Editorial Policy
This policy explains how the Pitch & Pack Editorial Team decides what to publish, and what the site will not publish. It applies to every guide, category page and tool on the site.
How we choose topics
Each guide starts with a question a first-time camper really has: how to reserve a site, what to bring for a cold night, how a campfire ban works. We group topics into five categories and give each guide its own question, so two guides do not answer the same thing. When a guide touches a topic that needs a different kind of advice, such as first aid or survival, it says so in one sentence and points to the official source.
If we cannot support a topic with an official source, we skip it or write only the part we can support.
Official sources only
Facts, numbers and rules come from official public sources. These include the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, NOAA and the National Weather Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state park agencies and Recreation.gov. The Leave No Trace Center is also used for the outdoor ethics principles it publishes.
We do not use forums, social media posts, product pages or other blogs as the basis for a rule or a number. The list of agencies and how we use them is on the Methodology and Sources page.
Dates of consultation
Every guide lists its sources with the date we consulted each one. That date shows when we last opened the source. It does not show when the rule was written, and it does not promise the rule is unchanged today.
Rules that change
Fire restrictions, closures, wildlife notices and reservation windows change by place and by day. A guide can describe how these rules usually work and where to find them. It cannot tell you the rule for your campground today.
When a rule varies, the guide says so and sends you to the official page for the park, forest or campground. When we cannot find an official number, we do not print one.
How we use photos
Photos come from Pexels and are used under the Pexels license. Each photo is credited to its photographer, and the site links to Pexels. Photos illustrate a topic. They are not evidence that a rule applies or that a place looks a certain way. The full credit list is on the Methodology and Sources page.
No paid content
Pitch & Pack publishes no sponsored articles, no paid placements and no links that pay a commission. No company can pay to be mentioned, ranked or left out. Guides describe types of gear, not brands, and the site shows no prices.
No invented experts
The site speaks in one institutional voice. It does not quote made-up experts, describe trips that did not happen, or publish reviews and testimonials. Nothing is presented as personal experience, because the byline is a team and not a person.
Updates and corrections
We recheck a guide when we learn that an official source has changed, and when a reader reports a problem. When a factual error is confirmed, the guide gets a dated correction note. The Corrections page explains how to report a problem and keeps a public record.
The guides are educational and do not replace local rules or the instructions of rangers and staff. See the Disclaimer for details.