I got this for 65 bucks on steep&cheap this summer, so I am okay with the fact that it doesn't make me look super sexy. However it looks pretty darn good for being so warm. The material is soft, so it feels cozy like a sweater and is not stiff, slippery, or 'jacket-y' feeling. I'm 5'5" and 145lbs with defined shoulders and a narrow waist, so I got it in a size small. Its purpose is to mostly replace my old duct-taped and baggy-fitting patagonia size M hooded micropuff which I don't like to wear into civilization (however the jacket is still very serviceable for layering over my shell). It came out of the wash nicely. I like the inner chest pocket and the fuzzy handwarmer pockets, too. The zipper on mine is a little finnicky sometimes.

I got this primarily for fall/winter trail running, and also to have as a windbreaker that packs down to the size of 2 pairs of undies (though, for climbing I would use something already kind of trashed b/c of abraison). I am 5'5" and 145 and I am happy with the medium. Since I never go on a run with anything thicker than a patagonia R1 over a silkweight layer, I did not buy it to be 'roomy' (though I could fit a medium fleece under it easily). I like the longer length in the the back. The sleeves were a good length- tall gals beware. I do not feel like I need to be gentle on the fabric- it is surprisingly strong for the weight. It breathes pretty well, but when running I am going to get sweaty no matter what, even today when it was 30 degrees and snowing sideways. I had to use the hood in the blowing snow, and I am glad I had it. The cinches on it aren't as easy to grip as the bigger ones on my patagonia rain shell, but I suppose their size is a weight-saving idea. The red color is a lighter red, and I like it even though most of my wardrobe is green and brown and black. And the jacket has a slimming effect, which is always nice.

These sneaks are what you want for winter trail runs. I wear a size 7.5-8 in most shoes and I ordered the 39.0. In slushy and muddy conditions (I did not run the whole 5 miles in 4 inch slush or mud, however) and while splashing through small streams I did not get wet through the shoe. And to reply to another unsatisfied reviewer who was hoping for insulation, well these are a running shoe, if you are running or hiking in them with your mid-weight smartwools on, your feet should be plenty warm.the grip on the shoes is better than any other trail runners i've used, the tread is pretty aggessive. They were comfortable right out of the box. The gaiters are a little weird at first but hey, its a novelty. I leave the back gaiter clip attached to the heel because for some reason that one is really hard to get on. No big deal. The stiffness is a comfortable, supportive, secure one, even and well-distributed. I even wore these in an office all day just to see how they felt and they were great.

Honestly a friend had em and liked em and they looked good on him so I tried them on when scouting all the other major approach shoes. I find them to be quite snug yet well padded. I even went road running in them once when I didn't have my usual running shoes, and they were great. I wore them pretty hard for about a year, approaching and bouldering a bit but mostly hiking extensively in them (i know, the sticky rubber isn't meant for them to just be a hiking shoe but at the time they were all I had for 'work'). The stitching did eventually give out and the inside of the heel/ankle wore away but I'd say I beat the hell out of these shoes and they served me well. I even bought another pair right after that I am not using casually in order to preserve their 'approach shoe' worth. They are not very thin-soled like some approach shoes and yet make you feel very nimble and goat-like; sticky and good edges. Like all approach shoes I've seen/encountered, they aren't meant to last for years and years; that's just the way approach shoes are, from I can tell, if they are truly meant to also perform decently on rock.

I'd say its time for Ingrid to start pushing the limits...of these bad-jacksons, that is. While they don't have any 'traction' so to speak, I love rockin them while driving to any snow/ice related adventure...I would certainly hop out of my truck while making a pit stop at the gas station. Of course they are pretty heavenly to put on after taking off your snow/ice-sports footwear. AND, unlike other footwear you leave in your truck, these won't be freezing cold at the end of the day. Obviously I have pushed their 'outdoors' limits and gotten into a little slush (that was back in vermont, my foolish college years... where I am now in montana it's not an issue). No big deal though, the freestyle run in these booties was worth it to see just how crazy I could get. So, by all means, wear them on snow...even a few inches of fresh won't get in because of that cuff around the ankle. My only problem is I lost one of them so if any of ya'll have an extra...I think I am going to buy the boy's nuptse bootie so I can wear them walking the dog no matter what (they cost 30$ less than the 'women's' and will work as long as you are a size 8 or smaller, according to my calculations...also have better colors, not pastels-- yucky)

I'd have to disagree with the other review. They look like they do in the pic-- Anyway when you are buying shoes you should probably look at them on another website to compare (for colors,pics of the different angles/sides of the shoe. etc.). They have quite a bit of rubber on them-- they are not 'classy' really-- more playful. That's why I got them in black, to minimize that rubbery look. These shoes are very lightweight and feel like a bouncy moccasin. However, with a bare foot inside and hotter temps, my foot gets pretty clammy. I'm not sure if that is a reason to give a bad review thought- it's just what happens when you aren't wearing socks and aren't wearing sandals. I got them for the summer, for my restaurant job when I don't work a long shift and don't want/need to wear my danskos. However, I can't wear socks with them unless I have long pants on, and that combo doesn't happen too often. Warning-- if you normally wear 'bigger' shoes- sneakers, clogs, chacos...the sleek ballet style of these may make your calves look, um, bigger. So keep that in mind...I am 5'4 and 135 and consider my legs one of my better attributes, and I wear them with certain outfits only (usually with things at or below knee length...they would probably look weird with shorts)

I got this pack 2 years ago, after much research (not enough I guess)-- The torso length is giant. I had never tried on a BCA pack, and am a 5'5" female. My 6'1" boyfriend thought it fit him well and definitely was not too small.

Honestly I haven't used it in the winter yet. I bought it because my 6-year-old, 20-degree TNF catwalk was not warm enough for summer nights at 6500 feet in Montana. So obviously (despite LOTS of June snows) it has been warm enough. I actually got the bag because backcountry had to cancel my order for the mtn hardware women's phantom and I needed something before leaving for the field 2 days later- customer service kindly price matched this bag for me, as they should have. This bag was the second lightest item on the website that also wasn't too too long (i am 5'5"). I like its box baffle construction and the stretch element. It is really the sewing around every bafflebox that is stretchy....not the material itself (that would be pretty impressive considering the weight). It looks delicate but remains intact after several nibbling and wrestling matches in the tent with my labrador.

My other arcteryx is the seeker comp hoody softshell (medium- fits well with 2 techy layers) which I use solely for ski touring/snowboarding. I bought the Gamma AR because I wanted a shoftshell that was sort of thick and 'soft' compared to some other thinner, more 'shell' like softshells (already have that category covered). I got the size medium because I tried on the similar-sounding gamma MX in S, and, although it looked good, wouldn't fit much underneath and therefore decided to get M. However, the AR is not at thin/slim and stretchy as the MX and the medium I got is a little big. I wear it with 2+ heavy layers underneath but on it's own, it isn't exactly flattering (I recently tried on the size S of this jacket and it looks pretty smokin).

I don't own this jacket but I have tried it on a couple times-- it isn't a 'soft' softshell, it is more of a 'shell' softshell, if that helps. Also the medium seems a little roomier than the two other arcteryx medium jackets that I do own (seeker comp softshell hoody and Gamma AR). I liked it and it looks burly but 1)there was no size small and 2)I was really looking for a jacket softer to the touch- so i got the Gamma AR. Although I like gear as much as the next gal, I couldn't justify buying 2 jackets

I own this pack in size 'short' - it took me all winter and most of spring and summer to finally locate a good backcountry board pack and buy it. So far I've only used it to climb a technical peak, and while it isn't really a climbing pack (a little heavy), it was the perfect size for a summer bivy trip and extremely comfortable (I also own the bigger women's Bora pack, also very comfortable) despite being very full while climbing 5th class and hopping over mile-long talus and boulder fields. I actually really like the rolltop so far- it does take two hands (vs. zippered packs), but opens up all the way instantly. The shape of it (wide at top, narrow at the bottom) makes it very easy to 1)pack it; 2)find/feel for things inside it; and 3)unpack it. Also, the burly straps for gear/snowboard look like they will hold up much longer than straps on other packs I was looking at (i.e. osprey switch 25 or 36). I originally bought the BCA stash BC rider pack, but it was WAY too long (I am almost 5'5"). One thing I noticed but don't care about at all is that you can't really overstuff this pack- the roll top closure doesn't really work if you have too much stuff in it, and it is a little harder to cram shut.
--and now, an addition to the review--
its summer now and I used the pack all winter. I
couldn't be happier. I have noticed that I have to pack my shovel and probe carefully so that the everything makes it out of that outside pocket effortlessly (time is life). However I have a longer probe and a large-ish shovel (blackdiamond guide 300cm and T7).

I own these pants and they rock. Durable material, good for heat or cold, and look nice also. I admit I bought them for looks at first but I've mostly worn them in the mountains -summer couloir skiing or climbing granite peak. I've used them in the fall and in the summer, and unlike my prana climbing pants, aren't going to abraid easily-- they're sort of thick but also hang loosely and don't cling to your skin (that's why they work in the mountains in August, too). They definitely aren't made for a tall person- I am 5'4" and the length is absolutely perfect. I believe I have a size 8, and I usually wear a size 8 or 6, but usually an 8 because of my slightly larger behind. They look great but don't hang down to get wet when I have my boots in and cross some small gravelly streams.

I own two pairs, black and brown, both size S. I am usually a big 6 or a small 8 and these make my muffin butt look great. They're pretty stretchy and hence are snug. For climbing, which is the only time I wear them because they're just dedicated to that, they are good in mild and hotter temps. Not that durable though- The butt of my first pair has some abraided parts due to sitting/scooting on sandstone. However, climbing is usually pretty hard on the butt of pants so maybe I am being a little harsh. I would buy a third pair, but not for full price.