I would give these socks five stars but there is a couple things I dont like about them.

First off the merino spandex mix is awesome; just right to fit around your foot and extra padding on the bottom/heel area is nice and comfy. I think they are much more comfortable than the few pairs of smartwools I have.

The bad things are two fold and not that big of a deal but they annoy me. First, they pill up pretty bad after washing them much more so than a lot of other socks I have. Second, the leg does not stay up and sags. This leads to bunching up around the top of your boot and you are always pulling them up. I hate this; it almost put them down to 3 stars but thats the only negative and I may be too picky. I will be buying more of these socks for sure but the saggy top is definitely a negative.

I picked these pants locally for a nice discount and I couldn't be happier! I wore them out for a 30 mile'r last weekend with some smartwool midweights and they fit the bill even though I was only 29 deg outside. I can't imagine how nice they will b in the summer. They are soft and comfortable and have a great and relaxed fit. I would compare the fabric to the Patagonia GII line of pants (I have shorts and they are very similar.)

Either way; they are worth the money off you want a good all around pair of pants for any outdoor adventure. Especially at the current discounted rate.

I picked these boots up this weekend and have worn them around a bit. They are a little stiff but very warm. They fit a half size small I wear a 10 bit 10.5's fit perfect. I am hoping to do some snowshoeing this winter; I will report back later this winter.

So I have had a set of Smartwool underwear for a while now (midweight bottoms, midweight crew top). They are unbelievable! Very warm and breathe very well. You can use them anywhere: I have had them backpacking, running, around the house and they were key for tailgating at homecoming this year (Fire up Chips!)I wore the set under jeans and a t-shirt in 25 degree temps and was nice and comfortable all day. Buy these!

This is a great pack. I was previously using an Osprey Kestrel series which wasnt great for more than an overnighter but if you had too much weight it in it was a bear. Either way, I packed the Z55 up a couple weeks ago with about 30lbs of stuff for a weekend and put together a nice 25 mile hike. This pack acted like it didnt exist on my back. It held everything with room to spare (more stuff than I realistically needed). This will be my go to pack for everything now. From ultralight overnighters to big weeks. I think this thing could handle it all.

Also on my weekend venture I did some serious bushwacking and the pack did not get a nick or scrape what so ever!

All around buy this pack.

This is a great tent. If your not an ultralighter and want a good 3 season tent this should be your choice. Its a single wall but if you open the venting by the head and the small upper vent by the foot (thats how I lay in there) its decent. You will get a bit of condensation but for the price this is a great tent. The vestibule swallowed my boots and Gregory Z55 with ease and had room to spare.

One thing to note: the cool feature of the overhead vent system only opens near the vestibule. There is no opening on the opposite side, this I feel is a little misleading. It sounds as though the tent vents across the entire roof with openings on both ends but alas there is just one vent by the vestibule. Its not a negative but something that should be noted. If you cannot open the large screen on the opposite end of the vestibule the roof vent really provides no ventalation what so ever. And this of course leads to condensation.

All said and done this is a good tent for the money. A great single wall that packs small and is light enough to be worthwhile!

All in all a great pad. Comfy to sleep on, either on your side or back or belly for that matter. I havent used it in colder weather so I cannot review its ability to insulate from the ground but it definitely pads well, packs down small, inflates easily and is definitely a great nights sleep for the price!

I picked one up in Black at a local warehouse sale and I cannot say enough good things about it. Throw it on for days between 50 and 60 degrees and leave the house. You dont need a coat its plenty warm. I usually wear mine with a Cap 1 undershirt and some jeans in the spring/fall months. If I wear it under my Typhoon shell on more brisk days it serves well as a mid layer. I havent put it throught the paces of Midwest "dead of winter" yet but I think it will perform well.

One of my other favorite things about this sweater is that it doesnt hold smells. I wore it to a bonfire last month and sure it smelled in that evening but I laid it over the back of a chair and by morning it smelled clean! I have worn it dozens of time and have yet to wash it. I will say that the Dry Clean only sucks; but the solution is....Dont wash the damn thing and you'll be money!

These shorts are awesome! Light and the fit is spot on. I am 5'9" 150lbs and the med fits perfect. I am going to take them out on their first hike this weekend but I expect good things.

I have to say that I didnt purchase this fleece from Backcountry I got it off ebay a year or so ago. I got it in red which is the best color I think. Anyway; its a great fleece. Same as others have said; on a windy day it will cut through but its a GREAT layer under my Mt Hardwear Typhoon jacket (plenty warm in 10F or so). The fit is a little tight; if you have a coller'd shirt on you will choke! But with a nice base layer and a nice shell its the perfect mid layer. And it looks great as a spring/fall coat too. I get compliments on it all the time!

I picked this up after doing a lot of research on bladders. I found that the ease of use with the Big Zip was pleasing. I usually like to sway away from the trends so I didnt go with Camelback. I have nothing but posistives to say about this bladder. It zips closed well and the quick disconnect tube is very nice! I have a Osprey Kestrel 48 and it fits nicely and works very well. I would recommend this to anyone!

This jacket is a great piece of rain gear. I got it last week from Backcountry and took it out this week. It fends off the elements well and fits perfectly (I'm 5'8" 150lbs and the Med fit perfectly). I would recommend this jacket to anyone looking for affordable goretex gear to use on your next backpacking trip. The only negative I can find is that the color fits a little funny with the hood rolled up. I just keep the hood out most of the time anyway.

All in all; great jacket.