I'm a big fan of this style of tent for Spring skiing and as an expedition cook tent. The hoopster is a sweet new design with it's round tent pole that gives the tent much more support and structure than the old Kiva and or Megamid style tents that just use one center pole. The material is also really burly and I think this would hold up in severe weather much better than most. There is a trade off however, the Hoopster is much heavier. The center pole is really beefy and kind on the heavy side, seems like a ski pole could be used in many situations to save weight. But MHW makes the Hoopla tent which is the lightweight version if the Hoopster is overkill.

I'm excited to get this out in some bad weather and see how it does.

I spent 9 days skiing in Antarctica and being exposed to a variety of temperatures, precipitation, wind and weather in the Jovian. I was very impressed with the breathability, wind and water/snow resistance. The new DryQ seems to be a much better technology than what MHW was previously using.

Height 6'2", 195lbs and the Large fits great! Guess I'm one of the lucky ones. It's on the tight side, but I just like to wear one or two thin layers underneath and layer for warmth over the top.

This is a great way to get back what you've sweat out during the day. I like the very mild flavor and they are small and portable. Great for expeditions and after workout beverages.

Pretty clean and simple mid layer or lightweight jacket. Good looking enough for around town and functional for stuffing in your pack for skiing or climbing. Packs down really small. Fit is pretty slim, but my girlfriend like that. Bonus!

This is a great piece to alway carry ski touring. Many functions and all are good and in fact really important and possibly life saving.

-Neck warmer of course
-Toilet paper
-Napkin
-Bandage
-Spare or back up hat/headband
-Robbing banks

This is my daily backcountry touring pack and has been for the past 2 seasons. Good fit and pretty lightweight. All the right features for skiing and mountaineering. There are several inside pockets for bladders, snacks and the smaller items.

The shovel pocket is on the snug side for my shovel blade. I've been using the smaller BD Deploy 3. And the sternum strap has a tendency to work it's way off on one side, so keep an eye on that or sew it in place.

This is my daily backcountry touring pack and has been for the past 2 seasons. Good fit and pretty lightweight. All the right features for skiing and mountaineering. There are several inside pockets for bladders, snacks and the smaller items.

The shovel pocket is on the snug side for my shovel blade. I've been using the smaller BD Deploy 3. And the sternum strap has a tendency to work it's way off on one side, so keep an eye on that or sew it in place.

Fat, fat and fat. The super deep days require super fat skis. Nice flex and feel under foot.

These are handy for keeping your tent right and tight in snow. I usually only use 4 and put them in at the corners. Then using stuff sacks, skis, ice axes, etc you can finish up the job.

I've seen a ton of ski films and this is the best ever, by far. Nobody has captured the pure joy and love of powder and adventure than the Powderwhores. Sure, my brother and I are the ones that produced it, but I'm not letting that get in the way this honest unbiased report. So, where was I? The cinematography is superb and the whole film just flows seamlessly.

Do yourself a favor and buy this movie now! That way my brother and I can become rich.

Thanks

Impressive how easy to use this beacon is, especially for multiple burials. I've been using the Tracker for the past 8 years and it was good and I was very capable with it on single burials, however not very good on multiples.

I'm not any faster with the S1 because it requires the user to move more slowly. It will give you the "stop" sign if you move too fast, which is annoying at first, but you get accustomed to it. The beacon really shines on multiples. Easy to view on the screen, then flag and move on to the next.

There are other features aren't all that useful. It is nice to be able to check other peoples beacons to see if they are functioning properly.

I'm really impressed with how stiff these are and how they rail. For such a lightweight ski they perform really well. Obviously, not a big mountain ski, but perfect for longer days and ski mountaineering.

Very happy with these stick!!

The tent is the one piece of gear you've got to trust in no matter what the conditions are. The Trango 2 is bomber and once it's guyed out this thing is indestructible.

Unlike most "2 man" tents it has enough room so you're not cuddling with a smelly partner for 2 weeks in the mountains. And there is even room for gear!

This is a great stove for winter camping and big days out skiing. Instead of carrying all the water you need just bring the stove along and boil as you go. You can even strap it to your pack and melt water while you climb back up for another lap. The system is lightweight and compact and doesn't require a lighter or matches.

I used these pants for 30 days of winter camping in AK and I'm very impressed. They are light weight and very packable. It's nice to roll into camp and easily throw them on over ski boots and pants and get warm right away. No worries about getting them wet with the synthetic insulation. A perfect expedition partner.

I got these for getting aggressive on bigger skis in the backcountry and the occasional resort day. So far, so good! They don't tour as well as the Mastrale unfortunatley. The range of motion is much more restricted and they do weigh in pretty heavy. Once you lock it all down though, they deliver the performance. Seems to be more volume in this boot in general. Not as slim and narrow as most the Scarpa boots I've tried.

I'm a mitten man and these are the perfect winter protection. They are warmer than gloves and not as big and bulky. The point of gloves is that you can supposedly do things with your fingers and the gloves on. This isn't very practical or easy. I find I end up taking the gloves off anyway, so I rock the mitts and keep my fingers warmer since they are together generating heat.

The 2 parts allow you to pull out the insulation and use them as a spring mitt for warmer days.

At this price these boots better hike up the hill all by themselves! And they are so light that they feel like they do. I thought there would be no way that they could ski well, but they actually do with a skinny ski at least.

I bought them for some skimo races and mainly for long technical traverses. I've had them out for several trial runs and been very impressed.

FIT- Luckily I tried them on and went one full size larger than I normally wear. I'm usually a 28 and I fit nicely into the 29's. They are slim fitting like Scarpa tends to be. So far I haven't put in an insole and they feel great. My guess is I'll go without for racing and put some in for comfort on really long outings.

BOA- They use a boa system to tighten the lower part of the boot. It works fine. For speed it seems like you don't want to play around with this much. Just find a tension that works and stick with it. If you pop the plug then they loosen up a ton and you'll take some time tightening it back down.

UPPER CUFF- This is a pretty slick system that tightens the cuff and engages/disengages the walk mode all in one move. This takes some fiddling to get the cord at the right length. Too tight and it's very difficult to flip the latch into place. And too loose your boots aren't snug for the downhill. I find that leaning forward helps decrease the leverage and make it easier to engage.

ROM- The range of motion for touring on these is incredible. I have hiking boots that feel more restrictive. They honestly feel like tennis shoes.

DOWNHILL- They will ski! I'm driving small sticks, but they don't feel like fruit boots. I'm really surprised they can get that sort of performance out of that lightweight of boot.

COLOR- Wow they stand out.

DURABILITY- They seem really well built and much more sturdy than I was expecting.

This is the perfect down hoody. And one of my favorite items from MHW. Fits and feels comfy like a sweatshirt, but it's really warm. I usually just wear a T-shirt underneath for around town. And then you can pack it up small and keep it in the pack in case you need it. It's also very lightweight, not big and bulky like some down jackets of similar fill.

If I could only have one puffy this would be the one.

I want four things in my pants, well five I guess. But, let's keep this clean like the design of the Bokta pant.

Lightweight
Durability
Full Zips
Pockets

Thank you Mountain Hardwear!

You're either winning or loosing, nothing in between. All other jackets are jealous of the Snowpocalypse because it's more handsome and talented. This jacket has exactly what you need for ski touring/resort skiing. It's a very durable/breathable fortress from the elements. It wins here (the downhill) and there (the uphill). The new Dry Q technology really does work to allow you to stay dry on the inside when your pushing hard on the skin track.

Make a choice to win and win!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pipTwjwrQYQ

I'm paid to drink the cool aid at MHW, but this Dry-Q works as well as they say. Having used it for a season and a half and it's a substantial step in a good direction. This jacket covers a wider range of temps than anything I've ever used. I am able to wear it much longer without sweating it out. I thought I wouldn't be able to use a jacket without pit zips, but it 'breathes' so well It's not an issue. In fact, the jacket seems a little cooler than other shell jackets because it doesn't hold the moisture and humidity. Lightweight and durable as well make this my new favorite backcountry ski/climbing tool.

Perfect crunchy chewy snack that tastes great and is more filling. After some sampling this is my go-to flavor. Not sure it replaces a meal, but it's a healthy snack that's highly portable and healthy.

So much garbage to eat out there these days. Finally found som good food that tastes good. These are my new favorite snack for ski touring or before the gym. They are a little on the small side, but very tasty.

I've been on the O1 for the past several years and last season was my first go with the AXL. Wow, these bindings are high performance! They feel much more active than the O1 and let you rally the tele turns. The tour mode is good and pretty easy to use and seems to ice up less than the O1. Plus if you want to back off and ski some powder you can change the position and keep your tips from diving as much in a less active setting. The weight addition is not really noticeable.

It's nice not to have the cartridges loosening up all the time! Nice work 22 Designs.

This has been my go to warmth layer while backcountry skiing for the past several years and I'm still in love. It's light and warm with no bells and whistles. I keep it in the bottom of the pack as an extra layer when I'm hanging out or things get really cold. It sheds snow really well so I can just wear it over my shell or baselayer while climbing or skiing. It's durable and I'm not worried about it packing out like down.

The new Justice ski is quite similar to the older version in my experience. Not a board to rail turns, but more smearing and buttering. Quick to initiate for a wide board and floats well. Pretty excited to have this in the quiver for longer tours with good snow. Not too impressed on firm conditions, but that's not where this shines. Overall a pretty impressive ride for how light it is. I'm 190lbs, 6' 2" and am happy with the 185cm.

Pray for snow!

Perfect weight for moderate temp ice climbing. Stretchy for good range of motion and sheds snow, water and ice.

Cool little lantern for car camping and backpacking.Puts off more than enough light to read, cook, pitch a tent, etc. Very happy with this item.

Been using this tent a ton this spring/summer and I love it. Tons of room and what a view! One whole panel zips out so you just have the netting and nothing else. If you want privacy, just zip the panel back in. Such a cool idea to have a huge 'window' into the beautiful world one often finds the tent pitched. Double doors make in and out access easy, which we all love. No climbing over one another.

Sat through a really nasty summer rain storm and we were dry and cozy all night.

I've had this for several months of trail running/training and It's been great. I was looking for a less expensive and simple to use (with some help from the manual)heart rate monitor that wasn't too big or bulky. It's been a great fit. Keeps really accurate heart rate even when I'm sweating balls.

This is the first spring/fall bag I've had and I'm really glad I picked it up. In the past I've just had summer and winter bags which means the transition seasons usually suffered by being too warm in a 0 degree bag, or on the cold side with a 32 degree. The Phantom 15 is a great go between. It's still really light, but plenty warm.

Seen lot's of zipper issues, but haven't noticed any yet.

These bad boys have been underfoot for a year now and I'm still loving them. Perfect all around trail run/approach/hike shoe. Good fit for my narrow feet. I've put them through the ringer on some really long days and they are still holding up well. Highly recommended.

Had the chance to use this a few times on small scale video/photo shoots in very remote locations. I've been hauling around single use batteries for the past few years that are heavy and very expensive and seem like a waste. It was nice to figure out a new system using solar panels and this impel device. We charged it before heading into the locations and the unit held it's charge really well even in arctic temperatures. We were able to charge all the batteries for 4 different cameras and it worked great. Charged back up quickly with direct sunlight on a SolarRoll Flexible Solar Panel. Pretty nice to be able to leave this charging all day while we headed out to shoot and come back to juice every night. Spendy piece, but well worth it for me and my needs.

I used this for 10 days on snow in the Arctic this spring and it worked well. It stores nicely wrapped around your sleeping pad or bag. I used it to charge a Brunton Impel Portable Power Device and it operated as advertised. I attached the roll to the outside of the tent and put the power unit inside. We had bright/direct sun and it juiced the device right up, better than I was expecting. Didn't try it on overcast days so can't speak of how limited it's use is there.

Like a desperate hippy this stove will burn anything. I was just up in the arctic using it for 10 days and it operated great. I don't speak Norwegian, but when we saw the picture of a lawnmower on what appeared to be a fuel bottle we knew it would work. Another nice part about this stove is that it has an adjustable flame. You can simmer or turn it into a flame thrower unlike the XGK which only has full thrust. Nice and quiet like the name subtly implies so you can discuss how awesome it is that you are someplace cool camping in a tent.

I recommend building your own stove board (see attached photo) to insulate and hold the bottle and stove together as one. It's a bit of a pain to move them around as separate pieces. I used some closed cell foam, a piece of plastic and wrapped it in heat resistant tape. I then used some wire to secure the stove and bottle.

Nice blades and functional tools. The locking mechanism is nice and easy to use. Sexy little number as well, but it seems a little heavy and overbuilt on the only downside.

Picked this bag up for a trip to the arctic and it was great! There is plenty of room to wriggle around you can store stuff around your feet if you want to keep it warm through the night. I was sweating balls on some of the nights, but better than being cold. The dual zipper allows you to open up and vent for the nights that aren't as cold. The conduit shell repels water really really well! I just blasted it with water from the hose and hardly any water soaked in. The compression sack it comes with allows you to make such a huge bag packable and portable. Really psyched on this product and wish there were more places cold enough that i needed to use it.

Solid little camp piece to have around. Nice that you can measure, scoop, pour, eat and drink all from the same piece. I've created a padded/insulated coozy for winter camping which keeps food and drink warm longer (see attached photo). It's just closed cell foam cut to fit and wrapped in duct tape to protect the foam. They are really tough as well, Ive seen them used and abused and they keep coming back for more.

Pretty new to the world of climbing, but these shoes are very impressive. Nice and snug, but very comfortable. Not for really aggressive or overhanging stuff just a sweet all-arounder from gym to the outdoors they do it all.

It's always nice to have a spare battery along! Pretty much crucial in case you forgot to fully charge the night before, or temps are really cold. I keep a spare taped inside my camera case and It's come into use more than I thought it would.

I use my Contour primarily for skiing and the lens kit allows you to add ND filters to help block sunlight and keep the Contour from over exposing. The camera all by itself has a really hard time dealing with direct sun on snow, even if you properly adjust the internal settings. The ND filter (sold separately)just screws onto the lens kit when the light gets harsh and can be removed quickly if you enter shade or a low light environment. I have found that a .9 filter does a nice job and allows you to use this camera in a much broader range of light. The filter will also add as lens protection that can be easily replaced if damaged.

This thing is scary light! But it works great as a ski mountaineering harness. Packs really light so you don't regret it even if you don't need to use it. Much smaller and lighter than the Alpine Bod. One of my favorite new pieces of gear for the season!

Finishing up a full season of using these gloves for backcountry skiing I would say I'm impressed overall. It's rare that I've had a glove make it through an entire season, but these are still in great shape and maintain their amazing waterproofing. I've rappelled through waterfalls where my partners gloves were soaked all the way through and mine stayed dry inside. They are not as warm as I thought they would be, but work fine for moderately cold temps. The sinch cord on the gauntlet is the nicest I've ever found. You pull one to tighten and one side to loosen which works really slick.

Nice and simple design that fits well. All that you need out of a small day touring pack. With nice separation of Avy tools and the main compartment. Having the avalung inspires confidence and I've even had to use it a few times. While I was being churned up and going under it was nice to know I would have plenty of air to breath and added time for my friends to dig me out. Got to be careful that this tool doesn't become an excuse for risky behavior though.

This jacket is the ideal puff layer for ski touring/mountaineering. It's light and stuffs down small in your pack and then comes through big when you need it. Nice piece to have when the day turns out colder or windier than you expected. It fits under or over my soft shell for that extra warmth. Often I'll ski it as my outer layer and it sheds snow and wind like a shell. Seriously I'm in love with this piece, but don't tell my girlfriend cause she gets jealous easily.

The lines are blurred between resort, backcountry, frontcountry and sidecountry skiing. If I want to do a little of everything, in the same day, in the same boot, I can. This is high performance stability and control for taking the tele-turn to this next level everyone keeps talking about. Now with the walk mode you can tour all day and keep up. This boot is a little bit softer than the white/red T-race or else I would give them a full 5 stars.

Looking for simplicity and function in a lightweight helmet this may be the lid for you. I had the variant over the last few seasons and it was nice, but had to glue in ear flaps, deal with broken vent sliders, etc. No issues with any of those things on the Hustle and it doesn't appear that I will. Seems like a much more sound and simple design.

It's warm as well!

This is a very cool addition to your existing climbing skins that are folded over at the tip. This will shed some weight which is really nice, but more so it will keep your skins tip loops from moving around as your skins get older and the glue doesn't stick together on themselves. The only drawback is you don't have the flexibility in lengthening your skins for longer skis.

Very bright and durable little pack along camping lantern. Simple to use on and off. Nicely designed to hang from inside the tent, or stand on the table. Battery life seems great so far even in cold winter camping.

The Contour HD is very simple to use and shoots really well for such a small compact unit. The battery life is good even in cold conditions (skiing). It's a simple on and off so you can pass it around between friends when using the goggle strap mount. It's a little tricky with snow as it wants to overexpose mid day sun, but that can be adjusted in the settings or fixed after the fact if it's not too bad. The ultra wide angle lens makes it hard to miss the shot. This is a great little tool for capturing unique angles and adding that on-slope action.

Very warm for how compact-able and light weight it is! I've used this for winter camping over the past season and I fell in love with it during out first night together. I'm 6'2" and there was plenty of room in the Long even once I stashed boot liners in the bottom and a few layers i needed to dry out through the night. It's a comfy mummy, not restricting like some. The neck baffling is really cozy and allows you to keep your face warm without breathing into your bag making it damp. My worry was that this bag would 'pack out' a lot and loose it's warmth, but it's nice to find that isn't the case. There are very few pieces of gear I find that aren't in need of some improvement, but I really can't find any issues with this bag.

Positive side-
You can view and adjust the position of your camera so you are getting the angle you want (most helmet cams don't feature this).
The POV will let you make adjustments for exposure and delete footage as you go so you don't fill a card with crap you won't use.

Negative side-
Not HD (this should be enough reason to not buy it)
It's expensive (almost twice what more compact HD units cost), the battery life sucks, and it's heavier than the competition.
You've got cords running from the unit to your pack or pocket and you have to unzip and access to stop and start, which is a bit of a hassle.

I used these all last winter and they took the use and abuse like a champ. They are pretty light and easy to adjust. I ended up using the added grip more than I imagined I would. It's nice for switchbacks when you don't want to shorten the poles.

Great winter camping bag! I spent 30 days on the snow with this bag on two different expeditions in two separate ranges in AK. This was my first synthetic bag and I was surprised that it wasn't that bulky, but was still toasty on the coldest of nights. I loved not worrying about the bag getting wet since it's synthetic, not down. I'm 6'3" and I have the Long model which has tons of room for boot liners, extra clothing and room to roll around without feeling claustrophobic. Nice little pockets near your head for watches/ipods/etc.

Been using this pack for day hikes and moto rides in the desert. Not sure if there is anything I would change about this pack. It's lightweight with tons of separate storage compartments. Fits nicely and adjusts easily. Really happy with this piece of gear.

Nice lightweight trail runners with a good fit.

Dragged two of these bad boys all over AK this spring and the bags were great. Very durable and waterproof for glacier travel. I like the sewn on daisy chains for attaching to a sled and quickly securing other gear.

I used these pants for 30 days of winter camping in AK and I'm very impressed. They are light weight and very packable. It's nice to roll into camp and easily throw them on over ski boots and pants and get warm right away. No worries about getting them wet with the synthetic insulation.

I just spent 30 days winter camping in AK on this pad. I love it! I've never slept so well before on a camping trip. It's thick so you don't 'bottom' out and it insulates much better than other inflatables. The snow under my tentmates melted out and mine wasn't effected. Sleeping well is key to performance in the mountains, this pad is well worth the expense in my opinion.

(updated July 6th 2010)
Damn! Overnight camping trip and my pads baffles blew out causing the pad to bloat at my feet. Really strange! Hoping this is just a rare case since this is one of my favorite new pieces of gear. Warranty dept, here I come.

Used the lip balm and loved it, but the sunscreen seemed too runny and really irritating to the eyes. Maybe I'm just sensitive.

Used this panel in AK to charge helmet cams and ipods and it worked really really well. It's light weight and durable and much more sensitive to light than I had imagined. It didn't require full sun or clear skies to charge. I started sticking it inside the tent in the pole frame during the day and it charged up our gadgets even through the tent.

This is a very light and durable camping pad. I just spent 30 days winter camping on glaciers in AK and I'm really happy with the versatility of this pad. It works well with an inflatable pad to provide warmth and comfort. It's accordion design also allows you to fold it up as a nice thick seat in the cook tent, or a platform to sit on while putting on your boots.

I've been riding exclusively on tele gear for the past 14 years. Just picked up the ST for some steep ski mountaineering objectives and I'm in love. I've shed 2lbs per foot and increased performance for the downhill. The Dynafits are quick and easy on the in and out with plenty of performance on the descent. I thought these were just for folks making little turns while they wiggle their ass down the mountain, but that's not the case. You can actually ski somewhat aggressively on these fancy little rigs.

The Direttissima is very comfortable and well built. It will expand to easily carry enough gear for multi-day overnight trips, but also cinches down for summit day. The overall design isn't revolutionary, jut a simple pack with a lid, but the details are very well thought out and come in useful. Plenty of little pockets in the lid for the small stuff.

Nice layer for high aerobic activity! It breaths out all the moisture and maintains warmth. I've used it for a mid layer while ski touring and as well as an outer layer for fall climbs and runs. Fits well and moves with me (6'2" 185lbs). I always think of a jacket as a piece that protects against wind or precip, so I think it's strange they call it a jacket.

Nicest weight to warmth ratio of any layer I own. Very simple and clean design. A hood would be a nice option.Spent a few really cold nights in Yellowstone this winter and the Phantom was great to have along. Works well as a pillow stuffed in the sleeping bag.

Just what I'm looking for, a simply designed lightweight and durable pant for ski touring. The only complaint is the cuffs on the gaitors are too big for me and I had to take them in a bit so they will stay down around my boots.

This is a really toasty coat for the super cold days. Functional and well built, with fur lining so it looks sexy. Too warm to ski in for me, but this coat can go both ways as an expedition jacket (on the heavy side) and a sweet around towner.

This jacket has changed my layering system for the better. I thought hardshell was the way, but I've changed my mind since touring with the Dragon over the past month. This jacket "breathes" so much better and vents well that I can keep it on almost all day with just a light baselayer. Now I just carry the Dragon and a light down jacket for touring in the Wasatch Mountains. Seems like it will stand up to wear and tear better since it has some give to the fabric.

The S1 is really easy to use and has significantly decreased my search time for single and multiple burials. MAKE SURE TO TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE WHEN USING! I experienced some frightening ghost victims with my cell phone on.

Really well built and waterproof as well. I left it in a buried duffle bag in AK and it became fully submerged in water for 2 days. I figured it was ruined, but after drying it out it works fine.

Also, updating to the new software was quick and easy at Wasatch Touring.

I love the versatility of this piece of gear. Use it in the summer without the insulated pouch, or tuck it into an avalung pack in the winter.

I believe in the quiver and the Havoc rounds out the skinny end of my tool bag really nicely. This is the ski for slicing and dicing in the sketchy steeps. I love how quick it is to come around and grab hold of the slope. It's light and we all know that's right, but she'll also rip fast and solid once things open up. I find it's too narrow for pow, but I'm a big fella trying to make tele turns and I need a bigger platform underfoot.

Size=185cm, I'm 6'2" 190lbs, skied with O1 binding and Scarpa T1 or T-Race

I am really happy to find this item. It's much lighter than my old pad, much smaller and way more comfortable. Not often you can improve in so many aspects of a product. Wish I had found it sooner. I was skeptical about it's durability, but with over two weeks of backcountry use there have been no issues. Well worth the price if weight is a concern.

Needed a really tough bag to take a beating and keep gear dry. Took this on a 4 day backcountry moto trip covering 750miles of rugged terrain, including several deep stream crossings. The bag is super tough, didn't leak and came back unscathed. Really impressed with simplicity, durability and cost of this piece. One happy camper here!

Really nice glove for ski mountaineering where ropes, rocks and hands collide. They have lots of padding for protection, but still maintain a good dexterity. Not warm enough for me on the colder days.

I couldn't hang with the crazy stiffness of the old 192cm Zealot's, but it's amazing what a little tip rocker in this years model will do. These babies don't dive and they initiate turns quickly unlike the older design. The hard charger for high speeds, stomping airs and pushing the limits. Looking forward to getting more days in on them.

The same old trusty powder slayer with a fresh coat of paint. I still feel the way about them as I did when I first posted a review two years ago.

"Warning, this may read like a bad infomercial, but I'm really in love with these skis.
How do you make 4" feel like 8", 8" feel like 16" and over 2 feet of snow the most fun you've ever had. Behold the Megawatt! Hands up, or hands down the best powder ski I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. We've had some really deep days this winter and it's nice to finally be on a ski that I can say is fat enough. No more wallowing and poling your way out when the slope flattens, these boards bring the fast flotation. The front rocker helps in several ways. The ski turns quickly, it eliminates the classic tip dive tele tumble and makes crusts, upside down pow, and variable snow a pleasure. Accidentally ended up not skiing powder one day and it was a big surprise to find they actually rail on the hardpack as well. They have acquired the nickname "Mega-what", due to all the questions folks ask when they are seen touring around the backcountry. With big skis comes more weight to lug around and I'm down with "light is right", but these are worth every pound and they come with me whenever there's fresh snow on the ground now. If I wasn't clear, I like them very much and highly recommend them if you ski powder often."

Seems lots of folks were scared of the megawatt's girth, so BD created it's bad ass lil bro, the Justice. I think they nailed it! For shorter lighter skiers anyway (I'm 6'2" 190lbs). The short length was an issue for me in variable conditions and at speed. But I think this may be the quiver of one many have been looking for. It's fat enough for the deepest pow day, light enough to tour into the deep recesses and the smaller tip allows them to swing around quickly in tight chutes. I spent last witnter product testing it and found it to be one of the best all around tools I've tried. Hoping for a 195cm next season!

Great jacket for around town in cool weather. At 6'2" 190lbs, I enjoy the fit of the XL very much. Pretty stylish stuff and I can't wait to see what BC.com comes up with next.

Not a big fan of the word beanie, but big fan of this hat. Really warm and toasty with a good fit.

Very light and versatile pack for alpine outings. Did some hauling of 50lb to 70lb loads and it did really well. Pretty amazing to get that out of a 4lb pack. It sat out in the rain/snow and kept all my shit dry. I did put a hole in it with an ice pick and could see some of the seams loosen from the heavy loads. Overall I'm really happy with the comfort, fit, and ability of this pack. We'll see about the long term life as it gets more abuse.

The first time I heard of this junk I was curious and gave it a whirl. I climbed and skied Shastina and Shasta with nothing but 10 GU, water and a cliff bar in 7hours round trip and felt great. I've been using ever since.

This stuff is key for serious energy output endeavors. Mixed with a little real food and water I can go all day long if I pop a packet every hour or so. All the flavors are great except for Strawberry/banana. Taste buds will vary.

I'm a fan of the light not too sweet flavor. And it seems to help keep the engine running and helps with recovery. It has a hard time diluting in water sometimes and gets sticky and clumpy, which requires some vigorous shaking.

Not much to add to the glowing reviews below from some of the most experienced and respected snow riders! What is nice for tele skiing is the upper and lower plastic which will protect above and below the knee unlike some pads. They will also make it more comfortable to pray for snow.

Picked one of these up this past winter and was psyched. I don't get to go this light on too many days, but when all you need is the basic avalanche gear this pack is nice. Limited space keeps you honest on what you really need. I've ended up strapping layers to the outside and tying stuff to the skis to get by, but it's worth it for a pack you hardly know is there.

It's nice to be able to get out of your boots and into these guys at the end of the day. You can slip 'em on with your liners and help dry them out around camp.

These are obviously made for high altitude and extremely cold temps. They don't stay dry in wet and sloppy conditions.

Overall a nice piece of softwear to have along.

Very light and comfy, this is a good little piece of insurance to have along.

The Alpine Bod is lightweight and packs away easily so your more likely to bring it. I use it for glacier travel and ski mountaineering. It's easy to get on and off. I've added my own gear loops which makes it much more functional.

I'm a big fan of the Betamid as a cooking tent and place to chill. I've never slept in it and don't know that I would trust it i high winds or severe weather. But for a super light outing in fair weather or an additional shelter for winter camping, this thing is great. You can dig out the snow to create the living quarters you would like. I always throw snow around the edges to seal it tight and use guy lines to keep it sturdy. You really should seam seal before you go and I think it's a much better tent for snow than rain.

Anybody remember 'The Animal'? It was a toy truck that when the going got tough it had claws that would pop out of the tires and it would climb anything. Tag line was 'Can anything stop The Animal'. Sorry for the tangent there, but that's how I feel using the Whippets. When the climbing gets steep, sketchy, icy or rocky these poles are a lifesaver. I've hooked trees, plugged em into moss, mud and rock. It's also nice in steep chutes to jam the picks in the snow and clip your pack, skis or other gear into the straps so you don't drop anything.

I don't think they should be called 'self arrest poles', I think they are more of a climbing tool. I've taken some big long nasty falls and while attacking the slope for all I was worth the poles didn't arrest me. It seems your only chance is right at the moment of loosing control and the snow must be firm enough, but not too firm. Nice to have even then, but don't count on stopping yourself.

These really are a must have for ski mountaineering.

Warm and really light weight. I used this for a quick and light overnight last fall while skiing in patagonia. I fell in love with it during out first night together. I'm 6'2" and there was plenty of room in the Long to stash boot liners in the bottom and a few layers I wanted to keep warm and some gear i needed to dry out through the night. The neck baffling is really cozy and allows you to keep your face warm without breathing into your bag which makes your bag damp. There are few pieces of gear I find that couldn't use some improvement, but I really can't find any issues with this bag.

This helmet has all the great features like vents, fit, style, but they are all secondary to the main purpose, keeping your melon intact. And I've often wondered how these lightweight lids would really hold up to impact with a rock or tree. Managed to tumble through some cliffs head first the other day and I'm gladly here to say the helmet held up really well. Cracked, scratched and dented I think it will make it through the season unlike my skis.

The only negative for me was that before head butting the mountain I managed to break off one of the vent sliders. This was really annoying, but it may just have been operator misuse?

Toasty warmth and durability earn this piece 5 stars and a place in my pack. I've taken this bad boy to AK and Patagonia over the past year and it's been awesome. This is a good expedition/winter camping jacket. Packs down small enough to haul around for day touring and then makes a great pillow at night. Key piece in the winter arsenal.

Big fan of the titanium spork. It's really strong and won't break like too many lexan utencil's I've tried. The only draw back is that it's really cold to eat of metal in freezing temps. Can double as a tent stake or a rappel anchor in a pinch.

I believe in the quiver and the Havoc rounds out the skinny end of my tool bag really nicely. This is the ski for slicing and dicing in the sketchy steeps. I love how quick it is to come around and grab hold of the slope. It's light and we all know that's right, but she'll also rip fast and solid once things open up. I find it's too narrow for pow, but I'm a big fella trying to make tele turns and I need a bigger platform underfoot.

Size=185cm, I'm 6'2" 190lbs, skied with O1 binding and Scarpa T1 or T-Race

I'm constantly changing over from skinning to skiing to filming and my hands get exposed and cold. It's nice to throw the Guides on and know my hands will warm right up. They have been my glove of choice for the past 2 seasons on the local slopes and distant expeditions. The long gauntlet style keeps the snow out and the leather gives good grip on poles, rock, rope and whatever I can get my hands on.

This shirt breathes, sheds light snow and fights the wind, those are good things. I wear this top skiing everyday with just a light t-shirt underneath and I don't have to fuss around too much with layering until I'm finished hiking and ready to ski. It's a simple layer that does a lot.

The lines are blurred between resort, backcountry, frontcountry and sidecountry skiing. If I want to do a little of everything, in the same day, in the same boot, I can. This is high performance stability and control for taking the tele-turn to this next level everyone keeps talking about. With a free-pivot binding (the O1 perhaps) I don't mind the lack of a touring mode on the uphill and it leaves me thinking yipeee on the downhill.

The Detonator fits well, reveals the terrain in low light and won't fog unless I'm really working hard and don't have the vents cleared. My friend Dylan says, "If you can see over it, ski over it", tough to do if your goggles are foggy. Great to watch a small company grow with hard work, good customer service and innovative technology.

Warning, this may read like a bad infomercial, but I'm really in love with these skis.
How do you make 4" feel like 8", 8" feel like 16" and over 2 feet of snow the most fun you've ever had. Behold the Megawatt! Hands up, or hands down the best powder ski I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. We've had some really deep days this winter and it's nice to finally be on a ski that I can say is fat enough. No more wallowing and poling your way out when the slope flattens, these boards bring the fast flotation. The front rocker helps in several ways. The ski turns quickly, it eliminates the classic tip dive tele tumble and makes crusts, upside down pow, and variable snow a pleasure. Accidentally ended up not skiing powder one day and it was a big surprise to find they actually rail on the hardpack as well. They have acquired the nickname "Mega-what", due to all the questions folks ask when they are seen touring around the backcountry. With big skis comes more weight to lug around and I'm down with "light is right", but these are worth every pound and they come with me whenever there's fresh snow on the ground now. If I wasn't clear, I like them very much and highly recommend them if you ski powder often.

The "puffy", a key piece in the "hey I go in the mountains" look. Well, the Phantom will actually be of benefit when you make it out into the hills. If light is right then this is the jacket Dick Cheney duck hunts in. And at 800 fill it's nice and toasty while you're waiting for the paramedics to come while thinking up excuses for shooting your friend in the face. I wear the sapphire because it really compliments my eyes.