Editor, TRAILSOURCE.COM

After two weeks of side-by-side usage, I’ve concluded that these watches are targeted at very different markets. Furthermore, in many respects, it seems like neither watch is totally ready for prime-time. Both have nice feature sets, but they each seem to be lacking some very important features to make them truly useful across several sports. The Suunto X9i seems to be targeted and more useful to the climbing crowd, whereas the Garmin Forerunner 405 seems targeted at the fitness/jogging crowd. Neither has the complete feature set that the above-average hiker/trail runner/mountain biker needs. Thus, if you purchase either, you have to accept the compromises inherit in one or the other. If I was pressed to recommend one over the other, I very hesitantly lean towards the Garmin Forerunner 405 due to smaller size, better battery life, faster GPS synch, slightly better navigation screen and of course, lower price. I’m hesitant because of several important cons which I elaborate on below. STATS: Battery Life (w/ GPS): 4.5hr (X9i) vs. 8hr (405) Battery Life (w/o GPS): 16d. (X9i) vs. 12d. (405) Size: X9i is larger in every dimension than 405 Weight: 74g (X9i) vs. 60g (405) Water Resistence: 100m (X9i) vs. 3m (405) Heart Rate Monitor: No (X9i) vs. Yes (405) Outside Temperature: Yes(X9i) vs. No (405) CONS: Garmin Forerunner 405 1) Does not display raw latitude/longitude position on standard screen. You can save a waypoint, which they call “location�, and then edit that point to see the latitude/longitude (displayed in non-decimal format). 2) Does not have On/Off button to save battery-life. 3) Comes with very basic software with limited maps. Cannot export tracks into GPX format. 4) Difficult to upload waypoints for future route. 5) Limited to WGS84 map datum (limits international usage of tracks) PROS: Garmin Forerunner 405 1) Easy to use menu system. 2) Fast GPS satellite synching. 3) Can connect to heart rate monitor. 4) If you can get waypoints loaded, there is a nice screen that shows the direction/distance to the selected waypoint. 5) Great fitness monitoring screens and many are customizable. CONS: Sunnto X9i 1) Large physical size. 2) Poor battery life with GPS on. 3) Slow GPS satellite synching. 4) Difficult to use and complex menu system with 5 buttons. 5) Does not have On/Off button to save battery-life. 6) GPS tracks, which they call “logs�, tend to have jumps/errors when GPS drops out, which is often. 7) Comes with very basic software with no maps. 8) No screen to show direction to a selected waypoint. 9) Limited to WGS84 map datum (limits international usage of tracks) 10) Suggested Retail Price is 25% more than the Garmin 405. PROS: Suunto X9i 1) Does display raw latitude/longitude position on Position screen, but in non-decimal format. 2) Does have temperature feature.

I have been using Solomon XA Pro 3Ds on and off for 18 months. I was hoping these XT Wings would make up for all the deficiencies in the XA Pro. Boy, was I wrong. These shoes are very flexi and still have a soft bottom. After using them to trail run in Hawaii and in Utah, I have concluded that they just aren't designed for serious trail running. I'm tired of the rock bruises through the thin soft soles and the heal cup rubs a lot.

My single favorite piece of technical gear. It goes on every trip from Hawaii to Colorado to the Alps to Florida.

I recently bought the Trail Pro 2 after having done extensive trail running in both the Salomon XA Pro and Montrail Hurricane Ridge. I have average width feet with average arches. The Trail Pro 2 has a very unusual fit for me. The heal cup was high on half of the inside which made my feet rotate with each step. Plus, the toe box is very long. Unlike the XA Pro, the lacing system just wouldn't tighten correctly.

I've been running in Montrail Hurricane Ridge XCR shoes since 2002. This year, I purchased the Enduro Insoles. It has been a great addition to the Hurricane Ridges and I doubt I'd ever go back. One question....why doesn't Montrail automatically put these in their new shoes? They're awesome.

I've been running in Hurricane Ridge XCR shoes since 2002. These are amazing. This is my 4th pair, and while having tried several other brands along the way, I keep coming back. I have average width, average arch feet and these fit like a glove. They are durable, and the one problem I had with an old model, Montrail warrantied without question. Also, I highly recommend the Montrail foot bed insert which I just started using - Awesome, too!

Over the past 10 years, this is the 5th Burton snowboard I've ridden. While the ride is amazing and by far the best from Burton, the board just didn't hold up. Under normal riding, the board top sheet developed cracks after the 3 day out, and on the 4th day, the top sheet delaminated from the base. I notice that another review also mentions problems with the top sheet. If Burton fixes this issue with this board, they've got a real winner on their hands.

Over the past 10 years, this is the 5th Burton snowboard I've ridden. While the ride is amazing and by far the best from Burton, the board just didn't hold up. Under normal riding, the board top sheet developed cracks after the 3 day out, and on the 4th day, the top sheet delaminated from the base. I notice that another review also mentions problems with the top sheet. If Burton fixes this issue with this board, they've got a real winner on their hands.

The Baron ES is a solid, durable snowboard. It can take abuse and keep going. A great choice for aggressive riders.

The T6 is a light, fast, stable board. But for the price, it's just not very durable for aggressive riders. After only a couple months of riding, the T6 looks shot. Typically, I can get a solid season out of a board before it's retired to rock-board status. The T6 didn't make it two months. The top sheet is buckled, along with several cracks. The bottom and the edges weren't nearly as durable as the ads suggested. I even ripped one of these claimed super strong edges. Maybe this board is just too light and fragile?

These Burton AK Mitts are not recommended for snowboarders. They wear extremely quickly, especially around the seams. They were pretty much worn out after a month of riding. Even though the seams were ripping, Burton refused to warranty these mitts. Very disappointing considering the cost of these mitts.

The Burton AK Mitt is not recommended for snowboarders. This mitt wears extremely fast and is not worth the price. The seams pulled apart within one month of riding. Burton does not warranty this defect so beware.

These mittens performed poorly for snowboarding. The Gore-Tex shell wore out very quickly. The seams unraveled after only a couple months. The snowboard edges cut the palms quickly. These just aren't a good choice for snowboarders.

These mittens performed poorly for snowboarding. The Gore-Tex shell wore out very quickly. The seams unraveled after only a couple months. The snowboard edges cut the palms quickly. These just aren't a good choice for snowboarders.

While the Forerunner 305 may be quite useful for training, it does not have many features that make it useful for navigation. The 305 lacks a display of latitude and longitude. The only way to see your current GPS coordinates is to set a way point. It would be nice to be able to change the display of the coordinates. It only shows the lat/long in minutes/seconds, not in decimal or UTM. Also, it would be nice to be able to see topo lines on the map display, or to be able to upload small sections of top maps from their software.

The Burton T6 is an amazing top-of-the-line snowboard for freeriding/all-mountain. Super lightweight, yet stiff. Highly recommended. It’s great that they made the 164W (wide) this year to accommodate large binding, too.