Rising Wolf

They don't make me look like a pencil butt the way most of the other hiking pants do. They're my for almost everything pants (I'm sick of wearing jeans) and they look pretty good for most occaisions. My two complaints are they rip on the slightest snag and the stitching comes out. For those reasons they don't last real long.

The binding straps can be a PITA. They collect ice and the only way to get them off is to pick at the ice on the strap with your fingernails. Imagine how enjoyable this is on cold days, tired anyway, bending over and picking at an icy strap with bare fingers so you can get your snowshoe off. And one day when I was doing it, it was dark, I had terrible cramps in both thighs, my partner was in a hurry to get on the road and I'm picking the ice off my binding straps.

The crampon is not stainless. They're a trail type shoeshoe not all terrain. I became aware of these two bits of information when they arrived. I notified Backcountry.com that the info on the website was inaccurate and it hasn't been changed yet a year later. BUT almost a year later they refunded me for what I paid. See I thought I'd get over my buyers remorse and I tried. I did wear them on some pretty ambitious undertakings and they worked alright. The reason for returning them is that the binding seemed to be going to fail and I didn't want to be someplace where I would have miles of deep snow between me and safety. I contacted Atlas and they didn't have any answers yet weren't that concerned about making sure I was happy. So if I were to rate the two companies, it would be Backcountry.com 5 stars (love it) and Atlas 1 star (sucks). I expect alot from the gear I buy. My life often depends on it and it's expensive. Most companies will make sure you're happy with your purchase. Atlas wasn't too concerned about that. Most everybody is using the MSRs. There are many reviews of the MSRs on this website compared to just a few for the Atlas. People seem to be using the MSRs and liking them. That's what I'll get next time.

I really like using poles and use them everywhere unless it's just too steep. I don't notice much benefit of having the antishock, the cork grips or the angle of the grips of these compared to my Black Diamond Traverse poles which I use for winter that don't have all that. Sometimes they take awhile to lock when you want to adjust the size, so I don't fool with that as often as I might, like on a steep side hill, where I do with the BD fliplock setup. I've complained to Leki about the problems with the locking and some splits in the lower sections before and they've promptly replaced either the whole pole or the section, so any potential purchasers out there can be happy for the good service from them.

It gets one star because it looks good and seems to be well sewn out of good material, but that's it.

For a 42 litre pack there's hardly any framing, just minimal foam padding and an aluminum bar that bends and retains the bend regardless of whether the bend fits your back. I removed the bar and at least I don't have a lump or two from that poking me. No matter what you do all the weight is hanging on your shoulders and back; none transferred to your hips.

I also have a BD Covert 32. Both these packs need continual adjustment to attempt the slightest amount of comfort. They're not capable of any melding with you as other packs I have are. They're just a big sack of excrement hanging there on your shoulders, similar to those frameless superlight bags with shoulder straps and no hip straps.

This pack won't last one season with me. My back is saying one of us is going to go, me or this pack.