I've been using this jacket in 20 degree F weather and if anything, I've been a smidge too warm: my thermals were sweaty after a few runs and hot air is always gushing out every time I reach into the collar for my drinking tube. So now we know the insulating layer works just fine. But what about everything else?

Here's where the flaws show up a little. The shell comes with six external pockets: two huge flap-opening ones on the front, two zippered ones on the side underneath them, and two waterproof-coated zippered slots on the left breast. The two huge pockets are great for big things that don't fear water, like wrist guards, gloves, goggles, etc. In the zippered pockets, I keep my backup gloves and stocking cap. For a while, I kept delicate items such as car keys, phone, wallet, and lift ticket in the breast pocket. However, after a few runs, water managed to find its way inside and my money and lift ticket got a bit moist; I"m not sure if this is snow melting in or sweat venting out. Either way, I'm pretty sure this is not supposed to happen. Now I wrap the fragile items in a dry sack and stuff them in the zippered hip pockets.

The inside of the shell features a slot for your tunes as well as a tube to thread headphones out. there's also a zipped pocket intended for keys. At the bottom is a powder skirt. I don't know much about the pockets, since they are annoying to access when the liner is zipped in. The powder skirt is a godsend, but can be tricky to use, again due to the liner.

Zooming out, I'd say the shell probably deserves it's 10,000/10,000 rating, but it hasn't made me as indestructible as I had hoped. Finally, a bit of the stitching around some pockets blew loose soon after I started using it. Nothing is going to come unraveled or anything, but for 200+ dollars, you'd expect better than that.

To summarize, this is a great jacket held back by a few niggling design flaws in the shell. I love it nonetheless and can only recommend it.

The Fairfax is to me the evil twin of the classic 50 oz pack. It' a bit beefier, will hold more stuff, and comes in a really rad color. For my travels, I usually include some food in the big compartment, wrapped in a dry sack if needed, and little items, such as sunscreen, in the little compartment. These are useful, but I do have a gripe, and that is that the small compartment is the size of a coinpurse and isn't super useful. Why not combine it with the big compartment to have something really useful? Also, a smaller issue is that it is difficult to close the water compartment when the bag is full. This could result in a filled bag tumbling out of the pack while you are carrying it around or trying to put it on. A bit annoying. The chest straps is great for running, and it does not ride around my back the way some people have mentioned.

The hydration bladder itself is the standard Omega, which is where CamelBak really excels. I don't think their packs are great; in fact they are probably inferior to ones made by dedicated packmakers. However, their near indestructible bags really make me feel good whenever I fall on my back. and is the main reason I choose CamelBak over some knockoff. Good pillow too. The only flaw is that it does not come with a cap. WTF is up with that. The big bite valve is great, but after it hits the ground, I'm not sure who would want to suck from it. I installed the cap and feel MUCH better, but why make me pay six extra dollars....?

This is the best pair of ski/snowboard pants I have owned, for many reasons. Most importantly, the 10K/10K rating had held true; not once have my legs been either wet or sweaty. To facilitate this, the cuffs are extremely well-designed, with velcro/button gaiters that just won't quit. The hip pockets are a bit tricky to access, but that means it's not as easy for snow to get into either, so I'll definitely take it. The side pockets are huge and easy to handle with gloves on, and will hold anything that does not fear water, such as energy bars, sunscreen, etc. Note that the zip pockets aren't particularly waterproof, so I'd suggest wrapping your stuff in small dry-sacks before or else risk a bit of moisture. Finally, the vents are very well-designed and again, easy to use with gloves. Just a quick tug in either direction. On the topic of venting, note that these pants are not insulated and are thus not particularly warm; this is easily remedied by the use of thermal underwear, which you should have anyway, even if just for the moisture-wicking capacity. And, for those of you interested in showboating in front of your homies, the cut is somewhere between old-school ski pants and really baggy stuff made by Burton or Sessions. Look just as rad as anyone in those potato sack pants with none of the loss in functionality, and for about half the price, to boot.

This glove comes with the clever features I expect from Burton; The palms are a tough polymer material that I don't see failing any time soon, the cinches are drawstrings are designed to be handled while the other hand is gloved and clumsy, there's a nice little zip compartment on each hand, and the whole thing slides on and off like a dream. The only real drawback is that insulation is not great: water doesn't penetrate, as promised, but cold air definitely does, and your fingers will get a bit cold even in 25 degree F weather. The liners help, but they make the whole package bulky and the gloves become a bit tricky to put on, especially for the snowboarders out there smart enough to use wristguards.