About

The idea for Renegade Camping & EDC began after a dope weekend trip to Carrizo National Plain Monument in early 2021. Christian Southards, our founder, has slowly been putting the pieces together ever since!

Here’s what we’re all about!

First, Where’s the Name Come From?

Believe it or not, the name is a nod to Bruce Springsteen! If you can figure out how, right on!

But otherwise, we love dispersed (ahem, renegade) camping. So why not put it into the name, right?

Being a Renegade: We’re Shooting for Unconventional, Not Unjust

First things, first: we’re not trying to rewrite the book on camping or everyday carry, but we do like to look at things from a different perspective. That means presenting gear guides and reviews of products you might not ordinarily think of, or at least looking at products that have a surprising use.

Oh, and by “renegade”, we don’t mean that we’re trying to play rebel or Robin Hood. There’s no political statement being made here, and in fact…

We’re a No-Politics Space!

Politics are everywhere—and sure, maybe being apolitical is a political statement in itself. Maybe. Nevertheless, we’re here to have a good time, talk about some great gear and places, and go about our day!

Camping and everyday carry are for everyone, not just those who subscribe to the right, left, or anything in between.

As such, we’re not going to comment on political events or anything of the like! And yeah, that includes Second Amendment rights (plenty of other blogs and outlets talk about this; there’s nothing useful that we can add to the conversation).

One sort-of exception: we proudly support U.S. veterans, first responders, and teachers!

So What Else Is Renegade Camping About?

Not much! We try to keep things simple around here.

Transparency Over Capital

One of our most dearly held beliefs for this site is to write high-quality, honest, and informative reviews. We want our readers to see us as a valuable resource, not a money grab!

That said…

We Do Make Money Off This Site

Writing honest guides and reviews doesn’t mean we can’t earn something for our work. We profit from native ads, sponsorships, and through affiliate programs like Amazon’s Associates. 

That said, we are very selective about the products we write about: we come up with our topics ourselves (unless our readers suggest something), test them out if we can, and write about our actual experience. 

And any products we can’t immediately test ourselves, we still thoroughly research before writing a review! 

But We Only Accept Sponsors Who Are OK With Us Giving Accurate Reviews!

We will not agree to contracts that require us to omit shortcomings, features, or anything that could mislead a reader about a given product in our guides and reviews.

Conservation & Environmentalism

There’s a lot we can say about conservation and environmentalism, but we’ll keep it short: we want to do our part to preserve America’s camping spots and natural wonders so that future generations can enjoy them too! 

Keeping America’s Natural Landscapes Beautiful and Clean

For one, that means respecting the land! 

When you leave a campsite, it should look like you were never there (well, within reason of course). Don’t leave trash. Don’t disturb the environment without good cause. You know the drill! And if you don’t, the organization Leave No Trace is a great place to start (we’re big supporters of their principals).

Anytime we do a location breakdown, we’ll try to highlight critical aspects of the site so you can enjoy the scenery responsibly.

That Means Reviewing Quality Gear That’s Built to Last…

Respecting the land also means investing in quality gear.

For example, single-use items, especially those made of plastics or other non-biodegradable materials, should be limited as much as possible. 

And before you object, we’re not saying anyone should avoid budget gear! Everyone has a right to enjoy nature and everyday carry, and many can’t afford to drop hundreds or thousands of dollars on a whim. You can find quality camping and EDC gear on any budget—and we’re here to help!

And to Paraphrase the Words of the Immortal Forest Gump…

That’s all we have to say about that!

Cheers!

-Christian Southards and the Renegade Camping & EDC team