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Saw these on a shelf at a bricks & mortar store... several of them were broken. The design is really silly as nothing protects the tube that holds the ball bearing. What a waste of manufacturing materials & energy. Even if you get one that's not broken, it's only a matter of time, unless you buy an Otterbox or Pelican type case for it (which would add protection at the expense of fidgetiness & bulk).

It's too bad that these do not have full zips. The side zippers do go up way high (like 8-9 inches from the waistband). I'll try to remember to update this review when I get time to try them on with boots & crampons. The weight of these is what has me hooked. It's *half* the weight of the Mtn Hardware Compressor pants (which are also awesome) & takes up way less space. If trying to decide b/t this & MH, consider if the destination is cold enough to want to carry the extra 10 oz. I got the small. I just tried them on & they fit nicely over my jeans. Not too tight & not too much extra room. I'm 5'8" 135 ibs, wear a men's S in Prana Zions, usually S or M in Patagonia W's pants, 6-8 in MH W's

I would recommend this to a people provided they are no too much bigger than average. This pack works for me (5'8" 135#) but not my partner (6'0" 195#).As a urban/travel pack, this is the perfect size for a netbook. There are just enough pockets/features to make it convenient, but not too many to be confusing/unnecessary/heavier.As a trad rock climbing pack, it is not only the perfect size, it also rides high enough above my harness so I still have access to gear/pro. It's the perfect size to hold a 50 oz 1.5 L camelbak resevoir (a 2L would work, esp if not filled all the way), a few bars, a light shell and or a superlight puffy. As a climbing pack of this capacity, it's a tiny bit heavy (19 oz) for the volume it holds, but it's burley enough to resist abrasion.note: if using it w/ hydration set up, it may be worth it to put a computer or down jacket in a zip lock... just in case.

I have more than 1 pair of these... so that I increase the chances of locating them when I need them... usually when I'm running late out the door. Anyway, the comfy rubber parts do call for a little maintenance after spending the day in the sun sweating on them. When I say maintenance, all I mean is a little rinse off. If you do not do this after many months of wear, the nose & temples start to break down, as any rubber parts would. Julbo has replacement parts on their website, so if you learned this the hard way like me, it's not the end of the world.

I always have a retainer to minimize misplacement. My fav's are ones that bc.com doesn't carry, but should: Hides Classic 3-in-1 Sunglasses Retainer.

It's almost impossible for me to go back to my other sunglasses after using these several years. If I use other sunglasses, I find myself taking them on & off much much much more often, which is a complete pain when doing anything active, esp activities involving a helmet like climbing. The photochromic expands the range of brightness comfort on anyone's eyes.

Since I loathe sunscreen on my face, I love the the rubber side thingies as they provide instant sun protection... These glasses aren't cheap, but plastic surgery for crow's feet is way more expensive. FWIW, another climber friend of mine hates the side things and wears them without.

I noticed that Oakley has an "asian-fit" line of frames. FWIW, I'm an asian female & these frames fit me well enough for me to have multiple pairs. The part that wraps around the ears are bendy, allowing for a customized fit.

I got these in 38.5, which turned out to be slightly too big. They are also a bit more aggro downturned than the Miura lace ups but nor quite as aggro as the Testarossa's.

For reference, I am a solid 38.5 in wmn's Sportiva Katanas & Miuras lace ups. I am a 38.0 in Sportiva Solutions & 39.0 in Testarossa's. Not that comparing boot sizes help for rock shoe sizing, but FWIW, I am a 40.0 in Sportiva Nepal extremes & 39.5 in Sportiva Baturas. I wear US wms 8.5 in street shoes.

Can you blame climbers for wanting this to work so they can ditch the boots/crampons/axe? I got this in advance of a trip to the Cascades, for routes that may include snowfield/glaciers as well as 5.9 climbing. I'm sure they will work well enough in a low speed self arrest situation but the collapsed length will be difficult (ok, completely impractical) to climb with.

Yeah, I know every retail description of these emphasize how great these are for skiing and say zero about climbing. And yeah, I know I should have taken a closer look at the specs, esp the collapsed length. It's 97–140 cm, 38–55 inches on BD's site, but that's if you take the whole thing apart, so Backcountry's specs are a bit more realistic, since traveling with them in two pieces risks bending the lower section.I'm sure I'm not the only one who wishes this would collapse to a more manageable/packable length. I am sure I'm not the only person who wants to climb alpine routes while ditching the boots/crampons/ice axe. So I called BD & asked if this was possible. The answer is "yes, but it will def be more wobbly". I was told that it is compatible w/ the lower half of the Enduro Carbon fiber poles, (and of course not the BD poles I already own- trail compact) which will run $26 incl s/h directly from BD. I might cannibalize some of my other poles in an attempt to make this work. There are other products on the market that fit the needs of a climber, but at this point they're sold out in most places...

I'd give these 4.5 stars but since it's designed for skiing & the other 17 reviewers gave it a 5, including some genuine Powderwhores, I'll have to go w/ the flow & give it a 5.

I had both the Pacer (5 in inseam) Pacer Advance (3 in inseam) in small. The Pacer Advance were significantly smaller than the Pacer, although both were labeled small.

The design is great but if you're in between sizes, consider ordering up. This Pacer advance is not very forgiving & is cut close.

For reference: I'm 5' 8", 135ish pounds, usually a 6 or 8 in MH bottoms, always a 6 in Patagonia bottoms, a 4 or 6 in Royal Robbins bottoms.

I am a solid 38.5 in wmn's Sportiva Katanas (my staple, all purpose shoe) & Miuras (my harder trad shoe). I am a 38.0 in Sportiva Solutions. Not that comparing boot sizes help for rock shoe sizing, but for what it's worth I am a 40.0 in Sportiva Nepal extremes & 39.5 in Sportiva Baturas. I wear US wms 8.5 in street shoes. I tried on Testarossa's for the first time last week & found myself in a 39.0. I believe they run *slightly* smaller than Sportiva Katanas/Miuras/Mythos. The Testarossa's are really aggro shoes that that perform really well on sport routes (or make you climb/look really good in the gym). At this price, I'd prolly "save" them for harder gym/sport routes & use my resoled Katanas for easier/moderate climbs.

Thanks Columbia for trying to flatter my girlish figure by making these run large, very large, but flattery will get you, well, a return. It's one of those buy 2 different sizes & return one... but *well worth the extra effort*. I really love this skort, or scooter, or whatever.

These salopettes were used on my first winter expedition which involved x-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice climbing; snow, gusty winds over 50mph, temperatures from -15F to 35F. They performed well under all these conditions. Midweight or expedition weight bottoms fit snuggly but nicely under these. The close fit is actually good, as baggier would be draftier and any tighter would be depressing. They run rather short on me, but it doesn't really matter as I usually wear gaiters. The length also is not an issue for downhill skiing, as downhill boots have enough calf coverage. They are definitely a worthy investment since the next closest things are Arctyrex and are way more expensive. I bought a size 8. For reference, my pants size is 6-8 in Patagonia, 6 in Arctyrex, S in Prana. I'm 5' 8", ~125-135 lbs, ~33" inseam, ~28" waist.