This pack rocks. It is huge and solid, but comfortable. As long at is isn’t packed too tight/full, then it forms well to the back. If you aren’t familiar with back panel access, it is where your main compartments zipper is actually in the back panel. Seems weird at first but is a phenomenal idea. The front has another decent sized compartment with full zipper access. This is where it has dividers for avalanche/mountaineering gear etc. Also has a billows pocket on the very front that can hold two one-liter Nalgenes. The compression straps can go along the front as pictured in the website, or looped and snapped into another set of clips so that they hold/compress gear along the sides as apposed to the front. That is an awesome idea as well. Coombs was the man.

The description of this pack doesn’t do it justice. Its back-entry compartment is impressively roomy. The back-entry seems weird at first, but it rocks. The front has two compartments with waterproof zippers. One is big enough for a fleece, and the other is big enough due to its billowing out feature to fit a 32oz Nalgene and food for a day. Shoulder straps are really padded and comfortable. The hip belt connects to the outermost portions of the pack...so it really doesn’t hug the hips in the back. The compression straps can be clipped in the front like snowboard straps (as in the pictures), or clipped around the sides into additionally clips for vertical ski or gear carrying. Coombs was the man.

So seriously, when weight, space, and breathability is an issue, and all you really want is something that can cut the wind, hold off mist or a light rain, and provide some early morning/late night insulation, then this windshirt is what should be in your pack. Yesterday I hiked nearly 50 miles through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I carried a CamelBak Mule, so my supply space was quite limited before I even put in food or backup jacket. The Ion took virtually no space when considering it was a full length pullover jacket with hood, and weighed as much as an energy bar. My buddy and I started at 4am and finished at 7pm. The temps were dropping and the wind off Lake Superior was really picking up; so I threw on the Ion and then had to hike another 3 miles to the nearest town to hitchhike back to my truck. I heated-up pretty quick walking, but the Ion breathed great and my back didn't even accumulate sweat from being against the jacket and CamelBak. Mearly saying "Windshirt" doesn’t quite do this piece of gear justice. Its more like a Wind-Technical Shell.

Love at first sight was my reaction to this pack. But yesterday I really put the adventurist/pack relationship to the test. Beginning at 4am, my buddy and I traversed over 40 miles across the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in under 15 hours. With some careful packing, the Mule fit my food, OR Ion Pullover windshirt, and extra t-shirt, as well as camera etc without stressing the zipper seams, and I filled and drank the 100 oz hydration reservoir 3 times. For over 30 miles I hiked w/o a shirt, and the straps still felt good. I appreciate a pack that doesn’t rub your shoulders raw from friction. I ran some of the long downhills and by cinching the Mule's straps down, it didn’t bob or swing an inch. Didn't even cause any noticeable sweating against my back. It's easy to swing around to your front so as to riffle through the pockets without slowing down or stopping. Now I just gotta find a way to shrink all my college textbooks and laptop so I can use it for class!

Sooooo either its my feet and my choice of wearing a trail running shoe as apposed to a hiker (despite custom insoles and only carrying a CamelBak Mule) or these shoes just weren't meant to hike 45 miles of trail in a day! They felt great for about the first 15, but after that it was another story. Otherwise shoe has been great for all sorts of wearing situations, especially with a heat moldable insole. Have under 300 miles of variable running, hiking, and walking, on them and the back edge of the sole is starting to come loose.

Light, simple, good lookin’, and gets the job done for a good price. I'm somewhere around 5'9", weigh around 150 lbs, and usually wear pants with a 32" waist. The medium harness fits great. Due to "mtn biker quads/hams" the leg loops get pretty tight over thick/baggy shorts or pants. I'm all about light weight and minimalism, but adjustable leg loops and a little more adjustment in the waist might have saved me from buying another harness to wear over warmer clothes...then again, it gave me a good excuse to buy more gear.

Great, fun, versatile shoe with really good support. I love the solid sole. I feel the arch is slightly forward (for my foot anyway). Mine are holding up fairly well, but I feel they have stretched out nearly a full size. Little rocks and sand are a pain...but then again if I didn’t want a sandal I would have gotten some Salomon Amphibs.

This has to be one of the toughest 1oz hats made. Excellent for biking as the strap can be instantly tightened against the wind. I have always worn the typical cotton hats, but this one is so much lighter and comfortable. Really stiff brim, and I'm having a hard time getting it to hold a sharp curve, but it’s getting there. It does well keeping sweat to a minimum with its breathability. A fun demonstration: when you are eating and someone asks you if your hat is waterproof, then take it off, and dump a glass of water over it. Actions speak louder than words!

I didn’t think there was anything in the box when it arrived. A 7.7oz jacket is definitely nice! Very sleek fit, breathes great, feels great, looks great. Has a pretty stiff zipper with the semi-waterproof system. Very thin material has me a little nervous for bushwhacking in the backcountry. I'll trust that OR and Gore-Tex will live up to their names though. The hood stays out of the way in the back most of the time. I like that the hood uses a cinch system similar my OR Nimbus Sombrero, but it doesn’t tighten around the face very well. My medium size was about right. Don’t think I could put more than a thin shirt or two under it though. Pitzips would have been nice, but then it wouldn’t have been the minimalist jacket that it is.

Wore the Nimbus through a heavy wet snow squall yesterday. The Aussie-shaped wide brim did the job and kept me dry neck up...though it did drain all the snow on the back onto the top of my pack, but that was a given. Chin straps annoy me so I tightened the headband's quick cinch system and the wind couldn’t claim it from my head. Despite the good breathing system I have reservations about it being a bit too warm in the summer sun. I like the packability and the foam/plastic brim that can be shaped, crushed, and reshaped. The snaps are well placed and snapping the sides up doesn’t misshape the crown the way Marmot's comparable sombrero does. Did I mention that for what it is, it looks dog-gone good?

I liked my Eiger 36 so much that I decided to buy my little sister the Diva 36 as a graduation present. Ordered the Margarita/Stardust in a small as the website made it appear a bright yellow color. In reality it is much closer to an olive/pastel green color. Both of my guy and girl college friends, when they see it sitting in my room, mention they like it for the way the weird color makes it stand out from most other packs. Being "made for a women" its size/back-panel is definitely cut down without compromising the internal space of the pack. The shoulder straps are shortened quite a bit as well and do have a slightly different shape compared to my Eiger 36, proving it differs a little tech wise to fit a women compared to a man. Don't have an opinion yet on how the placement of the hip-belt fits anatomically.

My Autumn/Stardust Eiger 36 is the most gorgeous pack on my campus. The free 7 day shipping put it in my hands yesterday. I carried several of my college textbooks and laptop comfortably all day. It has more straps and adjustments than the description describes. The removable hood has three zippered compartments. The double drawstring top also has a strap and snap that can tighten down a large top load, or compress the mouth on small loads when the hood isn't used. Side straps pull the bag close to your body for good balance. It has several belt and shoulder adjustments. I'm 5'9" and the medium pack is comfortable, but if I wanted to put a heavy load in it, and have it fit like a big pack, then I think I would get the large pack for the longer hip to shoulder length. It should fit perfectly for long bike trips. Heavy duty material puts it at a hefty three pounds for its size, but it’s solid, and has plenty of room. I use my gear to the eXtreme and this Marmot should definitely do the job from my 25mi/24hr speed backpacking trips to my over-the-handlebars mountain biking for many years. I question Coombs ski system, but plan to do some backcountry testing. Also, it just fits the carry-on regulation for Northwest Airlines, so it will double as my carry-on when I fly to Chamonix this summer.