Affiliate Disclosure
Last updated: September 5, 2026
The Basic Information
Some links on this site earn me money. That never changes what I recommend, and it never costs you anything extra. If a brand ever gives me something or pays me, I say so in the post where it happens, not just here.
How This Site Makes Money
Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When you click an Amazon link here and buy something, Amazon pays me a small percentage. The price is identical to what you would pay going to Amazon directly.
Benable. Some gear links go through a short redirect on this site that sends you to my Benable list, and from there to the retailer. Benable handles those retailer relationships and pays me a share of what they earn. Same deal for you: the price does not change.
My own guides. I sell printable itineraries, packing lists, and checklists through Payhip. Those are mine, so when you buy one the money comes straight to me. I try to be obvious about which links are products I made and which are recommendations for someone else’s.
Other programs. I may join other affiliate programs over time. When I do, they are covered by this same page and by the disclosure at the top of the post.
What A Commission Does Not Buy
I only link to gear I have actually used, or that I would tell a friend to buy. A commission never decides whether something makes the list, and it never softens what I say about a thing that let us down. If a piece of gear failed at 10,000 feet in February, that goes into the review whether or not there is a link attached to it.
If I recommend something I have not personally used, I say that in the post.
Gifted Products Or Services
If a brand sends me something for free, I tell you in the post that covers it. Getting something free does not obligate me to write about it, and it does not buy a positive review. I turn down more than I accept, and I would rather write nothing than write something I do not mean.
Sponsored Content
If a brand pays me to create a post, a reel, or a story, that content is labeled as sponsored or as an ad, clearly and at the start, before you read or watch the thing I was paid for. Paid placement does not get you a claim I do not believe. Anything I say about a product is what I would say without the payment.
How I Disclose Things
- Posts with affiliate links carry a note at the top, above the first link, saying so.
- Individual paid links may also be marked with “(paid link)”.
- Gifted items are named as gifted in the post itself.
- Sponsored posts are labeled as sponsored at the top, before the content.
On Social Media
The same rules apply on @onthealpenglow. Paid partnerships use Instagram’s paid partnership label and say “ad” or “sponsored” in the caption where you can see it without tapping “more”. Gifted items are called gifted. Affiliate links in stories or in my link list are disclosed as affiliate links.
Questions?
If anything here is unclear, or you want to know whether a specific recommendation was paid for, email heidi@onthealpenglow.com and I will answer your questions to the best of my ability.