dalto

Just a quick note on color since there were only two of these left, both in green ("Weed"), and I bought one. The photo on the web site is washed out. The jacket is a very bright light green color with bright orange zips. It's a nice color, but you should know that it's very bright.

Fit is very nice but I agree with others who say the armhole area is cut a bit strange. It pinches on the underside toward the front. That might have to do with where the pit zips were placed.

Those pit zips are very easy to use and are very generous. They zip so easily with just one hand.

It's almost summer now so I won't be able to try it for awhile, but the quality is great. Fabric feels stout but with good stretch to it. Arms are long, as people say, but the velcro fasteners are generous and well placed. Collar comes up high and is not constricting around the neck. Perhaps looks a little techy for town wear because the pit zips are so obvious, but it's a sharp-looking jacket.

I agree that it's built for the lean and lanky. I'm 5-10, 135 and bought a Small. It fits well through the body with room for a medium layer, I'd say, with the exception of that constriction around the arm pit. It's plenty long on me (ends below the beltline) and has a generous drop hem.

I have some other Norrona clothes and I think the quality and aesthetics are top-notch.

I own lots of Arc'teryx clothes and think it's a great company. These shorts have a lot going for them, too, but I'm not completely sold on them. Worst, in my book, is that the inner brief is like a pair of compression shorts. It's pretty snug, especially the elastic on the thighs, and I wasn't expecting that, nor do I personally like that. So you have to know that's what you're getting with these. The quality is great, but this is one case where I have to question whether they're worth the price tag. The MH Refueler short is a great short for a lesser price tag, and it will go on sale at a heftier discount to boot.

Well, I can only give it 3 stars. Although it's Arc'teryx and I presume it's well made, it also invites high expectations. It has a generous drop hem, hem cinches, and padded collar that fits well without being too tight and would no doubt keep the cold out. But I find it cut too boxy with long, roomy sleeves. I'll admit to being a stick at 5-10, 140. Not only did this feel pretty high on the garbage bag scale, but the material was stiff and noisy, too. I was underwhelmed, and I tend to be impressed easily by Arc gear. When you factor in the hefty price, even hefty when you find a substantial sale, this is one piece that I could easily talk myself out of. I prefer the fit and feel of the MH Transition or Effusion (the latter, I know, is not strictly windproof).

I like specialized running gear so I picked these up when I saw them on SAC. I've never had a pair before, but I do have some tops with fold-down mittens that I've used. Well, these do the job. They're not quite as warm as I'd like. My intention was to wear them on frigid days when I supplement my gloves with a mitten over them. But these with the mitten aren't much warmer than my regular Cloudveil running gloves. However, they do seem to work for those times when you start out a run a little cold and then warm up and want to take your gloves off (but don't want to carry them or stash them somewhere). With these, you just fold back the mitten and your fingers cool off. There really is a difference in temperature. If I don't think about it, I don't really notice that the disengaged mitten is flapping, But if I do think about it, it bugs me and makes me wonder if I should be keeping these. However, I think they're useful for those on-again, off-again temperatures. The mitten, by the way, will accommodate most of the thumb, too.

I can imagine they would also be useful in situations where you periodically have to use your fingers but don't want to expose them completely to the cold. The material is relatively thin and supple so it allows for some manual dexterity.

The sizing chart doesn't help because it's not for gloves. I measure 7.25 from the base of my wrist to the tip of my middle finger and 7.5 around my hand. Glove sizing isn't very consistent but I'm basically a medium. I bought both a medium and a large and they both fit. The medium is a little tough to get past the heel of my hand but it fits nice and snug and I feel like I can move freely. The large isn't that much bigger, but does provide a more relaxed fit when I don't want to have that tight-glove feeling.

I can't wait to wear out all my other kinds of underwear...or maybe I'll just throw them away. These keep me comfortable all day long, and then I can wear them again because they don't stink. True to size. Can't wait to see what they'll be like in warmer conditions.

I never thought I'd use the words "Arc'teryx" and "bargain" together, but these gloves make me do it. Even at full price they're a bargain, and I found a pair on sale. Thick, soft, warm, good-looking, true-to-size, easy on and off. They do what they claim to, functioning on their own in cold (but not super-cold), dry weather or as a substantial liner. Only negative that I can think of is that the palms are a bit slippery for driving, but not bad. An all-around great buy.

If you're 5-10 and around 140 pounds, a Small will fit like it was made for you. It runs slim through the body with arms about the right length. The hood fits about perfectly even without adjusting--fits close and moves with your head and the interior fleece is soft. This fits and feels so great that you might just dispense with the base layer and put this directly on. Very much like an Arc Tau with a hood and, if you find it on SAC, only 40% of the cost. Minus a few of the costly Arc niceties of finish. [See my further comment on this comparison below--apparently I wasn't signed in, which was why I couldn't find the way to edit this review.] I'll admit I can't speak yet to how it functions in the elements, but even if all I did was to wear this around the house I'd be a big fan. Black with blue zippers is an inspired color combo.

I can see why reviewers would describe this as "gutless" or "nothing to it" and as their "fav." While I'm not sure what technical niche it fits, it feels and looks great. The fabric drapes really well and moves with your body, and it simply looks good. So while I only wear it around town, I'm happy every time I put it on. It'll keep the weather at bay but I wouldn't expect "too much" of it. It's just a comfortable, good-looking, functional jacket.

I'm not going to put these to much rough outdoor use. I just like softshell pants because they're so comfortable. I usually wear a Small (5-10, 135) and I find that these fit great. There's a good amount of stretch in the waist for getting them on and bending over; the stretch throughout is nice for movement. As for the crotch hugging too tightly and being too revealing, I don't have that problem, but I guess that doesn't say much for my natural endowment. Like others, I wish there were a fly and more than one modestly sized pocket. I don't understand the running pants approach. If you're only going to wear pants for an hour or so, a fly or pockets can be skipped. But if you're going to wear them for hours, whether on an outdoor adventure or simply for daily activities, then a fly and (ideally) more or larger pockets would be good. All in all, though, I think they're really comfortable. Made of a slightly lighter weight (with more spandex) than the Overhang pant, and the Shale color is slightly different, presumably because of how the fabric took the dye.

I'll give it 4 stars because it seems like nice fabric that would be comfortable. For reference, I'm 5-10 and 135. I always wear a Small, but although I'm on the tall end of the scale for that size, I'm so slight that many Smalls run large on me. I liked the way the bottoms fit a lot. They were snug without being tight. I found them to be the right length. I don't know what a short person would do. The top seemed baggy to me. I was hoping for a trim fit there, too, but there was a lot of excess material around the middle (more than just my slight frame would suggest) and the sleeves ran a little long. And what's with the oversize clown drawstring? That's just comical. Overall, the suit wasn't bad, but it didn't make me want to keep it. And I don't know what short people are supposed to do since there's no X-Small.

My comments are mostly about fit because I haven't put them to much use. I wear a size 30 or 31 and the Small fits well in the waist. I wouldn't mind an extra half-inch to an inch in length, but I'm 5-10 and most people wearing a Small are probably shorter than I. The fabric is lightweight and stretchy but seems tough. I have to admit that my main activity is running, for which these would be of no use, so I don't know how much action they'll get, but they will be good to have for the occasional camping trip or any outdoor work. Should be a fine pair of travel pants. I spend a lot of time working at a desk and they'll actually be great for that, too. Believe it or not, articulated knees are good for desk work as well as bouldering. They look a little baggy for everyday wear, but I don't mind that. The brown color is nice and rich although the bright green zippers and accents wouldn't have been my first choice. I'm happy to have light, stretchy, comfortable pants to wear all day.

I love these. Having used the VFF Bikila and KSO for more than a year, and the Saucony Hattori for a few runs, I find the Evos the most comfortable. I guess not that many people are into this kind of shoe because at the SAC price I can't believe that there are still any around. I did a pretty good job of stockpiling by myself. The hardcore criticisms don't bother me, i.e., the weight and the reduced ground feel. I live in a city and run on pavement so I like having a little extra padding. I can't wear the VFFs every day on pavement. I find the Evo to be very roomy and to give a barefoot feel in the sense that I practically forget that I have them on. As great as the VFFs are, the fact that they grip your foot and toes make you always aware of them. The Evos allow you to forget about them while protecting your feet. I will agree with one criticism that I see voiced here and I've seen elsewhere. The plastic net that constitutes the upper (with mesh infill) can fold and irritate the tops of your toes. I noticed this immediately and paid the price when I took them out for my first run without socks. I'm now in the process of breaking them in around the house and on short runs without socks and on longer runs with socks and I don't find them as bothersome as at first. I agree that having to wear socks spoils the fun, even moreso because I think these might be the most breathable and coolest shoes I've worn. But, for me, the fit and feel are so good that if it turns out I am never able to wear them successfully without socks, I'll accept it.

I'm sold on these shorts. I can't add much to what others have said about how they are suited for their main intended uses. But I'll add two things. First, they're great for sitting down, too. I sit all day for work (at home) and these are really comfortable. Not being a tech geek, I wasn't sure what welded seams would mean for me, but I now know that they mean comfortable sitting because of the lack of overlapped material and sewn seams. Also, I was skeptical of running as a suggested use for these, so I took them out for two hours and was pleasantly surprised. They were as light and comfortable running as in any other activity. The only negative part was that I didn't really like having the short graze my knee with every stride. On the other hand, it was a cold morning so I appreciated the full-thigh coverage. It's true that the pockets are shallow for casual use. Finally, I agree that these are about one size off. I'm a 31 waist and wear a 30 or small in most outdoor brands. But after reading reviews I ordered these in a medium and I think that's probably the right choice. I do have the belt cinched a bit, but they feel comfortable. I haven't yet tried a small for comparison so I'll admit that my basis for making a comparison isn't complete.

It's lightweight, fits nice, and has a great hood. The hood folds away in the collar and is secured with three velcro dots. I have a slight build and find that the fit is neither tight nor loose. Should probably work for most people. Looks good, too. My only beef at this point is the breatheability, although I admittedly put it to a pretty harsh test. I wore it for running (where you generate a lot of heat) on a warm day just after a rain. My bare arms became clammy very quickly. It was a relief to peel (and I do mean peel) it off. The good part is that it's so light that when I tied it around my waist I could barely feel it.

Nice fleece, true to size, but it only covers the tops of my ears. I'd think that if it's nasty enough to want Windstopper on your head you'd want your ears covered, too.

Like other Arc garments, it's well made, handsome, and probably functions extremely well. But it's much too roomy for me. At 5-10 and less than 140, I have trouble finding many Smalls that will fit properly. Unfortunately, this is one of those. I wish Arc made its Smalls a little smaller; then again, I'd need another closet if they did. Although this seems intended for aerobic sports, it seems cut more for climbers. On my admittedly scrawny runner's body with admittedly shortish arms, the chest is too wide (although the stomach is decently trim) and the sleeves are much too long. If you have a well-developed upper body and long arms, or like extra sleeve length for reaching, then this will work for you. For my purposes, i.e., running with just a thin shirt underneath, it's too roomy through the body and has too much fabric weighing me down in the arms. The three stars don't reflect the quality of the piece, just my disappointment at how this is cut for its intended use--high-output activities.

I'll never get close to trying out the supposedly marvelous properties of this jacket because it's ginormous on me. I'll admit that I have a scrawny runner's body, at 5-10 and less than 140, but the Small is like a grain sack on me and the sleeves nearly reach my fingertips. Knowing how the Welder Hi fits me and having read that several other Stoic jackets are cut trim, I was hoping this would be a tight-fitting rain shell, but no chance. The hood can be cinched but still seems unstructured and floppy in front. This clearly is not cut for me so I'll have to pass.

Just found this on a great deal somewhere but we're well into spring so I don't know when I'll get to wear it. Fits like a glove, though. In fact, even on my scrawny runner's body (5-10, less than 140, size Small) it's almost tight in the upper body with a slight tendency to ride up. I really like the fit, though. Sleeves aren't ridiculously long, either, but I think they will fit average folks fine. Sharp looking, too. I can't speak to its windblocking or breathability capabilities but I am looking forward to trying it out.

Sorry! I know that isn't the intended use for this guy, but I just picked it up on spring clearance. The best I could do was playing miniature golf with my son in 50-degree weather with 20+ mph winds. My hands were cold, but my body didn't feel a thing. Worked perfectly to block the wind. Also, the gusseted arm design really let me crank up my putt-putt backswing. It moves easily, drapes well, the fleece interior feels great. Looks classic. This is really a fine jacket.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it's oversized for a scrawny (5-10, 140 lbs., wearing a Small) guy like me. Both this and the Gamma MX say "Athletic fit" but this is much roomier. It's not so bad through the body, even for me, but I found the upper arms to be huge and the sleeves to be too long. This jacket is light enough to be worn even in mild temperatures, but I can't pull it off without at least two layers on to fill it out and take up some of the slack in the sleeves, so it will be strictly a cold-weather coat for me. I've seen complaints about the narrow wrists. A stick-wrist like I am doesn't have much trouble with them, but there is a severe taper in the forearm. What you gain from that is no velcro wrist closure, just a snug-fitting elastic.

If they made an XS I'd buy it and wear it twice as much. Really a first-rate product.

I'm skeptical about breathability, at least for high-output activities like running. I realize there are better or worse garments, but I can't imagine a perfectly breathable yet weatherproof garment--not for how I sweat, anyway. Perhaps that's the thinking behind the hybrid trend. But any hybrid risks not being enough of one or the other extreme. They make the most sense for "directional" sports like running, cross-country skiing, or skating in which the weather always seems to be in front of you, not to mention the fact that after a certain time you go inside to get warm and dry, so if the breathable part of the hybrid allows you to get wet, it doesn't matter so much. For me, that's why these garments are not useful for casual wear, not to mention the fact that I don't necessarily want to sport a two-tone, two-fabric look around town.

That said, this is a very nice garment, as one would expect from Ibex. It's lightweight and seems to function well. The red is a nice vibrant red and the gray is sufficiently dark to hold its own against the red.

It's pretty light, at about 14 ounces. Ibex also makes a Breakaway jacket with heavier fabric (resulting in an extra five ounces) that seems more geared to cyclists--the front is shorter by 1/2 inch, the back is longer by 1/2 inch, and the sleeves are one inch longer.

I picked up a Vim after winter had passed. I tried it out with the temperature about 50 with a moderate breeze. Pretty soon I was hot. Personally, I could only use this jacket in cold weather. The Breakaway is advertised by Ibex as being for trail running, among other uses, but I couldn't imagine using it for that with the extra weight.

I liked the feel of the Vim. The wool panels under the arm let air through to help cool you off. In a cold wind that might be unpleasant, although in a high-output activity the body warms up pretty quickly. One annoyance was the collar face-slap. Any garment with windblocking fabric behind the zipper is susceptible to this. I did notice it lessening after I had worn the jacket for half an hour or so, so maybe it just needed breaking in for the fabric to lie flat when I had the jacket partially unzipped.

I have a small frame (5-10, 140 pounds) and a Small fit well, like a garment for active sports should. I found the sleeves a little long on my short arms, so they'll probably fit the majority. Velcro strips and a light weight keep the sleeves from bunching in an annoying fashion, though.

All in all, I find it of very good quality and I like its feel and look, but whether I need it or not (at a relatively hefty price tag, even on SAC) hasn't been decided.

It's $5 cheaper, but this model seems a little thinner than the previous version. The fit, both through the body and in the sleeves, seems the same. Still a great quality pullover, but the previous version was even better.

A top-notch baselayer or standalone piece for active sports. It's very lightweight but the wool does its job to keep you warm. The little bit of stretch in the material is a great touch. I went running today in freezing temps with just an MH Geist vest over it to keep my core warm and I was very comfortable, with just a little chill on my arms when I faced the wind. The hood fits fantastically. The zip comes pretty far down when needed in warmer temps. Very soft. I'm a real fan of I/O Bio and this is one of the best from them yet.

I like them for running. When it gets below freezing and glove liners don't quite keep me warm, and I don't want to have the trouble of wearing a shell over them, I now reach for these. They keep you warm but not hot, they stretch, they're lightweight. Just what you need for running. They have a short cuff, which is all right for running because it's easy to get too hot in such a sport, but you have to be sure to be wearing sleeves long enough to cover the difference. They move so easily that they're great for driving, too. Fit true to size, in my experience. About the only complaints I could imagine are that they aren't warm enough or that the cuff isn't long enough, but if that's what you want then you should be looking at other gloves.

I might look like a cadaverous monk wearing this, but I feel like I have super power. This works well in cold weather when you're moving and all zipped up, or in cool weather when your progress is variable and you need to be able to modify your temperature.

I find that it fits pretty close, although not as snug as the Transition Jacket or 1/4-Zip. It isn't a fleece so much as a light stretchable garment to keep you warm in active sports.

A couple of things to note. The hood works best when the jacket is zipped all the way up. When I'm really running, even unzipping an inch leads the hood to flap and threaten to blow off my head. If I zip down to my neck the hood won't stay on more than five seconds. Today when I was jogging slowly as my kids biked I had better luck with it staying on. In contrast, the hood on the Transition Jacket is more of a speed skater fit and I wish the hood on this garment fit as well. If I only had to choose one garment, I'd probably choose the Transition Jacket, opting for its increased weather protection over the increased breathability of the Super Power Hoody.

The garment is made of many panels sewn together according to function and material, which means lots of seams that might be irritating to some.

The main zipper pull seems a little cheap but I think the intention was to save weight. I haven't had any trouble with its operation.

I've found it very functional for cold-weather running and fun to wear. It also looks sharp, with the Blue Orb being an especially nice color and the reflective "nuts" taking on interesting colors according to the light. It might not be perfect, but it's closer to a 5 than a 4.

I love this fleece for several reasons, but most of all because it fits. I'm 5-10, less than 140, and many times a Small is too big for me. Most companies don't even make extra smalls, so what am I supposed to do? At my age, second childhood should mean fun things like drooling on myself, acting immaturely with impunity, and ignoring/not hearing anything I don't like--not shopping in the Boys' Department for clothes that will fit me. What are clothes manufacturers doing when someone who's 5-10 is swimming in a Small? Enough of the rant, back to the MH Octans. It fits great. Works well over just a t-shirt, but I could slip something a little more substantial underneath if I had to. The sleeves are perfect. My arms are a little on the short side (but I am tall for my garment size) so if you have long arms, this fleece might not work for you. It keeps me reasonably warm and is reasonably soft (although the Arc'teryx Delta AR and MH Microgrid might beat it just a little on that score). The fabric on the shoulder might look like it's abrasion resistant, but it's actually a soft microfleece. Really, this fleece might look techy with the chest pocket, but I think it's more for casual wear (when the BC wordsmiths are talking about roasting marshmallows around the fire instead of scraping your knuckles on rocks, you get the picture...). The black is very sharp. I've tried on the green and the contrasting colors make me feel a little too much like a mallwalker for my taste. Just saw it on SAC so I'm trying a couple of more subdued colors. If it fits you, it really feels nice and it's likely to become one of your favorite garments.

I own the Transition Hooded Jacket and the Super Power Hooded Jacket, so I was going for a Trifecta with this one. But the arm holes were too high and tight and I found it uncomfortable to wear. The materials, the style, and the idea are great, but the arm holes just aren't designed well. I don't have this problem with the two sibling garments. I'm not a muscle man either, at 5-10 and less than 140. It's interesting to ponder whether this is the most or least essential of the three garments. You could say that the weather is either severe (Transition Hooded Jacket) or not (Super Power Hoody), so this one isn't really necessary. On the other hand, you could say that especially in directional sports (like running, cross-country skiing, or skating) where the weather always seems to be in front of you, it's the most essential. One additional consideration is that this one lacks a hood. I love wearing the other two. This one I returned.

Take a minimalist shoe, add some cool styling and a green ethic, and you've got one comfortable Toemorrow shoe. I liked these so much that I immediately bought more while I could find them on sale. These are low profile with very little arch or structure (but still very well made). I've worn other minimalist-type shoes and run in the Vibram Five Fingers, and these Toemorrows fit right in. The sole manages to give you good ground feel and a nice cushion at the same time. The upper fits comfortably, and the laces look good and stay tied. Bison is about the best color shoe I've seen. There used to be a true black Toemorrow, I think, but the current Black is really a dark heather gray with notes of green (not to sound like a wine connoisseur). Birch is a rich off-white that avoids the yellowy look of Chuck Taylors. I ordered 1/2-size larger than my usual street shoe size and they fit fine either with or without socks. I'm a notorious cheapskate, so as much as I love them I couldn't see paying $90 for sneakers, but if you scout around you can usually find them for a good deal, starting right on this web site and, even better, SAC. If you're into minimalist shoes and you like the style, this is just a great shoe.

My take on this jacket is enough at odds with various reviews I've read that I wonder if I got a lemon. Regarding performance, I agree that it does its job--blocks wind and seems to let body heat escape. I didn't wear it in rain so I can't speak to that. However, I find the fit terrible for my admittedly scrawny runner's frame (5-9, less than 140; I have a size Small). But one of the uses of this jacket is supposed to be for running. On me, it's large throughout the body, hangs well below my waist, and has sleeves that are large all the way down, extend below my fingertips, and with cuff openings so large that when I cinch them tight there's barely enough velcro left to hold them. It's a good quality jacket but the only way I can see this working is if I were to wear several layers under it. By comparison, I have the Marmot Tempo and I really like the way it fits.

You remember the Stonehenge scenes in "This Is Spinal Tap"? If you don't read the dimensions, you think you're getting a big lantern but it's actually very small. Works great, though, and for the space- or weight-conscious it can't be beat. Stone-henge!

Waterproof, lightweight, and a rich red color--this is a great hat. As a bonus, you get to watch the raindrops collect on the brim. With most hats, the water soaks in before it gets that far. One caveat--pinheads need not apply for this one-size-fits-all cap. I have a medium (albeit nearly hairless) head and I have the strap pulled within a centimeter or two of its limit to get it to fit me. Macro-domes will be happy with this one.

This is a very nice top. I only wear it casually and don't know how it would "perform." The material has some heft to it and is nice and soft--not quite cotton balls and fluffy kittens, but definitely comfy. The fit is good (5-9, 145, Small) although the arms are long. The arms on everything seem to be long, though. It's a bit of a pain with this top because the material is somewhat thick, so rolling up the cuff gives too much bulk at the wrist. Since it seems to be best for casual wear, I'm not wild about the two-tone colors. I got the black. To wrap it up, I can honestly say, "I've gotten compliments on it".