The boots felt smaller than their size. They were very high inside as well. My heel moved around a lot. After some green Superfeet, I was a lot more comfortable. The laces require lots of force, 10 minutes of skiing, and then another tug to be tight enough.
Overall, I bought the boots and I don't get blisters or hot spots so I'll keep them. I just with they were built better.

This fleece is great. I live in interior Alaska and have to take my baby outside in -30 temps. There was no question in my mind; if I want to keep my boy warm, I'm going with Patagonia. This far into the winter, I stick the fleece under the Puffball bunting for additional warmth. This combo is reliable for extended exposure to -20F!

I certainly have carried the weight of the Mountain 25 around; it's heavy. It is worth it, though. I use this here in Alaska quite a bit and the summer is the only time I regret it. The combination of front and rear mesh doors and the "windows" at the top of the ceiling gives it ample ventilation during the winter and fall. It starts to lack in the spring. The rest of the tent sets up easily with little pole snag and stays in place regardless of wind and snow. The front vestibule is large enough to keep my stove and other odds and ends. That's a nice plus. Overall, I trade the weight for peace-of-mind in the winter time.

The base camp duffel is amazing! I first saw them being used by some Spec Ops guys enroute to Afghanistan. Loading cargo on C-130s and C-17s will ruin a lot of bags but the North Face bags keep on going. The compression straps can get these bags pretty small so you're not worrying too much about size. The shoulder straps are life savers as well. I've had to haul three of these bags at the same time for a mile and it wasn't bad. That made the price worth it. Oh yeah, North Face has a lifetime warranty on these bags which INCLUDES normal wear and tear. Basically, if you destroy a base camp duffell in 2025, TNF will replace it for free.