Why You Can Trust Us
Our Address / Contact Info:
VerticalScope Inc.
111 Peter Street #600
Toronto, Ontario M5V 2H1
Canada
Our Content
Outside Pursuits contains 4 types of articles:
Informational “how-to” articles are aimed at helping our readers to achieve something. This may be performing a simple repair, taking up a new outside pursuit, or improving their skills in an existing sport. For example, our expert may be instructing you about how to begin taking wildlife photographs or how to change your motorcycle’s battery. We hope that visitors to our site will learn something worthwhile before they go.
Individual product reviews focus on one specific piece of outdoor gear. For example, a review of the RadWagon 4 e-bike. Individual reviews provide a detailed analysis of a product’s strengths and weaknesses and conclude whether or not our expert believes it is a good investment for our readers.
This will not always be a straightforward “good” or “bad” answer because a particular product may be ideal for some readers and not for others. For example, a particular pair of skis may be excellent for beginners but unsuitable for experts or vice-versa. Individual reviews will be more in-depth than the product reviews found in a round-up.
Round-up product reviews focus on the top-rated and best-quality gear in a specific category. For example, a product review might cover the best skis for novices or the best inflatable kayaks. Before they write these articles, our experts perform exhaustive research and test as many products as they can, both recent and established models.
After considering a range of products within a category, we reduce the list down to a reasonable number of choices, most often 7. These will be the items that we have found to offer the best features or, sometimes, products for which customers or experienced outdoor professionals have expressed a strong preference.
In our reviews, we will provide a breakdown of the main features of each product. We will always include the product that we feel is the best on the market but will also review some more affordable yet good-quality options that beginners on a budget can feel confident investing in. Our Editor’s Choice product is the selection that we feel offers the best value for our reader’s money.
Product brand reviews will compare the brand leaders amongst the manufacturers of a specific kind of outdoor gear. For example, the best truck bed mat brands or the best electric bike brands. Instead of presenting you with a list of the best items of outdoor gear in a category, product brand reviews will introduce you to the major manufacturers of a specific product and provide you with information that helps you to understand what the typical strengths and weaknesses of each brand are.
You will discover that all our reviews are clearly presented, objective, helpful, and detailed enough to leave you feeling well informed about the products and brands highlighted in the review.
Our Process & Why You Can Trust Us
Our highest priority when assigning authors to an article is that they should have real-life experience of and knowledge about the outdoor activity or product they write about. Our contributors genuinely know what it is like to carry a backpack ten miles along a backcountry trail and to sleep under the stars in a remote valley.
However, nobody knows everything. That is why we use a broad range of contributors with different areas of expertise and knowledge. When we publish an article on mountain biking, the person writing it has been riding mountain bikes for decades and competed in races. When we publish an article about skateboards, the writer has ridden more than a few half-pipes. They are experts in their specific fields.
But that is not the end of our process. Our experts know their stuff, but they do not always understand that complex technical terms confuse readers. Not everybody knows what a skeg is on a kayak or a pit-zip is on a hard-shell jacket. That is why we have editors who ensure that the content we produce is easy to understand and does not confuse readers who wish to expand their knowledge.
Revenue & Gear
While we may receive samples of gear from manufacturers, we remain independent in our articles. We always provide our honest opinion about an item of outdoor gear, bad or good. We do not receive compensation from manufacturers for our reviews of their products, so we are able to remain completely objective.
Our revenue source is simple. We make a commission if you purchase a product after following a link from one of our pages. This does not affect the price you pay for the product. However, this commission does enable us to continue testing and reviewing outdoor gear so that we can continue to provide you with helpful articles.
Note that we would never tell our readers something we knew to be untrue. For example, we would never report that a specific pair of hiking boots is fantastic when we found them to be uncomfortable and they caused blisters.
This would not be in our best interest because we would soon lose readers and gain a bad reputation. We can only grow our readership and reputation through being helpful, honest, accurate, and clear in all the articles that we write for your benefit. Articles that are good for you are also good for us.
Our Philosophy
As stated above, sustainability is important to us. We want you to enjoy the great outdoors, but we want you to do it responsibly.
Please do not leave trash on campsites. Please recycle any packaging that your products come wrapped in. Please choose the most sustainable products where you are able to do so.
Sometimes, more modern-designed products are better for our environment. For example, an aging 2-stroke pas-powered chainsaw can be swapped for a 4-stroke cleaner-powered chainsaw or even an electic/battery-powered. These newer alternatives can provide the same utility needed, reduce gasoline consumption decrease carbon footprint. Be wise and well informed when you make decisions that will impact on the atmosphere.
Pay It Forward
At Outside Pursuits, we understand that to preserve the wilderness that is so important to us and our readers, sometimes we must put our money where our mouth is. For that reason, we support a range of not-for-profit organizations.
American Hiking is a charity dedicated to protecting your right to hike in the most beautiful parts of our great nation. American Hiking cooperates with partners, federal agencies, and Congress on legislation and policy issues to ensure the preservation of natural parks, funding for trails, and the right for people to enjoy the nature around them.
American Hiking physically protects existing trails by recruiting trail stewards and organizing volunteers to help maintain trails. They also aim to improve accessibility to public lands for people of every kind.
Conservation Alliance is a partnership of businesses and conservation groups dedicated to preserving natural wilderness areas across North America. Since 1989, Conservation Alliance has helped to save 73 million acres of wilderness, protected 3,575 miles of river, and created 5 marine reserves. If you want your children to see the same America that you see today, support Conservation Alliance.
Over 70% of the world is covered by the oceans, so it is important to keep them clean. Ocean Defenders do what it says on the tin. They physically go out there into the ocean and clean our shorelines and coastal waters. Expert divers, school children, and even people who cannot swim come together on projects to remove debris and potential pollutants from the sea.
Whether while walking along a beach or diving from a boat, OD’s volunteers clear old traps, fishing lines, plastic trash, and abandoned fishing nets from the water to save marine habitats.
People on your doorstep are hungry. Feeding America is a charity dedicated to helping those who cannot help themselves. Why should American children go hungry when millions of tons of food is discarded every day and America exports food to other nations? We need to work together to end hunger forever.
We would urge you to check out the good work carried out by the above not-for-profit organizations and consider joining their ranks as a volunteer. Alternatively, consider making a small donation to help them to continue their fight to improve the world around us.