What Do All Our Gear Categories Even Mean?

At We Are Explorers we talk about gear a lot, and we do so in a bunch of different ways that are clear for us, but might not be so clear for you.

 

Gear helps us get outside and explore more easily, safely, and comfortably. As a team, we use a heck of a lot of it. And so do you guys. Basically gear is awesome and we all love it. Let’s continue.

We’re working on increasing the amount of gear reviews we do so that you can choose high-quality, tested, and trusted gear to accompany you on your travels.

Sometimes we’ll be sent that gear and write a review, other times we’ll write about it because we bought it and loved (or hated!) it. If it’s in the ‘Reviews‘ category it cannot be sponsored, we’ve never allowed this on We Are Explorers because we want you to be able to trust those opinions.

Other Gear categories can be sponsored. We always work with brands to make content that’s genuine and follows our Editorial Standards, but it’s still sponsored and we’ll always say so up the top of the article.

What are the categories and what do they mean?

All of our growing gear content is slotted into one of six categories:

First Look 

Fresh gear! Check it out. These items aren’t on the shelves yet, or they’re so fresh you’re unlikely to have seen them in a catalogue or an ad yet.

This can include new pieces of tech, updated versions of products we all know, or an overview of a new brand. 

It’s basically Gear News, so if it’s new, you’ll find it here. 

 

Reviews

We put outdoor gear through its paces. Unsponsored and honest, we’ll tell you straight up whether it’s worthy of your hard-earned cash. We don’t go easy either. If needed we’ll sit on it, use it for six months or more, and push it to its very limits if that’s what it takes to determine how good it is.

Expect pros and cons, pricing, links to purchase, and plenty of opinions. Plus, there’ll always be an author’s name – because we stand by our verdict. 

 

Comparison

Gear that we put to the ultimate test – by comparing it to its competitors. Who will emerge victorious? 

Comparisons come in many shapes and sizes: products from the same brand, different products that do the same thing, heck maybe even all the big players in a product category.

We’re also here to help with bigger decisions, like should you buy a van or a 4WD? Or a down vs synthetic jacket?

 

 

Gear Guides

Feeling spoiled for choice? Let us help with our tailored guides on what to buy, what to bring, and how to use your gear out there.

From the best camping coffee makers to what to take on an overnight hike, or even what the best Christmas gifts are for Alone fans – we’ve got you. 

 

Unpacked

What is it about gear? Why do we love it so much? Am I getting sentimental about a water bottle? Musings, stories, and love letters from the world of gear live here. This is where we allow ourselves to get more creative.

Expect lighthearted ribbing of outlandish outdoor gear colour names, musings on the future of hiking clothing, and deep dives into the latest trends. 

 

 

Tech Talk

Let’s nerd out! This is where we dive deep into new outdoor gear tech and features. Whether it’s wacky new materials, new manufacturing processes, or innovative ways to test what we’ve always thought to be true, we’ll explain how it works and how to get the most out of it, out there. Sometimes we’ll just dive deep on one particular product too.

If you’ve ever gone on a deep Google search to figure out how something works – you’ll probably get a kick out of this section.

 

How do I know if it’s sponsored?

As a B-Corp and team of individuals who pride ourselves on our integrity, we will always disclose if we got gear for free or if an article is sponsored. It’s part of our editorial standards.

Just because an article is sponsored doesn’t mean the article is a soulless ad or that what we’re saying isn’t true. We work hard to work with brands that  are doing things right in the first place, it’s mostly a case of us helping to get the word out.

Ultimately, our commitment lies with our audience, first and foremost.

If a piece is sponsored (that means we got paid to write it by a brand) you’ll notice a brand logo on the right hand side of the article, up near the top of the screen. You’ll also see some text in the grey disclaimer box at the end of the article.

If we get an item for free in order to review, we’ll also note that down the bottom of the article. We’d love to go all out and buy all the products we review for complete objectivty but we just don’t have that kind of cash, and many of the products we review come to us ahead of time. We’re still going to say what we think, don’t worry about that.

Still unsure? Drop us a comment and ask the question – we’re always happy to chat.

 

 

Header photo by The North Face