Affiliate disclosure

Some gear links — including links to the Amazon Associates programme and to outdoor retailers — carry a tracking code. If you buy after clicking one, the retailer pays us a small commission. The price you pay is the same either way, and the retailer handles the order, payment, delivery and your customer data.

Gear entries describe the category of tool a guide needs, the specification that matters, and a widely available example that meets it. Selection is based on published specifications, manufacturer documentation and the general reputation of a design among outdoor users.

We do not publish hands-on reviews, scored comparisons or test data, because we do not run product tests. If you see a claim on this site that reads like a personal test result, it is a mistake — please tell us and we will correct it.

No brand pays for a recommendation inside a guide, and no commission rate changes which tool we suggest or how a technique is explained. Paid placements on the partner page are sold as clearly marked advertising, separate from editorial content.

Most hacks here are built around improvisation: a tin can, a tarp, a bucket, string. Where a purchase genuinely improves safety — water treatment, a working torch, a carbon monoxide alarm — we say why, and we also describe the cheaper or improvised route where one exists.

The site may also display advertising. Cookie use, consent and advertising partners are covered in the privacy and cookie policy, and our wider standards are in the editorial policy.