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maplegirlie500

maplegirlie500: #487 of 93,625 Top 500 Gear Guru More Information

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These will turn heads

Helly Hansen Prowool Pant - Women's

Helly Hansen Prowool Pant - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 January 2, 2009

... because they are HOT pink. But, hey, they are a base layer and easy to find in the dark amid all my other black/dark clothing. All joking aside, I really like these. I wear them under my everyday pants when I walk the dog and they keep me surprisingly warm. Not too hot and not too cold. As Goldilocks would say, "They are just right." Oh, and they're not very stretchy so if you've read the sizing chart and your hip size is on the edge between the medium and the large, go with the large. I have 38.5 inch hips & bought both a medium and a large. The large are more comfy and have more room to move without being baggy.

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Love these Socks

SmartWool Heathered Rib Sock - Men's

SmartWool Heathered Rib Sock - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 December 15, 2008

I bought about 6 pairs of these socks a few years ago, and they are my everyday socks during cool & cold months. They're the perfect thickness and warmth.

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They keep my piggies toasty

The North Face NSE Tent Mule Bootie - Women's

The North Face NSE Tent Mule Bootie - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 December 8, 2008

I love these. My feet are cold 3 seasons out of the year and I have a lot of tile flooring in my home. The down in these slippers keeps my feet just the right temperature. I wear wool socks with them in the winter and during warmer seasons I wear them w/o socks, and they're perfect.

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Wool is wonderful. Runs small.

SmartWool Midweight Top - Women's

SmartWool Midweight Top - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 November 3, 2008

Smartwool and another company called Icebreaker have gotten me hooked on merino wool clothing. I'm so enamored with SmartWool's socks and shirts that I own several of the same shirts in different colors (and I have about 10 pairs of their socks).

These shirts are soft and cozy, not itchy, have a flattering cut and keep me warm, but if I do start to overheat, they don't produce that clammy feeling some of the synthetic fabrics do.

On cool fall days, I'll wear just one shirt, and on colder days I'll layer a lightweight shirt (size medium) under the midweight shirt (size large).

One thing to keep in mind when ordering is that they run small (and at the time of this writing, Backcountry has the sizing chart for the Men's shirts linked to this page, not the Women's so the sizing chart is inaccurate).

I have about a 36' - 37' chest and the medium is almost too small, but I guess these are base layers so they are meant to be form fitting. I bought a couple of the lightweight shirts in a size medium and a couple of the midweight shirts in size large so I could layer them w/o everything being too tight.

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Disappointing Fur Magnet

Patagonia Synchilla Arctic Jacket - Women's

Patagonia Synchilla Arctic Jacket - Women's

Rating for this product: 2 September 26, 2008

I bought this after reading several reviews about how wonderful it is, and frankly, didn't think it was worth the asking price. It collects dog hair like mad, and even after washing & drying it, some fur still lingers making it look cheap and junky. It has little to no wind-resistance, and the pockets don't keep your hands warm *at all* because they are lined with holey mesh, not even a decent lining or fleece. Plus the pockets and the flared bottom of the jacket seem to let cold air in.

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes | 0 No

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Comfy casual pants

KUHL Cargo Pant - Women's

KUHL Cargo Pant - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 September 22, 2008

I've owned 3 pairs of these pants since March of '08 and they've stood up well to frequent wearing and washing. I just wear them around town, to the office and on the occasional hike. ...

I liked the fit and fabric so much that I bought all of the colors available at the time (sand, green, brown and black, but I returned the black b/c they had white stitching which I didn't care for.) ...

The drawstrings at the ankles bothered me because at times I would trip over them or they'd drag around in the dirt and puddles and look sloppy. Plus if you don't tie them before you wash them, they will come out of the pants. Luckily, for me, I didn't like the strings so I pulled them out. ...

Aside from the drawstrings, I like everything about the pants so I'm rating these pants a 5 out of 5 stars.

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So So

Under Armour Strength 1 (A/B) Sport Bra - Women's

Under Armour Strength 1 (A/B) Sport Bra - Women's

Rating for this product: 3 September 22, 2008

I bought a size M. The shoulder straps are a little long which means there's less support than I would like for bouncy sports such as running, but it's fine for gym, yoga or cycling workouts. ... I like the overall sporty look ... but I dislike the vertical seams that run up the front of the bra on each side. They don't interfere w/ performance but if you wear any kind of thin or tech-fabric shirt, you can see the seams through the fabric. ... I also am not a fan of the padding in the bra. Although it adds some mass and potentially some fullness/shape, the pads just end up being bulky sweat sponges, IMO.

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sporty and feminine

Columbia Lotus Sport Tank Top - Women's

Columbia Lotus Sport Tank Top - Women's

Rating for this product: 4 September 22, 2008

The melonade color and the groovy swirly floral pattern makes this tank top sporty and feminine at the same time. ... It's not too low cut, which I like, because I never get self-conscious when I wear it. I know I'm covered if I happen to lean over. I'm not a huge fan of the tan line it leaves across the middle of my chest, though. ... I bought a size M, which is rather snug/form-fitting so if you're looking for a loose fit, definitely buy big. ... And as other reviewers have mentioned, there's no bra support built into it, which is a good thing IMO b/c you can wear your favorite/flattering bra with it. The tank shoulder straps might not *completely* cover standard bra straps. You kinda have to buy it and try it.

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Not good for hiking semi-steep terrain

KEEN Newport H2 Sandal - Women's

KEEN Newport H2 Sandal - Women's

Rating for this product: 2 September 22, 2008

I know these are *water* shoes, but I bought them to hike in, thinking they would cool off my feet. ... Every time I wear them hiking I think, "Why did I wear these? They have no traction!" ... Recently I was belaying a climber and the only place to stand was on an incline comprised of dry, hard-packed dirt covered with a sprinkling of pebbles and loose dirt. I was very unhappy and nervous about wearing these particular shoes at that time, and I did slip just trying to walk to the base of the rock wall to get into position. ... The times I have worn these hiking on slightly steep to moderately steep terrain, they have mostly aggravated me, especially on the trek down. These are *not* good in the dry, Utah mts. where there's a thin layer of loose dirt & pebbles on top of hard packed dirt, as previously described. ... My bad choice.

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes | 0 No

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minimalist

CamelBak Zoid Hydration Pack

CamelBak Zoid Hydration Pack

Rating for this product: 3 September 22, 2008

Typically I like to load my pack with every possible item that my 'What if I get stranded' imagination can think of. This is not the pack such paranoia. ... There's very little room for much more than water, keys, ID, $, chapstick, a couple of power bars and maybe one or two other flat, durable items (no sandwiches unless you want them smashed). .... There aren't even any straps to lash an extra shirt/shell to. ... The good news is, your water won't freeze in the tube and you can wear the pack under your jacket because it is so low profile. ... Also, the bladder is removable, but it takes a minute to figure out how to get it out. It's not as straightforward as some of the other CamelBaks that simply have a pouch or a sleeve that the bladder slides into. ... I think I own the '07 model, and it came with a locking bite valve which I love and apparently need. Why just today, I rested a backpack on top of another one of my Camelbaks with a non-locking bite valve and drained about 80 oz of water onto my LR floor.

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes | 0 No

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Good spring shirt

Columbia Omni-Dry Mountain Tech T-Shirt - Short-Sleeve - Men's

Columbia Omni-Dry Mountain Tech T-Shirt - Short-Sleeve - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 April 1, 2008

I bought this for a friend and I liked it on him so much that I bought 3 women's versions for myself. The fabric is mid-weight and good for layering or wearing alone on cool to warm spring days. We haven't had a chance to try them out for summer yet so I don't know how they will perform in really hot weather, but the fabric doesn't snag on every little thing it comes in contact with (like the more expensive Patagonia Airius T-Shirt, which I also bought for my friend, does).

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Great Spring Shirt

Columbia Mountain Tech Top - Short-Sleeve - Women's

Columbia Mountain Tech Top - Short-Sleeve - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 April 1, 2008

I bought the men's version of these for a male friend of mine and I liked them so much that I bought 3 of the women's cut for myself. They've got a flattering cut for a woman, the fabric is smooth and touchable, and they are a great mid-weight t-shirt with decent wicking ability. The Lemon Meringue (yellow) is a little bit more see-through than I would prefer, but the Gin (green) and Geranium (pink) are completely opaque.

Helpful Votes: 5 Yes | 0 No

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snags and runs like cheap pantyhose

Patagonia Airius T-Shirt Short-Sleeve - Men's

Patagonia Airius T-Shirt Short-Sleeve - Men's

Rating for this product: 2 March 31, 2008

If you're looking for durability or just a non-cotton t-shirt for layering or moderate spring & summer days, this is *not* the shirt to buy. I bought this as a gift for a friend and wasn't sure why this shirt was so expensive but figured the higher price tag (would impress him and) must mean higher quality. I threw it in the wash with another shirt that had some velcro on it, and the velcro snagged the fabric in several places and put a thin, 1-inch long tear in it. After just one washing, it looks junky and old. However, keeping as cool as possible in very hot weather seems to be the primary reason people buy this shirt. It hasn't been hot enough where I live to put it to the swelter test, but as the person who paid $50 for a gift, it's hard to see it fall apart after normal use.

Helpful Votes: 2 Yes | 0 No

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This Jacket Seduced Me

Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero Down Jacket - Women's

Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero Down Jacket - Women's

Rating for this product: 5 December 31, 2007

This jacket made me fall in love with it, almost against my will. I was hoping the cut would be a little more form-fitting and dressy, and it's puffier than I wanted.

But dang it, every time I put this jacket on, it literally makes me happy. It keeps me so toasty warm, I feel like my torso is still sitting in my living room, while the rest of me is out in the cold and snow!

I have to disagree with some of the other reviewers who said it's a little short in length and the sleeves. I am 5'5" and bought a women's size medium and it fits just fine in both the torso and sleeve length. (But I'm older and don't wear the pants with my booty hanging out the back so maybe that's got something to do with it.)

Two features I love are the drawstring at the bottom of the jacket to seal out drafts and the adjustable wrist straps that are so well-designed you can adjust them with your gloves ON.

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Holds everything I wanted with room to spare

DAKINE Terminal Backpack - 2100cu in DO NOT USE

DAKINE Terminal Backpack - 2100cu in DO NOT USE

Rating for this product: 4 December 12, 2007

When I first got this backpack, I thought about returning it, but I've since decided it's a keeper.

My #1 goal was to be able to carry everything I needed for a day at work in one bag with my hands free. It used to take me 2 trips from my car to office with arms full and bags or sweaters hanging from every available limb or finger.

The ideal pack needed to hold my laptop,
3-ring binder, spiral notebook, 32-oz water bottle, maybe an extra sweater and my large lunches (which include a deep cereal/soup bowl, at least 2 frozen dinners and some fruit).

This pack holds all that plus MORE (wireless mouse, a big wallet and other items from my purse, power cord, pens, etc.). It really does hold a TON of stuff.

As a woman I appreciate the adjustable chest strap.

Not sure I would recommend it for people with small body frames, though.

I'm about 5'5" and the pack is a little long for me. It has a pressure point that either hits me at the top of my butt, or if I adjust the shoulder straps, it seems to put the pressure point right in the small of my back and bunch up around my head/neck.

That's the only reason this bag doesn't get the 5th star.

Since my walks from the car to the office are short and I can get everything in ONE trip, this bag has earned my respect.

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