Samuel Martin

Samuel Martin is a commercial & editorial photographer based out of western North Carolina with a focus on human-powered movement and outdoor lifestyle.

He has been writing about and testing backpacking and bikepacking equipment for a decade with long distance ultra endurance events as his focus. 

Samuel also works closely with outdoor industry brands to bring to life their active lifestyles and performance goals through commercial photography and editorial storytelling.

Title: Contributor
Email: samuel@spmartin.com
Location: Charlotte, NC
Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelmrtn/ https://www.instagram.com/spmartin_/ www.spmartin.com

Expertise

• Topics of Expertise: Backpacking, Hiking, Kayaking, Cycling, Outdoor gear
• Years in This Expertise: 12+
• Number of Products & Number of Hours Expert Has Tested: 20+ products, 500+ hours

Education & Certifications

• Education: Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Thomas Edison State University
• Years of Writing: 12

Experience

Photography has been a focal point of Samuel’s life and career for the past decade and a half. After college, Samuel spent the summer hiking the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. He was inspired by the people and landscape to pursue a Thru Hike of the Pacific Crest Trail two years later, completing the 2,652 mile trail in 99 days. 

In the following years, Samuel’s interest in experiencing the natural world under human-powered movement led him to backpack across the US along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride as well as paddle packrafts 100 miles between two of the nation’s least visited national parks. Gates of the Arctic NP and Kobuk Valley NP. He has rafted or paddled many of the West’s most iconic rivers and has backpacked through our nation’s best mountain ranges. 

Through these experiences Samuel has tested prototype gear and reviewed performance equipment to help better understand the outdoor equipment market and its players.

Career Highlights

• Thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail 
• Bikepacked the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
• Bikepacked across the Iceland Divide
• Featured on the rear cover of National Geographic
• Packrafted 100 miles between Gates of the Arctic Nat’l Park and Kobuk Valley Nat’l Park.

A Word From Samuel Martin

As someone interested in backpacking from a young age, I was drawn into the world of photography as a way to document the people and places I met and experienced while on trails across the South Eastern USA.

After college, my world opened up, and I pursued my dreams of hiking the John Muir Trail and subsequently the Pacific Crest Trail. With a great appreciation for experiencing the wild under human-powered movement, I became interested in the world of bikepacking and, shortly after, rode my bike from Canada to Mexico along the GDMBR. 

In the years that followed, my commercial photography career grew, and new opportunities to explore iconic rivers across the West and within the Arctic Circle opened my eyes to the beauty of whitewater kayaking and multi-day raft trips. 

These days I continue to dedicate time to my first love of backpacking while also staying open and available to new methods of exploring wild places under human powered movement.