Affiliate & Advertising Disclosure
Last updated: 2026
Short version: some links on our gear pages are affiliate links, so we earn a small commission when you buy through them — at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we say. We'll tell you to skip a product we'd get paid for. That's the whole point of this place.
What's an affiliate link?
When we recommend a piece of gear — boots, a ruck, a watch, a multitool — the link to buy it sometimes carries a tracking code. If you click it and buy, the retailer pays us a small percentage of the sale. You pay exactly the same price you'd pay otherwise. That commission is how the Gear Locker pays for itself.
Money never touches ratings
This is a load-bearing wall, not a slogan. Our MOS reviews, ratings, and rankings are generated from verified service-member submissions and government data. No advertiser and no affiliate relationship can influence them. To be specific:
- Affiliate links live only in the Gear Locker and clearly labeled spots. They are never mixed into MOS reviews, ratings, or rankings.
- No brand can pay to change a verdict, move up a ranking, or get a better score. Not for any price.
- We recommend the cheaper option — or no option — when that's the honest answer, even when we'd earn more on the expensive one.
- Every affiliate link is marked so search engines don't treat it as an endorsement (
rel="sponsored nofollow").
Sponsored gear reviews
Sometimes a company sends gear to a verified service member to review in the field. When that happens, the review is clearly labeled as sponsored, the reviewer keeps the gear, and we don't edit their verdict — neither does the company. If the gear is bad, the review says so. A free sample buys a fair test, not a good review.
Who we work with
We participate in affiliate programs run through networks like CJ Affiliate and AWIN, and directly with some gear brands. Being in a program has zero bearing on whether we recommend a product. Plenty of brands we link never paid us a cent, and plenty of products from paying brands get panned. As an Amazon Associate (where applicable) we earn from qualifying purchases.
Advertising
Any advertising we run is contextual — based on what a page is about, not on your personal data — and visually separated from editorial content. We don't pass your personal information to ad networks. See our Privacy Policy and Terms for the full picture.
Questions
Think we got something wrong, or a link looks off? [email protected]. We'd rather hear it from you than have you doubt us quietly.
Protected by default. Honest by design.
Read our Constitution