Last updated: September 2026
The short version
Some links on Shoestring Drift are affiliate links. If you click one and then buy or book something, we may earn a small commission. You pay exactly the same price. The commission comes out of the merchant’s margin, not your pocket.
Why we use them
Running this site costs money: hosting, and the time it takes to re-check prices that change every season. Display advertising alone does not cover it. Affiliate commissions let us keep the guides free and free of a paywall.
What this does not change
- It does not change our recommendations. We do not recommend a hostel, insurer, tour or piece of gear because it pays better. Several things we rate highly pay us nothing at all.
- It does not change the price you pay. Booking direct or through our link costs the same.
- It does not buy coverage. No merchant has ever been offered, or given, a positive review in exchange for a commission or a payment.
How to spot an affiliate link
Affiliate links on this site are marked as sponsored where the link appears, and outbound commercial links open with a rel="sponsored" attribute. If you would rather not use them, search for the merchant directly — the advice in the article is identical either way.
Advertising
Display advertising on this site is served through Google AdSense and its partner network. Advertisers do not see our articles before publication and have no influence over editorial content.
Editorial independence
Commercial arrangements are handled separately from writing. The person writing a guide does not know, and is not told, what a link is worth. If we ever publish sponsored content, it will be clearly labelled as sponsored at the top of the article.
Questions
If you want to know whether a specific link on a specific page is an affiliate link, ask us at hello@shoestringdrift.com and we will tell you.