Here at The Loaded Backpack, transparency matters! I want you to know exactly how this site works, so you can trust the advice, gear reviews, and trail guides you read here.
Our Content is Reader-Supported.
Let me explain… Some of the links on this website are affiliate links. This means if you click on one of these links and make a purchase within a certain time frame, I may earn a small commission for helping to bring customers to their website. Importantly: This does not cost you anything extra — the price you pay is the same —the commission is paid by the retailers.
These commissions help cover the costs of running The Loaded Backpack (hosting, research, photography, and endless cups of coffee!) and allow me to keep creating free, detailed resources for UK hikers and backpackers.
How Affiliate Links Work
Here’s an example… In our Best High-End Backpacks for UK Backpacking (2025 Edition) you will see our overall winner the Osprey Atmos AG 65 Review (2025). Within the review you will see a link (or button) to check the current price on Amazon.
If you click on this link you will be taken to this backpack on Amazon.co.uk. If you then complete a purchase on their website within the next 24 hours, we may receive a commission somewhere between 1 to 10 percent of your order.
This does not affect you as the consumer or the price of the product.
If you do chose to purchase an item or service through one of our affiliate links, I want to personally thank you for supporting the blog!
Affiliate Program Participation
We use two main types of affiliate program:
Amazon Associates Program
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Other Retail Partners
We also partner with other trusted UK outdoor retailers, such as Cotswold Outdoor, Go Outdoors, Ellis Brigham, and other established gear providers. Affiliate partnerships are always chosen carefully and only with companies we would feel confident recommending to fellow hikers. If you click a product affiliate link and buy the product from the manufactures website or one of its distributers sites, then same as before, we will get a small commission or some other type of compensation. Again, prices are not different if you use these affiliate links. You will not pay more by clicking through the link.
Our Promise to You
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We never recommend gear we wouldn’t use ourselves on UK trails.
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Affiliate partnerships never influence the outcome of reviews or guides.
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Our priority is always to provide honest, practical advice for hikers and backpackers in Britain.
Why It Matters
Affiliate income keeps this site sustainable, but your trust is far more important. By being open about these links, we aim to strike a balance between supporting the site and maintaining 100% integrity in the advice we share.
Thank you for supporting The Loaded Backpack. Every click helps keep this resource alive for the UK hiking community.
Gifted & Loaned Products
Occasionally products featured on this site may have been sent to us by a company or distributer for our consideration. However, we are never under any obligation to review or feature them in our posts. We write only about products that we genuinely like and would recommend and we are never paid by manufacturers for tests or reports.
Where a product has be supplied by a company or distributer we will make it clear in the review.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Does it cost me more if I use affiliate links?
A: No. The price is the same — the retailer pays us a small commission, not you.
Q: Do affiliate links influence your reviews?
A: Absolutely not. I only recommend gear I’ve tested personally or would trust on UK trails.
Q: Which companies do you partner with?
A: Mainly Amazon.co.uk and leading UK outdoor retailers such as Cotswold Outdoor, Go Outdoors, and Ellis Brigham.
Q: Why do you use affiliate links?
A: Affiliate income helps cover the running costs of The Loaded Backpack and keeps our hiking guides and gear reviews free for the UK hiking community.