About & how we test

What we publish

Route reports from overland country, gear reviews written after the gear has been used hard, buyer's guides by region, and a journal for the longer pieces.

How we report a route

We write up roads we have driven. Every route report carries the date we last drove it, on the card and on the page, because that date is the limit of what we can vouch for. Roads, crossings and services change; the report tells you when we saw them.

How we test gear

We review gear after using it in real conditions, long enough for its weak points to show. Every review states how long we tested the item and over what distance or how many nights. We say what an item is bad at as plainly as what it's good at.

A buyer's guide names a pick only once we've carried it. Where testing isn't finished, the guide says so.

If we don't have a fact yet, the page says so.

What you'll see marked as pending

Distances, dates driven, test durations and bylines are facts. Where we don't have one yet, the page shows it in angle brackets — ‹like this› — instead of filling the gap with a plausible number.

Independence

Makers don't approve, preview or edit reviews. The full standard is in our editorial policy, and how we earn money from links is in our affiliate disclosure.

Who writes it

Our contributors are listed on the team page. To reach us, see contact.