Due to it's tight weave on the fleece, it looks like wool. With only a chest pocket, it can be worn as a sweater or cardigan, but with the DWR (Omni-Shield), can work as an outer layer. Will fend off a mild breeze at most. This is a great layering piece! Not quite as soft as some other fleece peices, but still nice and comfy and looks sharper. The fit is great, no bagginess in the waist area, but still enough room for broad shoulders/chest up top. Check out the pic for a more detailed look at the fabric.

I originally bought this as a base layer, but found it's way to soft and comfortable to use only on layering occasions. I ended up using this as my winter sleep top, and have never slept so well. I tend to sleep a little warm, and having something to wick throughout the night is great. I wish they made pants out of this stuff. It does pile, but I don't care. Worked good as a base for skiing and cold weather camping before it became pajamas.

My wife isn't much of an outdoors person, but lives in a TNF denali during the cold months. This shell was a great addition for her, added the wind and water protection she needed to make a blizzard proof winter parka - what I wanted for her. Has all the options she likes - removeable hood, lots of pockets, feminine cut that doesn't make her look boxy, even with the thick, 300 wieght denali zipped in. The powder skirt will be useful for the couple of times she lets me drag her up to the ski hill. Bomber shell.

Very nice all around sweater. Pretty warm, and yet doesn't cause me to overheat. The style works on the mountain or in the office, makes for a vesatile piece - I've had a hard time taking it off since the weather turned cooler. One minor issue is that the zip isn't very long, only goes about as low as a v-neck sweater. It's basically there so you can get your head through the collar, and zipped up makes for a mock turtle neck. I'm just saying not to expect to use it as a heat dump like you would on a 1/2 zip or even 1/4 zip shirts. Treat it as your most comfortable sweater though, and you can't go wrong.

Great pair of shades, love the shape of the lenses. Durable as just about anything, even lost them momentarily in a river while tubing and they came out looking grand. One issue though, the frame is tight on the lenses when not worn, but when I put them on, the slight tension on the side arms of the frames opens the frame around the lenses on one side just a tad. Not so much as the lense could fall out, just a bit. I only notice it when adjusting the glasses on my face, as I can squeese the frame tight around the lense and it makes a little popping noise.

By cutting the wind, it's as warm as a heavier fleece, but layers easier and moves with you better. Drawstring waist, inside zipper flap, velcro cuffs help to block out weather. Seems just a tiny bit on the short side for length, which helps when active or when under a shell. Breaths well, I don't overheat when stepping indoors while wearing it. Absolutely solid for temps 50+, warm down to the low 40's with just short sleeves underneath if moving, needs long sleeves or layering for anything colder or just standing about. The windstopper fabric isn't quite as soft as traditional fleece, but it's still really comfortable on the skin. Includes napolean pocket not listed in specs.

I was initially concerned that after some use, the bite valve would losen up and perhaps leak a little. No worries, after much use it's still water tight! Highly recommend.

This is a great piece. The outer is wool - all the benefits of sheep, and it's lined with fleece - no itch! And they couldn't possibly cram more pockets in this thing if they tried (2 handwarmer - not listed, 2 zippered chest, 2 giant drop interior), but it doesn't look over-loaded. Dual zipper on the front is a little over done, but not completly useless. Can be used as a technical piece, but also looks good enough for the office. And it's machine washable to boot!

sharp looking shirt that wears well, still looks good and holds it shape after multiple washings. It's very light and comfortable. I'm the type that wears an undershirt for the most part (casual situations anyway), but if you don't it might be too thin. Get sunburned thin. See your nipples thin. But I love it.

It still pretty warm out so haven't had a chance to test them in the field, but my home tests went well. They are waterproof (shower test), and breathable (sat around playing video games in them for several hours). I have them in grey tweed, which actually looks really sharp, the tweet part is a pinstripe. Love that they have suspenders so if you want you can get the support of bibs without wearing bibs. Or not. Only complaints are they aren't full zip on the sides, and thigh vents are on the outter thigh. Lets face it, if you get hot its in your crotch, so inner thigh vents would have made more sense. But this way you don't have vent zippers rubbing on your inner thigh, so it's a give-and-take.

you can tell that Westcomb is a company out to prove itself. The arcane jacket rocks! The fabrics and insulation used are top quality for breathabilty and weather resistance, and put together really well. The hood is one of the best designs I've seen - even with the micro-fleece lining it remains really thin, but still completly blocks wind and water. Might be a little tight over a helmet, but is thin enough to fit under a helmet as an option, and will still stretch and move with you. The cuffs have some super stretchy lycra sewn in that acts as wrist gaitors, but you can also pull it down over your hands to about your knuckles - has a thumb hole! AWESOME. Drawstring waist to keep out drafts and the pow. The fit is great. I am inbetween a L and XL, and got the arcane in an XL. The large would have worked (with limited room for layering), but the XL doesn't look or feel baggy, and still looks amazing with room for any combo of layering I might choose.
I took a bit of a gamble going with a company I knew nothing about. With gambling, you win some and you lose some, and with the Arcane I scored big time.

I don't know if it's just that I'm used to straight shells, and jackets with liners (as opposed to full blown insulated), but this jacket just felt over-sized and bulky. I don't like tight fighting jackets by any means, but this jacket is gangsta baggy, has more of a snowboader -thug feel to it, which doesn't match TNF color and design (which is pretty sharp, actually). I was REALLY impressed with the Apex ClimateBlock material as far as stretch, weather resistant, and breathability were concerned. I was conflicted over this jacket because it's performance is good, but the feeling of bulk is just too much for me to love it. Hopefully they do something about this in later models, I would get another one if they did.

This jacket is everything it claims it is: warm, light, packable. The waist has a cinch cord, and there is a zipper flap to keep wind out there, but no adjustable cuffs, just an elastic closure. It looks puffier in the pics than it actually is, keeps a low profile. For anyone out there wondering about the "fill power" of down, the higher the number the better quality it is, meaning it takes less ounces of down to get the same warmth rating. 800-fill is at the top.

Nice soft fleece jacket. Is good on it's own as long as there is no wind, and works great as a layering piece. The elastic cuffs are nice, otherwise not a lot of frills. It's great for what it claims to be.

great looking jacket, I got one in grey and it almost looks like a wool jacket. Pretty standard mid-wieght fleece. A nice price, but not a lot of options - cuffs aren't adjustable, no drawstring waist. I think the TKA fleece looks good, but isn't as soft as polartech. Maybe a bit warmer though.

These have a really good sole on them, it's a little thicker than most sandals, better protection if you're walking on rocks a lot (like a mountain river bed). That plus the beefy rubber protection for your toes makes them a little heavier than just a sandal (teva-like), but a small price to pay and still really comfortable. I do wish the heal strap was adjustable, but the elastic drawstring on the top actually works pretty well. I haven't owned them for that long, but so far they have kept off the foot stank completely.I have the Black Olive/Deep Lichen, and they are a bit more green than they appear on this site. Fit true to size for me, didn't have to size up.**UPDATE** 9/28/09 After heavy use the last couple months, they've held up well so far, and still smell great!

This shirt has inspired me, I want to put back vents in all my shirts... If only I was a better seamster(?) or whatever the male version of a seamstress is.
10/10 for style *and* function. The chest pocket is a zippered napoleon pocket.

The windproof/water resistant/breathablity of the jacket is fine -- on par with similar pieces of other brands in this price range. It doesn't have adjustable cuffs, not even elastic to keep them closed. My big gripe though is the hood - its sized to be able to fit a helmet (I think?), but no way to adjust it down if you're not wearing a helmet. With just my noggin in it, the hood comes down over my eyes (and I have a big forhead), with no way to remedy this. Pulling the drawstrings doesnt help, it just cinches down to the point where just my nose sticks out. Would have been a great piece if there had been that second drawstring on the top/back of the hood that many pieces have to adjust for this. After all, whats the point of getting a hooded softshell if you cant use the hood?

My wife was an umbrella girl until I picked this up for her. She loves it, looks good on her. Keeps her dry going to class on those rainy days, and packs really small - great to keep in her bookbag.

very comfy jacket, this is the one for bumbing around the cabin in. Great quality. doesn't have adjustable cuffs (4 stars instead of 5), but has a drawstring waist. Has the loops on the cuffs/back of neck for zip-in compatiblity with marmot shells. I really can't emphasize how soft and comfortable this thing is.

This is my first piece of 100% merino, and I wish I never bought it. I absolutely love it and want more, but can't dump 50 or 60 bucks a pop on t-shirts. I was much better off not knowing what I was missing. Damn you, Icebreaker!

Lots of features, pretty small package. Requires a lot of calibrating, but Im told they all do. The barameter/weather function worked, and has predicted weather conditions accuratley. The altimeter is so-so. Its more accurate the lower you are, meaning the higher up you go, the greater the varience it has -- at 6500 was about 100 feet off, at 9600 was 150 feet off.

really comfy, does a good job of wicking. The collar is nice, has a bit of detail that makes it more than just a tee-shirt. Sharp colors. Wore one camping recently, while my other clothes came off smelling stongly of campfire, this shirt only had a feignt smoke smell, held off odors really well.
I wear a large, but ordered XL after reading some reviews. Fit great across my back and shoulders (where things can get tight in a large for me), but wasnt excessivly baggy in the arms or chest. I do notice the fit on these is a bit different than most shirts, but it worked out in my favor being a very comfy shirt ordering a size up.

This review is for the 7 regular:
I needed a pad that folded in half before you roll it up (which this one in regular size does), packed width is a factor for me. Was very comfortable, I could roll onto my side and my hips and shoulders were kept well off the ground still. The bit of foam in the pad adds comfort, and insulates really well. The foam would also make life better if the pad developed a leak, and you ended up on the ground. Does include a field repair kit. On the tag, says it is rated to 1 degree F. Self inflates for the most part, needs a bit of air to finish it off.

compared this with the jetboil, and went with the primus because I liked the fry-pan lid, and for the included windscreen. Boiled 1 cup of cold water in the morning (reached 36 at night) in a few seconds. I lit the stove on low, put the pot with water on it and turned it to high, and instantly saw little bubbles forming on the bottom of the pot! was at a raging boil 15 or 20 seconds later. I had cooked chili the night before, tried cooking the chilie in the can it came in at first, not wanting to use the included pot which I would have to clean later. It was difficult trying to warm the chili in the can without burning it, so I gave in after remember the pot was non-stick, and poured the chili in and finished warming it that way-- worked great and sped up the process unbelievably. Easy to clean, the titanium non-stick is better than my non-stick fry pan at home!
The stove is great on its own. fully adjustable flame, on high its kind of intimidating. The true genius is the complete system, the coiled metal heat dispersment system on the pot bottom combined with the burner is the best system there is.

I dont like mummy bags, have a hard time with them. Ive used rectangle bags, and paid the price in terms of wieght and packed size. I needed something that would pack smaller, so I looked at the MH switch bags, the Marmot trestles semi-rec, and the big agnes semi-rec bags. This bag was ideal, I can unzip the expander and get the shoulder room I need to sleep comfy at night. There is no loss of fill in the expander, no cold spot if its unzipped. The BA and marmot bags had better foot room, but its the shouders thats most important for me. The marmot wieghed about the same, but was only rated to 20F, and I didn't end up liking the integrated pad system of the BA.
I would have liked this bag to come with a compression sack, but wasn't a big deal to pick one up, the bag compresses well.
The draft collar cinches up, has a seperate cinch cord for the top and bottom collars (which can also velcro together at the edges), as well as a seperate cinch cord for the hood. It has a small pocket for a watch or glass/contacts at the shoulder, a bonus. The zipper was easy to operate, and on the occasional snag, was really easy to un-snag.
*note: the description says you can get 8 extra inches from unzipping the expander, but that must be for the long bag, I have the regular and it gives you an extra 6 inches.

Slept in this tent down to the mid-thirtys at night, didn't have a problem with condensation, but the dew point might have been lower than that. The tent is easy to set up, standard dome. It has a small third pole that runs across the middle of the tent at the top which holds out the tent roof a little more, creates more headroom. The vent in the top of the fly is a nice touch. The poles also fold up a couple inches shorter than many 2-mans, the shorter length was a big plus for me. The included gear loft is nice, perfect for holding a light -- its small, but at least it doesnt hang down into your headroom much. Plenty of mesh for ventilation/stargazing on a clear night. Pretty roomy for one person plus gear, room for two sleeping bags comfortably. I really like having a window in the rain fly. **Cons** only one door, and its not the "D" style so it drops to the floor instead of to the side. Only two small pockets inside the tent (even so, I found them to be sufficient combined with the loft). The zipper on the vestibule zips to the furthest point away from the tent, could have designed that better.
**bottom line** would HIGHLY recommend if you are like me and buy a two man tent to use mostly by yourself. This wouldnt be any more cramped inside, but having only one door (hence, one vestibule) could be inconvienient with two people.

Great coat. Liner is also 100% waterproof (I ran it under tap water, it's good to go). Plenty warm when paired together. One complaint is no pit-zips, or any other kind of venting. Good thing the fabric is breathable. The liner is wearable on it's own, is a bit short, but looks like a down jacket.

I went ahead and purchased this to go along with the exped 7 comfort foam mat. It works just ok as both a pillow and a pump. The pump action works, but takes forever. It takes some practice and a lot of work to get the pumping motion down. The outlet hole works well at only letting air out, but you have to cover the intake hole when compressing the pump, or some air escapes there as well.
As a pillow, it's ok. not super comfy, but works well when lying on your back. Doesn't really work for sleeping on your side. I tried letting some air out and folding it in half for side sleeping, which did work ok (not great), but then it was a pain to get air back in when switching to lying on my back again (I rotate between side and back a couple times during the night.)
On the plus side though, it can do the job of both pillow and pump, and compresses pretty small to take up the space of both. it doesn't do either of it's functions particularly well, but a solid choice when space is a factor.

Great tent, the "x" pole design isn't the most flashy, but it is sturdy! The third pole in the rainfly is a nice touch in making the vestibule a little more lofty, and easier to access the doors, and doesn't add much wieght. This tent has a ton of pockets, the tent is lined with them. don't really need the gear loft, which doesn't hang too low, but this is a two man tent, it's not that high to begin with. Space is adequate, but like most 2 man, you're going to be cozy with 2 people in it. Specs list it at 34 sq feet, *most* 2 mans fall between 30 and 36 sq feet. This tent vents well -- didn't ever get stuffy, haven't used it in cold temps yet so I can't comment about condensation issues. There are two man tents that pack smaller (mountain hardwear, marmot, eureka all have 2 walled tents that pack smaller than 20" long), and wiegh less, but packed up this tent isn't heavier or larger than the norm either. Set up is intuitive and a breeze, didn't even bother with the instructions. Bottom line: this isn't the lightest or smallest(packed up), but at far below top of the line price, it has top of the line features and quality.

This is a 0 degree bag, and as such requires a sleeping pad that can also do it's job in below freezing temps. I paired this with an exped 7 and was disappointed with the outcome (I love the pad, BTW). the exped is about 2.75" thick, and having a pad that thick in the sleeve pulled the top of the bag tighter around me, felt like I was sleeping on a skinny bed with the sheets tucked in real tight all around me. I still had good foot room to move them side to side, but the bag was pulling down on my toes. same thing around my torso -- room for my elbows, but pulled tight on my chest. I then tried just putting the pad underneath the bag, but it just doesn't work that way -- you only get complete coverage from the insulated portion of the bag if the pad is in the sleeve. Simply placing the bag on top of the pad leaves "dead zones" where you have no insulation between you and the open air (the bag is well designed where if the pad is in the sleeve, this doesn't happen). It would probably work better with a thinner 4 season pad, like the thermarest prolite 4, or the pac outdoor all out aero mt., but then those aren't thick enough for me to sleep on my side and keep my shoulders/hips off the ground that well(I weigh about 200).
Also, no pocket for a watch or whatever. The draft collar doesn't cinch up like some other cold weather bags, but it is a little heavier so the weight keeps it on your body.
I tested this bag vs. the mountain hardwear switch 5, and I'm going with the switch 5 -- with the expander unzipped it has equal shoulder room, and even though it is more narrow in the feet, I felt like I had more room because it wasn't pulled tight by the pad.

Great rain jacket with some nice features. I found it breaths well, and doesn't stick to your skin when wet. This isn't the type of shell that would normally take a zip in liner, it's lighter -- much more of a rain jacket than a skiing shell, sharp edges would rip through this. But like any shell will work on the slopes with proper layering. Quality is outstanding, for what it is. the waterproof, windroof qualities and stretch panels also make it a great piece for hiking, back packing, climbing. Packs up small, I also take it on motorcycle rides in case I get caught in a shower.

Pros: packs extremly small for a 2 person -- the poles break down to be a few inches shorter than normal, and is very light for having a full rain fly. It doesn't have a vestibule in the traditional sense, but the way the tent is designed, it pretty much has the vestibule integrated into the tent. A sleeping bag fits in the portion of the tent between the front and back poles, and all the space beyond that where the tent comes to a point is "vestibule" space. Gear stored there is completly coved above and below, so if it rains to the point of puddles, no worries -- your gear is dry. It's roomy for a 2 man as well, would truely fit 2 people plus gear, where many 2 man tents are really 1 1/2 people. 2 doors is always a plus, even if you just plan on using it solo.

***Cons: Not freestanding. No outside vestibule space for muddy boots you don't want inside the tent. No gear loft available to my knowledge, but not deal breaking because it has internal pockets already. Doesn't come with footprint -- but only a few do.

***Bottom line: Really cool, small, light tent. Would have kept it if it were freestanding-- that's a deal breaker for me. Still gave it 5 stars -- can't buy a non-free standing tent and dock it for being just that.

After trying out 5 different TNF fleece jackets (khumbu, pumori, impulse, denali, pamir) this is the one. I wanted something to wear October through March in Salt Lake City, sometimes as the outer layer, sometimes as a liner in a shell, and something to stand on it's own in the milder temps (45+). The khumbu was about the right warmth I was looking for, but was too thick in the shoulders/armpit area when layering, and lost a lot of it's warmth with the wind. The pumori was softer and layered better, but just wasn't quite warm enough, same problem with the wind as the Khumbu. The impluse was too thin, and the denali too thick and too warm - although a great product. The Pamir is the one, the windstopper technology allows it to be warm while remaining thinner. Was even fine on it's own in the low 40's with just a short sleeve polo underneath.

And a special thanks to backcountry.com for putting up with me buying and returning so many jackets while finding the perfect one.

hands down my favorite shirt ever. Despite what others are saying, I quite like the cut. It looks good on me, and feels good, too! Looks excellent even after many many washings. I have two, and wear them around the house, out and about, and as a layer for city stuff under a jacket. Very comfy on its own outside in 50+ weather.

Amazing versatile jacket, works for so many different conditions. It's light enough it won't make you sweat in mild temps, but warm enough for fall and into winter with layering. Combine that with wind proof and HIGHLY water resistant, it has you covered for most anything. Seemed a bit stiff for a soft shell until after 1st washing. Velcro on the cuffs is great -- soft and doesn't snag stuff, including the soft interior of the pockets.

I didn't expect much from these, but picked them up on a sweet SAC deal anyway. They have been great. They are a bit lighter than than all my other shades, and never become uncomfortable no matter how long they're on my face.

Like the warm grey lenses, works in a variety of lighting conditions.

I bought this knife in '01 and have loved it. Very light. I own a couple of more expensive knives that are by all accounts nicer, but this is the one that I take with me on a daily basis. Blade has held its edge well. I think one of the reasons I like this knife so much and use it so much is a combination of it working so well, and the price being right where I'm not afraid of ruining it and having to pay a lot to replace it -- which after 8 or so years I never have had to.