leeann

THANK YOU for all the reviews on sizing! I normally wear a 6/36 in everything, except sometimes I wear 5.5 in heels, etc. I sized down .5 because I heard that typically with climbing shoes, you want them a bit tight. But because my left foot is a tiny bit bigger and my toes felt like they were suffering just trying them on, I decided to exchange them for my normal size 6. They still hug my feet really tight and my toes still scrunch a bit but after climbing some time, it does feel like it has gotten a tiny bit bigger to the point where my feet feel pretty comfortable (maybe after I have climbed more and get more advanced, these might feel too big...).

Another note - I am a beginner and yes, these shoes are technically for beginners but when I like a sport, I commit to get better at it and don't want to spend half the price on a piece of crap that I will grow out of quickly and then I will need to replace them with a more pricier pair anyway. With the backcountry sale price, these are not that more pricey than other shoes and these are really worth it and will grow with me as I advance.

I took this jacket with me on a trip to Alaska and it was fantastic! I used it everyday!! It has a great liner that can be used as an extra layer of warmth (it worked great while I was ice climbing) or can be removed for a lighter shield with just the shell. The only con I had was that when the jacket got wet, it tended to stay damp-ish for a little bit which made me cold (I get cold really easy). If you really need a waterproof jacket, I highly suggest the Northface goretex jackets! More expensive but they do their job when its raining or snowing!