Brian Dunn

Maybe I just have odd feet, but I found that my feet were pretty sore when I wore these socks hiking. These don't seem to have enough cushion for me. They're cool looking, but they've been relegated to the back of the sock drawer in favor of pairs that give me better support on the trail.

These pants do the job. It's irritating, though, that they don't have zippers at the bottom to make the zip-offs easier (possible?) to get off without having to take your hiking boots off -- didn't know that was optional for zip-off hiking pants. Also was disappointed that the materials on these pants aren't spectacularly high-quality given the price -- the front snap is very cheap plastic and I'm surprised it's hung on through a year of use. Should also mention that the images on this page make it appear as though the pants are gaitered or something -- they're definitely not, they're just flat-bottomed. Also note that the inseam is at least the 33 inches promised here, so it's a good thing everyone's got the same length legs...

Only had it for a couple weeks, but I've used it to move for an entire weekend as well as for a quick five-mile hike in the sun. So far, this is the most comfortable "technical fabric" shirt I've ever owned. Most of the others I have are made out of bike jersey material (or feel like they are), but this one feels more like a somewhat stretchy medium-weight t-shirt. In terms of odor control, it's better than any other quick-drying shirt I've ever owned. The sizing seems a little strange to me -- I usually wear a Large, but the XL was absolutely the right choice for me here. I'm 5'11" and 180# and the XL is comfortable, but not at all baggy (not tight either). Anyway -- price is maybe a little steep and some of the colors are more unique than I usually wear, but I'm buying myself a second one of these tonight.

I've had this guy for a couple years now and love it as a day-hiking pack. I've never carried weight as comfortably as I do in this backpack; it feels more like part of your body than it does like a pack. The Air Core is brilliant and keeps the sweat off your back (although you're still gonna sweat where the straps come around your shoulders) and works as a cool place to store your water bladder. The pack also has reasonably handy pockets on either side of the bottom of the pack for water bottles if you don't want your water tasting like a rubber.

As some other people have said, this pack isn't made for transporting books and laptops. Its curvature makes it remarkably comfortable, but not particularly good for carrying rigid rectangles. I can force my (15-inch) laptop into it -- and have -- but there's not much space left once you've done that, which I think limits its practicality as your school backpack, city pack, or business+pleasure airplane carry-on.

But when you're on the trail and what you got in there are your essentials, food, and rain gear, you don't really care about its incompatibility with your laptop. When it's in its intended environment, it's brilliant.

Well built, includes zippers instead of velcro (which makes me feel better), they look good, but: they don't stay on. They just got a snap and a zipper on the front, no drawstring, no belt, so if you're hiking or swimming or doing anything particularly active -- which they're supposedly meant to be able to do -- they start falling down. And heaven help you if you put anything in the pockets.