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Austin H.

Trail Runner // Skier // Camper/Hiker // Alpine Skier // Kayaker // Backpacker // Camper // Hiker // Boulderer // Snowshoer // Paddler

Austin H.

  • Backcountry.com Employee Backcountry.com Employee

13 Reviews:

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10 Yes | 1 No

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4 Answers:

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  • Stomping Grounds:

    Salt Lake City Utah
  • Bio:

    Assistant Sales Supervisor

    Occupations have included.. therapeutic wilderness instruction (hiking, paddling, backpacking), water ski and wakeboard instructor, magazine photo editor (N'East Magazine), freelance professional action sports photographer, alpine coach, mini golf expert, etc.

    I went to school too, got one of those fancy B.S. degrees.

    Hitting vertical gnarnia on some fat sticks during the colder months, paddling and swimming during the summer and trail running and backpacking any other time.

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Wilderness Systems Tsunami 125 Touring Kayak

October 4, 2009

Jay,

This is a 2009 model and it's "first quality".

We only sell 100% new gear, unused and in first quality condition. No worries there, your kayak would be brand new!

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Oakley Alps Pant - Men's

September 23, 2009

I would suggest fitting these based on your waist size as well.

At 175 cm these are going to be a little on the long side more than likely. Oakley's fit for these ALPS is going to be baggier simply based on style as well. Definitely important to consider your use and what style will be easiest for you based on your riding choices.

I'm 5'11 (180.34cm), 165lbs (74.84 kg) and have a 33in (84cm) waist, I would purchase a medium and expect it to have some bagginess but fit pretty darn well.

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Oakley Air Raid Bib - Men's

September 23, 2009

We do have some sizes and colors still in stock!

Always check the sizes / colors drop down menu, if you can see it there then we have it for you to purchase.

Rare that items would show if they're out of stock. In the event something is out of stock it will indicate this to the right hand side of the photo :)

Grab up a pair of these before they fly! ..brown/orange is the new hotness.

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Tough, Comfortable, Dry - End All Work / Play Glove

Backcountry.com Stoic Inbounds Glove - Men's

Backcountry.com Stoic Inbounds Glove - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 September 23, 2009

Spent about 80 days on hill last season in these gloves touring, in bounds, sidecountry and shooting photos.

Previously I've used a number of Hestra, Reusch and no-name work gloves when I coached racing and shot photos professionally. Every use breaks these gloves in to a new level of comfort / fit perfection and comfort. Leather gloves either wear quickly or stand up to the elements, these stand up. DWR coating stayed dry during a trip back to the East coast, skiing in Maine with some friends during mixed precip.

Plenty of dexterity, palm padding is minimal but feels plush. Wrist closure is high quality velcro, stays tight every time.. no stretching or cheating as the day goes on. Buying a back up pair for this season and a couple of pairs for my family friends.

Wish I had this glove when I worked professionally on hill..

Fit looks bulkier than it is. I'm about 165, 5'11 with proportional hands.. not too large but not small. Purchased a large and it was spot on.

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Minimalist Weight / Cushing - Cool Temps

Lorpen Multisport Coolmax Ultralight Mini Sock

Lorpen Multisport Coolmax Ultralight Mini Sock

Rating for this product: 5 September 23, 2009

Pros: Extremely cool socks, certainly wick sweat from feet, insanely comfortable, built well, elastic fit that never shifts or rides when you run
Cons: No cushioning, impossible to find in your wash

I run the canyons here in UT every couple of days in a pair of Salomon XT Wings and only use Lorpen socks. Previously had low-cut cotton socks or cotton blend socks. Discovered these one day and ended up purchasing 5-6 pair after my first run. The coolmax does what its supposed to, the fit is as close to perfect as it gets, the socks don't ride, you can feel your shoe and they wash / dry quickly.

Not a cushioned sock but if you want a barrier between your foot and your shoe that you barely notice these are the best you can buy. Huge fan.

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Indestructible - Nonscratching - SeaWeed Sweet

Kaenon Gauge Sunglasses - Polarized

Kaenon Gauge Sunglasses - Polarized

Rating for this product: 4 September 23, 2009

Owned these polarized shades since July and would easily purchase them again in a moment.

Owned:
Spy
Oakley
Rudy Project
Hoven
Smith

..and by far these shades offer excellent sun protection top / bottom and peripherally here in Utah (sun never ends). Polarization is a dream, reduced glare off cars / objects driving, a miracle for blue eyes or sensitive eyes. Lens shade is dark enough to wear driving to work at dawn right up until early dusk. No squinting. Traveled across the country, sat on these, threw them in my travel bag / backpack and I haven't yet scratched these lenses.

Styling is thick, sturdy and a little heavier than a non-casual type design (OAK Jawbones). Kaenon metallic logo down the side adds some flare. Seaweed color truly is as pictured, nice textured change from straight darker green / translucent colored frames.

Hard to fit in a pocket but you won't care, these are worth every penny for a pair of larger style shades that offer true West Coast, sun in your face 99% of the day.. protection.

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Warm and comfortable. Basic beanie.

DAKINE Vert Rib Beanie

DAKINE Vert Rib Beanie

Rating for this product: 4 November 7, 2008

This beanie is as basic as they get. Simple cut, construction and style. Warm with plenty of stretch and room. Tag is on the outside so its not annoying or rubbing. Top of the hat is a slight ridge bulge on the top but once it wears in this goes away. Bought one, then bought another. Use them skiing. Solid.

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Nalgene SS BPA-Free Bottle - 38oz

October 27, 2008

Given normal use you shouldn't have any problems with denting. With that said any stainless bottle if dropped from high enough or thrown hard enough when full of water will most likely show some kind of damage or dent (unless its made of titanium!). Keep in mind that Backcountry has a 100% satisfaction guarantee so if you had any problems with the bottle we've got you covered.

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Heavy duty compact stove, simple and strong burning. Loud.

MSR  XGK EX Multi-Fuel Stove

MSR XGK EX Multi-Fuel Stove

Rating for this product: 4 October 27, 2008

Used this stove to do some mid altitude camping and coffee creation down in the Moab area. Stable design that accomodates a medium / large pot and supplied simple sheet metal windscreen does what its supposed to.
Easty to start up, the fuel line / bottle interface are simple to arrange and attach. Everything felt secure and tight. This stove is heavy duty and HEAVY. I wouldn't suggest carrying this as your summer packing stove. As a solution for winter melting of snow (its efficient!) or getting a large pot HOT for frying / cooking I'm a huge fan.
Utilized white gas and low octane gas pump automobile gasoline (not suggested for regular use due to corrosion). White gas was clean and hot, auto gas was about the same but took longer to boil or heat a pan. The fuel flexibility of this stove is a massive selling point.
One downside: This stove is loud, really loud. Loud enough to instill confidence that its burning HOT but if you're around anyone else or trying to keep things quiet in a campground this isn't your stove. Everytime I fire it up I'm happy to turn it off to give the ears a rest. In comparison I've used a number of Jetboil, MSR multi-fuel and canister stoves that were half or 2/3rds the volume. Ultimately this shouldn't stop you from buying the stove if all of the above fits your need, just be ready to make some adjustments for volume.
No simmer, the heat is wide open all the time. Shaker jet cleaning is genius and worth the few extra pennies of a stove that doesn't have this.

Helpful Votes: 3 Yes | 1 No

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22 oz. Highly Recommended

MSR Fuel Bottles DO NOT USE

MSR Fuel Bottles DO NOT USE

Rating for this product: 5 October 27, 2008

Bought a 22oz bottle for some overnight and car camping use. A light little bottle with a secure camp and gasket construction. It does what it's supposed to. No leaking and the aluminum holds up. Used with a MSR XGK EX Multi-Fuel Stove flawlessly.

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Impressive packable warmth / weight choice.

Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's

Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 October 27, 2008

Highly recommended packable fall/winter back up jacket or main layer over a wicking type of shirt. Winter wise this packs down to about the size of a football, incredibly important for hiking / weight concerns when trekking in the backcountry. Having a packable down layer is a necessity for safety. For what it weighs the warmth to bulk/weight ratio is impressive. Light but durable non-waterproof construction with quality, non jamming zippers and a roomy hood. Perfect length for a normally proportioned 5'11 175 athletic body type(size large). After a week of regular camping use, packing and unpacking there is no noticeable loss of down from the seams and its surprising how well it sheds those wonderful camping odors.. Buy one for a light outer layer in the city, mid-layer for colder hiking or a SOLID packable emergency warmth solution in the backcountry.

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Recommended, complete basic set. Durable / light.

MSR BlackLite Guide Set

MSR BlackLite Guide Set

Rating for this product: 5 October 27, 2008

You get what you see in the photo. Two pots with a well fitting lid and a pot grabber. Grabber is a nice addition to the set so you don't have to get out the leatherman constantly. Pots heat quickly and true to the design, don't stick. Clean easily and are a perfect fit for a MSR XGK EX Multi-Fuel Stove (fuel bottle packed elsewhere) with the two pots stacked inside each other. Cooked coffee in the smaller pot and about four packages of oatmeal in the larger. Fried two / three burgers with two servings of veggies, everything cooked evenly and tasted great. Both felt a stable fit on the MSR XGK EX Multi-Fuel Stove without any additional propping or holding. Dependable, durable and complete for the price you pay. High value, great pots!

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Wyoming, Utah, Vt, Me. Rockin Bag.

Burton Zoom Camera Pack - 28L

Burton Zoom Camera Pack - 28L

Rating for this product: 4 September 26, 2008

I've carried this bag for two long winters now shooting on the East Coast and out West trekking, accessing the backcountry and shooting skiers and boarders shredding hard. Plenty of padding in the baffles. Lots of options for lens and accessory arrangement. Top compartment is great for extra goggles, batteries and a few small tools. Front laptop compartment is pretty ridiculous though considering this bag accomodates more of an outdoor useage and the compartment is not waterproof. Side pockets do a great job at holding a couple of small light stands.

Have skis? Carry them diagonally with a little bit of creative strapping. Nothing complicated to get some boards on though. Tough bag, has withstood plenty of abusive weather, hard handling and dirty travel. The main compartment opens behind your back.

Downfalls: Medium - skinny shoulder straps. Weight orientation is like a cube on your back, high and horizontal from your back instead of arranging more gear lengthwise and vertical. Too many camera bags screw this up though, not just the zoom.

Would I buy it again? Yes. For light out of bounds or city shooting. For the more casual or amatuer shooter this bag is all you will ever need. For the professional its a great back up or light main use bag. I'll keep mine until it dies!

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes | 0 No

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Supportive. Fast. Worth the money.

Salomon XT Wings Trail Running Shoe - Men's

Salomon XT Wings Trail Running Shoe - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 July 15, 2008

Bought these and I regularly run up the Big Cottonwood / Little Cottonwood canyon hiking trails here in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Supportive, the overall sole height is a little high but not into ankle rolling territory. Quick lacing system rocks, haven't had any issues. These are some of the lightest trail running shoes I have ever worn.

Fit:
Wide forefoot. Med-high instep support. Narrow(ish) heel pocket.

Awesome shoe, worth every dollar.

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Running short with style?!

Sugoi Mobil Surf Short - Men's

Sugoi Mobil Surf Short - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 July 15, 2008

Huge fan of these shorts.

Light, breathable, slight stretch to the fabric and top shelf durability. The fit is spot on with solid waist adjustability. I trail run in these and the adjustable sides stay tight. Nice to have a running short with some style, falls just at / below the knee. The photo may look like a heavier short but these are surprisingly light. Not into spandex and almost nothing running shorts? Buy these and you won't be sorry.

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes | 0 No

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Light. Cool. Comfortable.

Lorpen Coolmax Multisport  Ultra Light Shorty Sock

Lorpen Coolmax Multisport Ultra Light Shorty Sock

Rating for this product: 4 July 15, 2008

Light. Cool. Comfortable.

I put on trail running miles with these socks and will definitely buy more of the Lorpen Coolmax products. Durable and protective sock with minimal bulk. Instantly cools your foot once out of your shoe. Great sizing, not too restrictively elastic. You'll love these.

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Strong. Basic. Works.

CamelBak Omega HydroTanium Hydration Reservoir

CamelBak Omega HydroTanium Hydration Reservoir

Rating for this product: 5 July 15, 2008

This bladder does the trick.

Plenty of capacity for a shorter day hike or a trail run. Solid construction. Basic bite valve that works like a charm. Easy to fill, cap secures with no leaks and a breeze to clean with the wide opening. Overall I'm a fan. If you want a bladder to replace one you had and lost (doh!) or just want a bladder to throw in a bag this is a go-to choice.

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