I like this and the chili mac with beef about equally. Very tasty. Fills me up.

Leave the bag sitting longer than directed... will taste better if you can give it a bit extra time BREWING! Gave it 4 stars since I don't like giving 5 stars to gear unless it really knocks my socks off. This is great, but not fantastic... could definitely be cheaper.

This boot is good, but it took some learning and getting used to. First, alot of people think this boot puts you way in the backseat automatically. Most of these people often aren't aware that they are in the rearmost of two foward lean settings which are adjusted by leaning forward or back with the switch in walk mode, and then locking in. If you are in the back position, you feel like you're standing almost straight up, and can never seem to get forward. In the front position, this boot has a similiar forward lean to a tecnica race plug. With a .5cm lifter under the heel you can achieve a downright racelike stance. The only problem is that with the boot in the forward position the boot is noticeably softer, esp at warm temperatures since the stiff tongue won't provide as much resistance. In cold temperatures however (as with many other boots), this thing is impressively stiff... I feel it is comparable to a the 130 race plug from tecnica (bu I also have a booster strap on my tornado pro)

a few words of caution about sizing: it's hard to know if you have the right size with this boot until it's baked. Im a 27.5 in most boots, and the 27.5/28 (same shell in the tornado btw) felt way too small unbaked, so I went with the 28.5 tornado. After baking it felt good, but now it's starting to get packed out. I feel like I could have achieved the same comfortable fit with the 27.5/28 after baking but wouldn't be packing out quite as quickly... but then again my feet are always warm even on -20 degree VT/NH days in these boots, probably because of the extra room... so proceed carefully here; maybe go big for comfort and warmth, or small for a more performance feel... if you go big I feel like you won't get the same edging ability because your foot will swim in the boot a bit more.

finally on the uphills do yourself a favor and just take the tongue out completely (don't even bother with the touring tongue). if you go to the hassle of changing the tongue between tour and ski, just keep the ski tongue in your pack, and tour tongueless. by doing this I've been super comfortable and in control while skinning mellow skin tracks or climbing hairy mixed ice/rock/steep snow. it's a bit of a pain to get the tongues back in, but a pain i think is well worth the effort.

all in all, i like the boot. it would be 5 stars if it had dynafit compatibility even considering the wierdness/learning curve i described above.

If you have a shell that doesn't keep you dry anymore, wash it with this stuff and then TX.Direct and let it air dry. I did that to a Marmot Membrain jacket, and it's almost BETTER than new.

in response to the dude above, these things actually can rip it in the trees... just so long you aren't trying to ski the gnar-tree-ice-bumps days after a storm... cause these really don't do bumps...

but if it's soft and fresh, let em rip in the trees. i got these skis basically for west coast adventures, but found myself going to them time and again all over the vermont woods and loving them. you just gotta stand on 'em.

also, it's worth noting these are exactly the same as the 06/07 model just with a BNG (bold new graphic). not sure if the 08/09s were changed in any particular way

I know I bought this tent because it is durable enough for some winter conditions if it is staked and guy wired down. A friend of mine used this on an expedition to Baffin Island, and they had nothing but success. If you plan to be in full winter conditions with high winds, you prolly want the Thor, but if it's just cold with winds below Hurricane force, I've been very pleased with this tent.

Also there is enough room to squeeze in three people in a pinch (pun intended).

The one downside is this sucker is really if you plan to do backpacking. Even after we split this thing up for a backpacking trip, we feel the weight. But then again, if you do carry it you get tons of space for relaxing at the end of the day, and furthermore backpacking is not what this thing is designed for.

Finally, I really like all the little things in this tent that are done right. Hard to explain exactly, but as you use it, you realize how much your actions and needs were anticipated by the engineers