Why subscribe?

This is a great experiment.

I started my website Modern Hiker back in 2006. This was before wide public access to Facebook. Before Instagram and Twitter existed. Before people chased Google search ranking black magic and before any of those big social media and tech companies started messing around with the way people could see the things they had signed up to see.

This is an attempt to re-engage directly with the many readers who have enjoyed Modern Hiker over the years. It provides you with an easy digest of new stuff from the site as well as a roundup of outdoor news and commentary from all over the web — stuff you won’t see on the website itself. You’ll get it right in your inbox, which means you won’t have to rely on mysterious algorithms to determine whether or not you get it. And me? I won’t have to spend way too much time trying to figure out what inflammatory keywords to use to make sure you get to see it, only to create more value for Silicon Valley millionaires.

Email is the new blog.

I’m switching to Substack because I like its simplicity and I like the way it encourages conversation with other writers and readers. I don’t know about you, but I really miss that aspect of blogging.

Also, Mailchimp was going to start charging me $100 a month, so forget that.

I am setting some goals for myself with this project, but I know that it will grow and change as it goes. I really hope you enjoy it, I hope to hear from you, and I hope you’ll be patient with me as we go. I’ve never used Substack before so this is all new to me!

What’s in a paid subscription?

• Email Newsletters once a week (Free subscribers get full newsletters every other week and previews of all newsletters)

• Full access to the entire archive of posts (Free subscribers only see the last two weeks)

• Bonus posts and thought-provoking stories that don’t quite fit the regular newsletter

• Ability to start threads in our Substack Chat

• Occasional discounts on books, shirts, and other surprises

A monthly subscription is less than two bucks a week—and an annual subscription is even cheaper. That’s less than a cup of crummy gas station coffee.

If just 5% of my subscribers pledge their support with a paid subscription, I could really devote a lot of time to this project and provide even more cool stuff and access. An unlike that gas station coffee, I won’t wreck your stomach while you’re on the freeway. I promise.

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To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.