How we make money (the honest version).

What those /go links are

When you click a "check price" or product link on WorldHike, it routes through a /goredirect on our own domain. Some of those links are affiliate links: to Amazon and, where a brand runs its own program, direct to the manufacturer. If you buy after clicking, the retailer pays us a commission. The price you pay is identical either way; the commission comes out of the retailer's margin, not your pocket. That commission funds the packs, the boots, the scale, the trail miles, and the writing.

Verdicts come first. Money comes after.

Rankings are set on the merits: listed weight against the alternatives, owner-reported comfort and durability, build quality, and value, before anyone checks whether a product has an affiliate program. The order doesn't change afterward. If the best pack on a list earns us nothing, it stays at the top.

• A brand cannot buy a ranking, a "Best Overall" badge, or a softer review. Not for any amount.
• We don't accept sponsored verdicts or paid placements, and we don't run "advertorial" reviews.
• A brand submission doesn't buy anything either: submitted gear is ranked on the same sources and standards as everything else.
• If our verdict and our wallet ever disagree, the verdict wins. That's the whole business model: being worth trusting twice.

The methodology behind every verdict is published in full at how we test.

Our top picks, too

Our ranked top picks draw from the same catalog as our reviews: gear that cleared the same verification and brand-credibility bar. Those picks may include affiliate links, and the same rule applies: the merits pick the gear, not the payout.

The serious notes

• The backcountry has real stakes. No review replaces good judgment, weather awareness, navigation skills, or telling someone where you're going. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for your gear, check conditions before you go, and carry the safety essentials for your route and season.
• Specs are the manufacturers' listed figures. We verify them against the live listing and hedge them as "listed" in copy; we do not run lab tests or scale measurements and do not claim to. Real-world results vary with conditions, fit, and technique.
• Prices change. We list MSRP or the going price at the time of writing; the "check price" link always shows the current number.

Questions?

A person reads every email: hello@worldhike.org.