Unlike most ski reviewers here, I am OLD school ( started skiing in the '60's) and have very slowly moved up to fatter skis. This is the fattest ski I own. Unfortunately I am only weekend skier and had an accident last Fall that hurt my early season skiing. So the photo below was my first great powder to on these skis. And they were awesome. Even though I have them mounted Tele, I mostly quit dropping the knee about 2 decades ago. I can proudly call myself a Tele skier again. I can drop a knee with confidence now, no Tele tip dive. Even open it up and rip some Big turns.
I did not get these out till about mid season, just as the Wasatch was getting some rain and weekend after weekend of wind. I did not do so well on wind scoured and crusts. But I won't blame the skis, but they did feel a bit grabby.

I have acquired a lot of softshells over the years and have not been really excited about any of them. They were not very warm or worked well in only a specific range of conditons.
The Monolith works great as a casual jacket( Warm) and has proven to be a great ski shell too. I have worn it on days that turned out to be colder and winder then i anticipated and stayed warm. The tall collar and long, tapered sleeves keep the cold out. And the material and welded seams really keep out the wind.
I would differ on those saying it is baggy. I got a Medium. I am 5'10" 155. It is a bit loose around the chest, but that allows room for a good mid layer. I would say the arms and waist are more of an athletic fit.

As far as Desert Pucker goes, i would not consider it lightweight. The Model/polyester is rather thick and very soft and comfortable. Much more durable then some lightweight poly tech shirts. I am sure the short sleeve would do in warm weather.
I thought the fit was pretty normal, but a little short. I got a Medium and am about 5'10". The cut on it is for wearing out, if you try to tuck it in, it may not stay there.

I recently mounted up my second pair of Voile Switchbacks. There was no other choice for my new skis. I purchased my first pair in 08 ( see below). In 3 years, the bindings show no sign of wear or fatigue. I have never switched to tour mode while skiing. Maybe 2 or 3 times they did not immediately lock when i switched to ski mode, but 1 stomp down did the trick. The only nit picky thing i can think of is the tall bar is TALL. One of these years I will get around to buying a medium one.

I picked this up early this summer and it is my favorite shirt. I really like synthetic materials, but am picky about which ones. I do not like Nylon and some lightweight Poly's are fragile. Whatever 'Modal' is, I LIKE it. The Security Check has some Weight to it. But is very cool and comfortable. It would definitely be a great shirt for travel. It wrinkle free and comfortable. Also has nice dress look to it, so you can wear with shorts during the day, then put on long pants and wear out at night.

I scored one of these last winter. It really is warm. It immediately became my causal use jacket. But I also used it on those really cold days on the lifts. I have a Thermal PRo fleece that just wasn't doing it.
It is very comfortable. I like the elastic inner cuffs. Fit is great. It layers beneath my Arc'teryx shell.

Yes this is a lightweight, thin beanie, that is in its name. This has been my exclusive beanie for backcountry skiing for 4 seasons. I use it alone or with an old Backcountry Windstopper softshell beanie as a 3 in 1. With it always stuffed in my touring pack, sometimes worn under a shell beanie, and generally abused. It is not coming apart and hardly shows sign of wear.

It seems to keep my head just perfectly warm while hiking. Like all Merino products, It breathes well and seems to be much warmer then synthetic materials. It will be in my touring pack for many more years.

I have been riding Dynastars legend series for years. Being old school myself, I like the traditional feel of them. I finally got to spend a day on the Pro riders with lot's of new snow. From everything from packed to deep, they transitioned smoothly between them all.

I bought this shell last spring for a lightweight rain shell for mountain biking. Well I carried it all season in my Camelbak and hardly got to use it (it never rained). But I also forgot it was in my pack since it is so small.
This winter I started to take it backcountry skiing instead of my "big name" ski shell. It works great. Instead of putting on my shell for the ski run and taking it off at the bottom of the run for the hike up, I just leave it on. It breathes better then anything I have ever owned.
It is minimalist, but once you get used to it, you will love it. The material is thin and crinkly, but after a few minutes, I don't notice. It may be be able to tear easily, but I haven't torn it yet and just don't go out running into trees. The lack of hand pockets is not a big deal.
All in all it is becoming my favorite piece of outerwear I have.

My riding wear has always been a bit traditional. I finally went styling and picked up a pair of these pants and could not be happier. First I chose these for the insulated knees and butt. Even though they are not fully insulated, they are warm and I only wear a base layer on cold days. Next(maybe more important) I have received numerous compliments from my over 50 year old friends. Sizing, stick to the chart. I got smalls and sometimes wear a belt.

These skis are a very similar cut to my old Legend 8800, but they felt very different. Took them out on a day with variable conditions. From hardpacked groomers to a variety of settled and windpacked powder. These skis excelled on all. Through all the varieties of snow I skied like a hero. And I was amazed how well it carved on the almost icy groomers. They railed it , unlike my Dynastars which get a little chattery.

This bag is a great deal. Holds everything I wanted to cram in. Has a separate pocket for your small stuff. I like the stylin Plaid. another great Dakine product.

I have been wearing these all summer and really like them. There are a few nice features that make these different. The cotton/nylon material feels and looks like cotton, but is thin and lightweight. The cargo pocket has velcro closure, so my cell phone doesn't fall out. And the integrated belt design is pretty slick.

I have been using CamelBak packs since they first hit the market. I can't live on the trail without one, now I can use on at my desk. As far as leaks, I have been trying to get mine to leak and I can't. Water will come out if the bite valve is squeezed, BUT you can flip it back into the locked position and it won't come out. They do know what they are doing.

These are a simple, lightweight full finger glove. The mesh on the back is very thin and cool for warm weather. The palms aren't really padded, but have patches in the usual places. They work great for XC riding, not a Downhill glove.

The Singers are different then all the other gels. If you like honey, you will love these. I shared mine with my riding buddies for their opinions. Everyone like the the thinner texture and and said it felt like they could feel it being absorbed immediately.

I have been eating these for for 2 seasons. As I have said before, these are more of a meal replacement bar then an energy bar. I use them on long rides, where other bars are barely a snack, these fill me up. But for racing, no. Flavor wise, I liked these, but still prefer the Berry and cran lemon more.

These are real healthy. They do go down easy, but you better like dates.

I was quite impressed with tent when I first set it up. It is quite roomy and very well made. It has all taped seams, nice Atlas poles and some lightweight hardwear, features found on more expensive tents. It is big enough for 3 if you want. You always read reviews saying a little snug or not enough room for gear, but what Lightweight tent isn't. Mountain Hardwear lists the minimum weight as 5lb 4oz, minus stuff sacks, stakes and anything else you can jettison. Compare it to other 3 person tents on this site and anything lighter costs twice as much. What makes it lighter is the classic double A frame design( not free standing). My previous tent of 34 years is the same design and it worked well for me, but it was time for a bigger tent. As others have stated, it weathers storms and wind really well. When you set it up, you will immediately notice how taut it is. Also it is very easy to set up. Just stake out the 4 corners(thats all the stakes you really need) and pop in the poles, Done. The fly on the other hand you may want to practice setting up before using it for the first time.

The bearings on my Race Face Deus totally seized up. I needed a quick replacement and could not find a Race Face X type bottom bracket. A little research and I found out Shimano was exactly the same. It was a quick and easy install, just keep and reuse all the spacers. I've been using it for over a month and it works perfectly.

This shirt is very comfortable. The material is Very stretchy and they sleeves are cut so they do not bind. Whether I'm running or doing Yoga, I am quite pleased with it.
Fit is pretty true to size, but seem to be a bit shorter cut in length.

After hearing how great these tights are for runners, I decided to try them for skiing. I've been skiing for over 40 years and I hurt after a good day. I got these near the end of the season, so I did not test them Backcountry skiing. But I did get in some Resort skiing. Alpine skiing usually causes me pain in the back and knees, frequently hurting just after a couple of hours into the day. The Stabilyx definitely helped hold off the pain while skiing, which makes me feel a bit stronger and more aggressive. Of course I still hurt later at night like usual, but I did not expect them to reverse time. I can't wait till next winter to see if they really work on the IT band when climbing 3 to 6000 vert a day.

I love everything Merino. One thing I do not have have is Merino shorts. I also really like Ibex, so when I saw these I thought I would try them out.
Comparing these Organic cotton shorts to regular cotton is like comparing Ibex's 17.5 micron Merino to the old sweaters I wore when I was a kid.
They have a very soft feel, nicely cut and they do have a gusset of sorts. Rather then a typical diamond shaped gusset, they have a 3" strip of material sewn up one side and down the other. I highly recommend these for your next hike or backyard party.

My first one was the nicest shirt I owned, so I had to get another. Not to sound like a Fashionista, but the feel and drape of the 17.5 merino is so nice. I wore it nearly everyday for a week and a half, to work, on the weekend and even on gnarly hikes. It worked for every occasion and as advertised, No odor. Perfect for the Outdoor Guy

I have been backcountry skiing for 25 years and never knew I needed free pivoting bindings. I just hiked 3 days in a row with these and they really do make a difference. Playing with them locked and free, I noticed that there is little resistance when your heel is lifted only about 1 inch, but it really increases from there. Climbing up steeper grades is a lot easier with these.
I have friends who have some other brands and have watched them take their skis off and chip away at ice in the locking mechanism. This cannot happen on Voile's design.
I would highly recommend these.

I finally got these in a 176cm and spent 3 days in the Wasatch backcountry on them.
They were excellent in all types of powder I encountered. The soft, big tip floated as if they were more like 100mm in the waist. And when paralleling they turned really fast and easy with all that sidecut.
These skis only weigh 6 1/2 pounds (according to the reveiw in Backcountry mag). And with the Voile Switchbacks, it's a great backcountry setup.

On my first hike in these, they felt like I had been wearing them for a long time. I was looking for a high top, lightweight hiking boot for rocky trails and these have fit the bill.
I replaced the footbeds with the Montrail Enduro footbeds from Backcountry. They gave a very supportive, custom fit. But they are very thick and unless you have a lot of extra room you may want to try a thinner footbed.

This shirt has the most unique fabric I have ever seen. It is a bit heavier then most Tech materials and is by far the stretchiest material there is. So it has a very nice feel and look to it.
I would definitely not call it an athletic fit. On the sizing chart go closely by the waist size.

These go up and down with their 5 position system. They give me more control then any other binding I have ever used. The heavy duty construction will last the hardest charger. And with 6 screws, forget pulling these out.

I used this last winter for backcountry skiing. It works great on those cool sunny days when a regular shell is too much. I could hike up and ski down in this without putting on and taking stuff off.
It is not lined and quite light. A nice simple jacket, without excessive pockets and features.

I am not a big fan of protein bars, but these are pretty tasty. Not too chalky.
They are covered in chocolate that can melt. But they remind me of a 3 Musketeers bar, just not so sweet.

These are delicious. This is my second box, previously I got the Cran-Lemon twister. These are not energy bars , but a meal replacement bar. They are full of nuts and seeds and dried fruit. Though I do eat them in the middle of mountain bike rides, and feel great.

Yes these are thick. Will work best for small volume feet.
I am an 8.5 and bought the 8, and they fit my boots perfectly. I also took a knife to the insoles around the toes to relieve a bit of the thickness to get a comfortable fit.
Overall, I did get more support and more cushion in my new hiking boots then I did without the Enduros.

Sweet style and performance. Even though these are not the sport specific frames they have been working great for me mountain biking.
I have seen the SR-71 material and it is unique. It is actually flexible and impact resistant, but also has the optical clarity of glass.
I ordered the Copper 12 tint. It gives incredible contrast and is not too dark in shaded conditions.

I don't know what custom double-plied cotton is, but I do now it is very smooth, soft and comfortable.
I would wear them all the time but it is getting to be summer, maybe I will order some in shorts right now.
I ordered 30x32 and I found that to be pretty accurate. Maybe just a little tight in the waist.

I took these out for 2 days, one resort and one backcountry. I am not much into to tele skiing in the resort, but they were pretty good.
The next day I hiked and was blessed with a rare (this year) deep Wasatch day. I thought they were great. At least for me (140 pounds on a 176cm) I thought they floated pretty good.
They are also quite light. If you have ever picked up the Sick Birds, these are Not like those, they are very light compared to a comparable width ski.

I have been riding T2's since '92. The T2X may not look to different at a glance, but they are quite a bit better for you diehard T2 tourers.
First even though they are taller, have a third buckle and can crank those new fatter boards better then those old T2's, these weigh at least a pound less! Gotta love that. The reason is mostly the thermomoldable liners. Those took a little getting used to. Even though they fit like a glove, they are a bit firmer then old style liners and it took a few days to get used to.

I have not been able to find a WindStopper hat that I like. I got this hat and it has worked well for me. I take my thin Merino wool beanie and wear them together to give me a warm wind proof hat. Or I can wear just one or the other depending on the conditions, My 3 in 1 hat system.

I have a couple Icebreaker tops and got these too. Merino is it, forget synthetics. When I ski I have on Lorpen socks, Icebreaker tops and bottoms and a merino beanie( check out Arc'teryx). Head to toe , everyday.
They fit very well, I got smalls and they are plenty long. They would probably fit anyone well over 6'.

I am biased, I love Merino.
Last year I got the body fit and it is great for touring, but I got this for riding the lifts. it is just what you need for those cold days riding cable.
I think it is softer and silkier than the body fit.

I can't get enough. Last year I bought a bunch of Lorpen merino ski socks and was blown away by how warm, dry and comfortable they kept my feet.
So now I am stocking up on all styles of socks. The Teko's are even more luxurious feeling then any brand I have yet purchased.

You do not have to be a granola head to like the taste of these. I have been a big fan of Clif bars for years, but these taste even better.
All Natural ingredients, Very fresh and intense flavors. Not too filling either, even if you stuff the whole thing down in minutes(like me).

Last winter I bought many Lorpen ski socks. After I tried one pair, I bought a bunch more for myself and to give to friends. I was that impressed.
I just got these and really like them too. These are fairly thick and really comfortable. They are not too warm and they keep my feet very dry, unlike any other type of socks.

The Gamma AR is a very lightweight softshell. Great on warm days, and with my Icebreaker bottoms, it is warm enough on powdery days too. Plus they look better then any dress pants I own. Fit is quite true to size and a generous inseam. There is only a draw cord for closure at the boot, but not much snow seems to come in.

Any Arc'teryx owner would be very happy to own this too. It has the snug fit for a great mid layer. The smooth texture of the Nailhead fleece makes it easy to put on and take off your shell. The Nailhead also gives a surprising about of wind resistance for a fleece without WindStopper.

I bought these for Yoga. I have not worn any other short since then. They are so comfortable, I look down once in a while to see if I have anything on.

These are very comfortable. But I love them for skiing too. They go great under your Capilene or Icebreaker long undies when you are skiing.

I am tired of sitting on lifts in my shells freezing my butt off. So I got the Zero G and it is Warm. Softshells also look good and feel good.
The Couldveil jacket does seem to run a little big. The medium I got has longer sleeves then most of the mediums I have.

The only problem with these so far is that I only have one pair. They are thick and tough, yet hiking in the summer here in Utah my feet are cool and dry. When I wear them around the house, they are as warm as my slippers.

I like to know my elevation and vertical gain. This was just what I wanted and More. It is more accurate then other altimeters I have had in the past.
It keeps logs of all your trips. Also it has a timer, barometer and the compass has come in handy while wandering in unknown terrain.

This is the pack for mountian biking. I have used it for years and just got a new one and love it more. It has a large bladder, and enough room for what you need. And if you need more, there is places to sqeeze in more or bungee it on.

Love these. With the pull through strap, you can adjust these so they are really comfy and put on with one pull.
The footbed is very supportive and you can stand or hike for hours in these.

I don't climb much, but these are my favorite shorts. They are a nice microfiber material that feel nice and stay looking good even if you wear them all week. Would be great travel pants.

These are just what I like in a hiking shoe. A stiff sole with good protection and support, but it's comfortable and looks good for all-day casual use. They fit great. I have a norrow foot, and I got them a 1/2-size smaller than what I usually wear.

I received my skin mondo about one month ago. I've used it six times backcountry skiing in cold to warm conditions. The fabric itself is warmer then any synthetic brand I have ever used. When I'm hiking in sun and baking hot, I actually feel cooler and drier then those so-called wicking fabrics. As far as the claim that it does not hold odor, I have yet to wash mine and could probably go a few more weeks.

Soon I hope to have an entire wardrobe by Icebreaker.

I had recently purchased some Icebreaker underwear from your site. Merino wool is so much superior to any synthetic that I decided to try these socks.
On some of coldest days I went touring this year, and my feet were warm until the end of the day. After a whole day of hiking and skiing my feet were still dry.

It has room for tons of books and a pocket for his laptop.

Skiing, biking, these puppies are comfortable and warm.