Brett Garrett

These are excellent boots. Lowa makes nice boots, and these are no exception. Unfortunately, they are too narrow in the forefoot area for me. The construction is top notch and the modern lace design really works. There is no pinching from the laces while walking downhill. The boot holds your foot very well. My feet are a little wider than average and the boot is a little narrower than some of lowas other boots (in my experience). These would be great trekking boots for someone with a average or narrow forefoot.

This is a very nice lightweight rain jacket. It packs down very small and is so light you can take it on any hike.
I like the features: pit zips, multiple pockets, and a nice hood. Some hoods on jackets these days are so big (in order to be helmet compatible), they don't fit well without a helmet. This one fits nice and has good adjustments.
The material is very light, but seems pretty durable.
The breathability is pretty good; good enough for the dry climate where I live.
The fit is contoured and athletic.
Very good, light jacket

I'm happy with this pack. It is very light. It has no frame, just a slightly stiffened back panel. It is very comfortable to wear; it sort of wraps around you. The stretchy waistbelt and shoulder straps are a unique idea. The pack is well made: good stitching and high quality (if lightweight) materials.
All in all, a good pack for dayhikes or trail runs.

This boot is outstanding. In one word: nimble. Makes you want to go fast. It is very cushioned. Great for hiking with a light pack. Too soft for backpacking with heavy loads. It fits me great; I have been hiking in the hedgehog low for years with good results. The higher version feels similar, but adds some ankle support. The tread is grippy.
So far the waterproofing is good. I mostly hike in the dry climates of Utah, so I don't care too much about waterproof boots. This boot breathes pretty well; better than an all leather goretex boot. Highly recommend.

I am impressed with the drifter so far. They are stiff enough underboot to be able to open it up in chop. With the early rise tip, it is near impossible to sink the tip in deep snow. I am still getting used to the mount: the Surface recommended line for traditional mount is closer to the ski center than I am used to.

The only issue I have is they seem prone to chipping on the topsheet. Shouldn't affect performance, though. Otherwise seem well built.

This is a cool shoe, but it didn't work for me. The arch area didn't fit my foot.
It looks to be well made and would be a good day hiker. It seems pretty light on the feet.

This jacket fits my needs. It is very light, but very warm. It is like an instant heater when you put it on. Plenty of pockets for storage. The sleeves are plenty long and the stretch cuffs keep cold air out. Awesome.

I'm happy with these. The fit is a little weird for me: loose in the waist and tight around the calves.
They are warm and seems to wick sweat well. Good for skiing.

Works as expected. Somewhat hard to untangle if left in a ball.

Must have if you have a loadwarrior.

Love this helmet. Venting is awesome and easy to use. Padding is comfortable and wicks sweat well. Fits a little different than my variant it replaces.
Feels light on the head and looks great.
Highly recommended.

This jacket would be good for the right person/use. For me I needed more of a resort type jacket at this time. The fit is good for a backcountry jacket. The hood is a little small for a true helmet compatible hood. It didn't fit my large smith helmet. The material seems durable at first glance.

Great jacket, but didn't fit my needs at this time.

Nice pack. The integrated avalung is handy; don't have to worry about it. Wish they could find a better routing scheme than having the rigid box on the shoulder. Depending on your anatomy, it can bite into your shoulder with a heavy pack.

Pack seems well made and the organization is good.

My son loves these pants. The material is durable. Just enough insulation for almost any condition. The thigh vents are nicely placed. Overall very nice.

The material used in this pant is very thin. It tears easily. It is nowhere near durable enough for a kids ski pant. Too bad because the design is nice. Just needs heavier material. Not recommended.

This is an awesome jacket. Took me awhile to find it on the site because I was looking for a ski jacket and this is under technical jackets. Seems like more of a ski jacket.
Anyway, it has most of what I was looking for in a ski jacket: large hood, high collar, plenty of pockets, 3-layer welded construction, removable powder skirt, and underarm vents. It fits me great with plenty of room for layers.
Only 2 suggestions for improvement: add a baggy mesh pocket inside for storage and a soft piece of fabric to cover the top of the zipper in the chin area when zipped up.
The orange color is very bright. Good for being seen in storms.
Even at full price this is a steal compared to other manufacturers. We'll see how it holds up.

I really wanted to like this jacket. It has most things you want in a ski jacket. The material seems very durable. The hood is great and the collar is nice and high. However, the arms were a little short to start out, and when you raise your arms the whole jacket rides up quite a bit. The sizing is pretty large overall, so you get a baggy look around the torso.

This is a very nicely made jacket, but the sizing is off for me. It is cut for slimmer folks. It looks very well made and the outer material looks to be pretty durable. Feature wise it is somewhat minimalist. Would be a great inbounds ski jacket if it fits.

Awesome pack for day hiking. The pack is well made. The suspension works well and is very comfortable. The trampoline style suspension keeps your back cool, but it doesn't sit too far off your back. Plenty of pockets to keep small items organized. Highly recommended.

This is a very high quality boot. The construction is impressive. The leather is highest quality. The best thing is no goretex. My feet sweat a lot on hikes, and I wanted an all leather boot that breathes. The leather is waterproof. The boot feels like it is made for my for foot. I haven't done extensive hiking in it so far, so no long term data available, but the boots are breaking in nicely. The flex is more of a hiker than backpacking boot, which is what I wanted. I plan to use the boots for long day hikes with a light pack.

Sizing/Fit: I normally wear size 11 and went with 10.5 (EU 45) in this boot, so it runs a little large in my opinion. The toe box is roomy.

Update 9/13/11: Have done quite a bit of hiking with the boot, including an overnight with about 30 lb pack. The boots are perfect. No blisters, very comfortable, good support. Highly recommended.

This a nice pack for winter adventures. So far I have used it snowshoeing and general hiking. The backpanel, shoulder straps and waist belt are comfortable. I am about a 19in torso, and the medium fits me well.The organization is outstanding. All the avalanche gear fits in the outer pocket perfectly. I love the backpanel access for when I have snowshoes or (future) skis attached. I have played around at home with ski attachment, and both diagonal and a-frame work well.My camelbak fits great. We'll have to see how well it keeps the water from freezing.I debated getting the Kode 22, but it doesn't have backpanel access and has a lighter weight waistbelt. The Kode 30 has all that and support rods on the sides for larger loads. It also has external access to the goggle pocket (the 22 goggle pocket is inside the dry compartment), and a helmet attachment system.One more thing, the black is not black, but a greenish grey color. It looks pretty good, though. I figured most people would get the orange.Highly recommend this pack!

Update 10/26/2010 After using this for a season, I still love it. carries skis well either a-frame or diagonal. All the standard gear fits in for backcountry skiing.

My son is on his third pair of these. They fit great and offer good support for hiking on rough terrain. They are built to last. The soles are very solid and offer great traction.

My son loves these. He rips any terrain with soft snow. They are much more advanced than the average kids ski. I mounted a little forward this year, but next year with the larger boot, they will be on the 'traditional' line and perfect for off piste skiing. I will have trouble keeping up with him then!

I used this was all last season and found it to be good. If you are looking for a good all around wax for general skiing, this is it.

As others have said, these are great straps for multiple uses. I use them to transport skis and keep the tips together while on my backpack. Much better than velcro.

These boots are really nice. My feet sweat alot in goretex boots, but these leather lined boots really vent well (sweaty feet contribute to blisters).
The leather lining conforms to your feet after about 15 miles. They are plenty supportive for rough trail backpacking. Used these in the Canadian Rockies for a week (both hiking and backpacking) and my feet never got tired or sore. I love these boots.

My son loves this jacket so far. Sheds light rain, sleet, snow and is warm, but not clammy (breathes well). He plans to use it for school, hiking, and skiing this year. As the other reviewer said: it runs a little large.

I've tried every sandal available. I love my chacos, but wanted to get something with more coverage for certain times. These are very comfortable, and fit me well. They are much cooler than keens. They are very light on my feet. Time will tell about durability, but I like them so far. The main dislike is they are harder to get on than some others I have tried.

My son (8.5 yrs old) loves this pack. He reports it is very comfortable, and I noticed it looks very stable on his back while he hikes. He loves the hipbelt pockets for carrying his gum and snacks. It also works well with a camelback bladder so he stays hydrated. Should be good for several years due to the adjustable frame size and hipbelt. He has had many comments from other backpackers/hikers about how cool it is.

Very nice helmet. Works great in varying conditions due to excellent venting. Lower profile avoids the bubble-head look of some helmets. Only bad things are minimal padding on inside and a little heavier than my previous helmet: Giro 9.
Overall I love it.

At first glance, seem to be excellent sandal. But while trying them out around the house, they rubbed my feet in several places. I don't think they fit my foot shape very well.
Quality seems great, though.

The pack is well built and works great for hiking and biking. I use it for long day hikes and anytime I go out for a ride. You can hold more than the volume indicates with the external mesh pockets and bungee cord.

I have used Camelbak bladders for years with no problems, so we will see how the Nalgene bladder holds up. I don't like the tube as well; it seems to kink easier. Other than that I expect the pack to last for many years.

Good product. Holds plenty of stuff and water for long day hikes in the desert or peak bagging. Love the external bladder access for refilling.

I bought these for my wife's K2 Burnin Luv skis. She likes the feel of the binding, and says the short mounting zone seems to help give her more flex in the middle of the ski. Highly recommended!

This shirt is great for skiing (that's all I have used it for so far). The fit is nice overall, and it really keeps me dry and warm. Highly recommend it.