Hiking does require some equipment and many beginners are in doubt what hiking gear to buy. That’s why we make selections of the best hiking gear like backpacks, boots, jackets etc. The whole idea behind this is to make it easier for you to buy good hiking gear without wasting many hours of your time on research. There are many websites that do the same as us, and in the following we’d like to explain you how we differ from many of these websites.
We don’t outsource – it’s only us
Unlike many other websites we do NOT purchase articles from writers of questionable skill and competence. Everything on this website is written and published by us, a couple who loves to hike and spend time in the outdoors (yes, it’s only the two of us). This ensures the coherence and quality of our selections. To learn more about our expertise, check out our hiking tips, what gear we use and where we hike. To see photos from our hikes, see our Flickr page.
Team Best Hiking
The Alps are our favourite destination!
More Hiking in the Alps
We thoroughly check product ratings and the brand’s reputation
Before we list any product in our selections of the best hiking gear, we check its ratings at different online retailers. We go through each review and asses its relevance and trustworthiness. That is very important since positive reviews are sometimes purchased or inflated due to advertising. We also check the brand’s reputation across the web. In general, reputable brands make better products and have better customer support.
We investigate each product
Before listing products in our selections of best hiking gear, we go through their features and technical specifications from the brand’s website. For example, if we are making a selection of the best down jackets, we check out what materials are they made of, how much they weigh, how many pockets they have, whether the down is hydrophobic etc. Such information enables us to refine our selections.
We update our selections at least twice a year
Our selections are regularly updated. Many competitive websites will recommend you old gear, which is not always problematic, but can be tricky when it comes to electronic devices. For example, you certainly don’t want to buy the Garmin Fenix 3 watch now since a newer model has been released (Garmin Fenix 5). Manufacturers eventually cut off the support (updates) for old devices and you might have problems getting spare parts.
We do NOT only list the most expensive products
We list products that have the best ratio between performance and price. More expensive is not always better. We do not state prices for the products listed in our selections because prices can vary depending on your location. American brands are more expensive in Europe while European brands are usually pricier in the United States. When you click on a product, you will be taken to the website of the respective retailer where the current price will be stated (which will of course fluctuate depending on sales, discounts etc.).
We do NOT accept money in exchange for listing a product
We list products according to our research. We don’t accept money or any other valuable things in return for listing a certain product in our selections.