Rustin Winger

Yeah, it is a bit pricey. But hey, you bought an Arc'teryx pack.

This is a good convenience to have. Fit my Arc packs very well. The compression straps are nice. Its awesome to just throw this on, cinch it down, and leave your pack to natures wrath.

This thing is absolutely incredible. You will not regret it.

- Nowhere near as loud as the original neoair, not even CLOSE.
- Twice as warm, you can feel the heat reflecting back at you
- Packs down unbelievably small
- 2.5 inches thick is COMFY... I barely sleep better at home

Like others have said, the stuff sack pump is a neat idea, but is sort of pointless unless you are really out of breath or are at high altitude.

I cannot rave enough about this pad.

The classic beacon. SUPER easy to use and even easier to understand. Haven't tested it in the real deal yet (thank god). Probably the most functional beacon on the market. The harness is nice as well.

In a pressure situation, you don't want a complicated beacon hurting a victims chance of survival. This one does the trick.

Black diamond poles are an obvious choice because of flick lock. Although other companies have similar technologies (I believe the patent ran out) BD's quality is much better.

I chose these over the 2 section BD poles because these are much stronger. The 3 section version wobbles considerably less when applying pressure. They also pack up MUCH smaller.

Can fit it a backpack easily, the adjustable length is great for hiking or skinning. Black Diamond also has a great warranty department if they break, backcountry does too :)

You would think it would be pretty hard to screw up a fleece pant. Well you'd be right because Marmot didn't. 6'0" 32 inch waist, mediums fit well and have plenty of length.

A standard 100 wt fleece pant. Simplicity is key.

I take this fleece almost everywhere I go. I have it in last years Habanero (green).

Polartec tweed looks ridiculously awesome. Much nicer than standard 100wt fleece. I get a compliment almost every time I wear it. Haven't experienced much pilling, which is nice.

Pricey, but you can't really compare this to other fleece pullovers, it's much different (and better)

A solid Gore-Tex pant. 6'0", 155, 31-32 inch waist.

Fits me well, they are slightly baggy. Very comfortable, soft on the inside, I spent a few days with nothing under the pants. Gore-Tex performance shell is soft and durable. DWR is not the greatest on these, but they offer great waterproof protection at a good price. I've been happy with mine.

Well I'm still alive after using this on multiple backpacking trips and have never gotten sick. So that's a good sign.

Pumps water very fast, packs down small, fits on a nalgene (duh), can be cleaned in the field.

Simple. All you need.

The best out there so far. Obviously not your choice for a long day of touring, but for resort slackcountry domination they rule. You will have to try hard to pre release from these.

The weight is a minor flaw, but you get a 16 DIN binding. Also, the stand height is different, but you get used to it. It actually makes it easy to transfer power to your edges.

Got this as an ultra light down jacket (obviously). It is amazingly light, you will forget it is on. Has a trim fit (beer bellies beware) and packs down smaller than a standard nalgene. Haven't had a significant scary situation that tested the durability of the fabric, just be careful.

Spend the extra money and get the hooded version. It increases warmth and versatility.

I demo'd the 2012 model back in March of this year. Conditions were 4-6" of PNW pow. The first thing that jumped out at me was just how damn fun these are. They are so soft that in any type of soft snow it is impossible to not have a big smile on your face. They encourage playfulness.

Just get on them and have a good time. The only downsides are that they aren't fun on groomers (go figure) and that they are too soft if you land with your weight too far off center.

I skied the Prophet 115 or most of last season. While I hate the new graphics, they are the same ski. Anyway this ski rips. Very torsionally stiff. If you are anywhere near 6 feet tall, go for the 186, it feels short anyway.

The main difference between this and the standard rockered ski currently being mass produced is the performance at high speeds. This ski loves to charge and make strong, GS style turns. The subtle tip rocker blows through crud but does not feel noodly.

Obviously, performance in powder is a concern. With 115 underfoot it floats as well as any other mid fat ski on the market. The stiffness (mainly tail) makes stomping landings very simple.

If you live to charge, this ski is for you. Look elsewhere if you like to ski switch a lot and like strapping noodles to your feet.

I've been constantly looking for a trim fitting PacLite jacket. While I will never find one that fits to my extreme athletic fit liking, this one is just close enough.

6'0", 155 lbs. Medium is perfect. Not awkward by itself and fits perfectly with a 100wt fleece underneath.

Side zip is not completely necessary but it IS useful. Try pulling this thing over a heavier weight fleece and then complain about it!

The hood is large (smaller than the Storm hood on the SV) but it has 3 cinches that trim it down very nicely.