Refreshing

I bought this helmet to replace my Edelrid Ultralight. The first day that I wore this to the crag I seriously forgot that I was wearing it. I got in my car and my belay partner asked why I was still wearing my helmet. This thing is lighter than my super expensive road bike helmet and it never gives me the hot-itchy-head feeling. I am sure this is because with the inner air channels not too much of the foam actually touches the head. The outer shell does feel very fragile but only time will tell if it can hold up. If this helmet handles the small bumps and scrapes I will be repurchasing it when I retire my current one.

I was lucky enough to find this thing at my local crag lying in some tall grass. My original belay device (Wild Country VC Pro) is a lot less bulky and a lot more easy to push my rope (10.2) into. However I did notice that the ATC-XP doesn't get nearly as hot on long rappels. I gave this to my lady so she can catch my falls easier and she enjoys it much more than the VC Pro. I would personally go for the cheaper one.

I LOVE this shoe. It took me about 8 to 10 hours of climbing to break them in. These are my bouldering and overhang-sport-climb shoes. I brought them along for a day of top roping on some easier long routes and my feet were in lots of pain by the end of the day so they are, of course, specialized for technical climbing. They grab the smallest holds and heel hooks feel great. Highly recommended!

The only reason why I did not give this jacket 5 stars is because the pockets do not work well with a hipbelt. If a company makes a jacket for climbers and backpackers I expect that the extra weight used for the pockets would be useable. I cant store anything in them and I cant even use them as extra vents because the pocket material is waterproof and seam sealed. Other then that the jacket fits great with room for layers and room for my climbing helmet (I am 6'3" and 180 lbs and the large fit great length-wise but does not have the athletic fit I was looking for). This does not "breath" like Goretex or Event but it has not failed to keep me dry. I use it as my winter shell and it is small enough to ball up and hang off my harness in the summer. I would not pay retail for this jacket again but if you can find it on sale I would recomend it.

I love these things. They are light but the thing I like most is the clutter on my harness that no longer exists. These are now the only draws I use for sport climbing. When I climb at my local gym their quickdraws feel unnecessarily enormous. Using regular sized quickdraws for sport climbing is like buying a shark tank for a goldfish. These are all that I use. I own a 10.2 rope and I have no troubles what so ever with clips.

I definitely have trouble feeding thicker ropes through this at my local indoor climbing gym. I am not considering this a negative feature though because I was aware of this before I bought it. Other than that it does everything that a belay device should do.

Wow do I love this spork. The things that I like: It is very light, it is longer than any other backpacking utensil that I have owned, it folds up to fit into my cooking pot, the locking mechanism is bomber and holds tightly. The things that I don't like: nothing, I have no idea how they could make this spork better. The price is great too, I highly recommend it.

I bought this backpack to replace my old Vaude Rock Ultralight 25. I only have two complaints. #1 - The opening is annoyingly small. #2 - The foam back panel is removable and its pocket on the inside of the pack has no Velcro or button closure so it is constantly open and getting in the way when I try to load the pack. I ended up sewing it shut which solved the problem. Other than those two complaints I love the pack.

I mainly use it for my climbing gear and for when I go to work. I can fit two pairs of climbing shoes, a harness, a nalgene, a fleece, and a sandwich or two in the main compartment. The harness pockets are huge! I carry a wind jacket in one side and a headlamp/knife/paracord in the other. There is also a small pocket on the lid where I usually throw a few power bars and an expandable front pocket that I use for my dirty gym clothes. The compression straps work wonderfully and keep all of the gear in place. The material is thick and durable with a waterproof coating on the inside. The pack rides awesome on the back and I just love this thing. It is a killer backpack and I have no doubt that it will last me a long time.

The best part about this shovel is that it feels great in the hand. Seriously, the handle/shaft feel so comfortable when digging. Also, for a telescoping shovel it has a solid feel. My only concern is the "anti-slip strapping" because it is like sandpaper or griptape and having this material vibrate against a backpack could quickly rub a whole in a pack. I give the shovel a five out of five because it is comfortable, it performs well, and it looks cool.

I wish all climbers and backpackers had the guts to wield the Mistral jacket. There are so many gear guru's that are obsessed with waterproof/breathable membranes like Goretex and Event but not I! Let me explain:

I wear this jacket with a midweight grid pattern microfleece base layer (such as the Patagonia R1, Under Armour 3.0, or my personal favorite the Lowe Alpine Ninja Hoody) and this combination gets me through EVERYTHING. Everything means anywhere from high output trail running in 40 degree temperatures with sleet and wind to lower output backpacking in snowy single digit temperatures. This jacket works so wonderfully because it allows me to keep a thin layer of warmth close to my body without the wind stealing it from me while at the same time letting my sweat wick through the ultra thin nylon. I can drastically control my body's temperature by opening the pockets, the front zipper, and my baselayer zipper to vent and cooldown OR cinch the waist, pull the hood over my stocking hat, and zip everything shut to keep out the wind. And trust me, it does a fricken good job at keeping out the wind because the arm length is very generous, the waist cinches tight, and the high collar comes way up to my chin to seal out the drafts from my neck (If the tail dropped an extra 2 or 3 inches I would consider this jacket perfect). This jacket is not waterproof and this is what makes it so awesome. Example, if I go trail running in a waterproof/breathable jacket during a snowy 10 degree morning there is no way in hell that the membrane will "breathe" good enough to dump the massive amounts of sweat that I produce and I end up freezing my butt off from my own sweat. The Mistral on the other hand is not completely waterproof which means that the warm moisture (from both my body and the snow) can easily escape the jacket and I stay dry (and more importantly, warm!).Craftsmanship: Initially I wondered why Montbell used a thicker material around the neck but I soon realized that they did this because the EXTREMELY thin main material simply isn’t rigid enough to stay up around the neck when the hood is down. The thicker material also has a small amount of stretch and I am pleased to say that my range of motion is not hindered in any direction because of the combined use of the two materials. The pockets do vent really well but I like them mostly because I can access them with a hip belt on. I am 6’2” – 175 lbs and bought a Large.

This jacket is my shield against the world's nastiest weather! Because of the Montbell Mistral jacket, I will never again own a Goretex jacket. 5 stars!

Do the letters on the front of my jacket really spell out "Columbia"? I hate to play the name brand game but I was never fond of Columbia because they have been known to use stupid clothing materials (pvc rain jackets, or cotton hiking pants) and the fit of their clothes always sucked. However! This jacket's materials, the weight, and especially the fit all resemble wonderful craftsmanship that would be expected from brands like Marmot or Patagonia.

Why I bought this jacket: I was looking for a synthetic fill jacket to replace my down fill Marmot Ama Dablam jacket for winter backpacking but I did not want to spend over $150.

Warmth: WOW was I surprised by this jacket. Two mornings ago I crawled out of my tent and it was five degrees out. I had on a midweight baselayer, a hooded nylon wind shirt, and this jacket. I pulled the hood up over my stocking cap and I was warm as a button! I brought a down vest for extra core insulation but I never needed it.

Materials: The outershell is a very thin ripstop nylon. The insulation feels like a good quality synthetic and it is very compressible for a synthetic (100 grams). The inner is a light polyester fabric with little silver speckles on it. I originally hated the idea of a sparkly interior because in my eyes it was just extra weight but maybe it has something to do with the surprising warmth of this jacket.

Weight: I read somewhere that it weighs 22 ounces but because I can not find the source of this information I will just say that it feels very light and it compresses into the pack very easy.

Fit: This is where I was really impressed. I am 6'2" - 175 lbs and I bought a large. Usually jackets are either too wide or too short. This jacket fits close to my body and the arm/waist length is perfect. But the thing that most stuck out was that I can raise my arms above my head without the jacket riding up to my nipples.

Overall: I love it. If you are looking for a light synthetic fill jacket with an awesome fit that won't break your wallet this is it.

Short Version: The pack has a simple design that makes it durable and light. My favorite part of this pack is the insanely comfortable back pack panel that feels like an extension of the body.

Long Version: Wow do I love this backpack. Let me repeat that again so that this review doesn’t look like a generic “I love my gear because I own it”. WOW DO I LOVE THIS BACKPACK. Out of the five packs that I have owned none of them make me as happy as this one does. The shape of the back panel is PERFECT. The material is light and malleable yet thick enough to survive an epic bushwacking extravaganza. The design is simple and durable because there are no major pack height adjustments or movable hip belts. On the same note, the simple design has lots of “why didn’t I think of that?” features (like the little loops that marmot uses at the end of every strap to keep them from flailing around). I bought this pack because I was given a price that I couldn’t pass up but I never foresaw it becoming the only backpack that I use. It is capable of comfortably carrying 3 days worth of winter gear/food/fuel. It is also capable of carrying 3 days worth of winter gear/food/fuel along with climbing shoes, a chalk bag, and a GIANT crash pad strapped to the back of it!

The EOS is a kick (insert naughty word for gluteus maximus) tent. On my solo trips, before this tent, I hauled around the Marmot Aeolos 2p. When I realized it was stupid to carry around a two person tent on a solo hike I bought an Outdoor Research Alpine Bivy. After finding out that bivys are not fun to use in the rain I bought the Marmot EOS tent. BINGO! I love this thing. Setting it up is extremely easy. Seriously, the first time I set it up was via headlamp light with gloves on and I did it in just over a minute. The bathtub floor and the rain fly offer impenetrable rain protection. The tent has a very large door on both the body and rain fly for easy entrance. There is plenty of floor space to stash a jacket, waterbottle, and other essentials at BOTH the head and foot of the tent. The tent is so little that it can be set up pretty much anywhere, even considering the generous vestibule space.

What I don't like: The length of the floor is great but the walls aren't very steep so sometimes my toes hit the mesh ceiling. Also, I would have liked to see a guy-out point in the middle of each end on the rain fly but that is just me being picky.

There are better tents which have been talked about on this page but these particular tents are more expensive. I give the EOS 5/5 because you will not find a better solo tent at this price.

This softshell jacket is freaking awesome even though it uses a hardshell membrane. In the beginning, softshells held a higher priority for breath-ability over waterproofness. The reason being that it doesn't matter how much rain the jacket will shed if the user is soaked from their own sweat. Because of this, I vowed to never own a so called "softshell" that uses the same membrane as a rain jacket (Windstopper uses the same waterproof barrier as Goretex). Unfortunately I tried on this jacket.

I was instantly in love because the fit is INCREDIBLE. It has a great athletic fit and a wonderful range of motion, wait, what does ROM stand for? The hood has the perfect shape; it cinches tight to keep out the elements yet does not hinder one's vision at all. Also I have to give props to Marmot for giving such generous amounts of length to the arms and waste.

As for the material, if you sweat in your rain jacket you will sweat in this coat. I do not use it for any rigorous activities like cycling or trail running because even with the breathable side material it simply doesn't breath good enough.

I am 6'2" and 175 lbs. The large fit perfect with room for an insulating layer underneath. I give this jacket 5 out of 5 because Marmot really paid attention to the details.

This was my first Mammut clothing purchase. I was happy to see that the attention to detail is wonderful! The smooth material on the outside does help shed very light rain but only slightly better than your average fleece jacket. The weave of the material is not tight enough to block wind anymore than a normal fleece. The material on the inside is the softest fleece I have ever felt. The hood looks dumb when it is pulled up but works great (function>fashion). I am 6'2" and 175 lbs. I ordered the large and it fits well. It has a better athletic cut around the stomach than most of my other jackets. I would have loved to see an inch or two more of length at the waist and this is the only reason why I gave it a 4/5.

At first I hated this jacket because it insulated no better than a long sleeve t-shirt (if you take wind out of the equation) and yet it didn't breath at all because I perspired horribly when I was winter trail running in it. BUT since I started commuting on my bicycle again (40-60 degree temps) I would ask for nothing else. It demolishes the wind/light rain and at the same time it breathes better than any wind resistant jacket I have ever owned. I do sweat if I am working very hard (like sprinting through the trails) but for cold weather backpacking or long distance commuting it is perfect. And to top it off the jacket is very stretchy, it does not limit my arm motions in any direction. This is an awesome jacket for what it was designed for. Just don't buy it thinking it will keep you warm if you are just standing around in it because it has NO insulation.

I will start this review by saying that I love Marmot's quality and attention to detail and that it kills me to give a Marmot item such a low rating. With that said, the review: The Genesis jacket is the first softshell that I have owned. I wanted to get into the softshell market for a jacket that was stretchy and very breathable but at the same time was capable of shedding light rain and had a touch of insulation. When I first got the jacket I loved it because it has the marmot athletic fit that I love and it was soft and just felt bombproof. However, after putting it through many different tests such as hiking, backpacking, cycling, and trail running in temperature ranges of 30 degrees down to -20 degrees I fell out of love with this jacket. First is breath ability, softshells are supposed to breathe AT LEAST better than a hardshell. Through all of the activities I did with this jacket I found absolutely no difference in breathability as compared to my hardshell jacket. I did some research and found that this jacket has a Marmot Membrain laminate which is the same material they use for their lower end rain jackets. With this laminate and the taped seems the jacket is indeed fully waterproof but I now understand why the jacket doesn't breathe at all. In my opinion this jacket shouldn't even be marketed as a softshell but I'm not in control of that. Next up is stretch, the material stretches but the taped seems do not stretch at all and this takes away from the overall stretch and range of motion that the jacket has. Lastly, I washed the jacket by hand in the sink and the material over the seems wrinkled up permanently and the jacket no longer has its smooth look.

I grade marmot harshly because I hold marmot to high standards. The jacket worked awesome for a winter backpacking trip aside from the breathability and it is a good looking jacket but I would never again pay the price that I paid for the Marmot Genesis Jacket.

I will admit that I am biased against TNF because everyone in my hometown owns a TNF coat and I hate following the crowd. However, I bought this coat anyways because I heard it had an athletic fit and up until that point I could never find a jacket that fit me length wise without having room for a second person inside the jacket. I have only used the jacket once (I bought it solely for winter backpacking) and it performed flawlessly. There is nothing better than waking up inside a tent on a -5 degree morning and being warm as a button. Plus it takes up almost no room in my pack. The only reason I gave it four stars is because I could use one or two more inches of length on the waist. I bought a large and I am 6'2" 170lbs.

In my opinion a good nights sleep is very important while backpacking. I am a side sleeper and this pad just doesn't give me a good nights sleep. But I didn't buy the pad for sleeping on. I bought it specifically for winter backpacking as a very light weight bench in the snow and as a backup pad if anyone's inflatable pad sprung a leak. The thing I love most about this pad is you can use it anywhere without worries of ruining it. We tossed it over a snowy log without fear that a sliver would harm the pad and we used it buy the campfire where a few sparks had there way with the foam (had this been an inflatable pad these sparks would have ended its life). I like traveling light but there are always a few things that I MUST have, one of which is a dry warm butt and this pad is perfect for that.

Over the past two years I have stopped buying clothes made of cotton in hopes that I will eventually be able to close my eyes and reach into my closet and anything that my hand grabs will be suitable for an adventure into the wilderness. But I couldn't say no to this shirt and I am super happy for that. I am 6'1" and 165 lbs so finding a good fitting shirt is impossible, it is either too fat or too short BUT not this shirt (i bought a medium). I LOVE IT! Ya, it is even longer than I would have asked for but it is better to be a little long on the waist than a little short. It is so soft and cuddly I want to where it 24/7 and show off the sexy goat on the front to all of my friends. THANKS BACKCOUNTRY!

This watch is awesome. I was looking for a simple, reliable, and waterproof analog watch to use while I am working as an emt. SIMPLE: the watch I own has two colors and one button. This means it isn't blingy and the simple design makes it more durable. RELIABLE: I am basing its reliability solely on Nixon's reputation. WATERPROOF: I rarely take the watch off. I shower with it on and I have swam in the pool a few times with it. NEGATIVE: The only thing I dislike about this watch is the fact that it has no light or glow-in-the-dark hands. Once you get used to looking at your watch when ever you want the time (unlike most people these days that use cell phones) it is quite frustrating to not be able to see the hands when you look at your watch in dim light. If only the hands glowed in the dark I would have rated this watch perfect.

I use this backpack mainly for commuting on my roadbike. For the first time in all of my reviews I really have nothing bad to say about a product. I used to think camelbaks were pointless considering waterbottles seem to do the job flawlessly until I had to drop some cash on a new daypack and I thought i'd give this one a shot. I now feel that it is the perfect day-pack/school-pack/gym-pack for MANY reasons.

Back ventilation is amazing with the "air director" tunnels. Even when I am pumping hard up hills my back gets a great air flow.

I never knew that drinking from a camelbak was so easy, and when I fill up the bag with hot water for my very cold morning bike rides to work the water is still warm by the time i am done with work.This thing has more organization than i could ever ask for and it is possible to load it up heavily (full water reservoir, work clothes, huge lunch for work, cable lock, work shoes, a raincoat, a fleece sweater and still room to spare) if needed because of the expanding area between the main compartment and the front compartment.

What really got me were the small details like Velcro on the straps to keep the straps rolled up and out of the way.

I love this pack, it is super comfy and definitely built to high standards.

I wouldn't catagorize these boots as boots. They are more like the spawn of some hi-tech shoes and a tank. They have a sole that is a lot thinner and a rise around the ankle that is a lot shorter than almost all of the hiking boots i've owned or tried on. But this is exactly what I was looking for because it allows me to feel the terrain under my feet and the lower rise doesn't lock in as much heat as taller rising boots. The tank part of these "boots" comes in when I talk about the outer leather and the hardcore rubber surrounding the boot. I beat the heck out of these things and NOTHING happens to them. With all of that toughness on the outside one would think these hand out a new blister every mile. Well I am happy to say that that does not happen and that these are the most comfortable boots that I have ever owned in my life. They fit my feet sooo perfectly. Maybe I just got lucky but it is like they were made for my feet, they feel like an extension of my body instead of a boot that I take on and off, haha. My feet do sweat like mad in these but my feet sweat like mad even in sandles so I am not holding that against Merrel. I wear size 11.5 and they are perfect. To give you guys some comparisons I wear size 11 Nike running shoes, size 10.5 La Sportiva climbing shoes, size 10 Vasqe hiking boots, and size 11 Speedo water shoes. I love these "boots"!!!

This hat easily keeps my head and neck in the shade. The brim is very wide and stiff so it stays where it is most needed. The mesh around the top of the head really lets the hot air out on those marches up the steep trails. It does exactly what it was made for, keeping me cool. Unfortunatly I think it looks stupid. It looks like i'm wearing a plate with a hole cut out in the middle; it looks like a drill sergeants hat. But it works! 4/5

The main reason why I bought this jacket is for the fit. I already had two rain jackets but one is too short (a medium Columbia) and the other is too loose and roomy (a large WhiteSierra). I'm a tad over 6'2" and weigh 175 lbs and the large Marmot Oracle fit me nearly perfect. Awesome arm and waist length but not too loose and baggy on the chest or armpits. I bought it in the winter because it was on sale and I found myself wearing this with a fleece zip up hoody to college everyday because I could easily throw it in my bag unlike my big winter coat. It worked awesome as a shell in the winter but now that summer is here it works even better. The fabric on the inside feels awesome on the skin. Even when I start sweating the fabric doesn't feel wet, it just feels, um... smooth. It was a little wierd at first but I like it now. The pitzips are nice and big, i like the lightweight fully mesh pockets, and the hood is very protective. I love wearing this jacket!!!

This is the first marmot product I owned that I don't love with 100% of my heart. One reason being that the fly droops over the door and touches the netting. I had the tent guyed out perfectly and still no luck. Fortunatly it didn't seem to cause any problems. Yes, if you wiggle the tent hard, condensation will drip from the fly through the netting but the same thing would happen if the fly wasn't touching the netting. I suppose I could say that the tent is a tad shorter than I expected (i'm 6'3) compared to all of the head room in there, it is huge inside. I felt like a king in a castle when I used it on a solo trip. The tent is extremely sturdy when fully guyed out and it is insanely easy to set up. One last negative though, with such a big comfy tent I expected the vestibule to be bigger. 3 stars because I hold marmot to higher standards. UPDATE - Getting in and out of the tent during (and after) a down pour is a very wet process because it is almost impossible to get out without jiggling rain off of the top onto your body. However, I broke the first rule of setting up a tent and set it up where water pooled to about 1.5 inches and the bottom of the tent was like a waterbed but not one drop leeked through.

When I first tried on these boots they were extremely uncomfortable. They seemed too narrow and they felt very solid and unforgiving. But I was able to buy them for 75% off at the store I work so I figured I could use an extra pair of hiking boots. I've been breaking them in at work for about 2 weeks now and I find them oddly comfortable. But by the end of a 9 hour day I do start to notice the lack of cushion inside the boot. It feels like standing on a big slab of rubber. These boots would be awesome for backpacking in really rocky areas but IMO they would get annoying on light hikes. They are good boots but not the best at this price range.

For how much it weights you wouldn't think this thing would last very long but if you figure out how to efficiently use it you'd be surprised at how many meals you can cook with just one little light weight can. A friend and I used this to cook our meals for three days in a row and it still has some life left in it. The only trouble is that I don't think there is a way to know how much fuel is left inside.

This is my first helmet that i've ever owned and I love it. When I first put it on I didn't think it would keep my head warm but to my surprise it did a great job at warming my head. And yet it doesn't get too hot on warm days. It actually doesn't make sense to me because no matter what the temperature this helmet is never too hot or too cold. It is really comfortable and it feels SO GOOD when you smack your head and your laying on the ground thinking "MAN it was a smart idea to wear a helmet".

This thing easily fits into any pocket and it is really light weight (and it won't stab you if you crash and fall on it). Unfortunatly it doesn't work well in temperatures below zero and even when it does lock it doesn't give much safety because I forgot the combination to it once and I took some kid safe scissors and cut through the cord in like 10 seconds.

I bought the dragon dx goggles cuz I think they have a sick shape and I easily give them 5 stars for looks. As for performance: they of course do a great job of keepin the snowfall out of my eyes and they have never once fogged up on me so I really have nothing to complain about. They are simple goggles that just get the job done.

These are the first pair of climbing shoes that I have ever owned so performance wise I don't have much to compare them too. But I have indeed tried on many other types of climbing shoes and these are BY FAR the most comfortable I have worn. The 3 straps lock my feet in REALLY tight and I still don't feel discomfort. I'm size 11 in Nike, size 11.5 in merrel, size 11.5 in salomon, and I bought 44 in la sportiva and they fit perfect.

I understand that this had to be smaller than the floor of the tent so that rain wouldn't collect on it but it is so small that if you are using just the footprint and fly there is only enough room for one person to fit on the footprint. And when using it under the tent floor it really doesn't protect that much of the floor. The only good thing about this is that it doesn't weigh much at all.

Lol, I don't understand why they call this "whisperlite" cuz it is freaking loud. But oddly enough, the jet engine sound was quite warming on my first solo winter hike because it told me that soon my belly would have a warm meal inside it. I've only used white gas so far and I haven't had a single problem, it does get a little sooty but that is expected. If I was forced to name a negative it would be that there isn't much control over the flame, it could be that I just haven't used this enough but turning the gas control doesn't change much. I left this setup outside over a -10 degree night, I woke up in the morning to see it covered in frost, I turned the gas on, lit it, and a few moments later I was melting snow. This thing is rock solid and i love it.

There is no special bells and whistles, it is just a compact lightweight tool which is exactly what i was looking for. It is awesome for top of the mountain adjustments. This thing never leaves my coat unless i'm tightening a binding or adjusting a strap.

This chalk does its job too well. Climbing with this chalk has dried my hands out to the point where a fellow co-worker was disgusted with my cracked fingers. I used to just dump it from the plastic bag into my chalk bag so I was able to plaster my hands pretty well with the stuff and that may have something to do with the extreme dryness of my hands. But either way it does its job and I don't have to worry about sweaty slippery hands.

I really don't understand why anyone would buy a headlamp other than this one. It is so light I forget it is on my head (camping this winter I pulled off my beanie and for a moment I couldn't figure out why it got dark until I remembered I had the headlamp on over my beanie). It is very easy to use (4 light modes just by pressing 1 button) and it is only $25! IMO the highbeam is so bright that I don't understand why a person would need anything brighter? I love it.

This is a great stove for anyone getting into backpacking. It is easy to work with (basically just connect it to a fuel can and light it), it is cheap in the shortrun (in the long run a white gas stove is cheaper, you can buy a gallon of white gas for the same price of two little 4 oz bottles), it is extremely light weight (and small!), and it burns without making all of the cooking equipment black with soot. This is the best summer stove that I've used.

IT IS WONDERFUL! I love my spork as much as ancient warriors loved their swords. I use this ultralightweight beast to DEVOUR my meals. And of course the little goat on the spork lets me represent the GREATEST store in the world --> backcountry.com!!! And on a more technical note, the spork is really strong, I don't understand how something so thin doesn't bend or break.

Filtering water was always one of the most annoying things to do while backpacking. I'd have to hold a bottle while making sure a tube stays in it with another tube in the water and then trying to pump water on top of all that. When I went backpacking with a newbie who bought a brand spanken new water filter (msr miniworks) I fell in love and had to go out and buy myself the same filter the second I got home. It is so easy, just screw it onto the top of your bottle, hold the thing in water and start pumping. It was the fastest water pump I had used, but after filling about eight 32 oz bottles it started trickling and took like 10 minutes just for half a bottle of water. As soon as we figured out it was the filter we gave it a tiny scrub with the included scrub brush and BOOM it was working perfectly again. Read the manual and this thing won't let you down.

The only reason why I gave this three stars is because the price sucks. Other than that this filter beats all other filters that I have owned. It is extremely fast and makes some super clean (and tasty!) water. Sometimes I have to clean the filter after every single 32 oz bottle that I fill but cleaning it is so easy that I don't even consider this a negative towards msr.

Well, since these are the only fuel bottle option for my whisperlite international I of course had to buy one. They are TOTALLY leak free, I left the bottle tipped over on some papers for a few days before a trip on accident and there wasn't a single drop on the papers. Word of caution though, if you are using this in the winter take off your gloves before you open it because it shoots a burst of gas and your gloves smell like gas the rest of the trip.

I was just lookin for a cheaper backpack with a skate carry and laptop pocket for college but this thing gave me more! The laptop compartment is super padded so I don't worry about my lappy getting bruised and the bag is actually water resistant, water droplets just glide right off the fabric so I don't have any worries about a sudden downpour drenching my books. Oh, and the zippered cell phone pocket on the strap is SO nice cuz I know it won't fall out when i'm riding my motorcycle yet it is easily accessible. Love it!

three negatives are 1. it's a bit heavier (but for this price you HAVE to sacrifice something) 2. the poles don't slide through the sleeves very well 3. the floor space is tight, two thermarests barely fit side by side but there is lots of room above the head and below the feet.

I love this thing cuz it is built solid, it has plenty of vents and it could take on a hurricane. Just make sure to guy it out properly and you are good to go. I also like the color ALOT, i don't know why everyone is hating on the color. More expensive tents are probably better but I doubt you can beat this tent at $240

Once I learned how to use this bottle on the go it became my best friend. It is very gentle on the teeth while trying to run cuz I'm not trying to smash a hard plastic bottle tip into my mouth. Only reason why I gave it 4 stars is because the bottle doesn't last very long, I get like 5 sips out of it and it is magically empty. Other than that it is GREAT for short distance trail runs.

I hold two of these on my pack and they get HEAVY when filled to the brim. But water is a main priority when backpacking so I can't complain about that. These things rock! They seal 100% tight without a drip of water. They work with the msr miniworks which imo is the most convenient waterfilter on the market and they are wide enough to use as a pee bottle in the winter when you just don't want to go outside in the middle of a -20 degree night to pee. If they ever break in the future i'll be buying them again.

This is by far my favorite board that I have owned and even the funnest board I have ridden. I ride mainly rails/boxes and do a lot of buttering and this board takes everything that I dish out. My favorite thing about the board is the pop, BUTTERING IS JUST SO FUN WITH THIS BOARD! My only complaint is that the graphics are already wearing off the top? But that doesn't ruin performance so five stars.

I gave this binding 5 stars based on the price. There are definitely better bindings out there but not for this price. These things rock, my two favorite features are the rotating highback which makes presses ALOT simpler cuz the highback won't get in the way of your bent boots and of course the cap style toe strap which sucks my boots into the heel cup nice and snug. My only complaint is that the toe cap should be slightly bigger because after lots of riding it wiggles up and out of place on the lead foot. But fixing this is as simple as undoing and retightening the strap. They are wonderful bindings.

All of the other compasses in this price range were lacking declination adjustment and that is why I went with this one. The color is sick and it seems to be strongly built. It even has little glow-in-the-dark dots so you can read it in pitch black dark (although I don't know why you'd be hiking in the dark without some form of light). And on top of all that it gets me to my destinations so i'm happy.

I'm a light backpacker and have used the thermarest z-lite up until now. The little bit of extra weight is worth the 160% MORE cushion that this pad offers. The pad got rid of all the uneccesary weight by being 20inches wide and tapered at the feet. A fantastic night's sleep is definetly worth the little extra weight. (i'm a side sleeper and the bag works for winter backpacking too)

Thermarest should offer these free with the pad, but since they don't I bought one and it was a great investment. This is much better than struggling with tying the pad to your pack with straps.

I no longer have to struggle with tying the rolled up pad to my pack with straps. The pad fits into it easily and the convenience is totally worth the extra 1.8oz in your pack.

This thing weighs next to nothing and packing it is as easy as picking it up and attaching it to your pack. However I always woke up in the mornings feeling not totally rested so I ditched it. Works great for an extra pad during winter camping.

Winter backpacking with these is like winter backpacking with a 11.6 oz heated floor. I love them. It is so nice to get back to camp and whip these COMFY booties on. They are nice and tight against the ankle so no powder gets inside of them and I just can't believe how warm and dry they stay. I'm hooked on these things. (I wear 11.5 in Merrel and got the XL)

It seems to be well built and it doesn't tip over when sitting on the ground so i'm happy.

I'm 99% sure that you can't get a better bag for the price. I just got done testing the bag in my backyard here in duluth mn on an 8 degree night. I wore an acrylic stocking cap, 1 wool sweater with a thin polyester longsleeve shirt underneath, jersey pants with midweight fleece pants, and just my polyester hiking sock liners. (slept on a prolite thermarest). The only reason why I didn't sleep well is because I was stressing that I would wake up in the middle of the night without feeling in my toes but I slept comfortably warm.

All 4 summer trips i slept with the bag totally zipped open.

Great bag for the money. I'm 6'2" / 170 lbs and don't have any feelings of constriction. I've only slept about 9 nights in this bag, none below freezing, and I have yet to sleep a night where I don't wake up and unzip the bag all the way because i'm so hott in it. In my opinion, the bag is very light, but then again i'm a young energetic kid so others may feel differently. Seems like great quality, and i'm lovin it for the price.