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John Carpenter

Camper/Hiker // Climber // Alpine Skier // AT Skier // Backpacker // Mountain Biker // Road Biker

John Carpenter: #684 of 167,331 More Information

12 Reviews:

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4 Yes

0 Questions:

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3 Answers:

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1 Comments:

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  • Stomping Grounds:

    Salt Lake City area
  • Bio:

    Born and raised on the east coast and moved to Utah six years ago. Been skiing my whole life and consider backpacking my secondary outdoor sport with the AT being the jewel in that crown, so to speak. On my bike 100-120mi a week as my new summer sports since there is no surfing in Utah.

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Slightly odd fit

Under Armour Evo Coldgear Fitted Crew - Long-Sleeve - Men's

Under Armour Evo Coldgear Fitted Crew - Long-Sleeve - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 November 21, 2011

Okay, so i'm not the average build, but I would consider myself "athletic build". I'm 5'7" about 170lb. UA cuts their gear with a very generous amount of space through the upper chest. Not down around the lats and sternum, but rather across the collarbones and shoulders. This shirt is no different. You can actually see the extra fabric in the photos. It's tight everywhere except there. This is only ever a problem if you are wearing a backpack however. I've gotten slight bunching and rubbing under my backpack straps while skinning and skiing, but that's the only problem. Excluding backpack-related issues, it's a great shirt.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Almost perfect

Icebreaker GT200 Chase Crewe - Long-Sleeve - Men's

Icebreaker GT200 Chase Crewe - Long-Sleeve - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 November 5, 2011

I love this shirt! I used it all last year for my go-to shirt for skiing, hiking and camping. Two things. One, I found the thumb loops unnecessary and since the shirt is sooooo comfy, my next Icebreaker won't have thumb loops so I can wear it around more and feel less "OMZGlookhowcoreIam" while just studying at school. Really though, it's a very very minor issue and they work great for performance purposes, I just found them less useful than I expected. Finally, the printed tag on the neck WILL crack with use and washes. Then it WILL scratch and itch. Just take a quarter and scratch it off. Once mine was rubbed off, the shirt was back too perfectly comfortable. Enjoy!

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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All-purpose beanie

SmartWool Cuffed Beanie

SmartWool Cuffed Beanie

Rating for this product: 5 November 5, 2011

I have two of these and LOVE them. Thin enough to fit under my bike helmet, wicks well enough to wear while skinning or snowshoeing up a on a Saturday afternoon, and warm enough to keep me comfy in the stands at a Utes football game in December. They will stand up to anything you throw at them and never show a hint of wear.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Great summer boot

Salomon 3D Fastpacker Shoe - Men's

Salomon 3D Fastpacker Shoe - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 November 5, 2011

Very light, and very breathable, I used these this summer in the Utah desert and high mountains and they performed beautifully in both. (They are thin though, so don't expect snowshoing out of these.) Waterproofing wasn't an issue, and the grip was sufficient for what I needed, but maybe that's just me chalking up slipping to the sand on the rocks around here. Either way, I strongly recommend them. The only thing that didn't hold up for me was the insole. The included one is a sheet of foam. It'll pack down quickly if you're carrying weight (I'm 5'7", 170lb and usually carry a 20-40lb pack). I replaced it with my standard Superfeet inserts and they are perfect now.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Salomon 3D Fastpacker Shoe - Men's

November 5, 2011

These take their design from the Salomon trailrunner range, and it shows in the width. I have "average" feet, not narrow, and they fit well, but I don't except them to be too comfortable for wide footed peeps.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Weird and Awesome

Icelantic Shaman Ski

Icelantic Shaman Ski

Rating for this product: 5 November 5, 2011

I have a past model-year, but the cut is the same. I am 5'7" and 170#. I have these with some Dynafit TLT Vert bindings on them and there is no problem rolling over such a wide ski due to its great torsional rigidity. One caution I would have with these skis is that they ski "weird" compared to anything I've ever used. Because of the massive shovel on them, they will float on their own in powder and encourage you to drive hard on the tongue of your boots. This is great, but kind of against my instincts in powder. However, once you get the hang of it, no ski is like them and I highly recommend them.

Helpful Votes: 2 Yes

2 Comments

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Super Fuzz

Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man Fleece Jacket - Men's

Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man Fleece Jacket - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 November 5, 2011

So I had an older Monkey Man until some unfortunate campfire incident rendered it unusable. The current version does not have the problem that plagued the older design. The fuzzy fleece doesn't get nappy anymore. I'm about 5'7" 170# and wear a 17.5/32 shirt. I have the Medium in the Monkey Man and the body fits pretty well, but the sleeves are quite long. To give you an idea, the sleeves will pull down and cover just to the tips of my fingers. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing as I tend to forget gloves nearly constantly! I would definitely recommend this jacket. Super warm and very tough, but a gentle breeze will slice right through it, so be careful about that.

Plus, when I wear it, my ladyfriends like to pet the jacket. Never a bad thing.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Bomber bag

Crumpler Seedybar Messenger Bag

Crumpler Seedybar Messenger Bag

Rating for this product: 5 May 20, 2009

So first off, it's got plenty of straps to hold it snugly to you and good webbing management to keep all those straps from flapping around. That's sort of the minimum for me while biking, so it hits that. Tough construction as you might expect and lots of well-thought out pockets and loops without looking too "busy" if you know what I mean. Here's what really surprised me: It's got a TON of space. "12-inch laptop"?! This bag can hold about 3 20-inch laptops without flinching. I'm not sure where that description came from, but this puppy is way bigger than the caption makes it sound. Great all-in-one commuting/errands/study haunt bag.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Line Anthem Alpine Ski

February 23, 2009

It doesn't offer a ton of float, and is pretty stiff, so probably not exactly what you are looking for, although you can try it and see. It's down to preference.Adding a bit: I just got out on these the day after a storm and they are nice and stiff on groomers, but the Butter zones offer nice flex on the tip and tail to porpoise up and out of powder. True, they won't float on top of the powder like waterskis, but you're not getting them for that... They have a ton of pop and handle in powder like a soft ski and handle on groomers like a stiffer (albeit symmetrical) ski.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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New breed

Line Anthem Alpine Ski

Line Anthem Alpine Ski

Rating for this product: 5 February 23, 2009

Some quick background: I'm 5'7" and 175#. I would call my skiing style "power based" more than finesse. This is my second center-mount ski. I have the spiral version, but I'm putting my comments on the main page for this model.

Yes, Center-mounts ski differently. Mainly, you have more tail behind you. This means you will probably forget about it in the bumps or get a surprise on a step-up, but not much else changes. Yes, you need to center-mount these, otherwise they ski really weird.

I am skiing a 171cm and the ski skis short, but has pretty good float. The "butter zones" mean that the ski tips and tails will flex when you pumped these in the powder. I found that this makes them ski like a softer ski in the powder and let me chophop out of the powder. That being said, they still hold an edge pretty well and carve like mad. Anyone who can't ski powder with these doesn't know how to ski powder and probably needs to bulk up a bit. Believe it or not, these skis reward those with big gun legs more than stiffer skis. They won't float for you, but they have so much pop they are a ton of fun if you have the junk in the trunk to use that flex pattern.

In the park and pipe and just generally screwing around, they are very poppy and get you plenty of boost at the lip. On re-entry, the butter-zones allow the ski to be very forgiving.

My one complaint is that the ski is squirrely at high-speeds (i.e. 25-30mph and above.) if you stay on base. Basically, don't hold these flat and straightline a groomer. The symmetrical design means they start kicking around. To counter this, just stay on edge and carve big, fat arcs burning your knee and dragging your hand all the way down.

Wicked fun ski. Not a do-everything-"properly" ski, but definitely a do-everything-"fun" ski. And it's that what it's about?

Helpful Votes: 2 Yes

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Line Blend Alpine Ski

March 12, 2008

Titanium banding. The Prophet series has a titanium strip in the topsheet that extends out to the edges to help transfer edging power over the width of the skis. The blends have a carbon strip in the topsheet. That means that you and going to have a little less stiffness and a little less weight. I've been skiing a carbon-banded Karhu Jak as my backcountry ski(which is made in the same factory as Line skis) and it's super light and flexy for porpoising in powder, but don't try to charge chopped powder with it. Basically, the Blends are going to be a bit more forgiving and flexy, while the Prophets live up to their crud-busting reputation and then some.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Reliable Binding

Fritschi Diamir Freeride Binding

Fritschi Diamir Freeride Binding

Rating for this product: 5 October 20, 2006

I put over 80 days on these bindings last season in the moguls, the park, the powder; in-bounds and 20+ days out. I've taken 2 hour tours on these and 15 mile all day trips. These are reliable bindings. No, they do not have downhill performance like a pair of Tyrolia RailFlex, but don't expect it. This is a touring binding. It that respect, it's got awesome performance but it's heavy. I have these and a new pair of Dynafits to give me choices.
I got these first, because if you can deal with the weight, these bindings do everything that any other touring binding made will do, and probably better.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Trade-off

Black Diamond FlickLock Expedition Poles - 1 Pair

Black Diamond FlickLock Expedition Poles - 1 Pair

Rating for this product: 4 February 23, 2006

Definitely an excellent backcountry pole. It's awesome to be able to collapse these down and shove them into my pack to switch over to my axe for steep couloir ascents. Also, they are remarkably light, especially for a 3-section pole. This is the trade-off though: they are pretty fragile. I hit some crust and my ski slid out and I put my edge through the bottom of the pole. Definitely awesome for touring, and I've never seen a FlickLock slip yet, but don't consider this a resort pole by any means. Powder is awesome and pick up the BD Powder Baskets, but burning a knee in boilerplate would make be nervous. I'm going to replace it and keep using these, but I'll likely get a solid shaft version for those crusted up days.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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Everything you need

Giro G10 MX Helmet

Giro G10 MX Helmet

Rating for this product: 5 January 31, 2006

The Giro G10 MX is a nicely weighted helmet. Light enough that you'll barely notice it's there, but heavy enough to take a whack and come back for more. I used to wear a Leedom Scream and the weight difference is incredible along with the comfort of the 3/4 shell. I've added the TuneUpsII kit and that turns it into a pretty sweet sound system as well. The only thing about it is the visor. I like it for crashing through branches and keeping the trees ugly mitts off my goggles and face, but I can see how it would be unnecessary weight for a lot of people. Vents well, but not as warm as my old Leedom, but that's when I was in 0F Maine weather. I've never been cold with the G10 here in Utah.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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One innovation too many

Line Reactor 10 Ski Binding

Line Reactor 10 Ski Binding

Rating for this product: 3 March 29, 2005

The Quickmount system is absolutely awesome and has served me well, the Pivogy technology has saved my butt a bunch of times switch, but the "tooless adjustment" for the sizing is unnecessary and the locking mechanism on my toepiece stripped out on a (fairly) routine bail on a tabletop. Granted it was a 30 foot table, but even so, the toepiece slides freely now. Line warrantyed them but it's something to be careful about.

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes

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