Daniel Soloway

I gave this jacket 5 stars because it's that good. It's SUPER warm. I can wear this and a t-shirt and be alright in 20degF. A friend turned me onto the insulated hood and I doubt I'll ever go back. Insulated hood is like a jacket, hat, and scarf all in one but even better than if you had all three. It scrunches down into an included pouch (about the size of a Nalgene). Multipitching on cold days, I clip the squished-up jacket to my harness and take it out at the belay station. This jacket has some waterproofing, but unless you're going to be around town I wouldn't rely on the waterproofing. Additionally, this jacket is fairly resistant to abrasion. I have a few small holes from sharp rock contact, but the ripstop kept them small. Still though, this is the one weakness of the jacket.

I've had this jacket for 2 years and I wear it on the mountain, at the crag, and around town. The equivalently warm version in down is really bulky, not my style, and I feel more confident in synthetic insulation because it will still keep you warm if it gets wet (unlike with down, which will leave you SOL).

I'm SUPER pleased with this jacket and would recommend to others.

I bought this pack because it is very lightweight, but I didn't anticipate a problem with the shoulder straps. They are sewn in to the pack and are NOT ADJUSTABLE! I am 5'11" and typically take medium sized things (such as this pack), but I was NOT able to get the weight off of my shoulders and onto my waist. I am a backpacking guide for my university and know how to fit/adjust backpacks and still had a problem.

That being said, this pack's design (aside from the shoulder strap not being adjustable) is great. The ample ventilation in the back is amazing and the pack is UBER lightweight! It is the 3rd Osprey pack that I have owned. I will be returning it, but will probably replace it with another Osprey.

These pants shed water really well. I zipped up my phone in the pockets during a heavy rain and my head/torso got SOAKED but my phone stayed dry no problem. These pants stretch a lot, so they are very nice to climb in (easy to lift legs high). The zipper is shielded on the inside by felt-like material for the commandos out there.

Short Version: Easy to accidentally put on harness upside down or backwards

Detailed Version: The elastic leg straps in the back fasten to the top of the waist, which is not intuitive. I have used this harness several times a week for about a year and still sometimes realize that I have put it on upside down or backwards. The corded gear loops move around and make it more difficult to unclip quickdraws on the go than other harnesses do. This harness is certainly a step up from webbing harnesses, but still uncomfortable. That being said, the package deal of harness, beaner, belay device, and chalk bag for $94 is a decent deal if you're not going to be using it all the time and plan on top ropeing most of the time.

This jacket is good. I like the wire on the hood. 13oz is pretty good, but if you're going ultralight there are better ones out there. The pit zips are great and are pretty long for max ventilation. Material breathes nicely. The main downside to this jacket from my experience with it is that there are no pockets that you can put your hands in to keep them warm. The pocket issue is the main reason I would not recommend this jacket. That being said, I still use it on backpacking trips (my hands are on trekking poles, not in pockets) and bike rides (again, hand pockets not necessary).

I would give this beaner 5 stars on everything except the hook. Without a doubt, keylocks or hoods are the way to go. The hook makes it bit more difficult to unclip rope because the rope can get stuck on the hook. It's not a huge deal, but when you are stretching out on a marginal hold to clean a route and you have to fiddle with the rig a bit because it got stuck.... bummer

I would give this beaner 5 stars on everything except the hook. Without a doubt, keylocks or hoods are the way to go. The hook makes it bit more difficult to unclip rope because the rope can get stuck on the hook. It's not a huge deal, but when you are stretching out on a marginal hold to clean a route and you have to fiddle with the rig a bit because it got stuck.... bummer

Extremely lightweight, super warm!, packs down very small, sheds water... awesome!

Insulated hoods are amazing. It's like a jacket, scarf, and hat but the sum is greater than the parts. This jacket packs down to a bit smaller than Nalgene size in it's stuff sack. I keep it in there while climbing a multi-pitch so that I have it when I'm sitting around. It keeps you dry AND warm in the rain (unlike down, which doesn't insulate when wet).

There is a velcro tab on the top-back of the hood that allows you to pull the hood back a bit. This feature is very nice when biking because you can wear the hood without blocking your view of the road when crouched over.

I was out around town wearing only a t-shirt and this jacket. Temp was ~20F and I was nice and warm. I highly recommend this jacket.

This shirt is VERY comfortable. Not itchy at all, unlike some wool clothing. The 1/4 zip helps a lot with regulating temperature so that you don't have to shed layers as often when switching between rest and active. Also, this shirt looks good. I wear it around town all the time.

Best warm hat I've ever had! I had one of these for a few years, lost it, and bought a new one. It is made with WindStopper, which prevents cold gusts from getting in. The ear warmers are perfect and it's tight enough that I can wedge my cell phone inside to go hands-free.

Lightweight shirt + warm hat = comfortable day at the crag if it's a bit chilly out
This hat + winter jacket = good to go for just about any condition

The only negative thing I can say about this hat is that it is sewn so that it's kinda pointy on top of your head. Still though, I wear this hat everyday around town (when it's chilly-cold out) and on just about every trip.