We started alpkit, as we didnt like how things where being done. This had mostly to do with the fact that we had stopped listening to users and started listening to reps and what the buyers had to say. Ultimately this meant that the design of the product would stray away from what the customer would actually want. In the last couple of years it has been noticeable how much information is being published about gear in various blogs. This can only be a good thing

http://whitespider1066.com/?cat=449
Nice site, glad to know he has a mac now.

http://www.northernwalker.com/
Doesnt appear to use any of our gear though.

http://lighthiker.wordpress.com/
Loads of stuff on DIY gear, and thinking outside the box.

http://loveinatent.blogspot.com/search/label/Gear
Author of - Sex in a tent

http://londonbackpackers.blogspot.com/
Not much about gear but he does mention our comp

http://summitandvalley.blogspot.com/
New on the blogging scene (i think) some good stuff to come. Says nothing bad about our poles…..honest.

http://www.petesy.co.uk/?s=alpkit
If only we had thought to call the company Cleverest

http://aktoman.blogspot.com/2008/08/akto-ii.html
Some useful stuff with video as well

http://drw.me.uk/RedYeti/category/kit/custom-kit/
He seems to have a home made sewing kit just like mine

http://walkaboutuk.blogspot.com/2006/03/faq-backpacking-advice.html
Lots of advice on this one

http://www.outdoorbloggers.com
Loads more here

Cheers for the plug, and always happy to point people in this direction for good kit ideas from people who care. See you at the next show to yet again chew your ear off about micro packable bags

You missed me and my Pipedream 400

http://blogpackinglight.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/major-gear/

http://blogpackinglight.wordpress.com/2008/05/24/cg-08-gear-review-2/

Nick you missed mine too http://bazbackpack.blogspot.com/

I do a fair bit of gear review. And my Hunka travels with me when I’m out under a tarp.

Yes, I’d thoroughly recommend the outdoors bloggers - and I’m sure you’ll have forgotten some good ones.  (Was Andy Howell in the list?)  Once you start looking at them they mostly have links to other blogs so have a look and see what you like.  I DON’T have a blog, but I enjoy commenting on blogs - hopefully I’m sometimes useful, sometimes humorous and at least make the blogger realise that somebody is reading and enjoying their work.

What I would recommend is using Google Reader to track what gets updated on blogs.  Before I discovered it I’d spend ages looking on a daily basis to see if there’d been any new posts.  With reader you just give it a list of your favourite blogs and it tracks them for you.  So go get it!