i'm stoked on this shovel. it's durable, cheap, simple to put together and moves a lot of snow real fast. all critical components addressed.

its not super light or anything so i guess that's a stroke against it, but i want a strong shovel when i'm digging out my friend or building snow walls.

Dukes are sick. the key to your assessment of them is to think of them as an alpine binding that lets you tour as well.

these are definitely not for the dynafit crowd. they're heavy, they're tricky to adjust and they don't have the ability to adjust the heel height like frischi has mastered. also, they suffer from ice buildup when you are skinning for a long time.

that said, they ski exactly like an alpine binding, with solid power transfer from boot to ski. i have these on my 09 gotamas and they are my everyday ski. ice to groomers to crud to blower pow.

this jacket is amazing. you get so much value from mont bell in this product. the stitching is bomber and the fabric has enough denier to resist the occasional branch or ski edge.

it also packs down into the tiniest little ball imaginable. they give you a stuff sack for it, which is about the size of a football, and the jacket will pack down to a third of that size if you really need to cram it in the pack. it will be in my touring pack every day this season.

warm, puffy, durable and pretty cheap. what's not to like

This ski does backcountry and freeriding so well. it's got a wonderful flex pattern that floats really nicely in Duffy Lake Backcountry, but it's stiff enough to hold a hard line down choppy steep gnar. i have mine rigged with a pair of Fritschi FR + and it holds solidly on big lines, but the wood core in the ski is light enough for hour-long skins in the sidecountry. stellar ski for a pow day in bounds as well.

this is my upgrade over a dakine heli pro. the carry system is amazing and the y suspension sits on your waist quite nicely. it's got all the room i need for a day tour, and maybe an overnight hut if i'm going really light.

I took my new FR+'s out this weekend on a 15cm day at whistler yesterday. i have to say these are a big improvement on the old white fritchi's, especially the transmission of power from your boot to the ski. the DIN settings are a little on the lazy side though. i would push them up a notch or two over your regular alpine DIN setting to ensure they don't come off on hard crank turns.

This device is an absolute must if you are winter camping with a compatible MSR stove. it makes a great stable platform for cooking on, and saves you from spilled dinner in the snow.

nothing is worse than not being able to cook dinner after a long hike. i was stuck without a working stove at garibaldi lake until a neighbor lent me his repair kit, and i had the stove working again in 10 minutes. AWESOME.

the spat and the ladle are awesome. don't bother packing the strainer. what's it going to do for you that a pot lid can't, except add weight?

these skis are meant for CHARGING. they don't turn until you get them up to at least 20 km/h. also, if you are looking for a pow ski that floats, look elsewhere. these plow through snow like a freight train, and if you don't have control over them, they will control you.

my girlfriend adores these skis. she is a beginner turning into intermediate, and these are giving her the stability and float she needs to try harder lines and ski faster. no problems on durability so far, but she's still early in the game. graphics are awesome.

these are comfortable, waterproof, and steezy pants. i haven't tried them in truly drenched conditions yet, but they seem to stand up to anything i have put them through so far. they also aren't getting cut by my edges around the ankles when i huck or crash (usually one after the other). Pockets are nice and deep, and the venting system works really well. while i'm not a giant fan of oakley outerwear, their venting system is really dialed - it really keeps the fresh air flowing.

this has everything you will need for a day or weekend trip. i would suggest going a little bigger for a multi day tour. the case is really lightweight but is tough enough to take some crashing and banging in your pack.

keeps you really warm and is quite durable. the self inflation gives out pretty quickly.

i find these socks to be super comfortable, but they fit pretty bulky, and for their thickness, they don't provide any degree of outstanding heat.

they won't be on my feet during the upcoming arctic outflow, that's for sure

you can see everything, even in the darkest, gnarliest storms with the HI Yellow lens. I can't say enough good things about the contrast this lens provides

perfect for getting 4 people's gear to the hills. i would advise caution when it advertises 6 ski capability, unless you are using straight skis of yesteryear. Fat boards only fit 4 on this rack.

i've owned these for 7 years and they still work as good as new. easy cleaning and perfect size to feed 2-3 people. any more in your crew and you will want a bigger cookset.

You can probably carry every piece of outdoor gear you have ever owned in this pack. it's that huge. I took it to the alaska backcountry for a month and it never let me down. the hip straps are super comfortable on your hips, and the brain detaches as a makeshift summit pack.

I would like to see a few more organizational features on this pack, but it's real intended purpose is to haul EVERYTHING for long slogs on expeditions.

these boards are really great for a backcountry setup. they're light, fat and really durable. i've got them mounted with a pair of freerides and they so much fun in the pow pow, and really good for sidecountry skiing at whistler. if you are going with a backcountry setup, i'd suggest moving the bindings pretty far back. mine feel like they ski center most of the time.

I just bought and returned these boots for my dog within 24 hours. We sized her for a medium, but she ended up swimming in the boots, so we went for a small. At the Duffy Lake trailhead we put them on, and within 30 seconds she had them off, buried in the snow. We decided not to go any smaller in size, since she was already in a small size. Returned immediately. I agree with arthur, impossible to keep on the dog

My dog loves hiking, and throwing her backpack on gives her a great job on the trail. On overnight trips, the pack caries her food, dish and water, and on day trips, she caries our beer! Also doubles as a dog luggage bag for weekend trips out to friends places.

I love this belay device, and i like saving $5 over the exact same black diamond product.

this is a great ski for someone who wants to ride a bit of park but rip up the rest of the mountain for most of the day. you'll want to mount this ski center due to it's symmetrical shape, so it will feel a bit unstable at super high speeds. fantastic swing weight and switch riding. bases are pretty strong, only giant rocks will take a big chunk out.

happy ripping!~

No one is coming out of this binding, unless absolutely necessary. holds your boot in down the gnarliest lines. no skis lost with these big boys.

they are mounted on my b-squads and it is one HEAVY setup.

i usually ski dynastar/rossi/look bindings, but i couldn't find one large enough to fit my armada ARG's. These have done a great job on my powder boards, though i have found that on a 10 din setting, they have released on me once or twice in pretty small crashes.

I can't yet comment on the durability, but they look like they are built to last.

i've really enjoyed skiing these goggles with a helmet or a hat. they vent really well and don't fog up at all.

i'd really recommend trying these and the A frames on in a store before you buy online, because they will fit your face differently. the crowbar feels like it fits smaller faces a bit better

this triples as a measuring cup, bowl or mug for hot drinks in the backcountry. props for triple duty!!

it also cleans easy and you can't break it very easily.

This stove will keep you cooking year after year. Contrary to popular belief, you can simmer with this stove. Prime it, light it, turn it off, release the gas pressure, pump it about 3 times, connect it, and light it again.

I would recommend buying the field repair kit along with the stove. it's really easy to perform maintenance in the field on this stove with the repair kit. that way you'll never go cold and hungry. that said, it only needs work about once a year. the shaker jet fixes everything.

go with nalgene. sure these look hip and fun, but they are heavy, they dent, and they don't pack very well. and when they dent, they look like garbage and start to rust. contrary to nicole's review, the aluminum is a fantastic heat conductor, meaning your liquids match the outside temperature very quickly.

The vent system on this helmet is sick! This is particularly useful for skiing in the PNW where you are never very far below freezing. Fits the head nicely and the adjustment system in the back of the helmet ensures a snug fit.

I have two complaints - the brown canvas fabric absorbs a ton of moisture, and with the visor in place, taking your goggles off in the lift line isn't happening. i have to take my helmet off to get my goggles off.

I can't believe how comfortable, responsive and hard charging these boots are. good for steeps, pow, park, and ripping everywhere. the flex profile is amazing. you feel like you are in a race plug in when you are edging, but there is no such thing as shin bang with these boots.

this beacon latches on to signals super quick. it's really great for a single person rescue, but i find the multiple beacon search function to be a bit difficult.

great beacon, not so useful for multiple searches. this goes in my girlfriend's or my dog's pack when we ski, now that i have the D3

These skins are for going up. I wouldn't recommend them for long traverses with lots of up and down, since they don't glide very well. They do, however, stick to snow like glue on the way up. I found the sizing to be a bit larger than listed as my 105mm skis barely fit the 100mm skins.

If you only have cash for one ski, buy the volkl gotama. This ski rips absolutely everything. Bumps, groomers, icy slopes, crud, deep pow, tight trees, HUGE Lines, park, everything (Maybe not pipe). It's wide, stiff and super burly. I ski my goats more than any ski in my quiver, and when they finally die, i'll shell out for another pair without hesitation.

These are good looking gloves. They hold poles very well and they fit nicely under jackets. After waterproofing mine i found that they aren't very breathable, and keep moisture inside far too much. I would recommend vertical cut freerides instead.

These are really good all-purpose mountaineering crampons. work well with mountaineering boots, hiking boots and ski boots. I would suggest getting the anti balling plates, which make a huge difference in how much snow gets crammed up inside them. great for steep snow, dry glacier, and light ice climbing

Killer skis in tight trees and mega deep snow. the reverse sidecut design is revolutionary in its turning ability, especially high-speed powder washing, and turns on a dime. the float is nuts, it really feels like you are surfing more than skiing.

Get it on a groomer or cat track, and it's a different story. the combo of a center mount ski with a very small traditional sidecut area means that you need to stay focused and make sure you aren't going to go flying.

I also wouldn't recommend it as a big mountain ski. high speed super G turns down open faces are a lot easier on a more traditional fat ski.

bottom line: perfect ski for deep dark tree lines and pillows

This jacket is hot. It will keep you toasty on the coldest days of winter, and it integrates really well with oakley pants for full storm protection. the vent zips have a nice design that pulls air into the jacket while you ski, which is much more effective than under arm zips. the pockets are absolutely enormous, and you can fit everything you would ever need inside them. i can't yet comment on the durability of the jacket, as i haven't taken any big falls or tree bashes with it on yet.

this is a fabulous non-technical fleece for walking the dog and cruising about town in the fall. big pockets can hold anything.

If you are looking for the most versatile pack on the market, the predator is your man. from skiing to backpacking to alpine climbing and scrambling, this pack was made for the mountains. the best part is that it fits a ton of stuff for the long haul, and breaks down to a super lightweight setup for summit pushes. i can't think of a better investment i've made over the past few years than this pack.

this is my least favorite arcteryx jacket i own. however, i do own 5. it's very comfortable, with that shaggy fleece interior that i've been craving for so long. it's also reasonably waterproof, although i haven't tried it in super rainy conditions yet.

as for utility, i haven't been able to think of an outdoor sport where this jacket would be useful. it's not breathable enough to be used as an activewear piece, and nor is it waterproof enough to be used as rainwear. it's definitely nice on fall days in the city.

i paid 90 for this at the arcteryx outlet store, which is exactly how much i think it's worth. it's a great piece for belaying or around camp on a fall evening. not waterproof, and not super-duper warm. not the kind of slick styling that Arc'teryx is known for, either. it could also use a few more pockets.

this is the perfect jacket for ski touring when you know the weather isn't going to destroy you. it's super-breathable, very comfortable and the pockets are the perfect size to hold skins. the hood fits helmets really well. i agree with eric; the wrists are a little tight.

these gloves fit like a glove. literally. you will never experience a better pole grip than with a set of hestras. the waterproofness really depends on how well you take care of them, so be sure to apply the hestra lanolin liberally and on a constant basis. the knuckle padding is a big bonus in tight trees too. enjoy, but be warned. you'll never go back to regular gloves again.

this tent can handle ANYTHING you throw at it. a friend of mine told me a story about how his trango survived an avalanche on his basecamp in alaska. it's definitely on the heavy side, but you can't get better value for money on an expedition tent than this sucker.

solid binding, it will get you out when you need to exit, and keep you in until you must leave.

i wish that rossi/dynastar/look had kept their turntable heel piece though. i'd give this binding a 5/5 if they still made them like they used to

rather than stuffing a week's worth of long underwear in your bags in the hopes that you don't smell like a sweaty turd on the ski hill or a backcountry trip, pick up one of these. my girlfriend still gives me warm hugs after wearing this top for four days straight, which is about 4 days longer than usual with a synthetic top. it's warm, lightweight, and best of all YOU DON'T STINK!!