It's always hard to figure out what kit to buy; and asking the internet isn't an easy fix, because no-one has the resources to try out all the recorders, mics, etc.

I give an overview of the kinds of gear you might need in my video episode "Equipment", but without getting specific about which brands. Since I've done various experiments with equipment, I thought I would share my findings. I don't have the time or resources to do real reviews, since I don't have nearly enough kit for real comparisons; but maybe you will find some useful snippets of information here.

Gear Musings

Zoom F6
Some impressions of the Zoom F6, together with some suggested menu tweaks, battery life tests, and thoughts on the case.
Roland R-26
An oldie, but a goldie — the R-26 is dated, but still provokes interest; and depite its flaws, could still be a good option for some.
Tascam DR-100 MKIII
The third generation of this recorder provides good sound and nice features in a compact package and at a reasonable price.
Contact Mic Comparisons
A quick comparison of Dolphin Ear hydrophones against JRF contact mics.
Quiet Gear Comparisons
A comparison of some recorders and mics recording a quiet ambiance. Includes comparisons of balanced and unbalanced inputs, and built-in vs. external mics.

Other Equipment Guides and Reviews

Various other people have prepared guides on equipment for field recording. You can find a few of them here:

Gear (Mindful Audio)
An invaluable set of reviews of various items of gear, by George Vlad.
Gear Buyer's Guide (Creative Field Recording)
An older, but still useful, gear guide by Paul Virostek.
What Equipment You Need (WSRS)
Another useful equipment guide from the Wildlife Sound Recording Society.
Recording Gear (caperteebirder.com)
The first of a great series of pages by Vicki Powys on recording gear, including a variety of creative DIY stereo rigs.
Stereo Microphone Arrays for Ambient Field Recording (MinnesotaSoundscapes)
Curtis Olson's page of DIY stereo experiments, including his Olson Wing design.
Dolphin Ear Hydrophones (Dolphin Ear)
Product page for the Dolphin Ear Hydrophones.
Contact Microphones (jez riley french)
Product page for the JRF Contact Microphones.
Hydrophones (jez riley french)
Product page for the JRF Hydrophones.
micbooster.com (FEL Communications)
FEL Communications, a.k.a. micbooster.com, makers of miniature mics.
Jecklin Disk (Sengpiel Audio)
An article on the (revised) Jecklin Disk design.