pieces like this that empower me to step just a little bit further away from my comfort zone.

Assuming the performance is adequate, I'm all for some colour and some pattern.

You can keep your socks and sandals, we don't want 'em!

[ericrobo]

Who the f is Toyah ?

(Please.... )

[Bearbonesnorm]

Who the f is Toyah ?

It's a mystery Eric.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I thoroughly enjoy fashion forward pieces like this that empower me to step just a little bit further away from my comfort zone.

Have you stolen that off the back of a label?

[psling]

Who the f is Toyah ?

It's a mystery Eric.