OutdoorGearLab

detailed side-by-side tests, both in the lab and in the field, and score each product across a range of weighted categories.
3) We rank the products, explain why, and give awards to the best. Our review process starts with selection: we look at hundreds of products to determine the top contenders in each category. We then buy the top contenders for detailed hands-on testing. To provide a fair basis for scoring, we develop a set of objective lab tests for each category that will help us quantify important differences between competing products. In addition, we put each product through a set of real world field tests where we use and abuse each product to see how it holds up to its competition. Our Gear Lab testing environments are the great mountains of America: the High Sierra, the Cascades, the peaks of Alaska, and the Rocky Mountain. Our testers are avid climbers, skiers, bikers, surfers, hikers, trail runners, and backpackers. Each of them has an eye for detail and an obsession to find the best. Many of our testers are professional outdoor guides who bring years of hands-on experience and backcountry wisdom to our reviews. In the end, our mission is to help you find the best product for your situation, keeping in mind that each person’s needs are unique. To achieve that goal we publish the scores of each product relative to its competition, both overall and across important attributes for each category. That means you can find the one that best meets your individual needs. You’ll find that our Editors’ Choice award goes to those products we believe are the very best overall, and you’ll learn why we selected them by reading our detailed reviews. Our Best Buy award goes to quality products that offer the most bang-for-the-buck. Our Top Pick award goes to those products that stand out for specific applications, and our review will explain the details of why and what for. Our reviews should provide the information you need to select the right gear for your budget and needs, enabling you to buy with confidence. Our review process takes a lot more work than the typical gear reviews you find online. But we strongly believe that the best gear reviews are those that objectively compare and contrast. When we read reviews, it’s not enough just to know if the reviewer liked or disliked the product. We want to know how it stacks up against all the other top products out there, and why one product may be better than another. It's the rigorous style of comparing and contrasting though objective tests pioneered by Consumer Reports magazine that we aim to bring to the outdoor community. So check out our reviews and let me know if we are living up to our goals. I’d love to hear from you, and especially encourage feedback that can help us improve. You can help us make OutdoorGearLab the world’s best source of information for outdoor enthusiasts like you. Chris McNamara
Founder and CEO
OutdoorGearLab.com