OpinionatedGeek

Slim fit.
Slightly stretchy 100% cotton.
Made in India.
I wasn't crazy about the blue, looks darker in person. Think dirty jeans.

As a beginner runner I needed something to help with lower leg pain. This shoe (with insoles, strength training and ice) fit the bill. A nice combination of stability and cushion. Nice smooth heel-toe transition. Work fine for the occasional off-road run too. These lock my heel in place much better than some other brands, but that might not be the case for you.

This material is amazing, super lightweight and thin, but waterproof. Breathability of the material could be better, but with the two core vents and front zipper you can usually find a nice balance unless it's pouring.

This is my go-to jacket for running and biking when the wind has a nip to it or if it's spitting freezing drizzle. I like the jacket so much I'm looking at the hooded membrain jackets for travel alone.

It's worth mentioning the only pocket is the chest pocket. The collar has a bungee to tighten against your neck.

I typically use this for a liner in my day pack when storms are a possibility. It protected my camera gear in torrential storms.

I've also used it in my luggage to protect a suit during travel (holds air really well)

Fit is too skinny for my tastes. Otherwise a nice product.
I'll give it a mid-star rating since I am forced to rate it.

+ Super comfy, great for the trip there and back.
+ Stretchy
+ Nice zippered leg pocket (be prepared for TSA patdown)
+ Nice fit (loose)
+ Elastic drawcord leg openings

- NO BELT or belt loops (drawcord inside is uncomfortable and weaksauce)
- No velcro/snap closure on rear pockets

+/- Heavy/thick material, could be good or bad

Thin and strong.
Tight knit.
Look and feel good.
I'll be buying more of this brand.
Made in the USA

Great quality, as you might expect from I/O.
Mine was actually 96% merino, 4% elastane.
Machine wash gentle, dry flat or hang.
Seems to run a bit large compared to the size chart..
Zipper is bass-ackward, but who can't deal with that?
Made in China.

This is my favorite softshell. Very versatile.
After using this for a while, I ordered a TNF apex softshell. Upon its arrival I laughed and sent it back. No comparison in material quality. This is thicker and softer.

165lbs 5'9" and the medium fits great with room for a layer or two.

The first time I slipped these on I was shocked at how comfortable they were.
Fit is true to size, maybe a smidge on the small side because of the rubber toe. I find rubber tips on shoes are less forgiving so you notice the end of the shoe if you are borderline sizes. The sole is very grippy. Pretty lightweight. I like them for kicking around. Should help me achieve maximum footing on the random chinchilla hunt.

Fit is slim, especially in the arms. If you're border line size up. Otherwise solid thin merino T-shirt. I machine wash and sometimes (accidentally) machine dry mine without issue.

Good sock. Nice wool blend (37.5%).
I wear a size 10 and went with the M with no regrets.
I'd call it more of a mid-weight than light though.

I hate sandals/flip-flops with a passion. I've just never gotten on board with that style, and never care to. However, I'm headed for a beach vacation and needed a pair. I've only heard great things about Reefs so I decided to give them a shot.

I'm keeping them and I think that speaks for itself. If not, here's why:
I like the grippy sole so you dont break your ass poolside.
I like the soft foot strap so it doesn't chafe my delicate footsies.
I like the supportive yet semi-soft footbed.
I like the fact they are light and compact (minimal packaging too).
I like the stickers they include to make some (undecided) target a Reef advertisement. (The cat is a contender)

Designed in California, Made in China.

Typical Stoic review: High quality, weird fit.

The Large in the Stoic merino t-shirts fits me pratically like a second skin, so I ordered a large in this shirt, but it is too big. The sleeves fit ok; semi-fitted and long (3/4 way to the elbow!), but the chest of the shirt is too large (bagging at armpit area). I would probably keep it if this was going to be my outer shirt but I figure it will often be my only layer or undershirt.

I'm exchanging it for a medium because the shirt is super light and comfortable. Hopefully that fits better. For reference I'm 5'9" 165lbs, 42" chest. Beware hairy chested dudes - this is so thin you can see the hairs poking out!

*edit: Received the medium, fits great.

Great little lantern. Puts out a lot of light for its size. The dimming feature is great. The hooks on top are super easy to use. These make great gifts.

Pkg. says made in china

Good quality. lightweight. Handle is slightly rubberized to promote grip. Lock mechanism is solid and easy to use. Blades only cut on the pull stroke which helps minimize chance of accidents. I do wish there was more of a finger guard and the blade was not quite so flimsy.

Super comfy and silky. This is probably the best feeling merino I've ever felt, it feels more like poly than wool. I didn't end up keeping it because the fit wasn't quite what I wanted and the stripes on the front are like a screen-printed graphic, which I felt might peel/crack over time. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for a different Icebreaker piece though.

I love my smartwool base layers and socks. This sweater was amazing until I washed it. I even sized up anticipating a little shrinkage, but after one wash (hand wash cold, dry flat) it is un-wearable and will be sent back.

I'm not sure if I actually shrunk the fibers or just tightened the weave.

Made in China.

Thin layer that fits properly. It is a fitted baselayer and will stretch out slightly after a few uses without washing. Fit me true to size. No binding, itching, irritating.

Machine wash/dry without shrinkage.

Styling is good enough to be worn as a stand-alone shirt.

Headquartered in USA, made in Vietnam

I was having problems with shin splints and these were suggested by my orthopedic specialist. (Their office makes also custom orthotics). It was explained to me these correct cases of arch collapse but not much with heel movement. With a combination of leg strengthening exercises and icing these pretty much fixed my shin splints. After wearing them for a while in my running shoes as well as my work shoes, I started to miss them when I wasn't wearing them.

The "molding" really only mildly dents the top layer of foam, I don't know how much different this is than just wearing them and letting them mold to your foot like any other footbed.

If you are on your feet all day in work boots, etc. you might want to look at their thicker insoles, as these are not the softest things out there. Just so you understand what these are, they are a layer of hardish plastic with a high arch, covered in a thin (1.6mm) layer moldable of foam.

These definitely require a high volume shoe/boot.

Awesome layer. I use this with a shell and thin base layer on ~25 degree days. A bit chilly on the way up, but comfortable on the way down. Substantial thickness.

The knit is a tighter weave than smartwool sweaters, which is nice.

I sized up hoping it would shrink and to my surprise it didn't shrink noticeably at all, even after machine washing and tumble drying!

This is a nice sweater. Stylish and super comfortable. Very thick, its basically two ply. Runs pretty true to size, maybe a bit toward a relaxed cut. Construction is top notch. I hope I don't shrink it, care instructions say hand wash cold & dry flat.

Made in China.

Very warm for as light and thin as this is. Temps ~25F with 20mph gusts are no problem with two thin merino layers underneath during only light activity. I'm 5'9 170lbs with a 42" chest and the M fits nicely, though it does have a minor case of "skinny arms" Stoic seems to have patented.

Nice cinch cord along the bottom. The way the hand pockets are sewn in creates two nice sized inside pockets, perfect for carrying a couple thirst quenchers or beanie and thin gloves. The cuffs fit me perfect but I could see this potentially being an issue since they are not adjustable or elastic (gaiters are elastic, cuffs are not). The hand pockets have a nice fleece lining on the front which is very nice/warm on the hands.

I've been using this daily for the past few weeks, the reflective Stoic logo on the outside back of the jacket is peeling in two places. Just aesthetic and some glue should fix but it's worth noting.

I'll update once I figure out what size stuffsack will work for packing this.

Made in China.

Seems like a solid softshell, on the heavier side. Generous cut, according to their size chart I should be a L but the fit was too big. 2-way zipper

I didn't wear it since I need a different size, but I did notice the zipper is on the wrong side and more importantly there is no zipper garage for the chin.

Made in China

I wanted to like this, I really did. In the end the fit wasn't acceptable.

I'm 5'9" 170 lbs, 42" you know what. The medium fit nicely... too nicely. You could see the muscles in my back when I bent forward. Enough for a baselayer and MAYBE a thin merino layer. The hood fit like it should.

The Large sleeves were too long and the hood had to be cinched (many drawstrings.. nice!) way down to be useable, and then it looked goofy and often the wind would blow it into my field of vision. The neck was overly wide. Everything above my shoulders would have fit great with a helmet on. The Torso was too roomy. It would be OK for casual wear, but too loose for athletic pursuits and bunched up when I sat down.

The torso is cut proportionally larger than the sleeves. The sleeves have a wicked taper to them, and no adjustable cuffs. It is impressively water repellent, good for quick squalls. Easy to stay warm walking in only this and a baselayer down to about 30, below that you need more layers or more exertion. The metal color does look amazing in person.

I wish it fit properly and Stoic would change/fix their garment cuts.

These are very nice goggles for women. The size and viewing area is comparable to the a-frame, but these have a much more feminine look. More specifically, the physical size is slightly narrower than the a-frame (due mostly to lack of "helmet hinges" on the strap, but slightly taller as viewed from the front. Performance is what you would expect from Oakley goggles.

If you end up with this glove you will likely not be disappointed, but if given a choice I don't see why you would purchase this model over the BD stormweight. This one is bulkier (worse dexterity) and lacks the palm reinforcement. Wind blockage between the two models is close enough to be even in my book.

For the record, my hands are always cold. If I put my fingertips on my cheek they feel cold even during a work day at the office.

I think these are pretty accurate to their description. You'll notice the recommended use is all high output activity. I wore these on a 30 minute walk in 35 degree temps (28 degree windchill) and my fingers were cold. Working my hands a bit made them comfortable but definitely not toasty. My hands sweat wearing these in the same temps during a run. The windstopper material works very well at blocking the wind.

The craftsmanship is good, but odd. The seams are sewn to the outside in some places, but this does not affect function. The fit is slightly loose and you could probably fit a microweight liner inside comfortably. You have to love the OR pulls on the cuff.

Overall, this is an easy on/off lightweight glove with some durability in the palm. I think this is about as dexterous as you can get without being a compression fit. That said, I'll probably try the BD stormweight next go around.

+ Awesome material, very waterproof and stretchy/comfortable.
+ Very lightweight
- No hood
- No pockets

She likes this beanie (typical smartwool quality) but it does fit a bit large on her tiny head.

What you didn't know is the tassle is adjustable.... just pull the thread inside to make it shorter if you think you're going to catch it on power lines!

I really wanted to like this shirt. Everything about it is great except the zip collar. The collar is not stiff, and there is a garage for the zipper, but it still chafes my neck. If I was wearing this birdwatching or something it probably wouldn't bother me, but every time I look down in the slightest I'm reminded of the sadness.

This was my first attempt at a hitch mounted carrier. It's pretty light, and the tilt feature is nice and easy. The pads and straps that hook to the bike are high quality rubber and easy to use. The snug-tite receiver lock works really well.

After figuring out I had to purchase another crossbar and attach that to my bike each time I returned it. (My bike has a slanted top tube and wouldn't clear the ground). I researched a bit and found a platform style that suits my needs better. 5-stars for backcountry.com's return policy and pricing.

Cons
More play in the joints than I expected from Thule. The cable lock could stand to be thicker.. as it could be easily clipped.. don't rely on it.
I wish the hitch facing portion also collapsed up or down so this could be folded flat for storage.

This is a good hoody. Comfortable. The hood is stitched so that it actually fits your head, as opposed to those cheap hoodies that just sew two pieces of material together forming a dome cone. The DWR finish works great, a light drizzle rolls off without issue, though I can't comment on the longevity of the finish yet. The torso is long enough to cover your un-tucked shirt. There is also an "Oakley" logo on the back, covered by the hood in these photos.

Cons:
The sleeves are dis-proportionally tight/narrow. If I have a long-sleeved casual shirt on underneath, the sleeves will bunch up under the hoody and you can actually see the wrinkles through the hoody. A little disappointing. The thumb holes are worthless. I've tried to use them on several occasions but they are just too small and end up cutting off circulation.

Made in China.

Seems like this has a European fit to me. I purchased a L according to my chest size. The torso is almost too roomy and the sleeves are cut short. I can pull it off, but just barely.

My sweater had a modified tag that indicated 30% wool. Seems like it will be warm, I'll try to update after a test run. Not the softest/most comfortable sweater I own, but has a rugged heavy-duty feel to it.

I usually wear a medium but I have a 42" chest so went with the L according to the size chart. It fits nice in the torso but the sleeves are a bit long.

Sigg bottles are top quality-made lined aluminum containers. You can't go wrong with any of them, but the convenience of the wide mouth for cleaning and adding ice while retaining the smaller diameter mouth for ease of drinking is genius.

I also highly recommend the Sigg pouch, keeps your iced beverage cold all day.

Good for smaller to medium faces.

Cons:
Rubber (unobtanium) earsocks and nosepiece would make this a 5-star pair of glasses.

This might be obvious, but the handle is hollow. You can stuff it with various items (like band-aids or chinchilla food)

I like how the head is molded into the shaft to avoid the loose head syndrome.
The back of the hatchet is large enough for pounding in stakes, etc.

I do wish gerber offered the 2-in-1 saw/hatchet combo in this larger size.
Fiskars is nice if you anticipate dropping it in the woods, get the same effect with some colored tape!

This is a good quality jacket, true to most TNF items. It is relatively comfy and does its job (windwall) nicely. I like the full frontal mesh that is vented by opening the front hand pockets.

Three stars because I hate the cuffs (personal opinion) as I like my cuffs to cover my wrist and go down my hand a bit. Also, this jacket doesn't really have a place in my armory. Sure it gets worn, but most of the time if I need something that breathes this doesn't breathe enough and I pull out a normal fleece, or if conditions are much colder/wind I prefer to reach for the softshell.

In my opinion this performs best over long sleeves in 40-50 degree temps with a 10+ MPH wind.

This is a nice pack, one of the larger in the day pack range, which is what drew me to it. Build quality is what you would expect from mountain hardware. Plenty of pockets for small things. A couple things to keep in mind:
1. The laptop/bladder sleeve only has padding (insulation!) on the bottom, the portion facing inward is not padded like some other packs. This bag does have a bladder hose port in the back panel, which tells me the pocket is primarily intended for hydration, laptop secondary, and small chinchillas a distant third.
2. The mesh pocket on the front is stretchy, but not that stretchy. I don't know how people are fitting helmets in this pocket unless they are only skull cap types. I will upload a picture of my attempt at putting my shoes (size 10) in the pouch, which even press in on the cargo inside.
3. There is a grab handle, as hard as it seems to find a picture of, but it is mounted lower than usual.
4. The overall shape of the bag when packed is peculiar.. a bit like a lizard, though I can't quite pin down which one...It has a thinner width and taller curved profile.

Cons:
The fact the zippers for the main compartment don't go down further is a bit of an annoyance for me. I also wish the buckle on the front mesh pocket had an adjustable strap. The hydration sleeve buckle/strap system does not appear to easily accommodate a camelbak bladder. Sure you can slide the clip on the strap webbing, but in my experience the bladder can slide off. I'd love to see a camelbak style loop on this (and other) bags.

True to oakley quality. Rubber ear-socks, but no rubber nosepiece. Gray lenses are classy, color is like black iridium without the reflection. Great for smaller faces.You can pick up polarized lenses on oakley vault for $40 making polarized oakleys less than $100 if you score these on a BC outlet site.

This is a good quality fleece, thin but warm and decently wind resistant. Actually has two zippered inside pockets, also has a bottom bungee. I bought it on S&C for 60% retail, definitely a bargain at that price.3 stars because it fits weird. I'm 5'9, 160lbs and the Medium torso/sleeve length is great. The sleeves are super baggy near the armpits and have an extreme taper towards the wrist. Because of the large cut this is better suited for chilling then packing as a technical layer.Made in China