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rachelr

Trail Runner // Telemark Skier // Backpacker // Mountaineer // Camper // Hiker // Nordic Skier

rachelr: #4,673 of 167,056 More Information

10 Reviews:

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5 Questions:

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11 Answers:

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  • Stomping Grounds:

    Northern New Mexico

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Volkl Kiku Ski - Women's

October 8, 2010

I should elaborate. I haven't skiied the new Kikus - but I've skiied previous year Kikus and Auras. Kikus are fatter, and they have reverse camber. Auras are great all mountain skis but Kikus are going to be superior in the pow and will want to let er rip more.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Super comfortable, great right out of the box for long hikes.

KEEN Targhee ll Hiking Shoe - Women's

KEEN Targhee ll Hiking Shoe - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 July 7, 2010

I needed some new shoes for a weekend of camping and hiking. These shoes were comfortable with little break in time needed. I found that they fit true to size and I like the wider fit that is typical of Keens in general.

This shoe provides some stability for over pronators and I liked the way my foot felt very secure in the shoe.

I used them on some easy hikes and on a longer, harder hike where they had excellent traction on steep downhills with loose gravel. Yes!

My one complaint is the lacing system. Instead of little holes for the laces like in traditional shoes these have a webbing like lacing. I found that it's hard to lace the shoes in an alternate way in order to keep the laces from pressing down on my instep, which is especially high on one foot. What this meant was it was hard to get the heel cinched tight enough while not pressuring my instep too much. Mainly this means I have to retie a few times until I get it right.

Overall, I'm very happy with the shoe and am wishing Keen would make a non GTX version as well.

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Not so much

prAna Sandra Tank Top - Women's

prAna Sandra Tank Top - Women's

Rating for this product: 2 June 17, 2010

I think this shirt runs large for Prana. I tried it on in the Prana store in Boulder and it seemed too large in my usual size small - both on top and a wee bit too billowy on the bottom. I found I couldn't wear a bra with this shirt because it showed on the sides and the back. Maybe if you have a really cute bra to show off or can go without a bra for the day this shirt will work for you.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Cuter in person

prAna Kaley Tunic Tank Top - Women's

prAna Kaley Tunic Tank Top - Women's

Rating for this product: 4 June 17, 2010

The shirt does flare out at the bottom but is cute, especially with something slim on your lower body like some shorts.The black and white shirt (which BC doesn't seem to have) is my favorite pattern but I didn't like it till I actually tried it on. I wasn't really into the Espresso cheetah in person. The shirt seems true to size for Prana - the built in bra is supportive enough for going out, yoga, etc. The crisscross straps in the back are cute and show off that back!

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Lolë Peace Sleeveless Top - Women's

June 3, 2010

Are the colors on the Java combo color really that bright? Lole's website (http://store.lolewomen.com/us/eel-39-10.html#) shows them much more muted. Wondering which picture is closer to reality.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Volkl Kiku Ski - Women's

April 12, 2010

I demoed the 08/09 with 22 Design binding and they were awesome!!! Love these skis. Probably even better with the added rocker for 09/10.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Spyder Silverton Backpack

March 29, 2010

So they call this a Silverton pack - but would it hold a shovel & probe?

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Scarpa T1 Lady Telemark Ski Boot - Women's

March 16, 2010

They all fit, but I'd recommend an "active" binding, such as the Bombshell. They really make the most of the stiffer more aggressive boot and your skiing will thank you for it!

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Great boots!

Scarpa T1 Lady Telemark Ski Boot - Women's

Scarpa T1 Lady Telemark Ski Boot - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 March 16, 2010

I have the 2008-2009 boots, and I love em. They are comfortable, look stylin' (always important), and let me rip down the mountain. I did have to spend a few hours at my local shop getting them molded to my feet as they did not fit out of the box. If you are in the same situation you might go to your local bootfitter and see if they can work some magic. I like the stiffness of the boots and the walk/ski mechanism is easy to use. My only complaint is that the one black buckle can ice up if you decide to adjust it mid-ski session during a snowstorm.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Instep and toggle issues

Merrell Yarra Apres Boot - Women's

Merrell Yarra Apres Boot - Women's

Rating for this product: 3 February 9, 2010

The boots are cute in person and have decent arch support. However, if you have a high instep then beware. I had to return them because they pressed too much on the tops (instep) of my feet (and were also hard to pull on, same reason, presumably).

The other thing I found annoying is it is hard to secure the toggles, as they are on the outside of the boot. I ended up getting my husband to do it for me. I'm sure with practice it would get easier, but I would have liked it if they could have put in a secret zipper somewhere.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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K2 GotBack Alpine Ski - Women's

December 28, 2009

Maybe you should clarify why you are disappointed when you ski longer skis. Is it because it gets hard to ski the trees? Perhaps you should go for a fairly stiff fat ski that isn't so long. Shorter to get the tight turns in the trees or narrow couloirs, and fat for nice flotation in the soft stuff.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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K2 GotBack Alpine Ski - Women's

December 28, 2009

IMO, If she is only 90 lbs then I would say go short, the 150-ish one (153?), or 160 if she loves to point the skis downhill or skis in powder all the time.

I think 167 would be hard to handle with her weight even if she is an expert. I'm 1325 lbs/5'6" and I tried out the 167s. They were a LOT of ski. I'd prefer the 160s and I would still rip down the mountain.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Volkl Aura Ski - Women's

February 24, 2009

I weigh the same and just demoed these skis in 156 on both tele & alpine. I loved them skiing bumps. I think that length would be fun in trees as well. Powder I do wonder if longer might be better. Everyone I talk to says that length is good for the ~130 pounder. They are fat, so maybe that would add flotation to make up for the shorter length?

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Black Diamond Stiletto Telemark Ski Boot - Women's

February 24, 2009

FWIW, I tried on the Stiletto in a 24 at my local shop. I wear a size 8 street shoe as well. In Scarpa I wear a 24. The Stiletto in 24 was too small for -- but it was too small on the instep, not in terms of length that I recall. The liner just really pushed down on the top of my foot. Its possible I just have the wrong shape of foot for these boots. I'm thinking of trying on a 24.5 (they only had it in 24). The plastic shell is the same for both of those sizes, and it was a good length for my foot. So I'd try a 24.5 if I were you...If you have a small volume instep try the 24.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Great dress

Icebreaker SuperFine190 Saturn Dress - Women's

Icebreaker SuperFine190 Saturn Dress - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 February 17, 2009

I got it in blue and used it for my wedding dress. It's also a great summer dress, the wool is very soft and comfy and keeps you cool. I can't wait to wear it again next summer.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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CAMP USA XLP 290 Evolution Pack

February 14, 2009

Which way does it carry skis = A Frame, straight up & down or sideways/diagonal? Also are there other tiny packs to carry skis with? I've heard them called ski thongs.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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The North Face Arnuva 100 TR GTX Trail Running Shoe - Men's

June 11, 2008

At the NF site, they mention that they offer "neutral guidance for "mild pronators."Also they have medial posting which generally offers pronation support.So I'd guess stability.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Smith Holt Helmet

April 7, 2008

I tried it with Phenom and they fit perfect, I imagine other Smith goggles will work well with this helmet. As long as they are kinda flat across the top they should fit very well. My favorite (Oakley) goggles don't fit as well as the Smiths I have found.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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interlock is cool

Smith Interlock Whisper Sunglasses - Polarized

Smith Interlock Whisper Sunglasses - Polarized

Rating for this product: 4 February 1, 2008

I just bought these yesterday to celebrate getting contact lenses. My sunglasses came with 3 pairs of lenses, and I've switched them all out a couple of times now. The lenses seem to fit great inside the glasses, and I don't see any light leaking through at all.

Mine came with dark gray lens, a pink lens, and an almost clear yellowish lens.

The way you twist the temple arm to loosen the lenses is pretty nifty. And you don't have to worry about the lenses popping out because during normal use they are locked down.

These seem like some high quality glasses and i'm looking forward to skiing on the bright sunny NM days with them.

Helpful Votes: 2 Yes

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too loose

prAna Bliss Short - Women's

prAna Bliss Short - Women's

Rating for this product: 3 August 10, 2007

I bought a pair of these in size small. I ignored the sizing chart because Prana would have me wearing size Medium but I have some pants of theirs that are perfect in small so I know better.

They fit OK except the waist is too loose. I'm not one of those people who like high waisted pants at all - I like low rise because usually the waist is too tight. But these were too loose, and I'm afraid if I had a backpack on they would feel like they would fall off.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Comfy breathable but mesh is wimpy

Vasque AMP Trail Running Shoes - Women's

Vasque AMP Trail Running Shoes - Women's

Rating for this product: 3 August 1, 2007

Maybe I'm too hard on my shoes, but the mesh on these shoes is totally ripping apart now from little encounters with twigs and rocks. Other than that they've been great - very comfortable and you can feel the breeze through the shoe. But they didn't last very long.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Surprise Hit!

Mountain Hardwear Compressor PL Jacket - Women's

Mountain Hardwear Compressor PL Jacket - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 November 28, 2006

I bought this jacket in bright pink (cuz it was on sale) and in what I thought would be a large size for me, to fit over everything. When I first saw the bright color I thought I would have to return it, but once I wore it I fell in love with it despite its hue.
FYI: Mountain Hardwear seems to NOT supersize their clothes, and for me a 6 is perfect (usually i wear XS to S). I would have guessed a 4 would be the right size, but I would have been wrong.
Anyway, I love this jacket. I wear it all the time - around town in the winter on cold days, in the office when the heat is down low, and recently up on a El Pico de Orizaba in Mexico at 18000+ feet. It is super comfy and ultra lightweight, and is a great insulating layer, or perfect for around town on its own.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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