What influencers do you trust?

Anyone who doesn’t post a review of a piece of gear they say sucks every now and then, I don’t trust.  I don’t agree with everything Skurka says (I’m a windshirt guy not a fleece guy) but I do think he really uses the gear he reviews and is pretty honest and fair in his reviews.

I think Philip Werner of SectionHiker.com has historically been an honest and realistic reviewer of gear.  There have been some changes lately, like more “guest” reviews and equipment provided for review, but I’m not sure that has had any negative effect.  Philip still gives negative reviews or ones that point out weaknesses…a good example is his recent review of the WPB gloves from OR.

As @mocs123 pointed out, if a reviewer never, or rarely offers anything but positive reviews I ignore them and assume they are a shill.  Harsh?  Perhaps.

To echo Brad’s sentiments, anyone who uses the word “because” to give a reason why he or she reached a conclusion. Then I listen to see if it makes sense. Then I ask, “Is this someone actually using the item or just offering an opinion because it got sent to him? Then I do some due diligence to see if others are reporting the same thing. Trust but verify.
As it is, I don’t think I need a lot of influencing at this point. Education, always. Mostly I look for inspiration to try something new or something I already own in a new way.

Concerning negative reviews, is this because they asked for free gear and were denied or because the gear is actually bad?  This is always a tough one for me.

I’ll always test stuff out on day hikes or car camping trips first. Some of my gear hasn’t changed in over a decade because it just works like my sleep system. But I’m always open to hear about new things and new approaches.

Some of the big YouTubers get a lot of gear, and if they are wearing a logo hoodie or hat and are saying someone’s packs are great you gotta wonder.  I watch the videos from Darwin, Shug, Dan Becker and lately Russ from Path Less Pedaled.  That guy Ryan is OK, but he over-geeks on gear tech sometimes :)   Bo Ismono videos are great for travel gear.  These guys are usually pretty clear if the gear they mention is given, loaned or bought on their own.  In the end I watch them because they are putting out good content.  If that makes them a celebrity in the online backpacker world, I don’t hold that against them.  If there is one think I blame them for it is buying too much gear – but that’s my problem, not theirs.  You won’t know gear is good for you without trying it!

If someone is directly paid by the company (e.g. ambassadors) then I put pretty much zero stock in what they said about the product. Companies routinely give out the first round of a new product to their ambassadors so all the initial reviews are positive and under their control. I dismiss these reviews because it’s not that hard to slant any review to sound pretty good if you’re incentivized to do so. Even a bad product has some upsides. As an example, here on BPL we picked apart the HMG Dirigo pretty good for seemingly obvious flaws like walls that drain onto the floor, doorways that let rain fall in, and a lack of headroom for two. Those have all turned out to be pretty obvious and fair critiques, yet weren’t present in seemingly any of the ambassador reviewers that got pushed out in conjunction with the launch. The only exception here is an “influencer” that has a strong reputation for only working with really good companies, but that’s pretty rare.

If someone is not sponsored but are making affiliate money (commission) if I purchase the gear, then they need to be able to explain very well why it is good. They can’t just say it’s awesome or add it to a holiday gift guide list or flash review.  The burden of proof is on them and if they blow it once then they’ve lost all trust.

If someone is not using benefitting if I purchase, then I’ll value their opinion a little bit without evidence, but still not much because I always want to know why something is good before I’m going to buy. Far too many reviews are written by people that haven’t put in enough effort to be writing a review. So at most a claim of something being awesome gets me researching further and hoping for that really knowledgable review.

I pretty much ignore reviews unless I read  a lot of reports about failures on a given item. Otherwise, gear that works for someone depends so much on personal preference.

I tend to believe that the best UL gear is the stuff that regularly gets grabbed up quick on Gearswap, and for top resale prices ( MLD, ZPacks, GG, Thermarset NeoAir. EE, Nunatak, etc.) The transactions on Gearswap reflects the collective knowledge of many highly seasoned ultralight backpackers..You can easily see what gear is most desired if you follow the forum very often .People who dwell on BPL are pretty savvy about gear.

The terms influencer and trust are oxymoronic.

Trust none -they are selling. Isn’t that what influencer means? Lead you (influence) to buying something?

Can someone give me an example of a backpacking influencer? Want to check one out.

Skurka…..Hikin Jim…..Adventure Alan…..Shug……..I probably refer people to them most often. For me YouTube is more armchair entertainment. Any YouTube equipment opinions I may consider as another data point but not necessarily the final word.Except for Shug. I sleep better at night knowing all is secure in sector 7.

Shug is an interesting case. I’ve learned a lot from him but never felt he was promoting a particular product. Maybe that’s just the way I watch his material. I did by Medaglia d’Oro coffee based on how many times I saw him drinking it. So I guess he did influence me!

The people I tend to drink beer with influence me. Or am I being influenced by the beer?

Can someone give me an example of a backpacking influencer? Want to check one out.

Being marginally more serious, the term usually refers to YouTube or Instagram people. In the backpacking world, it means people like this:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq0VNPiFtr3ihDewjtkZXBQ

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18exdGWh7piVWisrnDXiZg

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQhqmV26773qZhzqJz4VFcw

With some overlap in the Insti world:

https://www.instagram.com/juliana_chauncey/

https://www.instagram.com/therealhikingviking/?hl=en

Etc. Etc.

It typically means gear reviews and more gear reviews with some aspirational things throw-in.

Or, what has powered mass communication (consumerism and dreams) since the radio. If not before.

And that’s not a bad thing.

It “just is.”

I am not sure I have purchased anything based solely on someone’s review.  I watch and read many, but often it’s after I have bought and used something, particularly if it didn’t meet my expectations.  Then I try and find out if it’s just me or if others have had a similar experience.  If it works for me and I like it, I tend to not care what others think…comes with getting old and cranky I guess.

I also really like trying new things out – it’s part of the hobby aspect and has allowed me to really dial in my kit.  It’s to the point now however, it takes something innovative to get me to bite.  The latest was an X-mid 1 person tent that based on my positive experience, prompted the pre-purchase of the X-mid 2 person model.  The other was a switch from my long handled ti spoon for a decade and a half, back to a plastic one which just feels better.

Good on you Magsy! Ta.

“Being marginally more serious, the term usually refers to YouTube or Instagram people. In the backpacking world, it means people like this:”

Crikey-thought I was going to be offered some extra steak knives from at least one of those people.

Is the Patreon thing a clue? They all had that in common.

I’m a bit of a cynic so I don’t really trust anyone, but I’d give Philip Werner a look to see what he might have to say about a piece of gear I’m considering, and I’d also read through the forums on a particular piece of gear to see what others might be saying about it. That’s about it.

I backpack with Doug a couple times per year.   I think he has a new tent every time I see him so I’ve had a chance to see a wide variety of shelters.

He’s also great to have around if a bug ever flies into your ear.

This article better explains influencers than I can.  These are basically folks with a large number of followers that can monetize their followers.  Instead of a company placing an ad in a magazine, they pay influencers with a large number of followers to mention their product or place them in their posts or videos.  Some times this is vary subtle.  Other times its more overt such as a review.  Advertisers have been doing this with sport and TV and movie celebrities for decades. However, now you’re seeing it far more in social media.

This also provides folks an income stream to pay for their lifestyle, which is pretty cool for backpackers getting out of cubes.

If you have a crap ton of money to blow on gear, then being influenced or advertised to probably isn’t a big deal. If you’re limited on the gear budget, as I am somewhat, then checking multiple sources helps avoid the impulse buy. Thanks to many BPL threads I’ve avoided a lot of silly purchases, trying to keep weight as low as I can and not add more stuff.

i like some of the youtubers, but I tend to like the video of actual backcountry, scenery, wildlife of all sizes, flowers. The gear videos are mostly boring but if I need something I watch them, then check quite a few other sources before buying – especially Gear Swap!

Seems to me that ‘influencer’ is often the same as ‘lobbyist’ or ‘salesman’.
At least, if they are paid by the vendor.

Free gear given in the HOPE of getting a) a review and b) a good review – well, then you have to read the review and use your brains. No substitute for thinking.

I cheerfully admit I have been sent gear at times in the vendor’s hope of it being reviewed, and sometimes I have reviewed it. But there have been cases where I have quietly refused to publish anything about the product, because it stank (literally, in one case).

I have solicited gear for a market survey a few times as well, but withOUT any promises. Mind you, I have been selective about who I ask, which helps.

In the case of the MSR Reactor I sent MSR a report about the lethal levels of CO it emitted before we published. They pulled the product off delivery for a few months while they tried to re-engineer it to be less dangerous. They were only partially successful. We published two reviews: before mods and after mods.

Cheers

If it’s someone out there using and abusing the stuff, I’ll watch or read it IF it comes up when looking at a new product.   I have too many other things going on in my orbit to follow someone.  Not going to be 100% negative on these people though as I met some, and if “real”, their experience (and perhaps hardship) could help me out being more economical in gear and travel choices.

Besides meeting Darwin briefly, I also met a HMG tester on the PCT before 2019 testing the HMG Dirigo.    He liked it, but it was a typical dry year on the PCT, so I could see where his feedback didn’t include rain.

Think thru-hiking stresses gear differently than say someone going on a rainy/snowy late season loop in Colorado.

Having some of the influencers survive massive storms testing out prototype gear might work better (if they don’t survive, obviously the gear needs to be reworked).

For me.. i only trust my own judgment. Sure i also research these forums and hammock forums.. get some opinions on actual people who buy and use the gear. Though i think a lot of people just buy the gear and do not actually get out in the backcountry and use it extensively..live and learn for me

Shills are everywhere, especially on the internet. Shills, advertisers, brand reps, salesmen, influencers aren’t new.

Do you not read restaurant or movie critic reviews because they make money off their reviews? Or do you read critic reviews because they do make money off their reviews?

On the internet assume everyone benefits from what they post. Whether it just makes them feel good or makes them money, everyone is posting because it benefits them.

Judge content based on its content. “its good because I like it” vs *video of use, misuse, and abuse for 100s of miles* Anyone can make good content if they are given the resources…

I do watch Darwin. A few  things I like: he hasn’t fallen prey to the  “show lots of skin preferably in no more than a bikini” as clickbait for his videos. Tells what works for him, says may not work for you. Even revisits gear choices on occasion. If nothing else these types of videos give me exposure to approaches beyond my own experiences.

I just use the BPL community for advice. I couldn’t imagine relying on sites like outdoorgearlab and switchback for my gear. Anytime gear is recommended on here, its gets critiqued rather quickly. I’d be surprised if influencers didn’t gain most of their knowledge from forums such as these. That said, Shug’s videos are fun to watch : )

“I do watch Darwin. A few  things I like: he hasn’t fallen prey to the  “show lots of skin preferably in no more than a bikini” as clickbait for his videos.’

no offence but watching Darwin wearing a bikini would not do it for me.