These are the working rules for everything published here. They exist so that a reader can tell, from the page alone, where a claim came from and how much weight to give it.
Sourcing#
Every quantitative claim must be traceable. A number on this site is one of four things, and the page must make clear which: a published standard, a physical constant, a declared specification range described as such, or arithmetic performed on the page. There is no fifth category.
Standards are named, not gestured at. We cite the standard number and the issuing body, and we explain what the test actually does. "Independently tested" without a named method is not a source.
We do not launder other publishers' numbers. If a figure cannot be traced to a primary source, it does not appear, however often it is repeated elsewhere.
Numbers and models#
Models are labelled as models. Every calculator and chart states its equation, constants and assumptions, and every chart carries the underlying data table. Ranges are given as ranges rather than collapsed into a single confident figure. Where a value depends on the reader's own conditions, we build a tool rather than publishing an average that is wrong for everybody.
Independence#
- No sponsored articles, paid placements, or content written to a brief from a company.
- No free products accepted in exchange for coverage.
- No affiliate-shaped writing: we do not construct list articles around what pays, and we do not name specific models as recommendations.
- Advertising, where it appears, is clearly separated from editorial content and never influences what is written or how it is framed. Advertisers get no advance sight of content.
The full commercial position is on the disclosure page.
How advice is framed#
We recommend specifications, not products: an R-value, a floor area, a fill weight, a watt-hour figure, a comfort rating with a margin. Specifications survive product cycles and can be applied to whatever is available where you live and at whatever price you can pay.
Where a decision is genuinely close, we say so and give the criteria that break the tie, rather than manufacturing a winner. Where a technique is specialist or carries risk, we mark it as such rather than presenting it as normal practice.
Safety topics#
Pages that touch health or safety, particularly water treatment, cold injury and stove use, are written conservatively. They follow public health guidance where it exists, state clearly what a method does not protect against, and prefer the cautious option when sources disagree. They are general information and not a substitute for advice appropriate to your specific situation, location and health.
Corrections#
We publish corrections rather than editing quietly. Any change that alters a number, a recommendation or a factual claim is logged on the corrections page with the date, what was wrong, and what it now says. Typographical and formatting fixes are not logged.
If you think something here is wrong, write to corrections@campgearexperts.com. A message that includes the page, the claim and why it is wrong will get a faster and better answer, and we would rather be corrected than be consistent.
Updating#
Every guide carries a visible last reviewed date. A review re-checks cited standards for currency, re-runs the arithmetic against our source constants, and verifies internal links. Pages that depend on a standard are re-checked when that standard is revised.
Accessibility and reading experience#
Pages are built to work without JavaScript for reading, to meet contrast requirements in both light and dark colour schemes, to be navigable by keyboard, and to carry data tables alongside every chart so that no information exists only in a picture. If something here is hard to use with assistive technology, that is a defect and we want to hear about it.
What we will not publish#
- Rankings of products we have not tested, presented as though we had
- Claims of field testing, laboratory measurement or long-term use that did not happen
- Invented statistics, or precision that the underlying evidence does not support
- Content written primarily to occupy a search result rather than to answer a question