About Sweet Spot Backpack
I created this website to help you save money on backpacking gear. I do so in the following ways:
- Teach you ways to save money on backpacking gear
- Provide a one-stop website explaining all you need to know about backpacking gear
- Help you determine which gear you need and don’t need for your backpacking conditions
- Recommend backpacking gear at the sweet spot of weight, performance, and cost
- Email you notifications of sales
This website is oriented toward beginners, but some of the gear sold here is useful for experienced backpackers as well.
I receive commissions on most (but not all) items you buy through this website. The cost to you is the same as purchasing them directly on the seller’s website. I sell some items without being paid if they’re the best deals and I’m not affiliated with the sellers.
I don’t use AI for this website. I write all of the content myself because I’m passionate about it. Unlike AI’s recommendations, mine are based on human experience. I remember how it feels to be cold and wet from inappropriate clothing and exhausted from an overly heavy backpack. I still kick myself for having wasted money on unsuitable or unnecessary gear.
AI can answer your questions, but it’s often wrong. Even when it’s right, you might be asking the wrong questions. Sweet Spot Backpack teaches you how to ask the right questions, whether you’re asking AI, an outdoor gear retailer, or yourself.
I never rely on recommendations from AI assistants!
How I choose gear to recommend:
- I refer to manufacturers’ specifications, including:
- Materials
- Weight
- Dimensions
- Denier
- Fill power
- Fill weight
- Down-to-feather ratio
- ISO or EN temperature ratings
- HH (Hydrostatic Head)
- MVTR (Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate)
- R-values
- Clo values if available
- Construction (e.g., 2-, 2.5-, or 3-layered rain gear)
- Essential features (e.g., side mesh panels to reduce condensation in single-wall tents)
- I read books such as The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka.
- I consult peer-reviewed technical journals such as The Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics
- I refer to ISO and ANSI standards
- I collect information from many long-term, field-test gear reviews in reputable websites (e.g., outdoorgearlab.com) and YouTube videos (e.g., TheOutdoorGearReview). I don’t watch paid reviews or unboxing videos.
- I look for trends in customer reviews on seller sites such as Amazon and REI.
- I draw from my many decades of experience. I’ve developed an accurate sense of what is necessary or unnecessary and what is too heavy, cold, warm, uncomfortable, or unbreathable for most people in most backpacking conditions.
- I test some gear myself.
- I compare prices and choose the most affordable options.