While my wife and I used this for 5 weeks while backpacking across the country this past summer, we found the batteries dead at least once. Thankfully we had a backup plan, but it got me thinking: why bother with this, if you're going to carry a backup plan?

Yes, the SteriPen can purify 1L in 90 seconds and we never had any problem that appeared to be related to water, but for something this fundamental reliability is key. With a chemical treatment you know how many doses you have left. With this, you have no idea if you have 100L or 1L left, and who knows, if the button gets hit in your pack or the temps kill the batteries, your new batteries may be dead tomorrow morning.

There are plenty of chemical treatment options that can purify your water very quickly. Many are as light or lighter than this and you know exactly how much you have left.

I like the steri-pen, I really do. But if I'm going to carry a chemical backup plan, why am I carrying this in the first place?

With 94% of your daily fiber requirements in one serving (NOTE: There are 1.5 servings per pouch) you may want to be careful when eating this around friends. This meal tasted great, and no doubt it would make a great burrito filling, but the after effects caused some bio-warfare problems the following day.

I planned on using this jacket for on- and off-piste. I generally run warm, so if it's above 20F I'm usually 2 thin layers and the hardshell. (Same with my old Columbia jacket.) This liner is sooo hot that I think I've worn it twice in the teens and I still eventually soak it in sweat. (I classify this as generally a good thing.)

However, we got some wet snowfall the other day and imagine my disappointment when I watched the snow melt and soak right into my coat. The wet snow eventually got colder and then stopped, so I didn't have a chance to soak the coat right through, but it certainly seems like eventually it would have caused a problem.

Overall, still a decent coat for skiing/riding in or handling known cold temps, but not as versatile as I had hoped.

It's mountain hardware, how bad can they be? Really?

Bad if you're using them for skiing. And not worth the cash if you're mountaineering.

Wind blows right through them. No warmth whatsoever. And the wet snow melted and soaked them so fast that within 1/2 the lift ride they were wet to my base layer. For skiing, I say they're terrible. I normally ski in hard shells and boxers 'cause I run warm, and for my first season in 10 years I'm wearing thermals. I don't normally want insulation, but shesh, how about a little wind protection?

I've sliced through the ankles in the second month of owning them, but I'm learning tele this season. If you're a better skier you may not have that issue.

Full length zips might be nice if you were mountaineering, but they're more of a pain in the butt for skiing. Fortunately (as noted above) I don't want any ventilation either. The fabric does that for me. Possibly the worst outdoor gear purchase I've ever had.

Love this vest. I don't usually want extra warmth, but I think this is my most versatile safety/comfort layer. Stuck standing still longer than you planned? Temperature drop 15 degrees on you suddenly? Need a pillow to sleep on? This vest packs down very small and is super light. Stick it in a small stuff sack and it can be so many things for little weight or space penalty.

I know a lot of friends of mine like 'em but I'm not a fan. Here's why:

1) Climbing Mt. Rainer with the winter mix. Winter mix got too cold to light. (Thankfully I had my MSR Whisper Lite to cook / make water with.)

2) Can't fly with the canisters. So if you're flying some place, you're going to have to cross your fingers and hope you can find a store that sells it. That's fine if you travel to western populated locations, but eastern Europe or Central Asia. Good luck, I'll take the stoves that can take unleaded fuel or karosene.

3) Another on flying: Say you do buy some. Odds are you probably won't use it all. Still can't fly with it home, so you're stuck donating it to someone. (Which I'm sure they will appreciate.) At least with the unleaded fuel options you can pour the $0.30 of gas into a car.

4) Care about your carbon footprint? Think about everyone of those cans that gets thrown away.

And generally: I found my MSR WhisperLite to be able to boil 2 cups in a pot just as fast as the Jet Boil can in it's specialized mug. (And another plus to general stoves: you can cook 4 or more mugs at once, so you're not eating in shifts if you only brought one stove for a group.)

Overall, if you're a solo hiker and this is the ONLY thing you have, it's not bad. It is REAALLY easy to use. But for people in groups or air travelers, I think there are better options out there.

I know a lot of friends of mine like 'em but I'm not a fan. Here's why:

1) Climbing Mt. Rainer with the winter mix. Winter mix got too cold to light. (Thankfully I had my MSR Whisper Lite to cook / make water with.)

2) Can't fly with the canisters. So if you're flying some place, you're going to have to cross your fingers and hope you can find a store that sells it. That's fine if you travel to western populated locations, but eastern Europe or Central Asia. Good luck, I'll take the stoves that can take unleaded fuel or karosene.

3) Another on flying: Say you do buy some. Odds are you probably won't use it all. Still can't fly with it home, so you're stuck donating it to someone. (Which I'm sure they will appreciate.) At least with the unleaded fuel options you can pour the $0.30 of gas into a car.

4) Care about your carbon footprint? Think about everyone of those cans that gets thrown away.

And generally: I found my MSR WhisperLite to be able to boil 2 cups in a pot just as fast as the Jet Boil can in it's specialized mug. (And another plus to general stoves: you can cook 4 or more mugs at once, so you're not eating in shifts if you only brought one stove for a group.)

Overall, if you're a solo hiker and this is the ONLY thing you have, it's not bad. It is REAALLY easy to use. But for people in groups or air travelers, I think there are better options out there.

I'm normally a 28.0 (have an older pair of Salomon's that fit pretty well), but even a 28.5 was too tight. The 29.0 actually fit.