Honest Gear Websites?

ultralightoutdoorgear.com in the UK does by far the best (and unbiased) job of comparing ultralight backpacking gear from mainstream companies. They have an option you can click on entitled “Our Verdict” that seems to be pretty much spot on. What’s more, they include cutting edge UL European gear that you never see in the States, along with the top U.S. brands. They break down every single component to the gram, weighed on their own scales.

Of course ultralightoutdoorgear.com. doesn’t carry U.S. cottage gear like ZPacks, Mountain Laurel Designs, Gossamergear, Enlightened Equipment  or Katabatic, but they do have Six Moon Designs products. There is a site outdoorgearlab.com that does a good job of comparing UL cottage gear, however, I think BPL is by far the best place for those comparisons

I like Outdoor Gear Lab for this side of the pond.

Yea Bob, that’s the site I was trying to think of….duh!

I don’t think it’s a choice between helping you choose gear/understand compromises vs. untrustworthy, that’s pretty extreme. To use your example, I don’t necessarily expect a website to tell me that a down jacket isn’t good to wear in the rain. But if they claim it is “light” I do think they should divulge the weight, and if they say it’s warm they should divulge fill weight, fill power, and baffle construction (stitch-thru or not).

It’s hard to find truly unbiased reviews. Most sites rely on advertising, so in my mind that compromises objectivity, or at least reader beware.

Some of the best reviews are on blogs, but you have to find them. Again, there is the question of objectivity, as I wrote here.

BPL used to be the gold standard, especially some of the State of the Market reviews. We don’t see many of those any more. Will no longer writes for BPL. You can trust Caffin’s reviews. Some of the other reviewers I am not comfortable with, especially if they have a relationship with a manufacturer, such as being a gear ambassador or giving input on the design of a particular product.

The best approach is to read up on a product, especially the manufacture’s specifications and then determine its merits based on your own experience and knowledge. Over the years I have seen many new products talked about here on BPL and everyone gets excited while I am thinking to myself, that doesn’t look any good. Then people start buying it and it doesn’t meet their expectations.

I don’t buy much gear anymore, my kit works. But when I need something, I know what it is and what I want it to do, that makes things a lot easier. For example, I am happy with all my down clothing. When water proof/resistant down came out, I was skeptical. I don’t need waterproof down. Although I could afford the new down products, there was no reason to buy it. So I mostly ignore it. I ignore all reviews of waterproof breathable rain gear. I have learned by experience that none of it is waterproof nor breathable.

Over the past 3 years or so I have only bought 3 items of gear, two of which are shelters and I needed them to do very specific functions.

I needed a shelter to handle extreme wind for certain trips, and the Trailstar fit my needs based on my experience with mids. I read reviews by several bloggers in the UK who had extensive experience in crappy weather and gave it high marks. I was going to buy a Cuben version, but based on experiences of several people I trust, the silnylon better fit what I needed. It has met my expectations 100%. I would have bought it without the reviews based on the manufacturer’s specifications alone, the reviewers pointed out the limitations in Cuben I hadn’t thought a bought.

The second shelter was a Cuben Fiber Deschutes by Six Moon Designs. I needed a shelter that had more coverage than my Hexamid. I knew I wanted a mid and I knew I wanted Cuben. There were virtually no reviews of the Deschutes and it had been on the market for over a year. I own a couple pieces of SMD gear, so I know they make quality stuff. So without anyone to guide me, I bought it and it does every I want and expected it to do. I did a couple minor modifications to it before my first trip (heavier guy lines and LineLoc 3 tensioners) because I know they work better for me.

One other thing. For the most part, a gear review has little value unless the reviewer has used it extensively for at least a year in all kinds of conditions. A couple weekend trips is not extensive use.

The majority of buyers just don’t care about details like fill and fabric weight.  Sad, but unlikely to change.  Even more unfortunately, more and more manufacturers are moving away from presenting comprehensive data.  Montbell still does a good job of making those specs front and center.

Most “gear reviews” are more about cheerleading than anything else

advertising dollahs, free swag, or just self confirmtation that you have the “better gear”

very few reviews test the gear to the point of failure or seek to expose the weakness of the gear

basically its just another marketing channel

;)