Terms of Use

Acceptance of these terms

These Terms of Use are an agreement between you and KnowOutdoor. They apply every time you visit the site, read an article, or follow a link.

By using the site, you agree to these terms. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and our Disclaimer.

Those two pages are part of this agreement. Read all three before you rely on anything you find here.

If you do not agree with any part of these terms, please do not use the site. Continued use is how you accept them.

Who we are and what this site is

KnowOutdoor is an editorial website about outdoor activities. We publish articles, guides, gear reviews, and how-to content for hiking, camping, and related pursuits.

The site is for information only. It is not a booking service, a permit office, a guiding company, or an emergency service.

We do not:

• Book trips, campsites, tours, or transportation for you.
• Issue, sell, or manage permits of any kind.
• Provide guided trips or in-person instruction.
• Respond to emergencies or dispatch rescue.

If you have an emergency in the field, contact local emergency services or search and rescue. Do not rely on this site for urgent help.

Permission to use the site

We grant you a limited license to use the site. This license is personal, non-commercial, and revocable.

Under this license you may:

• View our content for your own personal use.
• Share links to our pages with other people.
• Print or save a page for your own reference, such as taking a checklist on a trip.

This license does not let you use our content for business purposes, resale, or republication. We can end this license at any time if you break these terms.

Intellectual property

The content on this site is owned by KnowOutdoor or by the people and companies who license it to us. This includes the text, the images, the photography, the graphics, the logos, the layout, and the overall design.

Our content is protected by copyright and other laws. You may not do the following without our written permission:

• Republish our articles or images on another site, app, or printed product.
• Copy or scrape our content in bulk, by hand or by software.
• Sell, license, or redistribute our content to anyone else.
• Remove or change our credits, bylines, or copyright notices.

If you want to reuse something, ask us first. Write to our contact page or email [email protected] and tell us what you want to use and where.

Acceptable use

You agree to use the site in a lawful and reasonable way. The following actions are not allowed:

• Scraping, harvesting, or bulk-copying our pages, text, or images by any automated or manual method.
• Trying to break, bypass, or test the security of the site or its servers.
• Uploading or sending malware, harmful code, or anything designed to damage the site or its users.
• Using the site for any unlawful purpose or to break any local, state, or federal law.
• Sending automated traffic that overloads, slows, or disrupts the site for other people.
• Impersonating KnowOutdoor, our writers, or another person.
• Collecting personal data about our visitors or staff.

We may block, limit, or remove access for anyone who breaks these rules. We may do so without notice.

User submissions

You may send us corrections, tips, feedback, or other messages. We welcome them, because they help us keep the site accurate.

When you send us a submission, you give us permission to use it to improve the site. We may edit it, publish part of it, or act on it without payment to you.

We do not have to use it, and we do not have to credit you.

When you send a submission, you confirm two things:

• You have the right to share it with us.
• It does not break any law or the rights of another person.

Please do not send us confidential information or anything you are not free to share. If you would rather stay private, tell us in your message.

Disclaimers

Our content is general information. It is not professional, medical, legal, or safety advice for your specific situation.

Conditions in the outdoors change fast, and what is true on one trail or one day may be wrong on another.

Outdoor activity carries real risk. Hiking, camping, climbing, and travel in wild places can lead to injury, illness, or death.

You are responsible for your own choices, your own preparation, and your own safety.

Read our full Disclaimer for the details. It explains the limits of what we can promise about accuracy and fitness for your needs.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, KnowOutdoor is not liable for any damages that arise from your use of the site or your reliance on its content.

This includes direct, indirect, incidental, and consequential damages. It covers things like injury, lost time, lost money, lost data, or the cost of gear and trips.

It applies whether the claim is based on contract, negligence, or any other legal theory.

Some places do not allow certain limits on liability. Where that is the case, our liability is limited to the smallest amount the law allows.

Affiliate links and third-party sites

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

This helps fund the site.

Affiliate links never change what we recommend or what we write. Our Editorial Policy explains how we test, choose, and disclose the products we cover.

Many of our links point to third-party websites and stores. We do not own or control those sites.

When you leave KnowOutdoor:

• The other site's terms and privacy policy apply, not ours.
• We are not responsible for their content, products, prices, or service.
• You should read their terms before you buy or share information.

Indemnification

You agree to hold KnowOutdoor harmless from claims that arise out of your actions on the site. This applies if you misuse the site, break these terms, or break the law while using it.

In plain terms, if your conduct causes a legal claim or cost, that responsibility is yours and not ours. This covers reasonable legal fees and expenses tied to such a claim.

This part of the terms continues to apply even after you stop using the site.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. We might change them to reflect new features, new laws, or new practices.

When we update them, we will post the new version on this page. If you keep using the site after we post a change, that use means you accept the updated terms.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the state in which the site operator is based. They apply without regard to conflict-of-law rules that would point to another place.

If any part of these terms is found to be invalid, the rest stays in force. Our failure to enforce a term at one time does not waive our right to enforce it later.

Contact us

If you have a question about these terms, we are glad to help. Reach us through our contact page or email [email protected].

Please include enough detail so we can understand your question and reply well.