I would go with the Medium's. This type of pant tends to have a longer rise, so the inseam doesn't need to be as long as in a regular pair of pants. I have a feeling that the Large's will feel huge around your waist.

I'm not familiar with this pant in particular, but that is my recommendation for this style of pants in general.

Gore-Tex Pro Shell is designed for extreme, long duration exposure, whereas the Softshell includes some insulation so you don't need as many layers. They are both great fabrics. Check out their website for full descriptions:

http://www.gore-tex.com/remote/Satellite/content/fabric-technologies-outerwear

I would advise against just blindly purchasing the same boot for everyone in your family. When you are in that type of situation, having good fitting boots is very important. Since everyone's foot is a bit different, I strongly recommend each person trying on various boots to see what fits best. Then make sure you wear them as much as you can before you leave so you can break them in and identify any hot spots, or determine if an insole (SuperFeet) is needed. Take time, and do this right and your feet will thank you.

It's usually better to size up. Keep in mind that in the winter you might have an additional base layer and you don't want your pants restricting your movement.

Obviously trying them on is always best, but if you don't have that option, remember you can always send them back to Backcountry if you don't like they way they fit.

I've been wearing Capilene for 5 or 6 years now and still have some of my original shirts, back when they were silk, light, med, and expedition weights. I haven't had any issues with them wearing out or getting holes. The Cap 4 will start to pile up a bit after a while, but it is much more durable than wool.

Keep in mind that the Capilene won't be as warm as a wool layer, so they aren't substitutes for each other.

Just to add my two cents, I prefer the Wool 3 for a lightweight, but warm layer. Whenever I wear it i'm amazed by how warm it is, yet how thin and light it is. I even wore it a couple cool mornings backpacking this summer and was amazed that I didn't overheat as quickly as I expected, so it breathes well when needed.

I'm not sure what you are planning to put on top of your car, so it's hard to suggest a rack. Thule makes a basket (http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Thule-MOAB-Basket/THU0097M.html) that's good for holding random gear, or they have many different size cargo boxes. Of course you'll need the appropriate towers & cross bars for your civic. Use the Thule Fit Guide to see exactly which parts are needed/compatible with your car.

If you are looking to carry something specific, include that in your question.

Personally I like the Marmot PreCip or Patagonia Rain Shadow. They are very similar, but a little bit lighter than this jacket. They are very basic, no frills jackets.

no.

Recumbent bikes come is all sorts of shapes and sizes, so it's hard to say exactly which rack will work best for you. You could look at the Thule T2, but it might not be long enough for your bike. You could also check out Cycle Simplex for some recumbent specific racks (http://cyclesimplex.com/).

Yes, it can. The only thing to watch out for is that you have enough clearance between the rack and the roof of your car/truck. On some vehicles the cross bars sit very low, or if you have bindings that don't fold down very flat you may have issues. It'll work in most cases, so I'd give it a shot.

I looked at some pictures of a Nitro w/ factory rack and it looks like it should work just fine.

My advice for rain gear is to go with something that packs small and is lightweight. They also aren't as warm, which is nice in the summer, but you can always put other layers underneath if its cold. I like the Patagonia Rain Shadow and Marmot Pre Clip. They are both very simple jackets. Basically they are just a single layer of waterproof fabric (N2NO HB and PreClip). They provide excellent waterproofing and are almost half the weight of the jackets you are looking for (cheaper too). This means they are smaller to stuff into a pocket in his pack.

Personal anecdote: I did a 12 day trip in Philmont over 10 years ago and didn't use my rain gear at all. I'm not saying that's typical though.

No. Use the Thule Rack COnfigurator at the top of the page to select the correct rack for your cab.

A 34 will be tight, so go with a 36 and wear a belt.

This rack isn't going to make loading any easier to load. It's designed to hold the canoe in place once it's on top of the SUV. The ability for one person to load a canoe on top of a SUV depends on the weight of the boat, strength of the person and vehicle height. If you are able to place the boat on top of the SUV, then one person will be able to operate the straps to tie it down.

As the description states, consider the Thule Outrigger, for additional help loading a boat.

Please contact Backcountry customer service for this type of question by using the Chat Now link or phone number in the top right corner of the page.

Yes. It mounts just like you attach your front wheel. The mount resembles the hub on your wheel. Disc brakes aren't a problem.

The Patagonia Alpine Wind jacket has a light lining, so it will be warmer than the Marmot Ion. The Marmot Ion is most similar to the Patagonia Houdini, but the Houdini is about 15% lighter and packs to a smaller size, for about double the price...

I would be careful with the Shot Blocks and other similar products as I've found they tend to melt in warm temperatures. This is one of the reasons I use GU energy gels. The shot blocks or energy gels are good for replacing electrolytes that you loose when sweating. Use about a serving an hour depending on your level of activity. As Bryan mentioned, avoid the flavors with caffeine. If weight is a concern, consider Endurolyte tablets from Hammer Nutrition.

For longer missions make sure you are replenishing your protein with a Cliff Bar or other similar energy bar.

The main thing you will want to consider is how wide all four kayaks will be when positioned on the rack including the width of the rack itself. You'll then need to make sure that this overall width doesn't exceed the width of your bars.

Since every boat is shaped a bit differently the only way to know for sure is to get the rack and boats and try it out. If you can get all four boats loaded and properly strapped down, then they aren't going to go anywhere in transit.

To gain extra width you can always use slightly longer crossbars, although I try to avoid this whenever possible.

I don't believe that Nissan made the Frontier in 1991, so I'm going to assume that you have a 2001, with the large tubular crossbars. This rack should fit just fine. Thule includes 2 different length bolts in the box, and says that for some larger factory bars you may need to purchase longer bolts. If this is necessary it would be only a few bucks from a hardware store. The Nissan tubular bars are really any wider that most other factory bars, they are just higher, and that is why you need the longer bolts. Always remember to check the Thule configurator at the top of this page to check your vehicle for sure.

This is a great rack (I personally own one) but my concern would be how far apart you can get the crossbars on your Frontier. How far apart they need to be depends on the length of your boat, but the further the better.

I'm 6'2" and have a couple of the Patagonia Cap 3 shirts. They aren't excessively short in the sleeves. I do have a Patagonia Wool 2 and that has very long sleeves and body. The sleeves easily cover my wrists. It can get tucked into your pants and shouldn't come out at all. The Capilline 3 are too short to tuck in for me.

Something else to consider are shirts with thumb holes. I can't think of any specifically right now, but I know they exist. These shirts have longer sleeves since they are designed to cover part of your palm as well. When you have your thumb in the thumb hole, the shirt covers your radial pulse point, and since the blood is so close the the surface of your skin here, keeping this point warm helps keep your whole body warm.

Yes, with Backcountry.com you can return anything at anytime for any reason. Check out their policy:

http://sales.liveperson.net/hc/s-9551721/cmd/kbresource/kb-5415593828453314421/view_question!PAGETYPE?VisitorProfile=BCS&sf=101133&documentid=239621&action=view

This rack has to be used with the tailgate up. It uses the gap between the bed and the tailgate to get secured in place. So the answer to your question, it'll work if the bikes will fit in the bed of the truck standing up. You can't gain extra length by lowering the tailgate.

I'm not sure of the length of your bikes, but my guess is that unless they are very small or kids bikes you'll have to get a rack that has you taking of the tires. Standard bike tires are 26" so that already puts you at 52" in length. so if you have more than 8" between the tires, then the bike won't fit.

In summary, once you get the Ridgline, try to stand the bike up in the bed and see if it fits with the tailgate up and not on an angle.

Backcountry only displays sizes/colors that they have available to ship. Other colors may be available from other retailers or direct from Patagonia.

Patagonia has various fit styles for their clothes. These pants are considered 'regular' fit. Check out their fit chart to get a better idea of how a particular item will fit. If it's listed as slim, you may want to go a size larger if you don't want them too tight.

http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/includes/product_size_pop_up.jsp?slc=en_US&sct=US&OPTION=HOWTOMEASURE_SIZE_CHARTS_HANDLER

Do you have the hitch extender only so that the bike rack will be far enough away from the spare tire? If that's the case, it should be just fine. Racks aren't 'recommended' to be used with extenders because they increase the torque placed on the hitch and because with the additional junction they aren't as stable.

My wife uses an extender on her Escape to convert her 1 1/2" receiver to a 2" for our Thule T2. It works fine, but isn't quite as stable as when the rack is directly into a 2" receiver.

cross bars are sold separately.

Yes.

Check out the Thule fit guide for all your options:
http://www.thuleracks.com/fg_vehicle.asp

This, or any rack of this general style is unlikely to fit. It does depend on exactly which year CRV you have, so I can't say for sure.

I would recommend one of the racks the attaches to a hitch on your CRV. If you don't have hitch you can generally add one for about $100. Bike racks that attach to a hitch are much more stable than the kind that rest on the bumper. It is more money, but it is money well spent and they are very versatile between vehicles.

Check out the Thule fit guide for your exact vehicle:
http://www.thuleracks.com/fg_vehicle.asp

Most airlines limit carry-on bags to 45 linear inches (ie. the total of the height, width, and depth of a bag). This bag is 14 x 12.5 x 7.5 and therefore is comfortably within the carry-on limits.

If you are looking for the largest legal carry-on bag, check out the Patagonia MLC

Yes, it's soft and floppy. It's fine for putting in a suitcase, but isn't something you'd put into a tiny stuff sack.

I would recommend Nikwax Footwear Cleaning Gel and Fabric & Leather Proof.

http://www.backcountry.com/store/NIK0030/Nikwax-Footwear-Cleaning-Gel.html
http://www.backcountry.com/store/NIK0046/Nikwax-Fabric-Leather-Spray-Footwear-Treatment.html

It's not cheap stuff, but it works and protects your investment.

I'm assuming that you are doing some sort of adventure race and I definitely would not use these shoes for that. Go with one of Salomon's trail running shoes with the quick tie laces. Stay away from the GoreTex since once the water goes over the top you are screwed, so you'll want quick drying. Salomon has a few styles to choose from, so see what matches your budget and your foot the best.

I second the vote for NIKWAX. I wouldn't use anything else. Don't ruin the waterproofing of your jacket just to save a few bucks on laundry soap.

Would this be good to wear everyday? Yes. But I wouldn't recommend it for a whitewater guide. Guides tend to carry more gear on themselves than a typical paddler, so I'd look for something that has more storage.

Yes. If you look at the picture of the rear cockpit, the child seat is the black box in front of the seat. It is just a slightly contoured plastic box for a child to sit on (legs forward). It is removable by two thumb screws near the cup holder on the dash. (seen as black dots in the picture) I don't have kids, nor do i ever plan to take kids in my boat, but I haven't decided if I am going to remove the child seat or not. It only takes about 30 seconds to remove. It hasn't gotten in my way yet, and it adds a bit of rigidity to the hull when transporting although i'm not sure how much it adds.

I have not worn these in particular, but the 'new' Capiline (Cap 1, 2, 3) resists odor much better than the older stuff (silkweight, lightweight, midweight).

(sorry it's not a great answer, but i figured some info was better than none)

This rack only fits round or square bars, so no factory or even the Subaru/Yakima bars. Subaru might offer a similar version for their bars, so check with your dealers, or go with a rack that can fit factory bars.

I use an older version of the Thule SnugTight on my T2 rack. Instead of just having a pin going through the hitch, this is bolt, and therefore when you tighten it, you are essentially bolting the rack to the hitch. This makes a rock solid connection. I'm sure just using a bolt would work fine if you don't want to buy the locking device.

I can't say for sure that it won't work, but wouldn't recommend it. You may have enough room to hang your bike, it would be tilted like a traditional woman's bike would be when on the rack. The major downside for you if there is even enough clearance, your bike would be resting on the suspension, and that could cause you more problems down the road.

I recommend spending the extra money and going with something like the Thule T2 or Yakima Hold Up. Personally, I prefer (and own) the T2.

I'd go with either the 176 or 183. (I know it's probably not as specific as you wanted) The Gotama is a very stiff ski and stays stable when you are straight-lining a chute or encounter crud at high speed. The downside is that they aren't very quick in trees/moguls. If you only plan to use this ski on powder days, you could go with the 183, but if it's your only ski, I go with the 176 so you can play in the trees between storms. Obviously the best thing is to get out and demo them for a day.

The 159 will be plenty of ski for you. You may be tall, but weight is more important than height when picking ski length. Also keeping them shorter will give you more maneuverability in the park.

They sure do, they are called the Stand Up Pant:

http://www.backcountry.com/store/PAT0999/Patagonia-Stand-Up-Pant-Mens.html