It's been with me for several years now and it's been a great friend. It's a streamlined beanie that is meant primarily as a functional beanie. It keeps you worm without all the bulk. I have used it under my Petzl Ecrin helmet a few times.

This is my primary peace of footwear job or snow allowing. Mine have the Vibram sole on them. I'm going to be pretty bummed when they finally wear out. I'm all for green but is that really the primary reason Wolverine - oops - I mean Chaco gave up on Vibram for the flips?

I've sold the flips since the EcoTread conversion and the buyout by Wolverine and they do seem to be fairing better then the Z series.

I don't exactly know how it happened. I didn't wear socks for a long time and then it was a mild winter so I didn't see the point in wearing socks then either. Then it dawned on me I hadn't worn socks in over a year. Well I couldn't easily break the traditions so now I'm going on my third year without socks.

Over those years the Keen Newport has been the footwear of choice when I needed something with a little more protection. This has often meant it is the shoe I wear in the snow. The quality is good, it dries fast and the foot bed is much better quality then most water shoes.

Remember when sizing any Keen water shoe that you want your toe to come to the line in the rubber (arch of course comes first).

I just went on a quarter mile walk in 6in of snow in these... I may have to buy some socks.

I do have some trouble with circulation so my hands tend to get extra cold. Of you have better circulation than me perhaps these could be great for you. For some reason I have had 2 pairs of these, luckily they are all lost now or I might be tempted to try them again. I would rather not wear gloves then use these, because then at least my fingers can derive a little warmth from each other. If I made a top 10 list of when my hands have been coldest every time I have warn these gloves would probably be on the list. On one trip I switched to a pair of fleece liners and hour into the climb and was much happier.

If you are doing a lot of ascending get a real ascended. Use it as an emergency back up. Make sure to run a bit of string and attach it to you or you're going to lose it when trying to set it up; especially with cold hands. If you have the money get a couple.

I've had my z2 for three years now. I where them year around. I can do an 8 hour shift on on concrete no problem, or hike 20 miles in them with a pack. I fear mine are rather different then the new ones. They are the old formulation of the mid-sole with the Colorado sole and one of the last to be made in Colorado. I just need to find the time to shorten the strap by about an inch.

I have sold Chaco's for awhile now. Main thing people should know is to fit the arch not the toe. The Z series is designed to extra room at the toe so you don't stub your toe. So many customers wanted there toes to come right to the end. If that's what it takes to get the arch to fit then fine, but most of the time people just couldn't understand the concept it seemed.

We were all sad to hear of the Chaco being bought out by Wolverine International (same company that owns Merell). To be fair I felt the quality of Chaco started declining before the buyout when they reformulated to mid-sole (to make them lighter...) and moved production to China all on there lonesome. Since the buyout it seems to have gotten worse. I have seen many Chaco's come back with rather egregious quality control issues. The sole separating like on mine I understood, a bad batch of glue can do that. But I have seen the nylon heal straps rip within a couple of week and mid soles tare in half. The only time I used to see this was when a dog got to someones Chacos. It is truly depressing to see this happen to Chaco. I'm happy the founders made out with a lot of money, but sad to see this awesome brand go down hill. Hopefully Wolvarine wakes up and fixes this stuff.

One a side note I was perusing jobs in the outdoor industry a few months back and came buy a PR position for Chaco/Merell on Wolverines site. I'm guessing your primary job if making sure as few people as possible realize that Chaco is associated with Wolverine and Merell. My Chacos get 5 stars the newer ones not so much.

I can't remember when I got this headlamp. Probably 4-5 years ago when I started peak bagging. It has been with me on every major peak I have done including Gannett, Rainier, Hood, and Shasta. The one draw back of this light is I always get placed in the back of the group because when this little guy is on no one else needs to use a light. It can light up the whole side of a mountain. On almost every trip a stranger has commented on how bright it is and said they were going to get one.I have also used it in some spelunking and it has performed beautifully.The only real problem I have had is the ring that keeps it waterproof has a habit of coming out when you replace the batteries so you have to somewhat tediously put it back in place. While it has never been and issue this would be no bueno with freezing hands.Always use lithium batteries if you are going to be using this in the cold. It will prolong the battery life.It fits on the Petzl Ecrin Roc Climbing Helmet nicely.

I have been using this goggle with my Smith Variant Helmet for about two seasons now. All around I have liked these goggles. The fan is so quiet that I forget to turn it off sometimes so I have a dead battery the next day I go out.

I can't say that these goggles are impossible to fog. I have done it on a number of occasions. Usually a couple spots here and there. I contacted Smith warranty about this and they told me to put them under a blow dryer after every use. I was a little peeved by this answer as I expect better from these goggles. All around it's never kept me from riding.

Another issue I have had with the goggles is when the wind is really blowing (40-50mph winds) I have had snow come through the fan port and hit me in the eye. It wasn't a huge problem it was just a little annoying.

Use this helmet with the Smith Phenom Turbo Fan Goggle for two seasons now. One of the best feeling in the world is after that hard fall on ice and your head slams against the ground and you just lie there for a second repeating over and over again how much you love your helmet.

I have worn this helmet in temps ranging from -20F to 45F and been comfortable.

I have had a pair of these boots for a few years now. I needed a waterproof boot for Hood so I grabbed a pair of these from a garage sale. I have many freinds and acquaintances who us this boot. They do everything from mountaineering to snowshoe in them. It is probably my favorite mid-weight boot.

These are a mid-weight hiking boot. They are not a full on back packing boot and they are not a light hiker. They are designed to fill that niche in between. It not meant to be used if you are bounding out mile after mile with an 75lb pack and it will probably be overkill if you are just doing day hikes.

They put a pinch in the lace fastener after the last eyelet so you can get different tensions on the upper and lower parts of the boot. A very cool feature.

Remember when it comes to blisters and boots. Boots are made on different lasts and all our feet are different. Asolo may just not be the right last for you. One person the boot fits great another the boot will not. Just keep this in mind when trying on boots.

O was traveling the world and found a pile of hats and I absconded with this one. My roommate really wants it but it's mine ALL MINE!

As is obvious from the pic this is a deep hat. It's a loose weave so the wind will go through it. It's more of a style hat then a tech hat but it will get you through the fun times to be had during the winter.

I've had my pair of Caribous for around 6 years. My father has had his for something like 30. They are a big warm boot. Great for all around winter use. Keep in mind they are not the most technical boot out there. I wouldn't recommend snowshoeing in them as they are just too sloppy. Same thing goes if you need a boot for really long hikes. It's just not what these boots were designed to do. They keep me warm and comfortable when I'm having fun in the snow and that is all I can really ask.

Had this pack for about 5 years now. Taken me up a few big hills and many a hike. It's very comfortable, doesn't get too hot, and carries 40-50 pounds well. It did develop an odd squeak the second season I had it, but that went away about 2 years ago.

A buckle broke on it about 3 years ago. I took a picture of it and emailed it to osprey. They overnighted me a new buckle no questions asked.

It's fast, easy, and the price is right. When you are just starting this shoe can be just what you need. If you keep with the sport you'll probably want to upgrade. The shoe does what it is designed to do. You can't ask much more then that.

The bottom line is the price is right. If you're just getting started this is a great harness that will last you years, and after you decided to upgrade keep it around so you can take freinds out. It isn't the most comfortable harness but it is not meant to be. If you are spending hours on a wall then you already know that this is not the harness for you.

This seems to have been the go to light weight rain jacket for a long time now. I've had mine around 10 years now. It must have been huge when I first got it. It's been a great emergency rain jacket on all my mild season trips.

I see some pretty bad reviews for this jacket. Maybe there was a quality change but I doubt it baring a few people who got a defective product (backcountry has a 100% satisfaction guarantee for a reason). I have a hunch people are not grasping what this jacket is designed to be. It is a light weight rain jacket. Key term there being "light weight."There is a reason why there are Gore-Tex pro shell jackets that sell for $600 dollars. This jacket is designed to keep you dry until you get to shelter. You are at a soccer game, it rains, you put the jacket on, the game ends, and you go to your car. You are hiking, it starts to sleet, you find a site, and you pitch a tent. The description is exactly right. It is a "just-in-case shell." Of course you are going to wear out the laminate if you wear it with a pack. Of course it's not going to breath fantastically so it is going to get clammy. This is often time what is happening when people think the jacket it leaking.

If you boys want a jacket that will perform like an Alpha SV then you're just going to have to pony up the 600 bucks for an Alpha SV and stop expecting a $100 light weight rain jacket to perform miracles.

Primarily got this ax for the weight factor. Also I like how this ax fits in your hand as you hike. It is the most comfortable one I have come across. I wasn't doing anything that required a T rated ax so it seemed like a good choice. I have been using this ax for about four years now. This ax as been with me on Gannett, Hood, Rainer, and Shasta. In this years model they have increased the size of the hole in the adze making it easier to hook a carabiner too.

I'm not going to go into what size to get. All depends on your style.

Obviously very popular with all the reviews. Got mine cheap from a garage sale because it had a singe on the back. It's my primary jacket when I'm not worried about dampness. I've had it in winds up to 75mph and never had a complaint. The pit zips make it extremely versatile. The movement is fantastic in the arms.My only complaint is on my 6'2" 145lb frame my medium a tish short in the torso. I've had my belly exposed a few times when having to reach for a hold.

Have last years model. Love the jacket, lost somewhere when I moved need to see if I can track it down. With a shell it has kept more core comfortable down to -10F in Wyoming while shooting trap. On non windy days it makes a great stand alone jacket. I've felt this years model. Not quite a soft but I thought it was very close. My only complaint -they have probably fixed it with the new fabric - is that it has a tendency to come undone at the seems; usually on the shoulders. Since I could get them sewed up without issue this made getting mine very cheap, it can just be a bit annoying.

6'2" 145lb I wear a Medium.

Had this jacket for about three years now. I've worn it up Hood, Rainier, and Shasta. I've shot trap in Casper, Wyoming in -10F then rode Grand Targhee two days later in this jacket. The thing to keep in mind about this or any jacket is its designed purpose. Is this for standing out in the rain for hours on end? No. (though I do know a guy who did that and had no complaints) Should you make an ascent of K2 in it? No. It is also probably not a piece you want to be doing your morning job in either. That's why I call it mid-range. For the range of activities in between this jacket is almost perfect (nothing perfect).

Pit zips give it a huge comfort range, and the jackets movement is great. I'm 6'2" 145lb and wear a medium. I often pair this jacket with a Mountain Hardware Monkey Man jacket on the really cold days.

My review might be a little biased as the Kahtoola KTS Steel is the only crampon I’ve ever seriously used. However, I really don’t see the need to use any other for anything but the most technical climbs. If for some reason you might think these crampons are not quite beefy enough for hardcore use, just consider that Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa set the former speed ascent (10 hours 56 minutes and 46 seconds) of Mt. Everest using a pair of Kahtoola KTS.

I purchased my pair of Kahtoola KTS steel crampons before climbing Gannett Peak, WY. This was my first glacier climb, and admittedly was rather naive and made many silly mistakes. One mistake I didn’t make was choosing the KTS. The first thing that appealed to me was that these had been called “racing” crampons. I didn’t want to spend 500 dollars on crampons and mountaineering boots, and the Idea of crampons strapping onto practically any piece of footwear was very appealing. Add to that they were the least expensive crampon I could find at the time. :-)

I will fully admit… using my Brooks Adrenalin road runners was a weeeee bit of a mistake on Gannett, but the crampons worked exactly how I would expect them too. Since Gannett, I have used my Kahtoola KTS on Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Shasta. On the latter three peaks I upgraded my footwear a bit; using the Asolo Fugitive GTX on Hood and the Raichle (Now Mammut) Mt. Trail XT GTX on Rainer and Shasta. On all peaks the KTS performed beautifully.

The advantages should be fairly apparent. The leaf spring allows you to wear flexible footwear. This means lighter more comfortable travel. In my opinion the ability to move quickly and agilely, more than compensates for perceived shortcomings that the Kahtoola might have against a C2/C3 set up.

As with any product the Kahtoola KTS is not perfect. Adjusting the crampons with mittens is next to impossible. The Leaf spring can get bent. I took a hard fall on Gannett (not the crampons fault, I was being dumb) flew over the bergschrund and the first thing to hit the side of the mountain were my Kahtoola KTS. I tweaked the leaf spring a bit. Once I got back home I adjusted them a little and haven’t had any problems since. After a awhile the rubber bands that hold the excess strap in place can become brittle and break.

I’m not sure where my next glaciated climb is going to be, but my Kahtoola KTS are going to be right there with me.