While the Exped Stuff Pillow performed reasonably well on a recent ski trip, I was disappointed that I could not fit a down jacket inside the pillow due to the internal chambers being very small. I had to find smaller items such as socks, hat and spare base layer items to stuff inside the pockets. I could fit a portion of my down jacket into the large pocket, but to put the entire jacket into the pillow was not possible. I do like the cut of the pillow and the way it fit into the head space of my mummy bag, but all-in-all I feel I am just as well off to use a stuff sack with my down jacket for a pillow or to go back to the old tried and true method of stuffing my down jacket into the hood of my bag. I was hoping this pillow would be as nice and user friendly as the Sierra Designs Sleep E-Z Pillow, but in comparison, the Exped Stuff Pillow fell a little short.

One word? Outstanding. I bought this piece after making the switch from a synthetic base layer to a merino one. Great move on my part. I wanted to update my mid layer, and decided on the Ignition due in part to the EXP construction. It is incredibly warm, and with the beauty of merino, is not too warm for a mid-layer piece. I’ve also used it as an outer layer piece on cold dry days and it performs amazingly well. This piece is super warm and cozy on the cold days, and super breathable and comfortable on cool days. The long sleeves and thumb loops keep the cold out, as does the form fitting, comfortable, high zipped neck. This was not my first piece of Icebreaker merino and will not be the last. My switch from synthetic to merino continues. Merino simply outperforms any of the thermal synthetics I have used, causing me to rid my closets of all polypro and similar synthetics. It’s all going to be recycled!

I purchased this softshell as I wanted a shell which was simply a shell, with no interior fleece liner. This jacket is such a BIG BANG for the buck. It uses a Japanese spun polyester instead of the more popular, and *way* more expensive Swiss Schoeller spun polyester. It has a great pocket setup with zippered hand pockets and an extremely convenient zippered chest pocket. It also has nice interior pouch pockets. Smooth zippers, an athletic cut, and a nice collar and stretch fabric make for a killer-good shell. If you want a high performing, stylish and affordable piece for blue-bird chairlift days, ski-touring, ice climbing and a simple no-nonsense piece, this is a great choice. Also, it’s been a valuable "in-town" stylish jacket, which is a bonus as I'm not fashion conscious. But people have given me nice compliments on its looks. This is a "can't go wrong" piece.

This bag kicks ass. It has an ample amount of padding to protect my expensive laptop. It’s very stylish in both formal and casual business or school environments. It also has just enough pockets for computer accessories, and comes with an over-the-shoulder strap. Just a killer bag!