Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

This Privacy Policy explains how Overland Gear Guide (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, and protects your information when you use the Overland Gear Guide website (overland-gear-guide.com) and any related tools, downloads, and services (together, the “Services”).

We are an informational site focused on overlanding, route planning, and 4×4 skills. We take privacy seriously and aim to collect only what we need to run the site, understand how it’s used, and keep improving our content and tools.

2. What This Policy Covers

This Policy applies to information we collect:

• When you visit or browse any page on overland-gear-guide.com
• When you use our tools (e.g., calculators, planners)
• When you sign up for email updates or contact us
• When you click outbound affiliate links from our site

It does not apply to third-party websites or services that we link to (for example, Amazon, booking sites, map providers, or social networks). Those services have their own privacy policies that you should review separately.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

We may collect information you choose to provide, such as:

• Contact details – e.g., name and email address when you use our contact form or subscribe to a newsletter.
• Messages – the content of any messages you send through forms or email.
• Optional inputs – trip details or vehicle info you voluntarily enter into our tools (for calculations only).

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the site, certain information may be collected automatically (through cookies and similar technologies), for example:

• IP address and approximate location (city/region, not precise coordinates)
• Device type, browser type/version, and operating system
• Pages viewed, time on page, clicks, and referring/exit URLs
• Session identifiers and basic usage patterns

We typically view this data in aggregated, anonymised form to understand traffic patterns and improve the site.

3.3 Cookies & Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Remember basic preferences (such as cookie banner choices)
• Analyse traffic and usage patterns
• Track affiliate clicks for commission purposes

You can usually control cookies via your browser settings (e.g., block, delete, or limit tracking cookies). Note that some parts of the site may not function correctly if cookies are disabled.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Site operation & performance – to run, maintain, and secure the website and tools.
• Analytics & improvements – to understand which articles, tools, and routes are most useful, and to improve content and user experience.
• Communication – to respond to your messages and send you emails you explicitly signed up for (e.g., newsletters, updates, or replies).
• Compliance & protection – to comply with legal obligations and protect our rights and users, including preventing abuse or security incidents.
• Affiliate and revenue tracking – to attribute purchases to our site when you click an affiliate link (e.g., Amazon), so we can earn a legal, disclosed commission.

5. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)

If you are in the UK or EU, we rely on the following legal bases to process your personal data:

• Legitimate interests – for analytics, site security, and affiliate tracking, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Consent – for optional cookies (where required) and email marketing (newsletters, updates) you explicitly opt into.
• Contract – where processing is necessary to provide a service you requested (e.g., replying to a contact query).
• Legal obligations – where we must retain or share certain information to comply with applicable laws.

6. Analytics, Tools & Third Parties

We may use privacy-conscious analytics and third-party services to help run Overland Gear Guide, for example:

• Traffic and usage analytics (e.g., page views, referrers, time on page)
• Email delivery services (for newsletters or confirmation emails)
• Cloud hosting providers and content delivery networks (CDNs)
• Affiliate networks (e.g., Amazon Associates) for link tracking

These providers process data on our behalf under data processing agreements where required. We aim to minimise personal data sharing and prefer aggregated or pseudonymised analytics wherever possible.

7. Affiliate Links & Tracking

Overland Gear Guide participates in affiliate programs, including (but not limited to) the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you click an affiliate link on our site:

• You will be redirected to a third-party retailer (e.g., Amazon).
• That retailer or affiliate network may place its own cookies or tracking tags in your browser.
• If you make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

We do not have access to your full purchase history or payment details, but we may see anonymous or aggregated sales data (e.g., “X users purchased this product this month”) to help us understand what gear is actually useful.

These third parties have their own privacy policies and cookie practices, which you should review directly on their sites.

8. Email, Newsletters & Contact Forms

If you subscribe to our email list, we will store your email address (and any other details you provide) with our email service provider for the purpose of:

• Sending you newsletters, updates, or special content you signed up for
• Measuring open rates, clicks, and unsubscribes to improve what we send

You can unsubscribe at any time using the “unsubscribe” link in any email, or by contacting us directly.

When you contact us via a form or email, we will use your details only to respond to your query and manage any follow-up communication.

9. Data Retention

We retain information only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy, including:

• To run and secure the site
• To understand usage patterns and improve content
• To comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it or anonymise it where feasible.

10. How We Protect Your Information

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including:

• HTTPS encryption for all site traffic
• Restricted access to administrative areas and storage
• Use of reputable hosting providers and security updates

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we work hard to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Your Rights (Especially EU/UK Residents)

Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights over your personal data, including:

• Access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion – to request deletion of your personal data, where applicable.
• Restriction – to request that we limit how we process your data.
• Objection – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Data portability – to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
• Withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent (e.g., newsletters), you can withdraw at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in the “Contact” section below. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (for example, the ICO in the UK or your national authority in the EU).

12. Children’s Privacy

Overland Gear Guide is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

13. International Transfers

Our site and service providers may be based in different countries, which means your information may be transferred and processed outside your home country, including in countries that may have different data protection laws.

Where required by law (for example, under GDPR), we take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers, such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent protections.

14. Third-Party Links & External Sites

Our guides and gear recommendations frequently link to third-party sites (e.g., Amazon, booking platforms, official park pages, mapping tools). We are not responsible for:

• The content, security, or privacy practices of those sites
• How they collect or use your personal data

We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any external site before creating an account, making a booking, or entering payment information.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our Services, or how we handle data. When we do, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top and may post a notice on the site.

Your continued use of the Services after any changes become effective means you accept the updated Policy. If you do not agree, you should stop using the site and tools.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to make a data request, or need something clarified, please contact us via our contact page:

Contact

Please include enough detail for us to understand your request (for example, your email address and the nature of your query), and we’ll do our best to respond within a reasonable timeframe.