Quent

Another excellent jacket by Arcteryx. The Venta fits the female form very well unlike some other manufacturers who started making women's jacket like the men's with wide shoulders and narrow hips. Arcteryx still keeps the hour glass shape in their women's jackets. I tried my Venta out in 30 degree weather for about half an hour with 2 light layers underneath and it performed well as a wind blocker. If out longer on a day hike I would have worn more though like a fleece jacket and a mid-layer sweater. Although seamed taped I would still recommend a more waterproof jacket like the Scorpion. For performance and fit I give 5 stars but I marked 4 because, like the other reviewer I an tired of seeing 'made in china' on everything without getting the 'made in china' price. Nevertheless I find Arcteryx's jackets to be the best for female fit and I have tried MH, TNF, Marmot, and Columbia and most went back.

This is the best jacket I have ever owned. I've looked for the perfect jacket for a long time during the course of which I have puchased and returned many failures. But the Arcteryx Scorpion is the one. The fit is lovely and true to size. I am a well proportioned girl and I usually have to accept boxy shoulders or tight hips or both. Not everyone has the triangular athletic fit, the hour glass is still around. The softshell material is not so loud and crunchy like many other ski jackets. The jacket runs true to size and I have room to layer both a fairly thick fleece and merino wool sweater and long underwear top, amd still feel comfortable. I gave my Scorpion a test run in the NYC where I walked 4.5 city miles in just mid-weight long underwear under some jeans and a mid-weight Ibex merino wool sweater under my jacket, plus a hat and scarf. It was 25 degrees and bustery - wind chill factor was about 18 degrees. The jacket passed with flying colors, I was not cold at all. I haven't tested it in the rain yet but I'm feeling good that it will pass. The price was steep, I have considered the Scorpion for 2 years now but would not buy because I insisted I could get the same quality and features in a less expensive jacket. But now that I have bit the bullet, closed my eyes and pressed enter when ordering, I have no regrets. Way to go Arcteryx and also BC for having a bit of a sale (I paid $439).

This is my first Osprey pack. I bought the Xenon to replace a 2006 version of the REI Mars pack because it was large enough but not technical enough. The Xenon has everything I need, straps to attach my sleeping pad snug on the bottom and holding points to strap my tent (w/o the poles) on the top, and I love the outside stretch pocket for when I need to take an additional day pack. Because everything can't always fit inside the bag. I am also a big fan of having side access and this one is capable of top, side and bottom access. I haven't put it to use yet but because I just took my Mars pack out for the first time to Thailand for 3 weeks and found it to be lacking in features, as soon as I returned home I began the search for a replacement and went for the Xenon. Upon receipt I immediately loaded it up with about 40 lbs of gear including strapping on the tent, extra day pack, and sleeping pad, with the sleeping bag in it's pocket and wore it around the house for about a half hour or more and it was very comfortable. I will however, have to get use to the arching back as I normally prefer that my packs be against my back. This feels more secure to me. Other than that I am confident that this pack will be perfect for my next trip to China (or elsewhere if I change my mind). I have not decided on whether or not to do the molding of the Hip belt, I prefer to let the belt naturally mold with use.

I use my bag for the first time this summer on a trip to Thailand so it had a very long flight. It works great, no problems, no damage. What more could I ask for? The material is very tough and I expect it to last a very long time.

Mountain Hardwear rocks and these are no different. They are true to size and although they are high-waisted they don't look like grandma's pants. Besides hiking pants are supposed to sit a little higher so you don't get all of those little critters and forest crumbs in your crack. One reviewer mentioned that these are a little heavy and that's true, so in the middle of the summer I will likely wear my lighter pants, but for early Spring and in the Fall these will be it. I also like the high ankle zips for easy removal and the pockets are just enough. I have never gone wrong with MH, they have done it again.

I don't do much skiing but these pants will definitely get much winter wear. I just received them and already wore them ice skating with friends. Loved them and love the fact that they don't look like ski pants. They look like a pair of twill pants. They have good stretch and are very comfortable. They have 2 large front pockets that are fleeced lined for warmth. Salomon should make more, I'd like another pair.

I bought this jacket because I like the color and I wanted to take a break from always buying black. The jacket has a very nice flattering fit that hugs the waist line, the hood is thin but fit well and is not too tight. I like that the hood is simple to use, just pull it on, no strings needs as the stretch material just fit over any head. BUT the jacket will not keep you very warm. I wore it on a 60 degree, breezy night and was a little chilly. Therefore i would recommend this jacket for spring or early summer hikes or anything else. You may be able to layer a thin sweater underneath for early fall. Finally, although I only paid $90, I would say that the original price is way too high for this jacket ($249).

I realy like the Arc'Teryx hiking apparel, but this jacket just did not cut it for me. I was looking for a fairly heavy jacket that i would not have to layer and this fit the bill. I also liked the adjustable drawcord at the waist and the light weight. However, I also like pockets and this is where Arc'Teryx fails for me. For the price it just did not completely satisfy me on the features.

I have not tried these yet since I just bought them, but I have no doubt these would be great winter pants. Although a little heavier than I usually use (the weight is dead on) and they will pack rather large, I can see that these would keep me very warm in -15 weather. The features - venting, gaiters, water resistence - have me confident that these will work well. So I think I will keep them. One warning, Marmot pants do run small. I am a large in every other brand I have brought (MH, NF, Patagonia) but in these I am XL. The XL does fit well with a little extra room.

These Staghorn pants have a great fit. I have already worn and washed them. They keep their shape well after washing and even drying. They are also very light. I used to avoid The North Face because the fit was never right, but these have changed my mind. Thanks BC

This is my third pair of Mountain Hardwear pants, and the fit and feel has not failed me yet. I love the wide waist band and the internal single bungie string adjustment. These will get a lot of use this winter.

I received my Marmot Oracle with a little reservation on how it would satisfy my needs. I actually wanted a technical shell with the Tricot mesh lining because I hate that clammy feeling from rain in the summertime, but I was pleasantly surprised at the feel of this jacket in the rain. Some clamminess yes but not enough to be disappointed. I recommend this jacket.

I just received my Mountain Harwear Aerial Pants today and I cannot wait for the winter. The fit is great and I know the performance will be good. I own a pair of the MH Synchro Pants which performed well when hiking in the cold winter but the fit totally sucked. The Aerial has the same construction but a much better fit and plenty of room for light layering. For the price on BC (less than half of the current sale price) I decided it was worth a shot. I'm glad I did it.

I purchased the Gamma LT jacket for spring and early fall hiking and what a performer. Although I've only worn it twice so far I find the fit to be great, not tight around the hips like most other brands (that's what draw strings are for). It works well as a wind breaker or as an outer layer over a vest when it gets a little chilly in the evening. This jacket keeps the temps just right, not too heated and not too chilly. I highly recommend it.

I never heard of this brand but thought I'd try them anyway. I bought these pants to use for winter hiking and other outdoor activity. When I took them out of the box they were stiff and very noisy. The styling was nice but they ran small in the leg. I just returned them for a pair of Super Guide pants by Patagonia which are excellent.

This is the second pair of pants by Marmot that I own, and like the other pair, these fit wonderfully and function excellently. I have worn them once in a steady rain and was kept very dry. I recommend them to anyone.

I recently purchased these pants from here and had the chance to try them out on a very snowy 10-mile day hike and they did not let me down. The gaiters stayed in place the entire time with no adjustments necessary, and the fit was perfect with the pants going everywhere I went—very flexible. This is the first item I've bought by Patagonia, and I will definitely consider them again.

I recently purchased these pants from here and had the chance to try them out on a very snowy 10-mile day hike and they did not let me down. The gaiters stayed in place the entire time with no adjustments necessary, and the fit was perfect with the pants going everywhere I went—very flexible. This is the first item I've bought by Patagonia, and I will definitely consider them again.