About
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide you with the tools and information you need to fully enjoy your time outdoors.
We do that by writing in-depth tutorials and guides, providing comprehensive reviews of the best products you can use, and answering any questions you might have.
We aim to be the authoritative resource on camping, hiking, and other various outdoor activities.
But at the end of the day, we want you to fully enjoy and reconnect to nature. That is the goal.
1. Provide Comprehensive Reviews
2. To Be the Go-To Outdoors Resource
3. Help you to Reconnect with The Outdoors
As Seen On
Who is Behind the Site
Mike Miller
Editor-in-Chief
Mike was never the most athletic person around growing up, and going into IT hasn’t changed that.
He got into hiking and camping when he realized that he was spending too much time in front of a computer and wanted to experience nature in real life, not just on his screen.
Since then, he’s learned a lot about spending time in the wild and loves to share his experiences with Wilderness Times readers.
Favorite Camping Spot: Mike loves camping at Lockett Meadow outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. The beautiful Aspen trees intermixed with the Ponderosa pine and the cool temps make it an unforgettable experience.
Matt Blake
Managing Editor & Gear Reviewer
After spending years working in startups and corporate America, Matt desired to spend more time in nature.
So he left it all behind, and now he spends a majority of his time outdoors, testing and reviewing camping gear, and sharing his love of the outdoors with his wife and kids.
Victoria Marks
Staff Writer
Victoria is a writer that uses every free moment to escape from noisy city life.
When not working, she can be found hiking and camping with her faithful canine companion, an Alaskan Malamute.
Shawn Gossman
Contributor
Shawn Gossman is known as Hiking With Shawn in his local area. A longtime hiker, cyclist, and mountain biker turned into a local social media influencer. Shawn is a permitted hiking guide for the Shawnee National Forest and an outdoor writer. Shawn lives in the very bottom of the state of Illinois with his girlfriend, her teenage daughter, and a bunch of cats.
Tory Dancu
Contributor
Tory is an outdoors enthusiast who takes every chance she can get to get out into the woods. After growing up at the base of the Appalachian Trail, she's explored the Rockies and Shenandoah's extensively - and has loved every second! Tory is super excited to share her experiences with the readers at Wilderness Times.
James Willamor
Contributing Photographer
James is in love with all things outdoors. As the President and founder of unofficial Cicada Appreciation Society, North Carolina Chapter, he has a passion for hiking, camping, backpacking, and overlanding. He enjoys camping 40+ nights a year and sharing his experiences on Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter.
Justin Hikes
Contributing Photographer
Justin is a former software engineer. Currently enjoying Retirement 1.0. He is a forest bather who enjoys sharing his outdoor adventures on Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter. He enjoys hiking, nature photography and abandoned places.
Kate Vaks
Contributor
Kate is known as She’s Going Solo as nearly every weekend she is off solo wild camping and hiking in either The Lake District or Yorkshire Dales in England and sometimes even the Highlands of Scotland. Most recently Kate has bought a van which she has converted herself into a camper which has given her more options in getting into the outdoors. Kate loves photography and when her teenage son allows, spending time with him.
Spencer Bienstock
Contributor
Spencer is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, car camper, and climber. Spencer loves getting outside and testing equipment, no matter the weather. With a master's degree focused on sustainability, he loves wilderness conservation and seeing sustainable gear hit the market. His favorite spot to camp is at Cape Perpetua Campground in Yachats, Oregon.
All our writers and photographers all have multiple years of experience in various types of outdoor activities, such as:
- Car camping
- Backpacking
- Hiking
- Trekking
And a lot more.
They are also thoroughly vetted to make sure they meet Wilderness Times editorial standards.
Our Content
On any given day you’ll find us writing in-depth individual gear reviews like this IceMule Pro cooler review or sweating it out in a hot tent to write this review of the EcoFlow Wave Portable Air Conditioner.
And other days you’ll find us testing, rating, and reviewing entire product categories like the best 4 person tent, testing and comparing hatchets, or lounging in camping chairs to find the best one.
We love to craft informational content like how to stay safe in bear country, or comparing synthetic to down sleeping bags.
But our favorite activity is interviewing other outdoor enthusiasts like Greg from Fat Man Little Trail, outdoor writers like Stefanie Payne, and those working to promote a good cause like Lisa Louis.
No matter what we are writing, we want craft in-depth and unique articles that provide value to our readers, as well as sharing our love for the outdoors.
Our Testing and Review Process
We love to test and review gear. You’ll find us testing gear that we already own and love, are purchasing for retail prices (just like you), or items that are sent to us by the manufacturer.
No matter how we procure a product, our goal is to thoroughly test and review each item and rate it against its peers.
Our goal is to remain as unbiased as possible.
So no matter whether we have the product on hand or not, what we do is simple – we research.
A LOT.
We spend hours upon hours testing, reading, and thinking about different products for a single article, drawing from various sources: personal experience, customer reviews, YouTube videos, and a whole lot more.
We take tedious notes, and compare even the tiniest of details. Everything goes into a spreadsheet for analysis from the dimensions of the product to cost comparisons, user ratings, etc:
What we analyze depends on the product, but we rate and review each and every product that we look at.
We then cut through all noise and narrow down our choices to just a few that would be an excellent fit for our audience. This is where we deliver the most value since doing this on your own would take a lot of free time and coffee.
After that, we start writing. Using mountains of information we’ve collected, we go through multiple rounds of editing and revisions. This is to make sure we only mention the most relevant information.
To summarize: we do what you’d do if you were buying camping or hiking gear. We just spend A LOT more time on each review than the average customer.
In a way, you can see us as your research service – we research and test outdoor gear for you and deliver only the most relevant results in easy to read format.
ALSO SEE: How We Test and Review Tents
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
How we Make Money
What We Don’t Do To Make Money
Here is what we don’t do to make money:
- We don’t run sponsorship articles.
- We don’t accept paid guest posts of ANY kind.
- We dont accept promotion of products.
All of our products are independently rated, reviewed, and selected. Period.
Wilderness Times Is Reader-Supported.
That means if you click on one of our links and buy a product we recommend, we receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you).
Now you might think that makes us biased. After all, what’s stopping us from just recommending the most expensive products, regardless of their quality?
That’s a good question – but the answer is simple: the moment we stop recommending the best products and start pushing expensive junk is the moment our readers lose trust and never come back to our site again.
That’s why we are incentivized only to recommend products that are the best in their category. It might make us less money in the short-term, but it will bring us a lot more money in the long run.
So we make more money, and our readers get the best products – a win-win.
What to do now?
So what’s the next step? We’re glad you asked that!
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Want To Get In Touch?
You can easily do that by filling out our contact form or emailing us at [email protected].
Don’t be a stranger – we love getting emails from passionate readers!
The Wilderness Times Team