About

Hi, I'm Caleb. I run My Outdoor Exploring to help people who are new to outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking and camping.

I've been lucky to have access to all sorts of outdoor activities my whole life, hiking included. Even so, I often got frustrated trying to figure out which gear was good and which was bad. There was a lot of information out there, and it wasn't always easy for a beginner to make sense of it. This site is my way of making that part a little easier for you.

Most of the products I write about are ones I bought back when I was starting out, and I've slowly added gear over the years. I don't buy products to test and review. What you'll read here is simply my own experience with gear I own.

To be transparent: I use AI to help gather some of the data for the product comparisons. The experiences and opinions are my own.

I also want this site to help protect the places we all love. Whenever you head out, please follow the Leave No Trace Seven Principles: plan ahead, stay on durable surfaces, pack out what you pack in, leave what you find, keep campfires small, respect wildlife, and be considerate of other visitors. Leave every trail and campsite better than you found it, so the next newcomer gets to enjoy it too.

The site has no affiliate links; see the disclosure for how it is supported.

Everything here is free to read. If the guides have helped you, you can support the site on Ko-fi.

Questions or ideas? Get in touch.