Good Reads: Wilderness
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I like magazines. I mean I really REALLY like them. They pile high in my study, they accompany me whenever I sit in a café on my own and reading them is an established part of my weekend routine. I also buy new magazines each time before I board a flight in order to kill time or as a souvenir during holidays. That is why I decided to add another hobby of mine to this blog next to photography and travel. In the future I will use the tag “good reads” to give reviews on books and magazines I find worth reading.
![wilderness magazine cover](https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1632/24288071770_5f1e352ecb_c.jpg)
I heard the name Jedidah Jenkins for the first time in an article about his journey from Oregon to Patagonia by bike. I was curious about what somebody has to say who cycled over 11.000 kilometers at a stretch. As it turned out, Jenkins had a lot to tell. He quotes Muir and Thoreau and in the same breath philosophizes about adventure and travel. I started following him on Instagram where he publishes lots of interesting content and found out that he is co-publishing a magazine with the melodious name “Wilderness“, a title that instantly arouses a deep longing for loosing yourself in that very wilderness. As soon as shipping to Europe was available I placed my order to get my hands on the magazine.
![wilderness magazine cover](https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1710/23955470584_82fca90663_c.jpg)
The description of Wilderness on the webpage reads as follows: “Imagine if McQueen, Kerouac, Muir & Whitman started a magazine. Let’s make Wilderness; a men’s mag about exploration, character & grit.” Even though that sounds more than promising to me, I know plenty of women who are too claiming their share of “men’s” wilderness.
![wilderness magazine badge](https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1642/24288112120_5ed4c7b57a_c.jpg)
Enclosed in the envelope came a patch with the words “The Wilderness Makes You Better”. Little details like that often make the difference for me whether I just like a product or company or if it manages to reach me emotionally.
![wilderness magazine pickaxe](https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1513/24557425436_7de97620db_c.jpg)
Design
The first thing that meets the eye is the fat black bar of the binding. At first glance the binding reminded me of something like a scientific paper but the beautiful typo on the spine managed to appease that impression, on second thought I think it is this very resemblance to a scientific journal that give the whole magazine that wholehearted appearance I value so highly. The uncoated paper feels good in my hands and underlines the natural look of the photography. The aesthetic of Wilderness reminds me of typical indie-coffee-table magazines.
On the inside Wilderness is well designed with carefully selected images, beautiful fonts and varied layouts. What I liked most were the big headlines and quotes. Small irregularities in the layouts will hopefully be ironed out until the next issue.
![wilderness magazine mountains](https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1625/24215845019_41bc87bb76_c.jpg)
Due to the binding some space on double-page spreads is getting lost but on most pages this is hardly an issue.
![adventure has been ruined](https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1538/24288093740_da748f3858_c.jpg)
Content
Travel reports, photography, interviews, literature and some history. If I had to describe Wilderness in one word it would probably be diverse. The magazine was written with the aspiration to inspire and encourage self-reflection. I’m not entirely sure if the archaic and close-to-nature tone of the magazine is for everyone but I certainly enjoyed the articles. Overall Wilderness has a thoughtful tone but mostly gets by without moralizing too much.
![wilderness magazine](https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1485/23955441644_b4a63607da_c.jpg)
Wrap-up
Wilderness is the kind of magazine where I would love to see my own photos if they were being published. I am curious to find out if it pays out to largely forego classic reports in favour of more timeless topics. I am also looking forward to the next issues because I will certainly order another one.