in terms of warmth, quality, and warranty, both are about the same. north face jackets tend to be more fashion forward, however, columbia has really upped there designs in the last few years. all in all, i dont think its worth the extra price for TNF over the Bugaboo.

psi is the way they measure waterproofness...25psi is pretty darn waterproof--unless you are in a sustained downpour for hours, this jacket will be perfect. Great for snowsports and everyday wear, which is what its designed for.

vibrant blue is definitely not pastel; its pretty accurate in the user posted action pictures and on tnf's website

another confidence booster for ya, im 5'7, 140 lbs and my boyfriend is 5'5 150 lbs--we are both very good skiers, i have auras, he has mantras and he loves them. he has also skied my skies a few times and would choose his mantras over mine any day. i would also choose my auras over the mantras, its the same ski, just built for a girl. you will be fine with mantras.

if you are being honest about your ability as an advanced to expert level skier (double blacks mean nothing...is that in Wyoming or Ohio....run ratings are relative to the hill, not an actual standard) than you will have no problem with these. However, if youre not confident enough in your ability that you question the stiffness, then there are better skies out there for you.

yes, you will be warm...but why pay $600 for an all mountain jacket with all of the ski features when you would be equally warm in just a $200 down jacket--like a TNF Nuptse or Patagonia Down Jacket.

look for something with a larger basket--stay away from poles advertising "racing" or "groomed trails" those have tiny baskets like the one pictured above.

yes, but they are an entry level binding for recreational or beginner use

there is only one layer....it is an insulated jacket...

the liner has a trigger finger--so thumb and index fingers are independent and the others are mitten style...REALLY helps with dexterity. as for warmth that depends what youre using them for-- i bought these for mountaineering and my hands were hot in -5 F w/60mph winds, however, i had an elevated heart rate...when i use them for AT i usually just use the shells on the way up and add the liners for the ski down. i used them at a resort on a 10 degree day and i was fine... i originally purchased them because i couldnt afford the OR Alti Mitt (the god of mittens) and i would never switch! As for quality, not only have i had mine for two years (and through a few dozen summits), my pitbull puppy thought they would make a great chew toy...obviously i dont know how long he had it, but id guess a good 20-30 minutes and the only damage was to the drawstring..no punctures to the leather, etc. Also, when i purchased these they did not have a womens version, and i know my hands tend to get colder than the guys--so its probably a safe bet that they would even have a better temp rating for you! hope that helps...

its actually more forest green

six layers??!!?? thats crazy...you should always wear a moisture wicking baselayer (like capilene 3) and then a midlayer. your midlayer is usually a fleece--and you can change the weight depending on how cold it is (ex. patagonia's regulator series--either the R1, R2, R3, or R4 jackets. last layer is your shell to water and windproof. Three layers is all you need and patagonia's sizing is designed to accommodate those layers.

it hits pretty high on the hip, so you will probably be fine in the medium; however, compared to a brand like North Face, Patagonia runs a little bit smaller (very similar to arc'teryx).

its going to be pretty warm, but you would be better off with a down lining--like Patagonia's Primo Down Jacket

they dont make "matching" bottoms---just coordinate the color with "Color Block" bottoms---aka solid brown.