This season's new colors is Grecian Blue (GCB-598). It replaces that hideous lemon-lime.

The foot bed is the insole. I have no idea what those crazy Italians mean by "top-cap." The procedure is pretty standard for molding liners:

You'll want to use a convection oven to make sure the liners heat evenly. Preheat to 250º. Place the liners in the oven - I've heard on a foil-lined cookie sheet, but I've used the bare rack without issue - for 10-15 minutes. You want them to look puffed up like a marshmallow.

While they're heating, prep your feet. I like to use the same socks I'll be using in the boots later to get the right fit. Put a neoprene toe cap on under the sock. If you don't have toe caps, you can make them out of whatever you have around the house. The point is to spread your toes a little bit to give them room once the boot cools. I've used cotton balls and packaging tape.

Also, grab a 2x4 out of the garage and put it on the floor.

When the liners are heated up, pull them out, toss your footbeds in there and put them on your feet, cranking the inner laces. Then shove your liner-clad feet into the boots, being careful to keep them straight and not snag them on anything. Lace them like you normally wear them, kick your heels to get them set into the boots, and stand with the toes of the boots on the 2x4 for about 10 minutes. At the end of the 10 minutes, pull your feet out, tie the boots back up, and let them sit until they cool entirely.

Also, never listen to Italians. They'll try to steal your women.

Unfortunately, you are right on the edge. Osprey is usually good about measurements, but, for some reason, this pack seems to run about an inch or so small. If you have an 18" torso, figure it's at least 19" for the Hornet. The S/M is specced for <19" and the M/L is specced for >19". I suggest the M/L.

Best bet is to use Nikwax Down Wash to clean the garment and then treat with Nikwax Down Proof. It's designed to restore DWR on down garments without damaging the down.

On the 520, the G stands for Gore Tex. The 520 has it. The 535 does not.

Stiffness, grip, and durability vary as much between different Vibram soles as they do between Vibram and other brands. The Sundowner has a long reputation. It will treat you well and can be resoled, just like a Vibram, if you need.

Arc'teryx designed the Beta SL as a hiking rain shell. It's not meant for alpine ascents or skiing. The hood is not helmet compatible.

The Stash has only one tool loop on the left side of the pack.

Chest size is the indicator here. If you're around a 42" chest, the large will be great. I'm about your size and can squeeze into a medium in Patagonia mid layers for a more athletic fit.

The 110mm brakes will easily work for the Wailer. You may not even have to bend them. It's only 1mm on each side.

Also, I'm jealous of your skis.

For longer Drifters, the available 130mm brakes are plenty wide. If you're looking at getting 162s, you can bend the 110mm brakes enough to accomodate the 111mm waist. In fact, you may not even have to bend them.

I think they'd be great for both sports and would keep you warm..as long as you keep moving. During stops, you may get chilled.

Get the medium.

Upper left chest, near the shoulder. It's hard to see in the picture because it's under the collar.

La Sportiva skis are designed for Alpine Touring. These are the fatter pair, meant for backcountry powder. They won't be an easy ski for a beginner on resort runs. If you're set on taking advantage of the pro deal, La Sportiva's GT AT ski will work better for you, but there are better options out there for a novice skier.

At my worst, about 2 years ago, you had 3" and 30 lbs on me. I have a large Rho that I could squeeze into without too much difficulty even then. The only problem I noticed was that my gut made it seem like the large was too short. You'll probably find the XXL to be a loose base layer. An XL may be a tighter fit without being restrictive, but it's hard to say.

The Grigri will automatically stop the rope. But, you should also focus on safety with your daughter and impress upon her that she should never, EVER take her brake hand off of the rope. Go to a local gym and take a lesson indoors, where the consequences are a bit lower, before climbing on your own.

Yakima doesn't list a Mighty Mount for your truck. Call them at 1-888-925-4621.

Sorry, but the Varius Guide is not zip-in compatible. The following shells are zip-in compatible:

Banshee TriClimate™ Jacket
Mt. Guide Jacket
Mt. Light Parka
Mt. Light Jacket
Recon jacket
Trinity Triclimate
Voretex Triclimate

North Face recommends the jackets be the same size as the liners. If they're different sizes, the liner may zip in, but the zippers will be different lengths and everything may not line up properly.

It will work with all alpine ski boots and some AT boots.

If he's right at 23", get him a Medium. Any bigger than 23 1/4", go Large.

The goggles will work - they're helmet compatible.

You could get away with it on a groomer, but they really mean it when they say "slight rise". It's enough to allow you to back out of sketchy situations in deep snow, but the tails won't rise if you charge switch.

There are a lot of zippers on this pack. Skipping the hydration sleeve zipper, the topmost one is a small, zippered pocket for a camera or other small object...mp3 player maybe. Then, the main pocket has the most volume and has sleeves sewn into it for organization. I use them to hold a shock pump and a mini pump. Two are about 6" deep or so and 2-3" wide and there's a stretch mesh pocket in the center. There's another zippered pocket that has two mesh pockets sewn in and a key clip.. Then, there's the stretchy kangaroo pouch on the outside that can accommodate all sorts of goods. I use that for extra layers. The stretch side pockets aren't useful for much.

What size?

Inseam
S 29/31in (74/79cm)
M 30/32in (76/81cm)
L 32/33in (81/84cm)
XL 33/34in (84/86cm)
XXL 34/35in (86/89cm)

Back length is the distance between your 7th cervical vertebra (the one that sticks out on your neck) and the line between your iliac crests (tops of your hip bones).

Cons to an eVent dry sack - water can't get out?

I think the thing to remember about these compression sacks is that the bottom panel is the only part that's eVent. It's used to let the air out as you compress the sack. Everyone I know who has one likes it. If I compressed my bag for hiking trips, I'd probably have one too.

Those straps are not weight bearing. My concern would come from modifying the harness. If you undo any stitching on the leg loops or waist belt, you may compromise the integrity of the harness. If it's a major concern, wrap the offending straps with tape to keep them in place.

For sizing, if she's at the upper end of the kid's range, the XS should be fine.

It's an open-cell foam pad, so it will self-inflate. I've found, however, that even if I'm patient enough to let a pad inflate itself, it doesn't get firm enough without a few extra lungfulls of air. Of course, I wasn't that patient and I always blew my pads up manually anyway.

CW-X says you should be a pretty solid medium.

The NTNs are a completely different animal than your old duckbill setup. On a 75mm binding and boot, the bellows flex contributes to the overall stiffness of the setup. NTNs are designed to rely more on the springs in the binding to control the stiffness of the system. So, the setting of your power tubes makes a much bigger difference than the spring setting on a 75mm setup would.

NTNs also require a shift in technique. In order to properly maneuver the ski, you have to really focus on driving the knee down and bending at the ball of the foot or you'll end up skiing on your tip-toes.

Try backing the power tubes off to the lightest setting and taking them out on an easy slope while focusing on keeping the ball of your rear foot down in the turns. Then, gradually ramp up the power tubes until you feel like you're getting the best balance of control and resistance.

Once you get it all nailed, I think you'll be an NTN convert.

Here are your options:

Denali Fleece Jacket
Denali Thermal Fleece Jacket
Denali Fleece Vest
Khumbu Jacket
Nuptse Down Jacket
Nuptse Down Vest
Pumori Fleece Jacket
Salathe Fleece Jacket

The best one for you depends on the conditions in which you expect to use it and how warm you want to be. Your choices range from the Pumori on the light end to the Nuptse on the heavy.

Marmot no hace la chaqueta en talles mas grande de XL.

These are the only North Face shells that are zip-in compatible:

Banshee TriClimate™ Jacket
Mt. Guide Jacket
Mt. Light Parka
Mt. Light Jacket
Recon jacket
Trinity Triclimate
Voretex Triclimat

Yes, but Thule's website says you need the 422XT Workman Multi-Height Aluminum Truck Rack which includes the Xsporter

No hydration pouch. Take a look at all of the Dakine pack specs:

http://dakine.com/Uploads/DAKINE/DAKINE_SnowTech_Manual_12W.pdf

Based on the size chart, you need a XXL

http://www.backcountry.com/store/sizingchart.html?sizing_id=11&sku=PAT2394&pg_id=100000095&subcat_id=100000036&cat_id=11

The North Face has a system of shells and insulating layers that can be combined via zippers to become one jacket.

Rossi lists the new FKS 140 XXL as being able to fit skis with waists of 100mm to 117mm. The FKS 140 L is set up for waists from 80-95mm. The XXL may be too wide, but you can certainly bend the brakes on the L to get the extra 3mm.

http://www.rossignol.com/US/CA/ski-men-bindings-fks.html

The main reason people don't like them for long trips is because they're heavy. The Dukes are more of a resort binding that can do sidecountry if necessary. Consider a Tech binding like Dynafit.

Most people use a follow-through figure eight knot with a hitch as a backup.

http://www.chockstone.org/TechTips/F8Knots.htm

It's real. The fabric is so breathable that it almost doesn't feel windproof. The feel of the jacket as a whole depends on the base fabric MH uses. On the Snowpocalypse, it feels soft and flexible and has a fuzzy backing fabric. On other shells, MH laminates DryQ to a more hard-shell fabric that makes it feel more like eVent or Gore.

It's a great shell for Canadian skiing, but you'll need another layer to insulate. Look into synthetic insulated jackets and fleeces.

No liner or padding - it's a shell only. It's designed to let you layer whatever you want - base layers, puffies, clown costumes - underneath for varying conditions. No internal pockets either, except any you may have on other layers.

They're available with different brake widths. Choose XL (100mm) and you'll be a happy camper.

The insulation is integrated into the jacket.

The insulation is integrated into the jacket.

The 177 will be alright.

It can't. The following are the only TNF jackets that can zip in to their shells:

Denali Fleece Jacket
Denali Thermal Fleece Jacket
Denali Fleece Vest
Khumbu Jacket
Nuptse Down Jacket
Nuptse Down Vest
Pumori Fleece Jacket
Salathe Fleece Jacket

Either boot will be enough to drive the Verdicts. If you intend on moving into touring more than resort runs, the regular TX will offer a much more comfortable touring platform while maintaining enough power to drive a big ski.

In addition, you may want to consider exploring the Rottafella NTN Freedom binding. Same NTN benefits with a huge weight loss that will make for touring gold. Everyone I've talked to says you won't notice a difference in stiffness, but it shaves almost a pound off of each foot for the hike up.

It does, but it only ships via ground. FAA regulations prevent shipping pressurized containers on an airplane. So, no overnight shipping and no travelling with a charged canister.

I suggest a large in the Micons. The waist will be the same. The Micons are a baggier fit, so they'll be larger from the seat and thighs on down.

I think the main difference is the design of the airbags themselves. This pack uses Snowpulse's older airbag system. For the new RAS, they went with the same airbag placement as ABS, which leads me to think it works better.

Bottom line, either system will be better than no airbag. Go with the pack you like.

Also, if you die in a slide because you listened to me, please, no hauntings.

A few straps placed in different places. Thats about it. They're the same general pack body design. The Covert can get bigger and shrink down smaller than the Outlaw. I'm not sure why BD keeps the Outlaw around.

1.7 oz of 850 fill down.

That would be a killer setup. Before you dive in on the boots, try on a few pairs to see which brand fits your feet best out of the box. It will save you a lot of foot pain down the skin track, especially after you heat mold them.

The Pumori fleece will not zip in to the Pumori soft shell. It will zip in to other North Face shells:
Banshee TriClimate™ Jacket
Mt. Guide Jacket
Mt. Light Parka
Mt. Light Jacket
Recon jacket
Trinity Triclimate
Voretex Triclimate

The Pumori is 200 weight fleece, which will not be as warm as the 300 weight Denali fleece.

This jacket is not zip in compatible. Take a look at the Girl's Mountain View TriClimate jacket.

Definitely at least a small. If you notice, another reviewer with a 34" chest said the small was too tight to layer under. You may even want to explore a medium.

They're drain holes for when water gets in.

You can. Be sure to mark it, though, because gasoline will clog most stoves.

I was able to find a Taiwanese site that puts it between .55 and .8 clo. I also found another Backcountry.com comment that says Thermal R has a higher clo than Primaloft Sport.

The Long Apache MF will give you the room you need.

Size chart = http://www.backcountry.com/store/sizingchart.html?sizing_id=380&sku=ALP0299&pg_id=20&subcat_id=14&cat_id=1

And yes, you can purchase them.

10' 11" or 3.3m.

You aren't likely to find them advertised anywhere. A shop somewhere may have one as new old stock, but your best chance is to check internet forums, eBay or Craigslist.

Marmot lists the trail weight, which includes the tent body, fly, and poles, at 5 lbs 15 oz. It lists the packaged weight, which includes everything that comes with the tent (even the instructions), at 6 lbs 11 oz.

Click the "chat now" button to speak with a Backcountry rep. They can help you make an exchange.

The Alpine Light is warmer than the Thermawrap, but can't take wet weather.

The Ghost Custom Air is available in sizes up to XXL. Backcountry does not have them in stock right now.

A large should be big enough unless you have abnormally long arms or a giant chest.

I just weighed it for you. (Yay home office!) The powder skirt weighs in at 73 g or 2.5 oz, so the jacket weighs about 1 lb 6 oz without it. It's really not lightweight and not the best fabric for a hiking shell.

For a light hiking shell, look at Gore PacLite or Active Shell, eVent, Mountain Hardwear's DryQ, or even Marmot's PreCip fabrics. Stoic even makes their Stash shell that would do a better job. There are a lot of options out there.

These are not baggy. They fit more like khakis than those snow pants you see hanging off people's knees in the half pipe. Call them a "technical fit."

The main difference is the fabric. Both jackets use Gore Performance Shell laminate, but on the Primo, it's laminated to a 70-denier, recycled nylon (probably made from soda bottles) and on the Powder Bowl, it's laminated to a 150-denier polyester. The Powder Bowl is a bit heavier, but will also take more abuse in the trees.

Well, these liners aren't available anymore. Take a look at some of the Intuition liners. They can make up for a lot of foot and ankle strangeness. You may also want to look into getting the shells of your Salomons ground or blown out by a pro boot-fitter.

As someone who rides skis with similar dimensions (31m radius, 193cm) I can tell you without a doubt that you will not enjoy these on tree or bump runs. They're good for deep pow and large turns. Look elsewhere.

PFD floatation is measured in pounds. The Wedge-e has 16 lbs, 14 oz of buoyancy. That's the highest Stohlquist offers.

You have two options: Go narrow and save weight, but sacrifice uphill traction, or; go wide, cut off a lot of material to fit your skis perfectly, sacrifice lightless, but gain better traction.

I would suggest that you go wider with the 140mm and cut to fit. You may encounter some terrain where the wider skins will save you major headaches.

They will not work with step-ins. Strap-on only.

They're supposed to last for about 250 hours on transmit and 50 hours on search or for a 1 hour search after 200 hours on transmit.

I suggest either exchanging it or calling BCA for replacement.

They will be a little long, but the cuffs are narrow enough that they shouldn't slide down over most hiking shoes/boots.

Go with the Medium.

Yes. Gore Tex Performance Shell is waterproof.

In this jacket, you'll want an XS.

The FL is 2.1 oz lighter. It's constructed of Gore Active Shell, which is Gore's newest and most breathable laminate. The LT is all Gore ProShell. You also get one extra pocket in the LT.

Sorry, no.

Zip in compatible insulating layers are:

Denali Fleece Jacket
Denali Thermal Fleece Jacket
Denali Fleece Vest
Khumbu Jacket
Nuptse Down Jacket
Nuptse Down Vest
Pumori Fleece Jacket
Salathe Fleece Jacket

The hood will fit under a helmet, but not over. Pockets are placed to be out of the way of a harness. You can pull up the sleeves...just take your thumbs out of the holes.