Frequently Asked Questions

The site is owned and published by Iron Mako Media. Every page is written by Mike M., the hands-on owner behind Iron Mako Media. More on the About page.

It's how many grams a product saves, compared with a typical mainstream product in the same category, for every dollar of its list price. Higher is better: more weight off your back per dollar spent. The formula and the reference products are on How we rank.

Because weight alone always crowns the most expensive ultralight gear, and price alone always crowns the heaviest cheap gear. Measuring the grams saved against a named, typical entry-level product tells you what each dollar actually buys. Every reference and its source is listed on the methodology page.

No, and we say so on every page. Units we claim to have tested: 0. Every pick is labeled “Spec-researched”: its weight, list price and specs come from the maker's own pages, each linked, and performance figures like boil times or flow rates are labeled as the maker's claims.

From each maker's product page or spec sheet, in grams (converted from ounces where the maker only lists ounces, and labeled that way). We say which weight we use: minimum trail weight for tents, a named size for packs, the regular size for pads, per pair for trekking poles.

Amazon sets its own prices and changes them often. No live Amazon price feed is connected yet, so rather than show a number that might be wrong, every button says “Check price on Amazon” and opens the live listing. If a live feed is connected later, prices will appear inside the buttons with an “as of” time.

The list price (MSRP) is the maker's own published regular price, read on its website on the date shown. We use it to compute grams per dollar and build totals because it's sourced and stable. Amazon's price is whatever Amazon charges today, which is often different. The two are never mixed.

Through Amazon Associates. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases: when you buy through a “Check price on Amazon” button, Amazon may pay a small commission at no extra cost to you. Details in the affiliate disclosure.

No. Brands can't buy a spot or a score, and we don't accept free products for coverage. Commissions never decide a pick. See the editorial policy.

Amazon is the only retailer we have an affiliate relationship with at launch, and most of the value-focused gear we rank is listed there. When a better-value option is sold only by its maker, we still mention it and link the maker with a plain link we don't earn on.

Base weight is everything you carry except consumables (food, water and fuel) and the clothes and gear you're wearing. It's the number ultralight hikers compare, because it doesn't change during a trip. Our full explainer: what is base weight?

They cover the gear that decides weight and price: shelter, sleep system, pack, kitchen, water treatment, light and rain gear. Each build lists exactly what it includes and what it doesn't (clothing you already own, food, water, fuel and personal smalls). Totals are computed from the makers' figures. Start with the $500 build.

Many cottage brands sell only from their own websites. We include them as comparison points where they help (for example, as the premium option a budget pick is measured against), with a plain link to the maker. Our rankings focus on gear you can buy through a mainstream retailer.

It's a weighted average: grams per dollar 35%, weight 20%, category function 25%, materials and durability 10%, and ease and versatility 10%. The first two are computed from the maker's numbers; the rest are judgments from published specs. The full method is on How we rank.

Amazon listings are re-checked monthly, and weights, specs and list prices every six months (spring and fall) or when a model changes. Every page shows its “Updated” date and a dated list of what changed.

Email mike@blackironathletics.com or use the contact form with the page and the figure that's wrong. We check it against the maker's source, fix it everywhere it appears, and log the correction with the date.

No. Ounce & Outlook is an online publisher with no phone line and no storefront, so email (mike@blackironathletics.com) is the way to reach us. We don't sell gear, so orders, shipping and returns go to the retailer you bought from.