I have said many times here and other places how bad I think the cable TV hunting shows are but I have to admit that there is at least one exception.  I do like the Eastmans Hunting Journal TV show but I have to laugh when I see them using, exclusively, Nikon optics.  In fact, the majority of those shows feature Nikon.  In the interest of full disclosure I recommend Nikon 8x42, 10x56 and 12x56 Monarchs as the best third tier binoculars.  I own and use Monarchs for certain situations and they are what I have my 11 year old son set up with to use in the field.  The EDG binoculars are outstanding but they don't come in anything bigger than a 42mm objective so I don't use them and with the exception of the occasional EDG spotting scope, these shows are not using them either.  I laugh because Eastmans is a high end outfit so it is absolutely obvious to me that the only reason they are using Nikon products on their show as opposed to Zeiss, Swarovski or Leica is because Nikon is a paying sponsor.  There is the rub. 

If someone is being compensated to use a product how can I trust them to tell me the truth on gear recommendations rather it be a segment in the show or a commercial.  You can't and that is my big gripe with the magazines and TV shows regarding their gear recommendations.  They simply are not believable.  If you are being compensated through a sponsorship or advertising from an entity that you opine on then your objectivity and credibility are severely compromised.  Period.  End of argument as far as I am concerned.

Now, does that mean that you will never see advertising here?  Well, you already do but I don't have anything to do with it.  The Google Ads you see on the left side of this blog are the result of me checking a box in my Go Daddy account.  I have no idea and no control over who or what gets sold over there and frankly, I don't care.  However, I have and am now, in fact, considering taking ad dollars from entities that I don't review or evaluate.  For example, an airline, some kind of destination, financial institutions or something similar.  Where it gets sticky for me is on things like stores and automobile manufacturers.  

Anyway, we have the numbers to attract good advertisers and there will probably be a point in the future where you will see them.  I can tell you one thing for certain, I don't and will never sell, lease or use reader/visitor information.  I don't like it when it is done to me, I won't do it to you.
 
So, who can you really trust for solid gear recommendations?  Someone that knows what they are talking about, doesn't have a stake in the game financially and doesn't have anything to lose in exchange for their honesty.  Hardcore Outdoor meets those criteria and always will as long as I have anything to do with it.  Comments?  I am all ears.

Wade Nelson
Editor

Sorting through the fads and fashion of the outdoor equipment industry to identify and promote the very best wilderness gear for high end recreational users, backcountry professionals and government agencies. 

We can be educated and persuaded but not bought, bullied or bs'd. 

Hardcore Outdoor is dedicated to those who won't or can't turn back.