Matt Layne

Cross switched up the feel of the fabric on these pants this year. It's super smooth to the touch and as water proof as you could hope for. The reinforced cuffs hold up to edge and boot abuse. The leg vents open up or down to cool you off and control snow entering the pant. I'm 5'8" 145, 32 waist and would suggest a small or medium depending on how baggy you want them to be.

4.5 stars

Looks good, fits fat skis, and is one of the most affordable airbag options out there. This is the smallest airbag pack out there, but I'm thinking they could have made it just a bit bigger. Maybe by expanding the outer pocket to the top of the pack or just allowing it to stick out a bit further. (More on what it fits below). I will also mention that there isn't much back padding and the back pad is not vented.

The pack fits a shovel, probe, skins, Nalgene, and mittens. Or you can substitute a Mountain Hardware Compressor jacket for the Nalgene. You may also be able to squeeze the jacket in there if you use a thinner Nalgene or a bladder (Platypus), but that is really testing the limits of the zippers. I'm sure you can squeeze sunglasses in there but there's no way to fit a coat, Nalgene, skins, and goggles.

My shovel handle and probe are just a bit long for the pack. (Which isn't a surprise since they didn't fit in my old Dakine Pro 2 pack either) So I'm gonna have to swap them out for smaller versions.

Most of the time I'll be using this pack for sidecountry, so I wont have an extra jacket or skins. I think if I get a slightly smaller shovel/blade and a more compact water bottle it will fit everything except goggles, which will be fine since on the way up, the skins will be on my skis.

I use this tent for car camping and it has been a great purchase so far. It takes a minute or two to set up and breakdown, and the fly is easy to attach. The materials all seem well made and the zippers operate very smoothly. It's also great for summer camping since it has so much mesh above sleeping level. Tough to beat for the price.

I just got these so I haven't had a chance to test out their "waterproofness" (I'm sure they'll be fine for a $30 pant} My biggest complaint is that they don't have a single useful pocket. Instead they have two side pass through "pockets" which are basically just holes where the pockets should be. THUMBS DOWN!

I've been out on these pants for a couple days now and love the way they feel, look, and fit. I'm 5'8" 145 and went with the medium. The waist is adjustable from 32-34" and the inseam is about 33". They have a freeride fit, but aren't so baggy that you walk on them. The fabric is super smooth to the touch and it doesn't have that crunchy feel of hardsheels. 20k waterproof/breathability is pefect for the deepest, wettest, and warmest of days. Add a baselayer for the cold days. The inner leg vents are nice and long to easily cool you off. You can tell just by looking at them that these are quality pants!

I've been skiing in this jacket for a couple weeks now and love it. It's slightly insulated so most days all I have to wear is a very light baselayer... even when it's 15 degrees out. Add another layer and it keeps you warm below zero. Thanks to two huge pit zips and the air transport system inside, it does a good job of keeping you cool on the hike or as it warms up. The stunning blue color definitely gets noticed and the yellow zippers are a cool accent. The zippers all work well and don't get caught. I'm 5'8" 145lbs and the medium fits great.

I thought for sure, with all the 5 star reviews, that this was gonna be an awesome baselayer. Maybe the merino does a great job of wicking sweat, but I'll never find out because the "body fit" does not fit my body. Compared to my poly pro base layers, it felt like I was being squeezed. When I bent my arms, the shirt pinched at the elbows. It's also not the softest material. I'm 5'8" 145lb and the length of the medium shirt is fine, but the arms are too long. This one's going back.

The merino wool in these makes em super comfy! No itching at all. They are very thin, but do a decent job of insulating a sensitive area. It takes a lot to get them sweaty. Wearing them for a few days? No problem. Sure, they aren't super tight in the nether region, but they don't need to be. They're mighty comfortable as is.

I completely agree with the review posted by Miles earlier. If you are 5'7"-5-9" and anywhere close to a 150lbs this shell probably won't fit you right. The medium is too long in the torso and arms. The small is perfect in the arms but gets super tight around the waist leaving no room to layer. The fabric is awesome and the design is cool - very soft, smooth zippers. The vents should be closer to the front than the rear and the inner pocket should be on the left hand side since most people are right handed. I'd love to wear it, but there's no way it's gonna fit.

I use these for mountain biking and they fit my small face perfectly. They never slip or move, even in the roughest terrain. They're very lightweight and don't create any pressure points. The red mirror looks rad and is perfect for sunny CO weather. Just be careful when cleaning the lens as they can slip out of the frame if you grab the lens too tight.

I've used this pack hard for 2 years. I absolutely love it for single day rides and and it shows almost no wear! The Nalgene bladder did start leaking after a year, but I just replaced it with a better one. The only thing that could make it even better is a small pocket on the waist belt for easy camera access.

I used this jacket last year for half a season. It is quite lightweight and does a good job of keeping moisture out, but it has a couple problems that made me stop wearing it. The zippers are the biggest problem. The main zipper gets caught all the time and the hand pocket zippers snag pretty easliy. On a previous jacket, they caught so bad I had to cut open the pocket with scissors to get my phone out. The other issue with the main zipper is that the teeth are too big. If you listen to a music player in either of the chest pockets, the cord snags when you turn your head and pulls the earbuds out of your ears.

an excellent moderate temperature glove for Colorado. They're best if used between 15 and 45 degrees. Any colder and I use mittens. Any warmer and spring gloves would be better. I usually do spring touring with these gloves in my pack until the descent. As with most leather gloves, they aren't great for coastal rain/snow since they aren't super waterproof. If you use their leather balm like you're supposed to, they hold up well. Their fit is on the snug side.

This pack is excellent for single day tours and sidecountry. It will fit skins, water bottle, mittens, and an extra layer, but not too much more. The back access panel is very useful. It easily carries even the fattest of skis. It does have a couple of issues: my probe doesn't fit inside the pack correctly so it has to be put in diagonally and pushes up on the top of the pack. The side pockets open slightly on their own. And the straps are incredibly long.

I have the 09-10 Liberty Helix 187. This is my new favorite ski! My old favorite was the AK Maden. The Helix is soooo much lighter than the AK and is one of the most playful and poppy skis I have ever been on. I am gonna say it has a medium flex with a stiffer tip than tail. There is almost no camber and no early rise tip (even though some reviews mention this). I mounted it .5cm back from standard and it has no problems floating even though the mount still looks a lil forward. It charges much better than the Madens and floats almost as well. The topsheets are also very durable thanks to the slanted sidewalls. I'm not really sure I can find a problem with this ski.