Trail Tattler is reader-supported, which means that some of the links you find on this site are affiliate links. If you click one of those links and make a purchase, we may earn a…
Trail Tattler is reader-supported, which means that some of the links you find on this site are affiliate links. If you click one of those links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission from the retailer. This page explains exactly how that works, what it means for you as a hiker planning your next trip, and how we decide what gets recommended in the first place.
When you click an affiliate link on a post — say, a link to a backpack we mention while explaining backpack packing order or a piece of gear featured in a guide on choosing a lightweight day hiking pack — you're taken to a retailer's website, such as Amazon or a specialty outdoor gear store. If you buy something during that visit (not necessarily the exact item we linked), the retailer pays us a small referral commission. This is standard practice across product-review and hobby content sites, and it's how many independent outdoor publications, including this one, stay funded without relying on intrusive ads or paywalls.
This is the part worth repeating clearly: using an affiliate link never increases the price you pay. The commission comes out of the retailer's marketing budget, not your wallet. Whether you buy trekking poles, a rain shell, or a new sleeping pad through one of our links or by typing the retailer's name directly into your browser, the price on the checkout page is the same. The only difference is that clicking through our link helps support the research, testing, and writing that goes into the guides on Trail Tattler.
We know affiliate income can create a temptation to push whatever pays the highest commission. That's not how we operate. Our selection process is built around actual usefulness on the trail, not payout size. Before a product shows up in a post, we ask a few honest questions:
Our full approach to research and testing standards is laid out in more detail in our Editorial Policy, and the broader financial relationships we may have with brands are described in our separate Disclosure page. Both are worth a read if you want the complete picture of how this site is run.
We aim to be upfront rather than burying this information in fine print. You'll typically see a short disclosure note near the top of any post that contains affiliate links, and this standalone Affiliate Disclaimer page is linked in the site footer so it's always easy to find. If a specific product recommendation is the result of a paid partnership or free product sample rather than a standard affiliate link, that distinction is noted directly in the post as well, in line with our Collaboration practices.
This disclaimer focuses specifically on affiliate commissions. For information about how we handle general content accuracy, gear recommendations that aren't tied to any commission, and the limits of the advice we publish, see our general Disclaimer. If you're curious about cookies, tracking, or how any personal data is handled when you browse or click through links, that's covered separately in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.
Ultimately, our goal is for Trail Tattler to be a resource you trust when you're planning routes, choosing gear, or figuring out how to pack smarter for your next trip. Affiliate commissions help keep the site running, but they never override honest opinions. If a piece of gear isn't good, we say so — commission or not. To learn more about who writes and reviews the content here, visit our About Us page.
If anything on this page is unclear, or if you'd like more detail about a specific link or recommendation, reach out any time at [email protected]. We're happy to explain our process further, and we take feedback from the hiking community seriously — you can also review our Community Guidelines for how we handle comments and reader input across the site.