tgo magazine live letters archive

Can I borrow your opinions again folks?

Been chatting with our gear expert and we wondered whether - appearances aside - those who read tgo's gear reviews find the summary panels at the end of comparative reviews useful or not? They're basically a compilation of the info lists from each individual piece of kit, but in table form for quick ref.

Love or loathe?

<bump>

I like 'em.

Si

hardly use, but then again I try and look at what comes out top, and the near winners, and see which is affordable for me.
Blindly I take your recommendation at face value, and so far "touch wood", haven't been disappointed.

I mostly like them, but it depends on the kit being tested, sometimes the evaluation is subjective and therefore doesn't easily fit into a table format.

Most of the time they are helpfull.

Would be nice to know what weather conditions the gear is tested in as not all gear can withstand good old Scottish rain!!

Nice also to know what sport its best suited for eg climbing general walking etc.

I am not a fan of the gear reviews in TGO, but this is not a reflection on Chris. The 'Fleece at a Glance' table in this month's edition is very dark.
I feel that in common with the presentation of gear reviews in TGO it is dull and unattractive.
The photo's of the fleeces in this month's edition are incredibly 'flat'. More imagination is needed. The review itself is a paragraph of prose that has to be read and sifted for information. Bullet points or indented paragraphs would make reading them and comparison easier.
The at a glance summary has all the individual review information except the part you really read it for; that is the reviewers opinion ,(likes and dislikes).
Finally I think you should include somewhere manufacturers/suppliers details as no one shop stocks them all.

By Crikey I think he's got it! Second vote for everything Philip just said, especially the readability of bulletted text for each point the review wants to make.

<Hmmm. Now to avoid the onslaught of Trail-bashers desperate to avoid an over-nuggety magazine.

Trail basher? Hold on, that's me too....>