On the joy of discovering that a new issue of your favorite eMagazine is available

By Sarah Hebert

IT’S HERE!!! Remember the joy of receiving a new magazine in the mail when you were a kid? That’s how I feel when I see a new issue of Backpacker in the Flipster app. I immediately click download on my iPad and then wait impatiently as it climbs from 1% to 55% to 100% (which doesn’t take long at all . . . but in the anticipation of reading the article “Our Favorite Forests” on p.78 it seems like forever).

I enjoy using the app to flip through Backpacker’s pages and look for new places to visit. This month I was most taken by the photo of the Wekiva River on pp. 14-15. I especially enjoyed the careful wording in this sentence, “Black bears, otters, alligators, and sandhill cranes frequent the river and its surrounding wetlands, while striped bass and loggerhead turtles glide beneath your SUP or kayak (p. 15).” But do the alligators glide beneath the SUPs? That might be too close for comfort.  

I like that there are often articles in Backpacker about nearby trails and mountains. Last year I was surprised to find that a feature article had been written about a hiker from my hometown—JR Stockwell. And even if you’re not a hiker, there are still helpful articles on camping, paddling, exercise, and gear. Everyone in New Hampshire can benefit from the information in “Beat the Bite” on p.52. (I had no idea that you could buy bug repellent that was 100% DEET.) 

The best part? You can download articles from Backpacker and other eMagazines FOR FREE through the Library’s subscription. I have the Flipster app on my iPad and phone so that I can read articles whenever I have a bit of free time. My favorite eMagazines are Real Simple, National Geographic, The Week, and, of course, Backpacker.