How Grant Reviews Products

Grant has tested more than 600+ products over years of active evaluation. Every score published on Gear Made Simple reflects a documented evaluation process with specific criteria, minimum evaluation periods, and a set of disqualifying conditions that remove a product from consideration regardless of its other scores. This page explains that process in full.

The goal is simple: when Grant recommends something, you should be able to read exactly why, see the methodology behind the score, and decide whether that methodology applies to your situation. A 9.0 for one type of user may be a 7.0 for another. Grant's reviews tell you which situation you're in.

Evaluation Period

Minimum: 3 weeks minimum (research + simulation + community data). This is not a guideline — it is a hard floor. No verdict is published before the minimum evaluation period has elapsed. Reviews that reach a preliminary conclusion before the minimum period are held until the evaluation is complete.

Scoring Criteria

Every product is scored across five dimensions. The weights below reflect their relative importance to the overall score. A product that scores perfectly on low-weight dimensions but fails a high-weight dimension cannot score above 7.5.

Grant's Field Testing Disclosure

Grant has not tested every product in outdoor conditions. This is disclosed in every review where it applies. His research methodology compensates for this through depth: specification analysis, home durability simulation, Linda's field reports, and community data synthesis. Reviews that include Linda's direct field experience are labeled accordingly.

The Linda Test

Linda is Grant's wife and has been to more places in the last three years than Grant has been in twelve. When Linda uses a product in actual outdoor conditions and reports back, her data is incorporated into the review as direct field experience. Grant considers the Linda test more rigorous than most controlled gear reviews because Linda is not trying to impress anyone with her preparation.

Seasonal Review Policy

40% of gear reviews are seasonally relevant. Spring and summer reviews cover products best evaluated April through August. Reviews published outside their peak season carry a seasonal note. Grant does not recommend gear for conditions he cannot assess in the current season without noting the limitation.

Automatic Disqualifiers

The following conditions remove a product from consideration regardless of how it scores in other dimensions. These are not opinions — they are structural failures that make a recommendation impossible:

• Weight claims on spec sheet that differ from actual measured weight by more than 5%
• Weather resistance ratings that are not supported by material certifications
• Products with documented failure rates above 8% in the first season of use
• Seasonal products reviewed outside their relevant use window without noting limitations

Affiliate Disclosure

Gear Made Simple earns commission on some links in its reviews. This commission does not influence scores. Products are evaluated before affiliate relationships are established, and Grant's score is the score regardless of whether an affiliate link exists for that product. Products that do not have affiliate programs receive the same evaluation as products that do.

The affiliate tag used on Gear Made Simple is signalmediagr-gearscout-20 for Amazon links. Other affiliate programs vary by product. All affiliate links are marked in reviews. The affiliate disclosure appears in every review and in the pinned comment on every YouTube video.

About Grant

Read the full reviewer profile: Grant — Outdoor Gear Expert