Best for Backpacking ("we," "us," or "BFB") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes what information we collect when you use bestforbackpacking.com (the "Site"), how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the Site, you agree to the practices described here.
Who we are
Best for Backpacking is an independent, research-driven publication that produces backpacking gear reviews, comparisons, and buying guides. Editorial content is published under Brooke Wilder, the named editorial persona we publish our research under (not a real person), and is produced by synthesizing manufacturer specifications, independent lab tests, and long-term owner reports rather than personal field testing. The publication is operated from Chicago, Illinois, USA.
For privacy-related questions, contact us through our contact form.
Information we collect
We collect only what we need to operate the Site, deliver the newsletter you sign up for, and improve our coverage. We do not sell personal information.
| Category | Examples | When we collect it |
|---|---|---|
| Information you provide | Email address (newsletter), message contents (contact) | When you submit a form or email us |
| Newsletter records | Signup date, subscription status, the page you signed up from, and email delivery, open, and click events (see Newsletter) | When you confirm your subscription and when we send you email |
| Automatically collected | IP address (often anonymized), browser, OS, pages viewed, referrer, device class | Every page request, via hosting + analytics |
| Cookies & similar tech | Session, analytics, affiliate-attribution cookies | While you browse the Site (see cookie classification) |
We do not collect financial information, government IDs, precise geolocation, biometrics, or content you write in third-party comment systems.
Cookies and similar technologies
The Site uses three classes of cookies. None are used to build behavioral advertising profiles.
| Class | Purpose | Examples | Set by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Site functionality (newsletter sign-up, theme preference) | ghost-members-ssr, theme |
BFB / Ghost |
| Analytics | Aggregated traffic patterns to improve editorial coverage | _ga or equivalent |
Analytics provider |
| Affiliate attribution | Credits qualifying purchases back to BFB after a click | Retailer-specific (e.g., aip for Amazon) |
Third-party retailer |
You can disable cookies in your browser settings. Strictly-necessary cookies cannot be disabled without breaking the Site; analytics and affiliate cookies can be blocked without affecting your access to content.
How we use your information
We use collected information to:
- Deliver, maintain, and improve the Site and its content
- Send the newsletter you subscribed to (and only that)
- Respond to your messages and corrections
- Analyze aggregate usage patterns to improve editorial coverage
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We also do not "share" personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).
Newsletter
How you join. You type your email into a signup form on the Site. We send one confirmation email with a link. You're only subscribed after you click it (double opt-in). If you never click, you're never added and we send nothing else. No box is ever pre-checked, and we never add you because you bought something or contacted us.
What you get. One email a week, on Friday: new reviews and comparisons, plus one gear pick. Some links in the newsletter are affiliate links, and each issue says so.
What we store. Your email address, the date you subscribed, your subscription status, and the page you signed up from (so we know which articles bring readers to the list). For each email we send, we keep delivery results (delivered, bounced, marked as spam) and whether the email was opened or a link was clicked. Opens are measured with a small image in the email; you can block it by turning off image loading in your mail app. We don't buy or rent email lists and we don't add your address to anyone else's list.
Who processes it. Our newsletter runs on Ghost, open-source publishing software that we host on our own server, so your subscriber record stays in our database. Emails are sent through Mailgun (Mailgun Technologies, Inc., United States), which acts as our email processor: it receives your address and the message to deliver it, and records delivery, open, click, bounce, and complaint events for us. Mailgun's privacy policy is at mailgun.com/legal/privacy-policy.
Unsubscribe and deletion. Every email has a one-click unsubscribe link at the bottom, and it works immediately. Unsubscribing stops all newsletter email. If you also want your subscriber record deleted, use our contact form with "Privacy request" in the message and we'll delete it within 30 days. Mailgun keeps a suppression entry for unsubscribed or bounced addresses so we never email them again by mistake; we can remove that too on request.
Affiliate links
The Site contains affiliate links, links to third-party retailers (such as REI, Amazon, and Backcountry) that, when clicked and followed by a qualifying purchase, may pay us a commission. Affiliate links never change the price you pay and are flagged with rel="nofollow sponsored" on every page. For full details on how we use affiliate links and how this affects editorial independence, see our Affiliate Disclosure.
When you click an affiliate link, the destination retailer's own privacy policy governs your visit. We do not control or have visibility into the information third-party retailers collect about you after you leave the Site.
Third-party services we use
The Site relies on the third-party services below. Each operates under its own privacy policy.
| Service | Role | Data shared |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost (open-source software, self-hosted by us) | Content management + newsletter subscriber list | Stays on our server; the Ghost Foundation does not receive it |
| Mailgun (Mailgun Technologies, Inc.) | Sends the confirmation email and the newsletter | Email address, message content, delivery/open/click/bounce events |
| Analytics provider | Aggregated traffic measurement | IP (anonymized), browser, page views |
| Affiliate retailers (REI, Amazon, Backcountry, etc.) | Commission tracking on outbound clicks | Click-through events, retailer cookie ID |
| Hosting provider | Server infrastructure | Connection logs, IP |
We will update this list as services change. If you have questions about a specific provider, contact us.
How our editorial content is produced
Editorial content on the Site is published under "Brooke Wilder," our named editorial persona (not a real person), and is produced by synthesizing sources rather than personal field testing. We disclose this on every author page, in our About page, and on Brooke's social media profiles. Recommendations are derived exclusively from publicly available sources, manufacturer specifications, independent lab tests, long-term owner reports, and third-party reviews, not from personal field testing.
Research and synthesis can still produce inaccuracies. We work to flag the limits of our evidence on every recommendation. If you spot a factual error, please contact us through our contact form and we will correct it.
Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you have additional rights under state or national privacy law. We treat the rights below as available to every reader regardless of jurisdiction, submit a request and we will honor it within the time limits below.
| Right | What it means | Response time |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you | Within 30 days |
| Correction | Request correction of inaccurate information | Within 30 days |
| Deletion | Request deletion of your information (we keep only what we legally must) | Within 30 days |
| Opt-out of "sale"/"sharing" | Not applicable, we don't sell or share personal information | N/A |
| Unsubscribe | Stop receiving the newsletter | Immediate; every email has a one-click link |
| Portability | Receive your information in a machine-readable format | Within 30 days |
To exercise these rights, contact us through our contact form with "Privacy request" in your message and tell us what you'd like us to do. We do not require a verified account, and we will reasonably verify your identity from the details you provide.
State-specific notes
| Jurisdiction | Notice |
|---|---|
| California (CCPA / CPRA) | We do not sell or share personal information. You have the rights listed above. We do not use "sensitive personal information" as defined by CPRA §1798.140(ae). |
| Virginia (VCDPA) | Rights apply only to "consumers" as defined; we treat all readers the same. |
| Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), Utah (UCPA) | Same as Virginia, universal treatment. |
| EU/EEA, UK (GDPR / UK GDPR) | Legal basis for processing is legitimate interest (analytics, fraud prevention) and consent (newsletter). You may withdraw consent at any time. |
Data retention
We keep information for the shortest period that lets us do our job and meet our legal obligations.
| Data | Retention period | Deletion trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter subscriber record (email, signup date, signup page) | Until you request deletion | Deletion request through the contact form |
| Newsletter email events (delivery, opens, clicks) | Until you request deletion; Mailgun's own logs expire on its retention schedule | Deletion request through the contact form |
| Unsubscribed or bounced address (suppression list) | Kept so we never email you again by mistake | Request removal through the contact form |
| Message contents (contact emails) | As needed to respond + 12 months after | Manual review and archival |
| Analytics data | 14–26 months (provider default) | Provider automatic; anonymized throughout |
| Server logs | 30 days | Hosting provider automatic |
Children's privacy
The Site is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected such information, contact us and we will delete it. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA, 15 U.S.C. §§6501–6506).
Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your information, including HTTPS in transit, restricted access controls on our backend, and short retention periods. No system is perfectly secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted to or stored on the Site. If we ever experience a breach involving personal information, we will notify affected users in accordance with applicable law.
International transfers
The Site is operated from the United States. If you access the Site from outside the U.S., you consent to your information being transferred to and processed in the U.S., where data-protection laws may differ from those of your country. For EU/EEA/UK residents, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses with our third-party processors where required.
Do Not Track and global privacy signals
We honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) browser signal as an opt-out request under California law. Because we do not sell or share personal information, the GPC signal does not change our processing, it is simply respected as a recorded opt-out preference.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes, meaning changes that expand the categories of data we collect, the purposes we use it for, or the third parties we share it with, will be noted on the Site at least 14 days before they take effect, and via the newsletter.
Contact
For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, use our contact form, this is the fastest path to a response.
For postal correspondence:
Best for Backpacking
1 E Erie St
Suite 525
Chicago, IL 60611
If you are an EU/EEA/UK resident and believe we are processing your data unlawfully, you may also lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority. A list is available at edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/board/members_en.