I've had my yaktrax for several weeks and have used them for two winter runs on snow and ice, as well as many walks. They are an outstanding piece of gear. When running I can barely feel them on the bottom of my shoes - an unexpected highlight. They are very easy to put on and take off. Unlike another reviewer, I have not yet found the coils to get jammed with ice. Sizing might be a bit odd. I wear a women's 9 and find the mediums to be just right for both running shoes and insulated snowshoeing boots. If I wore an 8 1/2 I would still want the mediums (as is the case of a friend of mine) - I think the smalls would be too difficult to put on. These are wonderful chains for your feet.

This shrit has quickly become my favorite go-to shirt for running this winter. Super soft, wicks well, has ventilation with the zippered neck, and the thumb holes are well placed. I love having some material on my hands during cold weather so I don't usually need to bring gloves with me. It's an all-round great piece of gear.

I'm wearing this shirt right now, under a cute t-shirt. Fit is very good - trim but not too tight, and long in the body to tuck in - necessary for a baselayer. Very lightweight. It also has odor resistant properties made possible by crushed crustacean shells - this grosses me out in theory, but it seems to only add to the performance of this shirt (and there seems to be no lobster smell yet...).

These snowshoes are AWESOME for climbing and having great traction. They are easy to get one, they are quiet (unlike the MSRs with plastic decking, like the Denalis and Evos), and - unlike the Atlas - they DON'T flip snow on your butt! For me, the televator thingies are totally worth it; they really do help on steep inclines. BUT - and this is a large but - if you should happen to tread the frame of one snowshoe onto the other, then look out, a faceplant is possibly coming your way. Because a lot of the crampon action of this snowshoe is on the frame itself, if you step on one of the snowshoes the trod upon shoe CANNOT slide out from underneath the offending shoe because the frame crampons are holding it down (make sense?). This isn't an issue with snowshoes that have tubular frames (ie. Atlas, Tubbs, Crescent Moon). SO, although I love these shoes, I do have to be quite careful when using them. I'm still not willing to switch to another brand, but this is a major drawback for clutzy me.

I've had this jacket for about a year and half and it is one of my most prized gear possessions. It is so light and compressible that I don't have to agonize over whether or not to bring it - if it's gonna be chilly, then toss it in. There are many hikes when I have not needed its warmth, but because it's so light and small I didn't kick myself afterwards for lugging it up - there just isn't much to lug. It offers raging warmth, and the cut is perfect for me. I've read a few reviews that say the sleeves are too short, but as a 5'4" person, the sleeves are right on. I have the red onion color; very cute. The cut is quite feminine, too - thoughtful for balloon-y down jackets. The fleece lining in the pockets is a wonderful touch. My only negative is that the material is so thin that the feathers are visible; not that this is a big deal, but it is a bit odd. And don't be tough on the material; it's weenieness is partly why it's so light. If weight to warmth ratio is important to you, in addition to a cute fit, this just might be the down jacket for you.

What I like: the angle of the grip, the cork on the grip (I get less sweaty hands with cork over rubberized ones), the compactness when they are retracted, the nice wrist straps. What I'm not keen on: although the flicklock mechanism is easier to use than the twist-to-tighten system of my leki's, it's about impossible to do the flicklock with gloves. It takes a fair bit of finger strength to adjust; anyone with compromised finger strength may find these poles challenging (there isn't much "flick" in the flicklock). The bottom section is a bit fiddly - if you turn it wrong it takes a while to line it up correctly again. Also, the bottom section does NOT lock when it is retracted, so you need to carry these poles upside-down or the bottom section will slide right down 'cuz nothing keeps it in its sleeve when it's not extended.

I had a TNF Blue Kazoo for about a decade. It was a great bargain, but I found the 20 degree temp rating to be way too optimistic for me (I sleep cold). So, with my great desire to have light things that work well, I bit the bullet and bought this expensive bag. I have found the temp rating to be more accurate than the kazoo, BUT, I wouldn't use this bag under 30 degrees without some hefty additional underlayers and hot water bottles. The bag itself is comfy (the regular is great for my 5'4" frame), the zipper sticks a fair bit, but is manageable. The hood works pretty well, and I LOVE the full-length zipper, I intentionally avoided this bag when it had the 3/4 length zipper (up through last year) because I like to stick out a foot when I get hot. It's a great bag, at very little weight; I haven't been disappointed.

I sleep so much better on this puppy than on a 1.5" pad. It's simply a very comfortable sleep. The reason for 4 starts is that I've had to return mine for a leak - well, it leaked and I repaired it, and then after a season of using the patch another leak happened. The material is a bit thin and I worry a tad about it using it for long treks in cold weather.

My friend and I both bought this shoe when it was on steepandcheap. Woohoo! Great deal on a shoe that I had wanted for a while. Unfortunately, we both returned them for the same reason - they bothered a bunion. No other pair of hiking shoes has ever eliminated itself for this reason. Odd. Even more odd because other reviewers say this shoe is great for bunions. I have no explanation, but I surely could not use them for hikes of more than 3 miles. Everything else about the shoe was great - they looked nice, they were rugged enough for light backpacking....but yet they caused great discomfort and back they went.

I've had this fantastically lightweight tent for more than 2 yrs now and it has done what it is supposed to do-as a single wall-quite well. It has a fun, creative design, with MSRs wonderful orange color to brightly light up the tent. If I liked single wall tents then I think I'd keep this tent for a long time. Unfortunately, because of this tent, I've discovered I don't like single walls because when they get packed wet, they get unfurled wet. With a double wall at least the tent body can remain dry. The Fling accumulates condensation quite easily, even with only one person in the tent, although it does flow down the sides and out the vents exceedingly well. For me, though, this means that every morning I have to dry out the inside of the tent - a pain. I found myself worrying about having a wet tent whenever I used it, so I've switched to a double wall. BUT, again, if you like single wall tents and don't mind condensation build up, then the Fling could be great for you.

I have had this stove for more than 2 years and I LOVE IT for its compactness, lightweight-ness, fast boil, and ease of use. If one likes to cook gourmet meals, the personal cooking system cup is NOT the way to go - get the cooking pot. I only need boiling water in the backcountry so this system is perfect for me. The only downside thus far is that the flame starter can easily get off kilter and quit working. This sucks because it's not the easiest thing in the world because I don't like putting the cup on after the flame is lit - which means the flame needs to be lit while the cup is attached. Because of this, it usually requires two people to light the dang thing when the starter is not working. Sigh. I need to contact MSR about this; it's the 2nd time the starter has gone out on me. But I still want another one!

I returned my first jetboil pot because the lid shrank so much that I couldn't get it on again. My second pot is similar, but I can get the lid on if I use enough brute force. This pot is fine, but it has not wowed me and seems way more expensive than it should be. Also, if you camp with newbies, make sure you point out the black plastic protector cover on the bottom BEFORE they put the pot on the flame. Oopsie. Thankfully the stove continued to work even with noxious, oozing black plastic dripping in it.

This is my favorite Mtn House meal - enough for two (women), spicy, filling, flavorful....mmmm. 6 stars!!

It does taste like ice cream. It looks weird, it seems weird, it IS weird. But when you put it in your mouth and let it "melt" a bit, it sure passes for ice cream...at least it does in the backcountry!

My hiking partner and I eat this with thinly sliced Tillamook beef nuggets added to give it extra protein and more substance. Very tasty and very filling. A favorite as an entree for us two women.

I love my driclime jacket; figured I'd love this too. Unfortunately the shoulders are so stinkin' wide! The vest juts out past the top of my shoulder. I'm embarrassed to wear this without a pack pushing down the extra shoulder material!! (think Jane Jetson's collar) I've been tempted to return it...I might.

I love this jacket. The fit is great, it's incredibly versatile, and it's light. I have used it as a baselayer, mid-layer, and outer layer. The inside is nice and soft against the skin. ONLY drawback is the non-zippered pockets : I get concerned that I'll lose things out of them. Oh, a drawstring at the waist would also be nice. But even with these two small issues, I'll be buying another one when mine wears out!

I've had this lightweight pack for a few years now and have no need to buy another pack for quite a while (only exception is the possibility of mammoth expedition). It is small-ish so I have to have ultralight gear to do well with it, but the suspension is absolutely amazing. In addition to the fit and comfort, what supremely sold me on it was the notch in the frame just behind the head. I can't describe how much more comfortable this makes the pack for me. It helps maintain head extension WITH a pony tail - joy!! - which helps to decrease upper back and neck pain while backpacking. If I need extra space with this bag, I'll likely buy an Osprey add-on like the daylite. Good job, Osprey! (Oh, downside - the side pockets suck. They need to be roomier - material is too taut to get much in there with a full pack)

I was nervous about buying sunglasses online - I mean, what if they look stupid? I don't like returns. The reviews for Native Eyewear were good so I took a chance. Glad I did. The fit on these things are fantastic. I have a small face and they don't look too big. They stay on my nose, and they breathe well for high-sweat activity. My only issue has been that the lens has scratched easily. Might have to get another pair of lenses soon.

I bought a pair of these for me and a pair for a friend. Both of us had to return them for the same reason - the fit is too large and there is a lot of extra material in the crotch. Normally Marmot has great stuff so I was surprised at the poor fit. They are soft, though, so they get 2 stars.

These pants look and fit fabulously! I normally wear an 8 or 10 and the 8 fit very, very comfortably. They are incredibly flattering and with the stretch they move well with the body. I've dressed these up and down, and they are fantastic on the trail, too! These are the best pants I've bought in years.