18 questions · answered by Mike M.
Frequently asked questions.
Everything readers and affiliate program reviewers ask about the network, answered in plain words. If your question is not here, email me.
Before you read
The long version of most of these answers lives on the About page: editorial standards, hands-on testing and the affiliate disclosure. The list of sites is on the portfolio page.
Who owns these websites?
Iron Mako Media owns and operates every site listed on this hub, and Iron Mako Media is owned and run by one person: Mike M.. There is no parent media group behind it. Every site in the portfolio names Iron Mako Media in its footer and links back to this page so you can check.
How do the sites make money?
Through affiliate commissions. When you click a link on one of the portfolio sites and buy something, the retailer may pay that site a small commission. The price you pay is the same. That commission is how the sites are funded, and each site says so on every page that carries a link. This hub carries no affiliate links at all.
Are the reviews independent?
Yes. Commissions never set a score or decide which product is recommended. If something is not worth buying, the site says so, whether or not a commission is available on it. Every site also states on each recommendation whether the pick is based on hands-on use or on research, so you can weigh it accordingly.
Is there an affiliate disclosure?
Yes. Every portfolio site carries an affiliate disclosure on every page that contains an affiliate link, and the network-wide disclosure is published on this hub's About page. The disclosure follows the FTC's Endorsement Guides: it is clear, it is close to the links it applies to, and it is written in plain words rather than legal language.
How are products chosen and tested?
Products are chosen by the standards published on this hub: what a reader in that category actually needs to know, not what pays the highest commission. Testing is hands-on where possible. Where hands-on use is not possible, the pick is built from specifications, standards, and long-term owner reports, and the page says so. The sites never claim to have tested something they have not.
How do I contact the owner?
Email mike@blackironathletics.com or use the form on the contact page. Mike M. reads and answers every message personally. There is no phone line and no office address; the network is run online.
Which sites are live right now?
None yet. All 30 sites in the portfolio are marked launching soon. Each site's profile on this hub describes what it will cover, and a live link is added to its card and profile the day it launches. A site marked launching soon has no link anywhere on this hub, so if you see a link, the site is live.
What is Iron Mako Media?
Iron Mako Media is an owner-operated network of 30 gear review websites. Each site covers one narrow category, such as waterfowl hunting gear, hiking footwear or coolers, and helps readers decide what to buy. This hub is the brand homepage: it lists every site, explains the editorial standards they share, and names the person behind them.
What do the sites review?
The portfolio is grouped into 6 categories: Hunting & Shooting; Camping, Hiking & Trail; Fitness & Training; Sports & Backyard; Home, Family & Everyday; Seasonal & Holiday. Each site sticks to its own niche. None of them review each other's categories and none of them cover this hub's business.
Why does a gear review site link to this page?
Because every site in the network is required to. The footer of each portfolio site names Iron Mako Media as its owner, and its About page links here. That link is how a reader, or an affiliate program reviewer, can confirm who is behind a site in one click. This hub links out to every live site in return.
Do the portfolio sites link to each other?
No. The sites link only to this hub, never to one another. That is a deliberate rule: it keeps each site honest about its own niche and avoids the appearance of a link network. If you find a portfolio site linking to a sibling site, that is a mistake and I would like to know about it.
What does hands-on where possible mean?
It means some gear is used by me before it is recommended, and some cannot be. When a pick is hands-on, the page says so and describes the use. When a pick is researched instead, built from specifications, safety standards and long-term owner reports, the page says that. The label is on the recommendation, not buried on an about page.
What is an affiliate link?
An affiliate link is an ordinary product link with a tracking code attached. If you click it and buy, the retailer knows the sale came from the site and pays the site a commission. It does not change the price you pay. The portfolio sites use affiliate links; this hub does not.
What does the Amazon Associates line on a site mean?
Portfolio sites that participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program show that line. It means the site earns from qualifying purchases made on Amazon after clicking one of its links. It is a required disclosure and it is shown on every page that carries an Amazon link.
Do prices or product rankings appear on this hub?
No. This hub carries no prices, no product roundups, no rankings and no store links. Those belong on the individual sites. Keeping the hub free of commercial content is part of what makes it a place you can check rather than a place that sells to you.
How can I tell whether a review site is trustworthy?
Look for a named author or owner, a stated way to contact them, a plain explanation of how the site makes money, a note on whether a pick was tested or researched, dated updates, and a way to report errors. If a site hides any of these, be careful. Every site in this network is built to pass that list, and this hub is where you check.
How do I report an error on one of the sites?
Email mike@blackironathletics.com with the site, the page and what is wrong. Corrections are made on the page itself, and if the error changed a recommendation, the page says what was corrected and when.
Can I republish or quote content from the sites?
Short quotes with a link back are fine. Republishing a full article, or the images, is not. For anything more than a quote, email mike@blackironathletics.com and ask.