Tested outside. Written with care. Shared with you.
We started Trail & Kale with a simple idea: the outdoors should feel accessible, inspiring, and a little less confusing when it comes to choosing the right gear.
These days, we test and write about the outdoor gear, clothing, and lifestyle gadgets that actually make our life outside better—whether that’s for hiking, traveling, car camping, van life, or simply living more intentionally day to day.
Everything we review has been used extensively—outside, in the real world—often over weeks or even months. If it’s on Trail & Kale, it’s because we believe it’s worth knowing about.
For Alastair’s running shoe reviews: Visit Alastairrunning.com, or his Youtube Channel.
Real-world use. No fluff. No filters.
We don’t sit in a studio unboxing gear and calling it a review. We wear the jackets in unexpected storms, use the gadgets on real road trips, sleep in the tents, test the insulation on chilly mornings, and even see how long those fancy coffee mugs actually stay hot.
That kind of first-hand experience is what helps us answer the real questions you’re probably asking: Does it last? Is it worth it? Will I enjoy using it every day?
And if it doesn’t hold up, we’ll say so.
What we look for when reviewing outdoor gear
- Durability – Can it survive real use and still look the part?
- Functionality – Does it do what it claims, and make your life easier?
- Comfort – Because the best gear gets used the most.
- Sustainability – We favor brands making an effort to do better.
- Design – We love things that are smart, efficient, and well made.
- Value – We’re not here to sell hype. We’re here to help you buy once, and buy right.
A bit about how we test
Each product gets used in its intended environment. Lightweight hiking gear? It goes out on actual mountain trails and backpacking trips. Travel gadgets? We take them on the road. Jackets and layers? We wear them in unpredictable shoulder seasons where they’re truly tested.
We’re always asking:
Would we recommend this to a friend who loves the outdoors like we do? Would we buy it again?
If yes, you’ll probably read about it here.
Why trust us?
We’ve built this blog around honest, experience-based reviews – and have been around since 2014.
Not every product gets a glowing report. And if there’s something better out there, we’ll tell you. In fact, many of the brands we’ve worked with over the years have used our feedback to improve future designs—and we’re proud of that.
We also write gear roundups to help you compare top products in a specific category, whether you’re after a waterproof jacket that packs down small or a reliable gadget that earns its spot in your pack.
Transparency matters
Sometimes brands send us products to test. Sometimes we buy them ourselves. But no matter how gear shows up on our doorstep, the reviews you read here are independent, unbiased, and written from real experience—not from a press release.
We include affiliate links in some posts. If you choose to buy through those, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a simple way to support the work we do—so thank you for that 🙏 Learn more about that here.
Bottom line
If it’s featured on Trail & Kale, it’s because we’ve used it, tested it, and believe it’s worth talking about.
Whether it’s a piece of gear that keeps you warm, a gadget that simplifies your travel setup, or something that just brings joy to your outdoor lifestyle—we’re here to help you find it.
Thanks for reading, and for being part of this community.
– Alastair, Helen, Sebastian 👦🏼, Kepler 🐕