drnick

I have had my precip for several years and have used it in varied conditions. It is quite light and can be shoved into a pocket. It is also relatively cheap and breathable. That being said, you need to "recharge" the waterproofing with Nikwax every season or so. I remembered this after the waterproofing failed and turned my precip into a green skintight sponge on day 6 of Kili. I have since upgraded to an Arc'teryx Beta SL (also in green) which is fantastic and worth the money. Overall the Precip is great for the expense and great for the occasional mid-hike cloudburst, but don't expect it to work miracles.

This is the ultimate duffel bag. The solid construction of PVC tarpaulin fabric stands up to alot of punishment-- being dragged across gravel at camp, wagged up the side of Kilimanjaro, squished and shredded by ticked off baggage handlers. It also holds an amazing amount of stuff. I own the Large (5600 cu in) bag and wedged in lots of gear. Of note, if you are planning on taking this thing onto an airplane and not going over 50#, then an XL may be too much bag. This thing is enormous.
The daisy chains and compression straps are very useful, and I am always using the shoulder straps as a backpack. Very helpful for when you are doubling up a second bag or backpack while going through customs. This bag went with me across Tanzania and Kenya for 2 months, and while it does have some superficial scrapes/gouges, there is nothing resembling a serious 'injury'. This bag will last years of serious abuse. Note that while it is very water-resistent, water can definitely come in through the zipper in a deluge (which I was fortunate enough to discover on day 4 of a 6 day alpine trek).
There are already 90 plus positive reviews for this item. You should probably just go ahead and buy one.

I have had my 600-fill aconcagua for 4 Indiana winters and have not been disappointed. It has a soft lining which feels nice if you are only wearing a base layer underneath. The baffle keeps the down in the right place even after years of use. Decent wind-stopping power. Resistant, but not water proof (Duh). I Love the waist drawstring and zips up nice and snug around the neck-- very toasty.
Most recently I used this on a 6 day climb on Kilimanjaro. It compresses well and is light for its warmth. I used it as an insulating midlayer on top of an R3 and under a shell.
While higher fill counts do provide more warmth, etc, for my money and for most uses a 600-fill coat is good enough and doesnt make you look like the michelin man. Highly recommended.

I agonized over the decision about what gloves to wear on a multi-day alpine hike/climb. I finally dropped the big bucks on these bad boys, and I was NOT disappointed. First, I should say that I tend to have cold fingers/toes at altitude and I brought extra chemical handwarmers just in case. With these mitts, I didn't need them. They are very solid and durable, and I loves the gore-tex waterproofing. The insulation is wonderful and lightweight. They are certainly big mitts, and dexterity is a problem. I also agree that the gauntlet is a little bit too small and can be a pain. These negatives aside, I am very glad that I paid the extra bucks and got these mitts. I still have all 21 of my important digits.

I don't care how dumb my wife thinks it looks when I wear it around the house (it's just so soft), this thing performs really well. I wore this on summit day on Kilimanjaro (with a heavy fleece cap on top), and I was really happy with it. It also performed well on cold days going to work (no more frozen snot). The material is great and retains its elasticity when you pull it under your chin or around your neck to wear it like a neck gaiter.

This fleece perfomed well on a multi-day alpine hike. Very nice breathability for its warmth/weight. I liked the fit and the weight alot, and it is pretty useful both at altitude and going to work. There are, however, a few things which really put me off about this coat. I do like the fabric/feel of the garment, but the pattern of the fleece makes it look kind of plaid. I like plaid, but not in my fleece. It is really kind of off-putting and I didn't appreciate this in the pics. More importantly, there is no waist draw strap, which leads to the inevitable icy breeze up the spine.
Overall, a great multi-purpose garment with a couple of things that could be improved.

These pants kept me nice and dry on a multi-day alpine hike through mixed weather. I slipped them on several times during rain over wet hiking pants, and they kept me comfortable. I also used them on top of a heavy base layer and fleece pants on summit day (Kilimanjaro) with no real problems.
They are light-weight, water-proof, and fairly breathable. They are pretty packable for this type of garment. I was all set to give them a 5/5 stars when I noticed pretty significant wear/abrasion on the butt of the pants. They do the job of keeping out rain, but be aware that they are NOT shell pants and will tear fairly easily against rocks, etc.

"You payed that for a T Shirt?!?" asked my wife. True, there is a little sticker shock, and yes, on first wear it feels like it's made of steel wool. But after a good wash or two it felt great. Kept me nice and warm on a poorly-planned mountain bike outing in a downpour, and I didn't smell like poop afterwards. Stink power is much better than capilene. Just buy one and try it out.