Since you’re smart enough not to take everything at face value, I wrote a plain English version about how this site makes money and why you should care.
The bottom line: When you click a link from this site to a retailer and buy something, I earn a small commission. The price you pay doesn’t change – the commission comes out of the retailer’s pocket, not yours.
How it works
Basically every single time I link to a retail website like Amazon.com, it’s an affiliate link which gives me an opportunity to earn some money.
When you click from DownTheTrail.com to Amazon.com, a little piece of computer code called a “cookie” is installed in your browser that says you came from this website. These cookies have expiration dates – Amazon’s lasts just 24 hours, while others can last up to a month.
Let’s say you immediately buy an item on Amazon for $100. Since you came through a link from here, the cookie tells Amazon I deserve credit for a commission. This is usually about 4% from Amazon, so I earn $4 from your $100 purchase.
The price of the item does not change because you came from my site. The commission comes out of Amazon’s pocket, never yours.
Why this matters
Since you’re sharp enough to be reading this, then I don’t think I need to spell out exactly why this important… but I will anyway. As a reader on the internet, you have the right to know the difference between getting an impartial opinion on a product, and having a product sold to you.
For example, a travel blogger might get an all-expense-paid trip from ABC Tour Company, in exchange for a glowing review penned by the travel blogger that sings all the praises about ABC tour. You have a right to know that the travel blogger got a free tour and maybe even earns commission, so we’re required to disclose that information to you.
Affiliate links work under the same ethics – we’re required to disclose when links to other websites earn us money. Since I like to make money, you can rest assured that all the links from DownTheTrail.com to the following companies will earn me commission with a qualifying purchase:
- Amazon
- Enlightened Equipment
- FarOut Guides
- Feathered Friends
- Featherstone
- Garage Grown Gear
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear
- Katabatic Gear
- NEMO Equipment
- REI
- Sea to Summit
- SPOT
The good news is that there’s an affiliate program for 99% of retail products in existence, so it’s never in my best interest to try to sell you a specific item.
All reviews on this website ultimately have YOUR best interest in mind! At the end of the day, presenting things in your best interest is always in my best interest, too.