Gear review video guidelines

For me BPL has lost credibility as a source of reviews unless the review is by Ryan Jordan or some one similar. The rest of the recent “reviewers” are not worth wasting time on.

Many BPL user reviews are far more useful. Sectionhiker, Skurka, Alan Dixon and others post reviews that are far more credible.

In fact the same can be said for much of the “content” on BPL – very little useful stuff; the forums sometimes do have very useful discussions.

@Karen.. Agree 100% with everything you have said. I don’t mind a quick review of a new item you just purchased, just to see the looks and specs of it, but it can’t possibly be the “BEST” .. If you have never actually used it outside of a sunny day, cool evening, maybe a slight rain shower, in your backyard!

On that note, may I ask which 3 season tent you are interested in?

@ Pedestrian.. I have been a member on BPL for many many years now and I still log in multiple times a day. I have to disagree about your comment about much of the “content” being very little useful stuff. Yes, for a seasoned backpacker and a almost “senior” BPL member.. Perhaps that could be true. Hopefully at this point in the game, my (your), gear is really dialed in and you have a good understanding of gear that works and does not work for you, and also have a good understanding of trails, weather, duration of trips.. Yadda yadda yadda. But for a newcomer, maybe the content is useful? Perhaps it can clear the fog and get someone on their way to an enjoyable and safe and expensive (lol) new journey in life?

Good recommendations, Karen, except for the five-minute limit…should be three and a half.  :-)

The rest of the recent “reviewers” are not worth wasting time on.

So back it up @pedestrian. Which ones, who, and why?

For the record, I don’t agree that BPL reviewers are any worse than any others. My comments were just in general, about video reviews, and not specifically about BPL ones. I really appreciate the thorough review articles BPL does, although I’m not always interested in the specific gear mentioned; I just find the ones that apply to my situation. And I scan the forums when I need something, just to see what people are saying.

The review stars generally don’t mean that much but I like specific comments, for example if numerous people have the same critique of the fly zippers or leakage or condensation issues. And then it depends on whether I can live with it or not. I don’t really care much if tents have pockets. I just don’t have that much stuff to pile into one and i grew up using tents without them, so they’re just not that important to me (like cup holders in cars – what are they for?!). The keys and sunglasses go into the shoes! Maybe pockets are a deal breaker for others.

I do look a lot at reviews everywhere, before I lay down a pile of cash for something. Remember when you just had to buy whatever was sold locally or order through the mail? We survived somehow. My first tent (that I purchased and wasn’t my parents’ gear) was an REI Half dome, picked out of the mail order catalog; I knew nothing about it. Used it extensively for more than 10 years, until it finally got kind of nasty. Then gave it to a teenage boy who wanted and couldn’t afford one and was hiking the Chilkoot. I am sure he made it nastier. It saw a lot of national parks on my watch.

Anyway I do appreciate reviewers; just keep those videos short!

Oh, I just purchased a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 (way too many letters there) to replace my REI Quarter Dome 3 after the poles came apart. It was on sale, and there don’t seem to be many left floating around out there so I went for it. Fingers crossed, it lasts longer than the REI one did.

I’ve got the HV UL4 for car camping. It’s quite nice, I think it’ll last a long time. But I’ve only used it once so far, so no review… :-)

Copper Spur HVUL1 2019 version. Very much a fan. Prior to the doorstep awning 2020 version they’ve put out. Inside usable space is paramount, and this has it. Very simple to set up. I like pockets, helps me organize. One thing I hate about BA zippers is the fabric cover they put over it for weather protection. Always snags. Ended up cutting that out. Made a 10:1 100% silicone/mineral spirits mix. Soaked the zipper fabric inside and out. Is now fully waterproof. No zipper cover. No snags. No drips

Lots of sponsored reviews pretending to be real all over the hiking community. Some of the instant coffee being reviewed here and by other hiking notables all have similar glowing reviews and no mention of anything remotely critical.