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My favorite pants for backpacking, hiking, snowshoeing and curling. The color options- black or dark grey- restricts use to the winter. They're way too hot for me to wear in the summer, which is a shame. They breathe really well, block wind well, have a lot of stretch, shed rain and snow better than standard Supplex-style nylon. For hiking below 30 F, I wear these and a base layer- and extraordinarily flexible combination.

The material is very thin and feels somewhat delicate. Even so, I've not had any rips or worn them through, which surprises me. I still think I'd be afraid to use them in situations where I was up against rock a lot or extensively bushwhacking.

Over all, an awesome pair of pants. Even with all the nice features they're only an ounce heavier in XXL than my current favorite for summer hiking, the MW Canyon pant.

Got these for a treat off of SAC. Not sure what's up with colors- who picked the 1980s ski bum theme? :P Fabric is a stretch woven softshell, no membrane and no polyfleece backing as described. For me, that's a good thing. Have to send them back, though-the fit is weird. I wear a XL for FA Mountain Guide Lite Pants and can wear an XL or XXL for Arc'teryx Gamma LT. I'd really be a 1.5 XL for the Gamma LTs, in a perfect world. Got the Overhangs in XL, but I think I'd need XXL or XXXL (!!!) - they've a trim cut in a weird way. It's less like they made an athletic cut and more like they just downsized it a size and called it good.

If you get these, size up- the sizing chart lists the XL as 40.8-43.6". These Overhangs in XL are closer to 37".

The fabric is nice, and the features are nice. Despite the undersizing, the cut seems more appropriate for snowboarding than hiking and climbing.

A little more expensive than I'm used to spending on handwear, but this is a very nice pair of modular mittens. Great for a wide variety of mid range temps- 10 F with glove and mitt up to the mitt alone in 50 F rain storms. I'd like it if the insulation was a bit heavier on the glove, but you can tell why they didn't- dexterity is great and adding more wouldn't help. These mitts are an awesome compromise. They're easy to take on and off, and the two-lock shock cord setup for the gauntlets is perfect.

The fit on these is great, at least for me. I've got regular men's size hands and usually wear a Large glove or mitten. Problem is, on a lot of brands I find the fingers to be a bit long, reducing dexterity or making it hard to secure the gloves. The Scots must have stubbier fingers, as these are just right.

I wore these all winter long, taking 2-4 mile hikes over my lunch break without changing pants. Pull on my ankle gaiters and my Kahtoola Microspikes and off I go! Descend a snowy, icy hill on my rear? Brush it off.

Got these on sale. $90 is a lot for me to spend on a pair of pants (even my Arc'teryx Gamma LT pants cost me less than that!), but I'd seriously consider it for these guys. These have become my go to pant for just about everything- work, winter/fall/spring hiking, business travel, bouldering, and casual wear. Feature set similar to a pair of Carhartts, without the problems of cotton. I've been wearing these for just about everything. As another reviewer mentioned, the only situation for which they're not perfect is very high temps (85+ F passive, 80+ F active). They breathe a lot better than the other cotton and nylon work pants I've worn, the DWR works quite well, the crotch is at the right place (not too high or low), they dry quickly for their weight, and very comfortable.

My only complaint is that I'd like a belt loop or two more.

This shirt is insanely light. It's a killer summertime shirt. In XL, the Breathe 90 is nearly 2 oz lighter than Patagonia's Cap 1, which is saying a lot! Blows my mind.

The cut is great, just like the Stoic short sleeve tops. Form fitting without being tight, and flatting for a wide variety of body types. Sleeves are snug around my biceps, which I like- I hate the flapping of loose sleeves.

The Stoic Breathe 90 is above the vast majority of ultralight base layer tops in how it looks when worn alone. Even with darker colors, I can often see the colors of my nipples or the bumps of chest hair on other ultralight tops. Patagonia Cap 1 and 2 is also good in this respect, but the majority of other synth tops I've tried over the years have this problem to the point that I don't feel comfortable wearing it in public off-trail. To each their own, but it's a big plus for me.

I have three complaints, in order of importance to me:

1. The Logo Art - If I could get this shirt without the big logo and horizontal lines, I'd buy a few more. I'm not totally against logos- the Stoic logo on the lightweight merino T is just fine.
2. The Price - $10 more than Patagonia's Cap 1. Enough said. :)
3. The Collar - I've complained about this with other Stoic shirts. I'm sure they're going for distinctive, and I don't blame them. It's just not my thing, but the ugliness of the collar isn't enough to skip over an otherwise great shirt.

The best lightweight short sleeved merino base layer I've come across. The two I purchased from SAC last year as still in great condition. They've been a lot more durable than other 150 g/m^2 wool tops, like Smartwool Microlight, etc. A lot less pilling than the Smartwool Microlight, too. Like a lot of folks, I want a light, thin base layer for 3-season use- but I hate when you can see my nipples or body hair through the shirt. If a shirt does that, I get worried about wearing it as casual wear, or while day hiking. This top doesn't have this problem, at least in Deep/Deep and Beehive/Black. I love the cut- it fits me very well, and I've received quite a few compliments on it. Chest sizing is a bit small, but that works well for me- I wear XL in standard fit stuff like Columbia, but for Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Arc'teryx and others XL is a bit small and XXL is too big. XXL for this top fits perfectly, right between most athletic fit XL and XXLs. I wouldn't size up unless you think you need it- XXL is more like a 1.5 XL, not XL.

The only thing I don't like about this top is the collar. I imagine they wanted something distinctive, but the look doesn't work well IMHO. Not a big deal to me, especially at the SAC price- the performance of the top more than makes up for the goofy looking collar.

Been using the SL-3 for solo and trips with a single partner. Started off using it with the SL-3 Nest, but ended up relegating it to car camping- it's just too heavy. The SL-3 shelter, along with a custom ground cloth/footprint is quite light and very comfortable- the headroom in the SL-3 is great. If you can hang the whole shelter/tent from a tree, it's a true 3 person shelter; with the big pole in the middle, it's more of a very roomy 2 person shelter. I've known a lot of folks who use the SL-3 for 1 or 2 person hunting trips, because of the ample space for gear. The center pole is not terribly light, and if you use trekking poles like me, you can use webbing/guy line to unite link poles. If I were taking the SL-3 into high wind or if I expected a snow load, I'd just take the provided DAC center pole- it's incredibly sturdy, especially compared to two lashed together trekking poles.

I've had the SL-3 for a year. The weight of the SL-3 Nest limits its use mostly to car camping, though I have taken it on a few short backpacking trips. Otherwise, I use a much lighter ground cloth I made. The design, features, and durability of the Nest itself are great- the only strike against it is weight. Weight was as claimed, but it's just a bit heavier than some similar options from smaller cottage shops like Bear Paw, who make a much lighter equivalent you could use with the SL-3 shelter if you really wanted to keep the true two wall tent design.

Got one of these recently while waiting for the Patagonia Houdini or Arc'teryx Squamish to come back into stock. My first bit of kit from Norrøna. Initial impressions were good- a bit heavy, but very well featured for a UL wind shell- velcro wrist closures, big hood, waist draw cord, hood adjustment, and a chest pocket.

Unlike most competing products, the fabric it's made of isn't either super shiny or noisy and stiff like fresh Tyvek. Not a huge deal, comes with the territory of low-denier fabric but I avoid it when I can.

I got it with the intent to use it for a lot of day hikes and overnight treks, using it as a replacement for a hardshell on those trips where it makes sense. Like any good wind jacket, it is a four season garment. I've done a lot of hiking in it this winter, wearing nothing bit the Aero 60 and a base layer in the temperature range of 5 F to 50 F. Breathes well, cuts down on the wind enough to make it worth having around. Certainly blows anything with a WINDSTOPPER and similar membane out of the water for any active winter pursuits.

Only disappointment was that the waist drawcord broke before I actually got a chance to use it. The stitching anchoring the shock cord to its anchor point near the zipper fell apart, leaving the shock cord detached and the waist draw cord useless.

Went back and forth on it, but ended up giving it a 4, even though the waist draw cord died on me right away. The way I figure it, defects happen- and unless this is a common defect to this design or brand, I didn't want it to spoil my rating. I'd send it in for a refund/replacement, but since I got a discontinued color on sale that BC no longer carries I'll hold on to it for the time being. If anything else goes south, I'll send it back and try the Patagonia or Arc'teryx equivalents.

My wife got this jacket last season. She likes the fit and the look, but for aerobic activities it falls flat. She found that it breathed about as well as your average hard shell, but worse than her eVent shell. This was disappointing, especially as it is billed for "highly aerobic" activities. It's been relegated to casual duty only, and we're looking for a replacement to actually use climbing, hiking, running and cross country skiing.

I've been trying to find a lightweight softshell to use as winter activewear. A breathable shell to wear over a light to heavyweight base layer when hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. For these situations, you want something that is unlined or only lightly lined, wind resistant, very breathable, and fit snugly enough to layer over and not get in the way of movement.

I ordered the Approach, and I ended up returning it. In some ways, it was spot on- the cut was a lot slimmer/more athletic than the Leadville or TNF Apex Bionic and the arms didn't have a bunch of extra material flapping around. I liked the Arc'teryx-esque zipper- big, chunky plastic zipper that is easy on, easy off. Those are the positives...

Negatives:
- NO stretch. This was the biggest disappointment. Frankly, it was quite surprising! Some of the mechanical stretch (no spandex) softshells I've tried had more stretch than the Approach.
- Cuffs: *way* too tight. Too tight to get it over my light Primaloft gloves without really fighting it.
- Chest was cut a bit small, considering their sizing charts. Wasn't athletically cut so much as sized down; the Approach in XXL fit like a Leadville in XL.
- Didn't seem very wind resistant, even compared to other non-membrane softshells like the Arc'teryx Gamma LT, First Ascent Mountain Guide, or jackets made of Schoeller Dryskin. Even so, should probably be good enough for mid to high activity in mild conditions.

If I could, I'd probably give the approach 2.5 stars, but IMHO it wouldn't be fair to go all the way down to 2, so I'm sticking with 3.

This is a great all around quilt for backpackers. Loft is great, 5" or more (double layered) throughout the entire quilt. I've not had the change to try it any lower yet, but I've been comfortable in this quilt down to 25F in a base layer. It's a bit too warm for hot summers, but I've been comfy in the 60s thanks to the ventilation and open sides.

I'm not especially tall- 5'11"- and ended up getting the Long so that I could cover my entire body up if needed. With the Long I can snap the neck closed fully cinch up the neck loop and have my entire body covered up from head to toe. I haven't had to do this yet, but it seemed like a capability paying 2 oz for. I'm a very big guy (42" waist, 52" chest) and the quilt fits great, plenty of room. Worked well with the pads I tried- Thermarest Prolite, Thermarest NeoAir, and POE Ether Compact 6.

IMHO, the only real competitors to this quilt, in my mind, are high end bags like the Helium, WM UltraLite and quilts from small companies like Enlightened, Katabatic, Nunatak. Most of them cost another $100 more or add a few ounces. Even so, the GoLite offers some features not seen in the other quilts- recycled fabrics, and a durable waterproof breathable fabric (WPB ala Gore-Tex) around the neck and feet. Whether or not those are features matter are up to the potential buyer and intended use, but I like the WPB zones for camping under tarps and single wall tents.

The only thing I dislike is the pad attachment system. First, I'd love to have more webbing loops for securing the quilt. Four or six pairs would be ideal and add minimal weight. Second, the included buckle for the light webbing gives very easily. The last thing you want when rolling over at 20F is to pull up one side and open the quilt up for drafts. The buckles also give when I'm trying to tighten up the webbing when bedding down on a cold night. This isn't a huge deal, and was remedied with some Kelty Triptease and a few LineLoc tensioners.

There are better options out there. I agree with most reviews in that the cut is athletic or semi-athletic, definitely not a "fatties only" jacket. The fabric is heavier than a lot of UL down jackets and there seems to be a lot less fill- baffles feel half empty. The Montbell UL Down Sweater and First Ascent Downlight Sweater are both better options with a lighter weight fabric and more substantial down fill. In a down sweater, that's what counts.

This jacket would be just fine as an around-town jacket in warmer winters, but look elsewhere if you're looking for a light technical piece.

I've had two, decided to look elsewhere. My first NeoAir suffered from the delamination scourge which affected many early run NeoAirs. I sent it in to Cascade Designs Warranty/Repair Dept and they replaced it promptly, no questions asked. Replacement pad had no problems, but I ultimately decided to sell it.

Try as I might, I just can't get comfortable on the NeoAir. The horizontal baffles just don't work well for me- the effective width the pad feels like it's only 16" with the way the baffles collapse at the edges. Makes for an poor night's rest, all night long I'm having to adjust the pad and my position on it so that I'm falling off one side or another. The sticky coating helps- if only all pads had it! Never had a problem with the many other 20" wide pads I've owned from Thermarest, Pacific Outdoor Equipment, etc. In the end, the design of the pad doesn't make much sense. Unless you're using it in a hammock, vertical baffles seem to make more sense.

Ended up selling the NeoAir and getting a Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Elite 6, and more recently a custom Kooka Bay pad. About the same weight as a Medium NeoAir, but four inches wider and almost twice as warm with an R-Value of 4. Both options worth considering if the NeoAir doesn't work for you.

I got a really good deal on this bag to supplement a 3 lb Marmot bag. It is what it is- a very light, very thin down bag. It's EN rated, so look at that NOT the 40 degree. It's warm enough for me for the summer, and it compresses to the size of a 1 L Nalgene bottle, perhaps even a bit shorter. I'm quite overweight but fit in it fine- on those warm summer nights it does the trick. Overall, I'm pleased with the bag and am very happy that it allows me to go light on warm summer trips.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of packs worse than this but it is very easy to do better. Performs as well as many similar packs from High Sierra and other third-tier brands, though those packs usually provide more features and cost less. No laptop sleeve, not hydration compatible, no ventilation or back support, no sternum strap, and an utterly useless hipbelt. Returned mine after a month because a stitch had popped out along where the shoulder straps attach and a number of stitches had popped along the mesh water bottle pockets.

Bottom line: If you are a parents of high school and middle school kids looking for something with a TNF logo plastered on that doesn't break the bank, this is your pack. Hikers, climbers, college students, and commuters would be better served looking elsewhere.