I've found this hat works in most circumstances from skiing to under a climbing helmet. The Windstopper certainly does cut down the wind, but as with all membranes reduces breathability somewhat and hearing as well (though you can just fold one of the flaps of if you need to catch what someone is saying). I found the sizing to run slightly small and went with a large instead of a medium. I can get it to come down to my eyes (if I try), but it is cut in such a way that it never does this on it's own. Having the larger size also lets me put a lighter liner hat underneath (Arc'teryx LTW Beanie in my case) and fits perfectly.

Neat little hat. I usually wear med/large hats (depending on brand and hat sizing) and many times am frustrated by not being able to find a hat that will cover my ears (I have a nice OR Peruvian Hat...) and this one does just that. I fits perfectly just bellow my ears, and still out of the way of my eyes. I was worried it wouldn't fit when I first saw it, but it is quite stretchy. It makes a great liner for under my other had when really cold or on its own for high output. The fabric is comparable to Icebreaker 200 or a regular cotton t-shirt in thickness. As it is wool it will be less durable than synthetic hats (I was wearing IB 200 wool baselayers over Pat Capilene 2 when I jumped out of my tent, slipped on ice and bashed my knee into the ground, the wool got a tiny tear, the synthetic didn't).

Let me say these are a pretty good pair of pants. I recently had the chance to speak with a Mountain Hardwear Sales Rep about some of their upcoming stuff. He told me if you plan on buying a pair of these pants, do it this season ('08-'09) because next year they are switching to ECO insulation (recycled) which will be stiffer, not quite as warm, and marginally more expensive.

I bought these boots for a season working trail crew for the Forest Service. These were absolutely amazing during the early season when everything was wet and my co-workers feat got soaked. I put quite a few miles on them for work, and climbing peaks in Glacier National Park during my time off. I did some semi-technical scrambling on some peaks (5.6-7ish, probably should have been using ropes after all it would have been a couple thousand foot fall if I slipped...) and these boots performed pretty well. By the end of it, I had completely shredded them, and Danner's generous warranty covered them (rare for footware). Favorite boats I ever owned.

This sock provides a great amount of cushion for your feet and have a slightly less tight fit than Patagonia Heavyweight Mountaineering socks. These fit better on my wide feet where the Patagonia socks felt a little too snug on my feet and calves. They do however have slightly less cushion on the bottoms than Patagonia's, but will most likely be a better choice for someone with wide feet.

This is a warm heavy-duty sock that provides good cushion for long trips. It has slightly more cushion than the SmartWool Mountaineering Xtra Heavy Mid-Calf socks (thought the difference was not highly noticeable for me). It also has a more snug fit than the SmartWool socks. These socks would most likely be better for someone with smaller feet than the SmartWool socks, but possibly too snug for someone with larger feet or calves.

These shorts are a pretty comfortable fit and the material is nice too. The pair I bought was to my normal size, but my waist is smaller now because I am in season working trail crew for the Forest Service. I was hoping the belt would help compensate for the relatively larger size of the shorts, but it is essentially worthless. The buckle does not hold the webbing in place so it will loosen up very quickly. The belt is also not suitable for attaching bear spray.

It has been my experience that most people will rarely NEED more headlamp than this (though many might prefer more. It will attach around almost anything and can be easily traded between people with no strap adjustment necessary. The only problem with this is if someone tries to pull it off, the band will snap together, so it needs to be removed in the same way it was put on. It also makes the perfect reading light.

The WS Gorilla Balaclava is incredibly warm and blocks out wind better than any other one I have used. The only downside I have found is with the removable face pieces--they can be difficult to position comfortably and you might end up looking quite ridiculous, but with a name like Gorilla you should probably expect to look like one wearing it.