Ariel Rabin

Careful, this case does NOT fit Oakley Crowbar goggles. It seems like a well built case and might work for A-frames. I doubt it will work with Splice or Airbrake goggles either. Sending it back.

I have the older version of this shell with GTX XCR in the shoulders and I love it. The paclite fabric is more durable than I expected though and it is tough enough for skiing abuse yet light enough for backpacking. Like most Arcteryx products, the quality and fit is fantastic (trim with enough room for layering). The cut is a bit short at the waist.

The mirage pants are tough, light and breathe ridiculously well. They also have huge leg zip vents for uber-octane activity but I haven't needed to use them yet. They are awesome for any alpine or wet weather adventures and have an ski/crampon abrasion pads on the inner ankle area. However, these DO NOT have any pockets and the sizing runs a little small compared to other brands (fairly comparable to Arc-T sizing though).

Westcomb makes a great jacket... The Arcane fits slimmer and better than any other insulated jacket I have ever tried on. It has amazing built in hand-covers that help out when your gloves are off on those frigid days and a great hood that looks good and stows easily (though may be small for a ski helmet). And even though this jacket is slim cut, the stretch makes this jacket super comfortable for serious movement. Its def burly enough for the mountains but also sharp enough for nights in the city - which means I rarely take it off. The only reason I haven't given this jacket a full 5-stars is that it sometimes can be too warm and mine DOES NOT have core venting... It could really use pit zips.

These are my second pair of Smith Methods. I accidentally stepped on my first pair while pitching a tent in the dark. Smith Methods fit my face snug without being uncomfortable. I wore them while climbing in Yosemite and I never worried about them falling off. The polarized lenses are darker than most photochromic lenses which is good for summer adventures and the polarization works very well! I recommend them if they fit you!

I've tried a variety of Gore-Tex running shoes and the Inov-8's are by the lightest I've found. These are a little heavier than the Roclites but have a stiffer sole and more aggressive tread... which I like. Could use a more cushioning insole but overall an awesome shoe. I haven't really put their waterproofing to the test yet but will do so in Patagonia in July.