After getting last year's Hoback jacket for my wife and being very impressed with it, I thought I would try the men's version out myself. The 2009 men's version shares many of the features that I really like with last year's jacket: removable hood and powder skirt, great interior pockets and nice pit zips.

I'm on the larger end of Cloudveil's medium size, and the jacket, while certainly not uncomfortable in the chest, doesn't leave much room for anything else underneath. The arms in particular feel snug to me, although the sleeves are plenty long. The jacket length is pretty typical for these jackets - when seated the jacket will not be between you and the seat/ground.

The biggest change from last year that Cloudveil made was replacing the Pro Shell with the Gore-Tex performance shell. I have no doubt that the performance shell would perform admirably. However, the jacket also feels much stiffer and burlier than last year's model that I liked so much. While it does allow Cloudveil to drop the price $100 from last year, I really have to say that I don't like it anywhere near as much. The stiffer fabric is particularly noticeable when I tried it on side-by-side with the Arcteryx Sentry jacket. I think the performance shell also contributed to the one thing that I disliked about the Hoback jacket: the armpits of the jacket feel borderline uncomfortable. I’m assuming that it is a combination of the pit-zips and the stiffer/bulkier shell material. This probably wouldn't be an issue when actually skiing, but it's hard to overlook when comparing jackets side by side.

The Hoback jacket is clearly well-made and it falls at a nice price point for insulated Gore-Tex jackets. I can see where someone else might even prefer the burlier feel of this shell over some of the Pro Shell options - it just isn't for me. I would certainly encourage people looking for an insulated ski jacket to try out the Hoback because with the great features that I listed initially it could easily be the right jacket for them.

I'm in the market for an insulated ski jacket, and thought on paper and in pictures that the Koven Plus Down Jacket looked very promising. However, as soon as I put it on once, it became very obvious that this jacket would only be appropriate for the 1-2 coldest days that I might see each season in the mid-Atlantic region. I would guess that this jacket would be great in single digit temperatures and colder - its not a knock against the jacket, just an observation. The construction of the jacket looked impressive - no doubt this is a high-quality piece of gear.

Reasons for not giving the jacket 5 stars:

1) The jacket lifts up a lot when you raise your arms; I noticed it immediately when I was trying to adjust the hood. It's just a peeve of mine since other Cloudveil jackets are designed with no-lift underarms.

2) The color of the Reservoir seemed significantly darker than the picture on the website and the contrast between the two shades of blue doesn't appear very noticeable. While not the highest priority for me, I don't think the jacket looked as nice in person as it does on the website.

I've sent this back, and I'm going to look at jackets with synthetic insulation next. If you are skiing in bitter cold conditions regularly this jacket could very well be for you.

As a general note on sizing, I got a medium. Per the Cloudveil size chart I am a medium (barely). This jacket fit very well, although the only think I would have had room for underneath was a base layer. Granted that this would be fine, given the warmth of the coat. The arms did feel a little bulky to me, but would probably be an acceptable compromise if I needed the level of warmth provided by this jacket.

I switched to this stove 4 years ago after using a canister stove for 5-6 years prior. I always liked the simplicity of canister stoves, but they don't fit the billfir cold weather camping. My experience with the simmerlite has sold me on the merits of the white gas stoves. The priming procedure is really simple, and the only problem that i've had was with the pump on the fuel bottle - the plastic pins that hold the pump piston in place broke after extended storage in the fuel bottle with gas. Probably won't do that again....

This stove packs down incredibly small and seems to put out a respectable amount of heat. I like using the stove with MSRs Trillium base for a little additional stability, although I'm sure that others would say that it isn't necessary.

My only pseudo-complaint is that I haven't had much luck with actually simmering things. When I try to turn the flame down to where simmering might actually occur, the flame keeps cutting out on me. I'm nothing close to a gourmet backcountry chef so this doesn't really bother me but I could see where it could be a problem for someone else.

This is the first pair of bibs that I have bought for skiing and I have to say that I an sold. Living in the mid-Atlantic, I don't often get the chance to ski
in deep powder. Even so, I appreciate these for eliminating the cold spot at the waist, not to mention all of the other things that I have come to expect from Arcteryx gear like high-quality construction and great fit. They are very comfortable to wear and the articulated knees make them as easy to walk in as your favorite pair of pants. I haven't cut the material yet with an errant ski edge after a full season if use, so the duranility of these pants seems to be good.

I don't penalize good gear for being pricey, but I get sticker shock when I see the pricetag on this stuff. Be patient and catch it on sale - you won't regret buying these!

I skied on these all last season and really liked them. Even though I've been skiing regularly for 10+ years, these are only the second pair of ski boots that I have bought- and only the first where I went for a performance-oriented fit. As expected the liner definitely packs in so buy these on the snug side. I went to a recognized master bootfitter, and these were one of only two boots in his shop that worked for me due to my high instep and wide forefoot. If this describes your footshape, definitely try some of the Nordica boots.

I would definitely second what another reviewer said and say that the 130/120 flex rating should be taken with a grain of salt. My old boots were had a much lower stiffness rating and yet these boots have not felt intimidating. I don't have enough experience to estimate what the flex might really be, but I wouldn't be scared off by the flex rating of this boot.

We now have two Deuter Kid Comfort packs. We got the KCII when our first child was a year old, and we picked up the KCIII when our second child turned one. Both packs are very comfortable for our children, and the packs adjust easily to fit my wife and I, as well as our two children.

We have gotten a lot of use out of these - the vast majority being hikes about two hours in duration. There is plenty of capacity to carry some snacks, water and a couple additional clothing layers. We just did our first overnight trip with this pack, and we were very happy that our daughter was able to spend 9 hours in the pack over two days with minimal complaints - pretty good for a three year old. Logistics for an overnight trip become more difficult though since this pack doesn't have enough carrying capacity to help with the majority of the camping supplies.

Between the KCII and the KCIII I have a slight preference for the KCIII - mostly because the headrest for the child is a huge improvement over the KCII. The headrest makes sleeping look much more comfortable. I am personally not much of a fan of the integrated raincover on the KCIII mostly because it makes the pack very tall.

My only real complaint with both of the kid comfort packs we have is that one of the pins that the frame pivots on to allow the stand to swing out fell out on both packs. Easy enough to repair - it just seems odd that it happened on both packs that we have.

I purchased the Vario after retiring my 13 year old Hiker. The Vario had three features that appealed to me: the ceramic prefilter, the dual piston pump and the ability to attach directly to Nalgene bottles while pumping. We've only filtered about 10 liters of water now, but both my wife and I were very impressed with the pump and how easy it is to use.

Having read all of the comments on this site, I will always use a coffee filter over the prefilter at the end of the hose to prevent the majority of particulate from entering the main filter body. I also plan to be very fastidious about following the procedure for long-term storage of the filter.

Overall though, the filter is easy to use, easy to take apart and reassemble, and it filters water very quickly (even on the long life option).

For now I'm giving the Vario 4 stars - only because of my very limited experience with the filter; if this pump continues to be as impressive as it appears to be, I will definitely update it to a 5 star product.

After seeing numerous positive magazine reviews on this jacket I had an opportunity to get it on sale and jumped. There are several things that I really like about this jacket, but also several things that added up to being a deal breaker for me. For reference, I was looking at this as a shell for mountaineering.

The good: The quality on this jacket is excellent. The cut of the body leaves plenty of room for layering without feeling baggy (I'm 5 ft 10 in and 40.5 inch chest). The c-change fabric really does seem to work. I did a fast paced hike with a decent amount of ascending in 60 degree weather on a windy day. I kept the shell zipped up for the duration of the hike. When I was really working, I could feel some sweat starting to form, but I could also feel what almost felt like a little bit of the breeze on my arms helping the sweat to evaporate. When I wasn't working as hard, I did not feel any chill at all from the outside air. Obviously this is not a scientific test, but I have done similar things with gore-tex xcr on and I would have had all the pit zips opened and still been sweatier than I was with this jacket.

The not-so-good: my biggest gripe with the Koven Plus jacket is the hood design. First, the cinch on back of the hood is covered by a flap of material. It's a nice touch in that it gives the hood a very clean appearance. However, it is surprisingly difficult to adjust the hood when the hood is pulled up. I think it would be pretty much impossible to do with gloves or mittens on. The other thing that was very disappointing was how snug the hood is(with all adjustments as loose as possible) when pulled over a climbing helmet. With the hood up I can only rotate my head through about half of the range of motion before I start feeling the motion restricted by the hood. I certainly am able to completely look in both directions, but it takes noticably more effort than with other shells and it is just generally annoying. As a point of reference I am using a Petzl Ecrin Roc helmet. Maybe it is just a combination of my neck, head and helmet but it definitely didn't work for me.

If I were not specifically looking for a mountaineering shell I would probably keep this for the price that I paid because I like everything other than the hood. However the fit and function of the hood for me is a deal killer, so I will be returning it. I am giving the koven plus three stars because I think many other people would find this jacket perfect for their intended use. It just does not work for me.

I already own a Mountain Hardwear King Tut -20 sleeping bag, and from a quality/performance standpoint I have no complaints with it. However, the sheer size of this bag when packed, even with a compression stuff sack, takes up a significant amount of my expedition-sized backpack. I had an opportunity to get the Puma MF on sale, and its a great investment. The bag weighs nearly 13 ounces less than the King Tut bag, and it packs down dramatically smaller. The trade-off I made was going from nearly waterproof shell on the King Tut, to the water resistant MF shell on the Puma. I've yet to use it in conditions where this would be a problem, and I think for my purposes the MF shell will be perfect.

Western Mountaineering makes some of the finest sleeping bags I've ever seen. They are typically mentioned in the same sentence as Feathered Friends, although I personally prefer the WM bags because the design of their zippers leads to less snagging in my experience. I personally cannot imagine anybody being unhappy with the bag.

Having always been one of the stinky guys after a day of activity, discovering the joys of merino wool has been great for me. The icebreaker oasis does its job well - I've worn it for a five day trip without ever taking it off, and the stink factor was minimal. Washing is easy - just put it in the washing machine and then air dry. Comparing merino wool baselayers to synthetics, there are a couple pros and cons.

Pros: relatively stink-free; more comfortable (obviously a personal opinion)

Cons: takes longer to dry than synthetic materials, feels a little more fragile than synthetic shirts

This is my go-to base layer, so for me the pros outweigh the cons. I did check out several other merino wool shirts (Arcteryx and Patagonia Wool 2) - I was most impressed by the feel and fit of the Icebreaker. I'd strongly recommend giving one of the icebreaker shirts a try.

I've been using these for two years now, for both skiing and for some cold weather backpacking. These are a very comfortable baselayer that has a good fit and the fly is a definite plus for me. The pants appear to be well made, and they wash well in a washing machine. I have two complaints - the first is that they appear to be stretching in the second year of use. Not to the point that they aren't usable - they still have a snug fit - but it is obvious that they are no longer returning to their original shape. Second - I have a pair of REI MTS merino wool pants that I got for a fraction of these that are every bit as soft, comfortable and good-fitting, and the REI leggings haven't stretched. REI doesn't appear to be making these any longer (very disappointing - they were a great deal), but this is one of the rare cases where I found Icebreaker to be second place to another brand.

The first time I touched this sweater I knew it was a keeper - the wool is amazingly soft and comfortable. I find the Coronet sweater to be very classy. On several occasions I've worn this to work (casual dress days), and then kept it on to go skiing afterwards. I would second the reviewer's opinion below that this works great as a heavyweight long underwear top. If it's above freezing and not too windy, I can get away with wearing this sweater over a light baselayer and under a gore-tex jacket. The thumbloops on this sweater are a big plus for me to keep the sweater in place under other layers. While I personally like the style of thumbloops that Icebreaker uses, I can see where other people might find them to be a little too bulky; for example - I would not want to try having the thumbloops pulled over my thumb while I was out mountain biking. Of the several Icebreaker pieces that I own, this is easily my favorite for a heavyweight layer when skiing.

We got this rack for my wifes car a few years ago - it has served her well since. When I got a new car and decided to go with a hitch mounted rack instead of a roof rack this past summer, I decided to look at what was available on the market again, and I settled on the Yakima Hold-Up. The two main selling points for the Hold-Up over the T2: the swing arms on the hold-up clear a 29er tire, while the T2s do not, and the Hold-Up folds down to a smaller size when it is not in use. However, the T2 does have one notable advantage: you can slide the two trays relative to one another to optimize the positioning of the trays when carrying two bikes. This has never been a problem for me, but I can see where it would be advantageous for other people. Otherwise, I love this style of bike carrier because it doesn't require removing a front wheel, and because I can use the bike rack as a pseudo-repair stand at the trailhead. If you have a 29er I'd strongly recommend the Hold-Up; otherwise the T2 is a solid option worth considering.

I first became aware of these pants when a guide was using them during a mountaineering class. I later was in the market for soft shell pants and I hunted them down - I'm really glad that I did. These pants are great: lightweight, breathe well, repel water well and dry quickly. The pockets are well placed and useful, and the snap closures at the ankle are useful when trying to keep a snug fit between the pants and a boot. While doing some cross country hiking in Ecuador I snagged the pants on a barbed wire fence, and was thankful to find that a tiny hole was poked in the pant rather than a long tear being created. Perhaps the single biggest perk to me was the color: the taupe color lets you wear these in the bright sun without the heat buildup that can happen with black pants. Plus, dirt doesn't show up as much on the taupe pants - a definite bonus when you are going to be out for a while. The European sizing means that you should be able to find a size that is perfect for you; for pants I find this sizing much better than the S/M/L that many American manufacturers offer. The only thing preventing me from giving these pants a 5 star rating is that some of the stitching near one of the pockets started coming out. Mammut was great about repairing them and they are now as good as new, but I still prefer for something in this price range to not require repairs after only two weeks worth of wear.

I was using a Thule roof rack on a 2002 Honda Civic until that car got totaled earlier this summer. For various reasons I did not want to put a roof rack on the new car (a 2009 Civic) so I started looking at hitch-mounted racks. We already have a Thule T2 rack on my wifes CR-V, and it is great until you try to put a 29er on it - the arm that swings over the front tire does not extend high enough to clear a 29er tire. There are workarounds to make it work, but the arm going over the front tire on this rack does clear my 29er tire (although it is rubbing on the largest volume tires that I have used).

Key features: great for 29ers; folds up into a compact size (smaller than the T2), drops down with bikes loaded to allow access to trunk, with bikes unloaded swings up 90 degrees. Plus, for compact cars like mine, the rack is raised a little bit above the level of the hitch, which gives some necessary additional ground clearance.

Cons: the only thing that is not ideal with this rack is the included cable lock. The cable is not long enough to pass through the frame of my bike and both wheels and still lock fasten into the position where it also locks the hitch onto the car. I ended up buying a Yakima Hitchlock that I never remove to keep the rack locked to the car; with the hitchlock in place, there is an additional locking point on the rack closer to the bike (and easier to access) that lets me securely lock the bike to the rack. I think the cable is still a little short for two bikes though.

Overall: the Hold-Up Its a great rack - my wife wishes that this had been available when we were shopping for hers. A couple of friends have bought this rack after seeing mine.

I initially got this jacket as a mid-layer for a mountaineering trip that I was going on. As many of the other reviewers have pointed out though, this jacket is way too warm to really use as part of a layering system. I ended up only using it in camp when we were sitting around - not at all what I had intended for it.

I've gotten better use out of the Easyrider jacket skiing (east coast, no powder) on days where it is between 25 and 45 degrees with wool layers underneath. But even here it does have limitations. The neck is pretty loose - it definitely lets cold air/wind in and makes a neck gaiter feel almost mandatory in colder weather. The short cut of the jacket also limits the effectiveness of this shell for skiing. I've pretty much gone back to using a hardshell with a couple layers underneath in place of this shell for skiing. So now I mostly find myself using this jacket for casual cold weather hiking and for colder days going to and from work in the car.

This was the first softshell that I purchased, and I think that much of my disappointment stems from not making a good, informed choice when I bought the Easyrider jacket. But that said and done, its design does seem to limit the use of the jacket unless you are using the jacket in extremely cold environments. Overall I am left feeling that most people would find other jackets to be more practical.

Pros - warm, reasonably windproof (not 100% though), good fit
Cons - loose neck, limited use, tight cuffs (don't even bother trying to check the time on your watch), relatively non-versatile design

For the climbs that I've been on, we've always been required to bring a self-inflating pad along with a foam pad to adequately insulate from the cold when sleeping on a glacier. Comparing the downmat 9 to my Z-rest/Prolite 4 combination, I'm actually saving 1/4 pound going with the downmat. Plus, the downmat 9 is easily more compact than the Z-rest/Prolite 4 combination. Plus, the downmat should provide better insulation than the old combination and thus allow a lighterweight sleeping bag to be used. The only real downsides to me: 1) I wish it was a little wider (I sleep on my stomach most of the time), and 2) the inflation method is not the fastest. But to be fair to the downmat, it is as wide as my Prolite 4 pad and after getting light-headed trying to inflate my prolite 4 at altitude, maybe having the sack double as the pump isn't such a bad idea. In summary, it would be pretty hard to justify the downmat for the ultralight fanatics out there. But for sleeping on snow for extended periods of time, the downmat appears to me to be a superior solution than the Z-rest/Prolite 4 combo that I was using before.

This is one burly shell. I sometimes think if I hit a tree skiing with this jacket on, that I might not survive, but the Sidewinder SV probably would. I've had the 2006 version of the Sidewinder SV for two years and I love it. It fits me perfectly, provides all the protection I'll ever need and looks great. I don't know whether it is because I've been using this jacket for two years or if it is the difference between the GoreTex XCR and GoreTex Pro Shell, but my Sidewinder SV (XCR) drapes much better than the either of the Pro-Shell jackets that I've tried (Sidewinder AR and Stinger). Of them all, this one feels the most comfortable on for that reason.

Pros: stretch back makes this jacket ridiculously comfortable to wear. It's cut to give plenty of room for layering without looking baggy pretty neat trick. After two years, the drape of this jacket when I am wearing it is awesome. I didn't appreciate how good this jacket felt when on until I tried on the 2008 models. I don't know if this should be attributed to being worn in or to the difference between Gore-Tex XCR and Gore-Tex Pro Shell. If your greatest concern is having a bombproof shell, this is the shell for you.

Cons: relatively heavy (although not noticeable when on). This jacket is not going to breathe as well as lighter weight shells - the standard tradeoff.

Put this jacket on and it is clear that it was designed for some serious skiing in serious conditions. The high neck, a massive hood, long length and roomy cut all say that this jacket was meant to be out where the powder is deep and the weather is tough. Putting this jacket on out east almost made me feel obligated to jump on a plane for Utah or Colorado to use this jacket in its natural environment. The jacket has an almost baggy cut – it is clearly roomier than either of the Sidewinder jackets. It might not enhance your figure, but you could get a lot of layers on underneath this shell when necessary. If you are hitting the backcountry, this is the jacket for you.

Pros: internal cinch on the neck allows you to take out the gaps that typically form between the jacket collar and your neck. I really wish that Arcteryx put this on more of their jackets. The collar is high enough that you can easily tuck your nose behind it if you need/want to. Again great for deep snow and windy days. The hood stows easily in the collar; this hood is easily capable of going over a climbing or skiing helmet and it has plenty of adjustments to make it fit right. This shell is also surprisingly light I really can't figure out how this shell has so much more material at the collar, hood, overall length of the shell and the spacious cut, and yet on my scales this shell weighs less than the Sidewinder AR. Pretty neat trick! This jacket has a very ski-specific design to provide maximum with a great compromise between durability and weight.

Cons: the single-minded design of this jacket might make it a little less popular for most people: the high collar isn't going to work for everyone.

The Sidewinder AR is a perfect fitting coat that looks great. The stow hood means that the hood doesn’t have to be flopping around when its not in use. For daily use I think the Sidewinder AR is more practical than the Sidewinder SV or the Stinger for most people. This jacket has the slimmest cut of the three, although when I tried it on I still had plenty of room to wear plenty of layers underneath. I’m 5’10”, weigh 165 pounds and have a 40.5” chest – I was able to wear a Patagonia down sweater with a baselayer and a pair of bibs comfortably under this shell.

Pros: Great looks; has pretty much everything that you need, reasonably light, stowable hood.

Cons: My biggest peeve with the Sidewinder AR is that Arc’teryx made the decision not to incorporate gusseted arms into the jacket. For skiing this really isn’t a factor, but it really drives me nuts when I’m wearing the coat, go to reach for something over my head and feel the entire coat ride up above my waist. The hood fits over a helmet, but I feel like it did restrict my ability to look around a little bit.

For what its worth, I just got these gloves and likely won't get to use them until next season. However, compliments of backcountry.com's awesome return policy, I ordered these along with several different Hestra gloves in a couple of sizes to do a side-by-side comparison. I have no problems with spending more money for a piece of gear that I perceive to be functionally superior, so I really expected to be putting the Inbounds Glove back in the mail and keeping the Hestras. However, it's going to be the Vertical Freeride gloves going back instead. The inbounds gloves feel great, look great (I really like the black color) and they are less bulky (I just don't need the padding on the back of the fingers). The size Medium inbounds gloves fit me just a little better than a size 9 Hestra, although neither would leave enough room for a liner underneath (at least when they are brand new). The dexterity of both gloves feels about equivalent, and in some ways, since they do not have the external seams, the inbounds glove almost seems like it is easier to hold things like a zipper. I'm not necessarily worried about how warm these gloves are - I was looking for something that I could use in slightly warmer conditions.

To sum it up, while the Hestra Vertical Freeride gloves are nice, I wouldn't put the money down for them without checking out the Inbounds gloves first.

I was specifically looking for a down sweater to use underneath my hardshell when skiing. For what its worth, I ski in the mid-Atlantic area where the runs tend to be short, and one of the lifts that I use regularly is very slow and lately has been exposed to very strong winds. This adds up to not a whole lot of body warmth being generated before I am sitting on the lift again. I am 5'10 and weigh 165 pounds. I was specifically looking for something that fit well and provided a good compromise between minimal bulk and maximum warmth. Over the past few years I seem to be colder on the slopes then most of my friends that I ski with, although I am still much warmer in general than my wife.

I narrowed my choices down to the Patagonia Down Sweater and the Marmot Zeus because of the overall high reviews that both have receive, the excellent reputation that both manufacturers have and the lifetime warranty offered by both Patagonia and Marmot. I ordered both items in a size medium so that I could do a side-by-side comparison. The Marmot Zeus is definitely the warmer of these two garments. It clearly has more loft (my wife said I had the Michelin Man look going), and the neck comes up a little higher than the Patagonia Down Sweater. The Patagonia sweater is more form fitting all around, and the sleeves, neck and overall length of the sweater are all shorter than the Marmot Zeus. In fact, my sleeve length is 32/33 in dress shirts and the sleeves on the Marmot Zeus were actually a little long for me. I weighed both jackets, and on my scale the Zeus weighed 438 grams (with tags) and the Patagonia Down Sweater weighed 355 grams (with tags). Both jackets appear to be very well made, and I was impressed with the overall quality of both.. One definite bonus for the Marmot Zeus is the addition of an internal pocket that can be used to keep small food items warm when outside. The Patagonia jacket only has the internal pocket that is intended to be used for stuffing the jacket.

For my purposes, I chose the Patagonia Down Sweater. The main factors that finally drove my decision: 1) less bulk in the arms – I could barely tell that I had this jacket on when wearing a shell, while I felt some restriction in movement when wearing the Zeus under my shell; some of the bulk in the arms is inevitably due to the longer length of the sleeves on the Marmot Zeus; 2) lower neck – the higher neck on the Zeus combined with the tight neck on my shell made the Zeus feel less comfortable.

Despite my choice to go with the Patagonia Down Sweater, the Marmot Zeus is, at MSRP, is a great value, particularly when compared to similar offerings from the North Face and Mountain Hardwear. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that I was able to get the Patagonia Down Sweater for the same price as the Marmot Zeus, I probably would have gone with the Marmot Zeus. This would be particularly true if I were not so focused on using this jacket as a mid-layer.