• We only publish reviews of gear and clothing we personally have evaluated and recommend. This means that if we evaluate a product, and don't feel that we could personally recommend it to our website visitors, then we won't publish a review on it.
  
  
• We don't do comparative reviews. For example, we will never do a review where we compare five different fleece jackets and rate them against one another. We don't do this because we feel it is difficult, in many cases, to say that one product is absolutely better than another. So much about whether a product is appropriate for an individual is based on that individual's preferences, which tells us that rating one product over another is not always fair.
  
  
• We only publish reviews on gear and clothing of interest to those who are participating in hiking, backpacking trekking, mountaineering, and adventure travel. For example, we are interested in reviewing these types of products:
  
  
  • Pants/shorts/tops
  • Rainwear
  • Outerwear (hard and soft shells)
  • Fleece
  • Base layers
  • Glove/mittens/hats
  • Socks
  • Footwear
  • Gaiters
  • Backpacks
  • Lighting (headlamps)
  • Sleeping bags and sleeping pads
  • Duffle bags and travel packs
  • Climbing gear
  • Personal optics
  • Books related to adventure travel
  • Personal care items
  • Packing essentials
  • First aid kits
  • Trekking poles
  • Lighting
  • Water treatment

  But we would not be interested in reviewing these types of products:
  
  

  • Cycling
  • Paddling
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Fishing
  • Car racks

This listing is not meant to be comprehensive, but to provide you with an idea of what we are and are not interested in reviewing.

• We are interested in reviewing products that are new, unusual, and not reviewed elsewhere, as long at they fit our review criteria.
   
• We are also very interested in reviewing products for people that aren't "average." For example, there are lot of people with wide, narrow, or extra long feet; with big heads; big hands; long legs, long arms, bad backs; and so on, who are interested in outdoor adventures. If your products fits into any of categories, we are especially interested in reviewing them.
   
• Any product sent to us for potential review will not be returned, unless you pay for return shipping. We don't think this is too much to ask from vendors, as we spend many hours reviewing and writing about your products, and providing you free publicity.
  
  
• If you want us to consider reviewing a product you feel would be of interest to our website visitors, we highly recommend that you contact us first, asking us about our interest in your product first. That way, you minimize the risk of not getting it reviewed should you send it unannounced.
  
  
• If you send us a request to review a product, and we accept, it may take from 30-180 days before it is reviewed. And even then, there is no guarantee that we will publish a review of your product. As was mentioned earlier, we only publish reviews of products that we personally have tried and feel comfortable recommending.
  
  
• If you wish to contact us before sending a product for review, or if you have any questions, please contact: reviews@worldclassgear.com.

We are also interested in reviewing travel adventures. If you operate a travel adventure company, including adventure-related schools, send us an e-mail and perhaps we can work out an arrangement. We are currently working on several travel adventure reviews, and they should be published shortly.

Review Criteria: What Makes a Product World Class?

Here's the criteria we use when determining whether or not we find a particular product world class or not:

• Does the product meet its advertised objectives, and is it suited to its task? In other words, is a waterproof shell actually waterproof? Does a +15 degree sleeping bag really keep you warm at +15 degrees?
  
   
• Is the product well-designed and well-constructed? In other words, will the product hold up and last a long time?
  
   
• Does the product have innovative features that separate it from the pack? For example, is it very lightweight? Is it more durable? Is it more breathable? And so on.
  
   
• Is the product, when compared to similar products, a lot better than similar products? In other words, compared to other similar products, is it above average?
  
   
• Has the product met the test of time? Most of the products reviewed on this website have been around for many years. Sure, there are some newer products listed, but generally they are based on previous successful models.

We review products two major ways. First, we research the product's features, and compare them to similar products. Second, and most of all, we test them in the field. If they pass these two tests, and meet our review criteria, then a product is judged to be world class.

WorldClassGear.Com Visitor Profile

Based on the most recent website visitor statistics, here is a snapshot of the people visiting and reading reviews at WorldClassGear.Com.

Top 10 Gear Interests (based on pages viewed)

• Backpacks
• Tents
• Footwear
• Sleeping gear
• Hiking clothing (pants, shorts)
• Waterproof (hard)  shells
• Trekking poles
• Soft shells
• Head gear (hats, etc.)
• Insulated jackets

Top 10 Countries Visitors Come From

• United States
• Canada
• Great Britain
• Germany
• Australia
• Japan
• India
• Norway
• Denmark
• Sweden

Top 10 U.S. States Visitors Come From

• California
• Texas
• Washington
• New York
• Virginia
• Illinois
• Massachusetts
• Georgia
• Michigan
• Arizona

Top 5 Search Engines Used to Find WorldClassGear.Com

• google.com
• yahoo.com
• aolsearch.aol.com
• search.msn.com
• web.ask.com

Top 5 Websites that Refer Visitors to WorldClassGear.Com

• www.rockandice.com
• www.trailjournals.com
• www.nwhikers.com
• www.hitthetrail.com
• www.peaktopeak.net