Benjamin Botelho

I picked this puppy up at an EMS, but still worth reviewing here.

I was about to go on a backpacking trip, and my Petzl was not where it was supposed to be; in my closet at home. So I picked this up, and for $29, it is a pretty sweet deal. It is wicked bright, highly water-resistant, and really compact. It doesn't weigh your head down like some others, and is very easily adjustable. Great headlamp! One and only qualm is that the batteries tend to give away a little quicker than the Tikka 2...but this one is brighter, so it is a trade-off.

I am usually a climb-without-a-helmet kind of guy...but when I almost got beaned by a dropped cam at a belay earlier this fall, I decided to just give in and buy a helmet. I am really impressed with the light weight of the Skywalker, and its excellent ventilation properties. Not to mention the blue looks SWEET! I plan on using it for ice and rock...and for when the apres-climbing partying gets out of hand! All for an amazing price, too

I love this thing. I have used it for car-camping, multi-day backpacking trips, winter backpacking, inebriated slumbering on buddies' floors...everything. It is awesome for winter as it insulates like a champ; you can really feel the warmth emanating from this puppy.

Plus it packs down to the size of a Nalgene, so you really have no excuse not to bring it along. Highly Recommended !

This pack is wicked. I've worn a lot of different packs, and this one works better than any other I've tried for 2+ day backpacking trips. It translates ALL the weight of the pack onto your hips comfortably, and you're not left with a sore back like many other packs.

It's a little pricey, but for once, every dollar is worth it in this pack. My only complaint is that it doesn't work well for a pack where you are going to be doing both backpacking and ice-climbing...no good axe-loops on the back. But its performance on the trails is a salvation for sore backs, and is unmatched. The weight of the pack is unnoticed when you're able to carry many luxuries to camp and not kill your back

Nice gloves, esp. for the price. I picked these up at a local store in Potsdam, New York. They work awesome for skiing...the gore-tex on these works great. Plus they fit better than any other glove I've tried on, but that's just my hand.

They also work well for ice-climbing.

I have had this for about 4 years. Heavily used for the past 3, and I've never cleaned it, so it is starting to get a little moldy (what doesn't kill you...) It is perfect for rock-climbing, backpacking, and just about any other outdoor activity. I also really like it for a base-camp like setting. Hang it up in the tent and have 100 oz of fresh, cold (if you clean it)h20 right at the sleeping bag.

Seems like an odd concept to offer a camelback without straps, but it is a really awesome item, and an essential piece of my backpacking repertoire

Surprised to read the reviews below. I bought these to put on my ObSethed, and they work a lot better than I thought they would, especially for cheaper bindings. Once you let it go from your mind that you are riding on plastic, they perform, no doubt.

Never had issues with them letting go when they shouldn't, and the squeakiness I noticed in the left one disappeared after a month or so. Skied about 40 days on these this winter, and they are beefy, plastic or not, and they handle big stomps and awkward landings quite well. Very good bindings, especially for the price. PLUS lighter than the Jesters...

I have the version from 3 yrs ago, and it performs. When I first picked up this ski, I thought it would be a pushover...but the flexibility is kind of illusory. The rocker tip is flexible, but the core of the ski is quite stiff, and can take some leg muscles to rip these puppies around quick turns (especially moguls.)

They are AMAZING for powder and crud...float right over all the S@#%. Despite the wideness and big rocker, they are also not bad for cruising on highways of routes...raced a few good skiers on these and they did not hold me back (but my legs did.)

Good 'one-quiver' ski...can handle just about everything dished out to them. If K2 is following the trend they have been with this ski, this new one is wider and has a bigger rocker. My only caveat with this ski is it's slight instability while 'bombing' a run...but it's most likely me not being used to such a wide ski.

Don't think this puppy needs much introduction...

Use it for everything...from h20 to urine...coffee to tea...whiskey to BEER!!!

Love it. Really set the bar for liquid containers.

I liked this filter a ton...'til it broke on me. I was doing some winter backpacking, and filtered some water (only water available close to the tent) at Arnold Pond in the Adirondacks, and the handle broke. I think the water froze once it got into the filter, and caused the handle to break.

Honestly, filtering water is a good practice, but not always essential, so this is one piece of gear that has kind of had a little more time than others at the back of the shelf...

Recommended over the MSR filters, but still needs some beefiness...plus it takes up a lot of room in the pack.

This light, and my experience with the company making it, pretty much hit home that I love Black Diamond and their gear.

I got this as a present, and did not think much of it at first, but when I slipped it in my lid before a backpacking trip in the Adirondacks, it proved itself ten-fold. No more headlamp blinding your buddy in the tent...very nice to be able to take the light off your head and have some interior lighting in your portable home. Perfect for a number of uses...cards, cooking, camping, car-camping, lighting next to your bag for reading at night.

The lantern broke when I got a lot of sand in it while camping in some dunes near a little crag up north, but BD told me to send it back and they'll send me a brand new one. Great service...even when I admitted my fault of getting sand in it. Love this lantern and I love BD

This thing is killer. If it is pouring, but you gotta keep trucking, you just slap this puppy on your pack and your gear stays dry...bottom line. The thing that separates this from the competition is the straps that go on the back portion of the pack, to hold it in place.

These straps may seem overkill while just walking in the woods, when you get out into the wind (such as on NH's Presidential Range in a thunderstorm), you start to really appreciate the design quality. Top notch, very lightweight and comes with its own stuff-sack.

Recommended highly

I noticed that there is a different version of this glove; without the Windstopper membrane...don't go for it. I have this version, with the Windstopper on the upper hand, and it is crucial.

I have used these gloves for quite cold mid-Fall hikes, climbs, and just hanging out at camp when it is too cold for no gloves. They handle a small cigar well. I would not trade in that Windstopper for anything... essential for winter.

Highly recommended to a friend, as well as anything OR makes pretty much

Best in the business:

I love OR gear, and this is no exception. I have two pairs of these gaiters...the first pair was ripped in a few spots while I was learning to walk (and climb, slide, hang out) in crampons. I patched my first pair up, and got a new pair for X-mas from my girlfriend. It is worth noting that every hole on the gaiter was accompanied by a more painful/bloody hole in my calf...so these are no give-away.

Very very well made...I wish all gear was made this tough. Repels mud, ice, water, and anything else you can throw at them. Highly recommended

I love this thing. I bought it on a whim at a local store, and I have found so many uses for it, it's ridiculous. I used it as its own outer layer in mid fall and spring temps, an amazingly warm inner layer for skiing (the two layers trap a surprising amount of air), outside layer for rock-climbing...just about anything I dish out to it. Surprisingly warm as an inner layer, and very windproof as an outer layer.

I am 5'9" and weigh 165 lbs and a medium is a great fit...highly recommended

At first I was skeptical because of it's light weight and thinness, but Ti is wicked strong, and it proved to be a very durable and reliable little 'pot.'

I agree with many of the reviews; it is more of a mug than a pot, but it is absolutely perfect with the MSR Pocket Rocket on hikes or climbs...warm up soup (on low, of course...Ti has tendency to burn things on high heat), boil water for tea, coffee...etc. It is very light-weight and the Pocket Rocket fits right in there, with some hot cocoa packets.

For summer backpacking trips with freeze-dried food, or for making breakfast in the morning, this 'pot' is perfect.

I have the model from 2 yrs ago...no stainless steel for me. However, these crampons work awesome for their intended use. In steep snow, low-angle ice, and crusty nasty trails, these work very well.

Not to mention, they fit on a wide range of boots, from ski-boots to lightweight hiking boots. They have never let me down

Got these as a present from the GF. I was immediately impressed by the quality of these poles. Especially when you take price into consideration.

They are very solid poles, and work well as winter-trekking poles with snowhoes or crampons. They perform beautifully in bounds at resorts, and equally well in the woods and out in the backcountry. For the price, you cannot beat this pole.

Once again, MSR makes an excellent product designed to last a lifetime, and then hand down to my kids (maybe).

I've had this set for many years, and aside from some small dents in the lid, they look brand-new. They are not coated, which can make some things stick...but that is the catch: you can clean them with gravel from a stream, moss, steel-wool, rocks, files, anything that you get your hands on.

Bomber set of pots-maybe slightly heavy, but worth it when you want something solid and worth your time.

I've had this stove for about 4 years, and over the past 2-3 years have put it through a lot, and it has only disappointed me once (but it was my fault-didn't know how to warm it up sufficiently.)

After getting the slightly finicky start-up process down, this thing is an absolute beast. It boils water in a heartbeat (and with a might roar), but can also play gentle with some of the more delicate and exquisite meals you may prepare in a base-camp like setting. It has worked excellently backpacking in all 4 seasons-manageable enough to use in the vestibule, but burly enough to melt snow efficiently. It is also great for a workhorse stove in a base-camp like setting. Used it on a climbing trip to Poke-o moonshine recently, and it worked great to prepare some tasty mac-and-cheese, and the San Fran treat: rice-a-roni.

BONUS: It fits in many pots, such as the medium MSR Alpine pot.

great stove, would definitely recommend it to anyone who would like a versatile, all year stove that you don't have to worry about.

This jacket is much more waterproof than I had expected...especially from my experience with other cheaper soft-shells.

Bought it on SAC for a really good price as well-needed something with a hood for ice-climbing/mountaineering/winter hiking needs, and this seems like it's going to do just fine.

My only quibble is the lack of velcro on the wrists...but not a huge deal

Great little stove!! It can fit anywhere in the pack, and is very powerful. Obviously not for winter but in the other three seasons it excels

Just got the EQ version today as part of my college graduation present. Tested the water resistance and it is great. Loftier than a mother@#$!%&...gonna keep me toasty on those cold 'Daks nights.

used it last night to dig a tent platform in a few feet of snow...worked great!

Nice little stuff-sack. I bought it to put my down jacket in my winter pack on trips, and it keeps the water out and is also pretty tough. A wee heavier than some other stuff-sacks, but more durable than most.