OK, the single thing I care about most about drinking bottles is the taste. Seriously, I'm super picky about it, and I do not use bottles that have any hint of plastic taste whatsoever. Well guess what...Camelbak gets this bottle just absolutely right. There's really no taste at all and the leak proof valve is perfect for riding. I'm not sure why there are so many negative comments about the bottle being hard to squeeze...sure you have to apply a little more pressure than normal, and it's true that the last 1/4 of the bottle can be hard to squeeze out, but if you just put your mouth to the damn thing the bottle works great.

The frisko is merely OK. Straight out of the packaging, the merino wool on the frisko is a little scratchy, more so than my other icebreaker and backcountry merino products. I have little doubt that it would soften up quite nicely over a few washes, but other problems preempted me from getting to that point.

All good clothing worth its salt should be designed with one main purpose. The problem is that the frisko treads the line between casual town and outdoor athletic wear. It's thin like most athletic gear so as to wick sweat away, but the polo design isn't exactly sporty. The polo design wants to be worn off the slopes and trails, but the light-weightness makes the frisko feel scarce-bodied. The result is the frisko does not excel at either. The shak-sport looks like it would serve outdoor activities better (and I may order one), and I'd rather wear a more full-bodied cotton or polyester top for cruising town.

That said, the frisko isn't a bad product. I'm returning simply because merino products are expensive, and if I'm going to pay out my ass for clothing, it'd better be just the way I want it.

Ordered this thing off SAC for pretty cheap thinking I scored a fine deal on a quality softshell, but just ended up disappointed. Where to start...I guess the best way to put it is that the fit is just awkward. The separate paneling in the front makes the material rest and bend unnaturally. As I sit here wearing the Shift Element, the middle of the jacket is sharply bulging out because of the center panel divide. There is panel dividing on the sleeves too which also creates unnatural folds...the fit is made more strange by the fact that the sleeves are long (which in itself isn't a bad thing). Functionally, the awkward fitting around the chest and arms is not a complete disaster, but it simply does not look sharp. The shoulders, however, are quite a disaster. It is boxy as hell, looking like I'm wearing shoulder pads. In fact, the whole upper limb joint is unimpressive. In addition to robot-looking shoulders, the range of motion for the arm is greater restricted by ungusseted, tight-fitting pit region. The softshell fabric stretches well, but not nearly enough to prevent the jacket from riding up when lifting an arm, or preventing those weird folds all about the body when sitting down.

As others have mentioned, there is no chest zip flap. I haven't had the opportunity to test this jacket out in cold and windy situations, but I cannot imagine having a gaping hole in the middle being a good thing for keeping body heat in. The 3 pockets are for the most part fine, except that the side pockets are not positioned well for hand warming. here is no interior pocket. And by god is this center panel divide bothering me.

The fit overall is athletic, which was what I was looking for. At 5'11'', 135lbs, the small fits athletically, certainly no room to layer underneath. This would be fine since the jacket itself is warm, but with the lack of center flap, only warm when the wind isn't blowing?

The Shift Element is not ideal for layering over for outdoor activity, either, strictly because of the arm restriction. It indeed is a shame, as layering over it would be the only way to hide the hideously unnatural fit. Did I mention that I hate the center panel division?

I wanted to like this jacket, I really did. But I questioned it enough to order another softshell--the Marmot Sharp Point. Well now that I have received the Sharp Point there is simply no way I am keeping the Shift Element, even if the Sharp Point is twice the price. It fits much better, breathes well even without opening the pit zips, and is simply of far higher quality than the Shift Element. The Element is going back for sure. I do suppose that at $60 on SAC it still is not a terribly bad deal, but I prefer quality over quantity, and the Shift Element is definitely not quality.

I bought this shirt in oatmeal, kelp, and ocean blue so I'll comment a little on the color. The kelp is a little more green and less yellow than shown in the pictures (better). Oatmeal is pretty much spot on...maybe a little less creamy and just a tad more whitish-grayish hue. Ocean blue is less sharp a blue than shown in the pictures--real thing is more of a pastel blue, which I also prefer. One other note: the oatmeal is a little bit see-through. It's not so much a problem with kelp and ocean blue.

Sizing: I'm tall and lanky at 5'11'' and 130lbs. The small size ended up fitting remarkably well, with the body length and sleeve length being just right (sleeve length is a little longer than normal, but I like it that way). It's an athletic fit, and with my body type on a small size, the chest-to-armpit area feels quite fitted, and the rest of the sleeve and especially lower body are looser. It's a good fit overall, but because of the tight fit around the armpits, the cloth around that area can bunch up a little with activity. This does not affect comfort or performance, but if wearing this shirt alone, I find myself pulling the shirt down and out to straighten out the bunching.

As mentioned in Q&A, this is a lightweight merino wool shirt. I would have preferred it a little thicker for the amount it costs, and this is the reason I'm giving it 4 instead of 5 stars. I wouldn't pay retail for this shirt, but on SAC it's not a bad deal. Still would have liked more wool for the buck, though.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the toe box area is a bit tight. I have low volume feet so they fit fine for me, but if you have "fatter" feet it will be suffocating at the toes. The heel is comparatively loose, but appropriate.

The shoe itself is built well. Good sole, good materials, and if the shoe fits your foot it will be pretty comfortable. Doesn't look too bad either.

A very solid bag that's entirely appropriate for air travel. The outside has tough nylon, and the inside is lined with a tear resistant tarp-like material. The entire bag is padded...probably about 1/3 inch thick padding. Interior straps keep your skis from moving about and the zippers are big and tough. I've flown twice with this bag so far and no problems with my gear (though I did wrap additional clothing around my bindings juuust to be sure). There's room to stuff some gloves and hats and other small accessories in the bag as you see fit. Overall I highly recommend this bag for ski travel.