Daniel King

I own several Columbia synthetic shirts, and this is by far the heaviest of them all. It weighs at least twice as much as my others. It does wick well and dry quickly, but so do the others. This shirt also cost more than my other Columbia shirts. Nice shirt, but for the money and the weight(which matters to backpackers), I will stick with other shirts from Columbia.

This is a great shirt- and good looking, too. One night, while hanging out with a female friend, I threw this shirt on to ward off the night chill and my friend made some comments about me "dressing up". These are very "classy" looking shirts- although that is not what I had in mind when I purchased them. They are comfy, and have held up well so far. And water beads up and rolls right off- added bonus!

I love these pants. I use them for hot weather backpacking and hiking. They are lightweight and packable, and dry very quickly. Have had no problems with quality/durability, but they are very thin and at least seem like they would tear easily- but haven't yet. The belt seems to slip a little as I'm hiking- either that or I'm losing weight as I walk. lol. Not the best choice for cold weather.

First of all, I am NOT a North Face fan! I normally buy/use Columbia products- and will continue to- but purchased these pants because they are a bit thicker/heavier/warmer than my Columbia pants, and they are surprisingly comfy. I use them for cooler weather backpacking and hiking. Have not had any of the quality issues (yet) that others have listed in their reviews.

My backpacking buddy bought this tent, and we used it for an overnight trip to Virgin Falls.
For a 2-person tent, the Big Fat Frog is not the most spacious design. And a tad on the heavy side for backpacking.
Even though neither of us practiced nor read the instructions, the tent went up fairly easy.
When first unpacked, it seems complex- especially the poles.
The included stakes are... well... just ok. We bent 2 of them on the first use.
Condensation was a reality, but not excessive.
Ventilation is good- maybe even leaning a little toward the ‘drafty’ end of the scale.

Warning: You WILL be cozy with your tent partner. Your sleeping pads will overlap at the foot end. You will be playing footsies- whether you like it or not.

This is one of the most unique designs I have seen for a tent- the vestibule is huge. It was plenty big enough for our gear (stacked), and my buddy’s dog!
Stooping over to get into the vestibule, and then turning and kneeling to get into the tent itself, can be a bit of a pain if you are even close to being “tall” (I’m 6 ft and my buddy is a couple inches taller). The same goes for getting out. Consider some type of mat/padding. Your knees will thank you.
I can't comment on durability or weather protection yet, as we've only used the tent once so far- and it didn't rain.
All in all, a pretty good tent.
One last thing; Get the footprint. You’ll thank me later.

These pants are... ok. There is really nothing wrong with the pants, my daughter just wasn't thrilled with them- and won't hardly wear them. They are thin, and are not for cool/cold weather. The waist is adjustable, which is really nice. The length seems to run a little short. My daughter(and me, too) seem to prefer Columbia.

I got this jacket(from Backcountry.com, of course) for my daughter for Christmas 2009. 3 days later she wore it hiking... and has been wearing it- for everything- ever since. It has become her absolute favorite piece of clothing. Here it is May, and she still wears it whenever she can! She loves this jacket. The only time she wears something else is when this one is being washed. So far, it has held up perfectly- no complaints at all. The sizing seems to run true, a tad big maybe, but personally I think that's perfect- it's loose enough to wear something under it, but not too loose to wear by itself. And at Backcountry.com's price, you just can't go wrong buying this jacket!UPDATE: 12/13/10 My daughter now has 2 of these jackets, and she still absolutely loves them. They are without a doubt her favorite pieces of clothing. They have held up to countless washings, and constant use in almost every weather catagory. They still look almost new.

I love this shirt. Maybe even more than my daughter does. You can't go wrong with this shirt for camping/hiking/backpacking. Just keep in mind the following: it is VERY thin, and therefore NOT for cooler weather; get it about a size bigger than normal so something can be worn underneath; follow the laundering suggestions! The only thing this shirt is missing is under-arm vents. I hope they make this for adults, because I want one! **UPDATE 5/8/10: My daughter has worn this shirt on several occasions hiking and camping in Middle TN since receiving it for Christmas 2009, and absolutely loves the shirt. It has held up through the abuse and washing's(I do NOT put it in the dryer) without so much as a loose string. As I mentioned previously, it is made more for warm/hot weather, but with just a T-shirt underneath she has stayed warm while hiking.

My daughter has no complaints about these socks, and no complaints from her equals no complaints from me! Just remember not to put them in the dryer on high heat- unless you WANT them to shrink. They do seem to run a little smaller than other brands.

My daughter has no complaints about these socks, and no complaints from her equals no complaints from me! Just remember not to put them in the dryer on high heat- unless you WANT them to shrink.

According to my daughter, these boots are comfy even the first time worn. Keep in mind that while hiking we wear "liner" socks and wool-blend "hiker" socks. Doing this will eliminate blisters and/or "hot spots", keep your feet dry(even sweaty feet), and dramatically decrease fatigue of the feet- due in part to the extra cushioning. Also, remember that wearing thicker socks and/or multiple layers of socks will require the boots to be one-half to one size bigger than you normally wear. As for these boots specifically, they look great(even wet & muddy), are lightweight, truly waterproof, and a good value for the money. When my daughter outgrows them, I will be buying another pair! No complaints from her equals no complaints from me! *TIPS: 1) Don't tell her they are "boy's" boots. 2) They make these for adults, too!

UPDATE: 12/13/10 After hiking in these boots since January, my daughter and I have racked up more than a few miles. The boots still look new! As is typical for kids, she outgrew them before she wore them out- So I got her another pair (same boot, bigger size). She still loves these boots!