I just returned from a 2 week backpacking/camping trip to Big Bend NP in southwest Texas. The North Face pants I ordered came true to size and fit me very well (I usually wear 32-30 and the sizing for these pants was spot on).
I wore the pants almost every day on my trip. The pants are not quite as thick a material as I was expecting, but they held up without any cuts, pulls, or other signs of wear. All stains, etc washed right out and they look as good as new. Extremely comfortable pants - would highly recommend.

Basically everybody is familiar with Nalgene bottles. I took eight of them on a recent trip to Big Bend NP and had no problems with any. I prefer the narrow mouth bottles for drinking out of, but these are not as easy to clean as the wide-mouth. The Lexan does not affect the taste like some older polyurethane Nalgene bottles I also have do, so I prefer the Lexan. I did leave a couple of almost full Nalgene bottles outside the tent at night..they were frozen solid in the morning but DID NOT CRACK. Great bottles.

I just returned from 2 weeks backpacking (mainly) in Big Bend NP. I opted for the 600mL cup over the 450mL and am very glad I opted for the larger size, which allowed me to boil 16 ounces of water which most of my dehydrated meals required.
I didn't have the problem of having to use a potholder when lifting the cup off the fire. While it certainly got warm and was at times exposed to the flame, I found that it cooled to a temperature virtually immediately which allowed me to pick it up without burning myself.
I wouldn't say that it's indestructible as the bottom of mine had a few very small dents in it it. I'd also be concerned that it might fold up on you if much pressure was applied laterally to it, but overall it seems quite strong given its weight.