Christian Tuttle

I chose this headlamp from Petzl's lineup because of it's pedigree/price ratio, it's flip up red light filter, and it advertised water resistance.
PROS:
The 4 LED's give off a large amount of light. I've found the medium (in Petzl's words "optimum") setting works for most applications, and its nice to have the high ("maximum" in Petzl language) setting there if you need to step up your light output. The packaging boasts 120 hours at the optimum setting, 100 at the maximum. I trust these numbers, but haven't been timing.
The real selling point for me was the red filter which flips up from underneath the LED's. I really value my natural vision at night, so I wanted a red light on my lamp, but I didn't want the extra LED built into the new Tikka2 and Zipka2 lamps. The filter is easy to use, feels solid (won't snap off), and does its job well. It stays out of my way when not in use and I can flip it up or down without taking the lamp off.
The lamp body is free to slide around the headband, but doesn't do so easily. This is nice because the lamp can be moved without moving the elastic, but only if you want it to.
CONS:
These cons are more worries than criticisms. I am not sure what makes this lamp water resistant. I was expecting to see some sort of O-ring around the opening to the battery compartment, but I didn't notice anything special. Also, the hinge feels a little brittle. These aren't real cons yet, rather just details I am going to pay attention to as the lamp ages.

tl;dr Lots of light at medium setting, even more at high. Red filter is super cool for star gazers. Can't tell what makes it water resistant. Hinge is a slightly brittle, but no problems yet.

Purchase date: June 2010

Reason for Purchase: Because I was entering the Peace Corps in July '10, I wanted a carry-on that would compliment my 80L Osprey pack and LLBean duffel. I needed a large carry-on that could:
- Hold my laptop and a few days worth of clothes for business/holiday trips。
- Carry easily OFF my back when I was wearing my Osprey。
- Withstand daily abuse。

Primary Intended Use:
- 3-7 day vacations and business trips
- Complimenting my other, larger luggage for the long hauls to and from the US

Review after 18 months of use:
This is a versatile, well built, and useful piece of gear. On the 3 day trip over to China from the US, it held all my gear that I needed to use, including clean business clothes. My other two bags were never opened between my house and my final destination in Chengdu, Sichuan. I never worried about my laptop, because it was sandwhiched between inches of clothing. The outer pockets easily organized important documents. The shoulder strap provided ample support as I ran through the terminal of Beijing airport with nearly 80 pounds of gear in 3 bags.
Since then, I have used this bag on numerous multi-day hostel and hotel trips, the longest and most recent being 10 days, including 2 days of strenuous (and slightly unexpected) hiking through Yunnan's Tiger Leaping Gorge. While I had used the backpack straps on earlier trips, it wasn't until this past excursion that I realized how supportive this pack really is. I carried a fully frieghted MLC on its stowable backpack straps for 12 hours of hiking over 2 days with no back pain and minimal discomfort. The weather yoyoed between swelltering and feezing as the sun passed over the gorge's walls, but I had more than enough layers packed away. As my layers got dirty, I just moved them from on section of the bag to another.

My Bottom Line:
I highly recommend this pack for anyone who wants a carry-on with lots of room, no wheels, and multiple, very supportive carrying options. The construction is bulletproof, the design is well thought out, and the zippers are burly. The MLC receives 5 stars because it does what it is meant to do, and I can’t think of any reasonable improvements.

I am a die-hard Capilene(R) fan, and these are my go anywhere, do anything underwear. Supremely comfortable, super durable, and worth every penny of their price, these boxers are strong and haven't done let me down yet. I use them for everything: hiking, skiing, running, camping, swimming, and teaching. IMO these can be used for any activity that requires clothing, and a few that don't.

Pros of this item:
- Strength: After years of use, my oldest pairs (+5 years) are starting to loose some elasticity in the waist, but these are old pairs that have been washed literally thousands of times, and are still wearable. Not a single pair has developed a rip or hole.
- Fast drying: they dry... fast.
- Comfort: as long as you have 'em sized right, they're great. Other reviewers likened them to diapers, and this can be true if you've bought them to big. I recommend boxers that fit right.
- Earth friendly: you can recycle these in Patagonia's Common Threads program.
- Ease to clean: I don't know how Patagonia does it, but these boxers wash completely clean every time, and are really resistant to dirt/grime. Yeah, they'll smell a little after a week of nonstop use, but they don't keep the smell like some synthetic fibers. I recently completed a 3-day horse trek, nights spent in a Tibetan tent next to a yak dung fire, using one pair of these. I changed them afterwards only out of a sense of decency, not because of smell.

Cons of this item:
- Price? I buy 'em at the outlet store in Freeport, ME. I suppose 32.00 USD is a little steep for boxers.

My bottom line: I packed every single pair I owned when I started my Peace Corps Service, and I'll bring every single pair home with me.