This down is amazing, I use it for all my cold adventures. I sized in at M which is totally normal for me. It fits snugly over all my shells, and perfectly over my normal under-layers (e.g. at night), and I'm 5'11" and 165 lbs. Would have sized a L if I was looking for a huge belay parka, but I like it smaller for ski touring. Mont-Bell has the right philosophy, and this is the puffiest jacket I'd need in the lower 48, in combo with a good sleeping bag.

These are the best! Fit, quality, style. Period.

For 2011/2012, the colours are new, and they changed the suspenders to a narrower style. I also noticed a handy inner "pocket" holder thingy in one of the main thigh pockets, which is useful for a phone or something that would be bumping around as you tour or ski. But otherwise, no noticeable changes from previously. Get them quick! Or risk waiting til next fall's stock... :)

To reiterate from last year's review: I am 5'11", 165 lbs, and the M fits perfectly. I use them for touring, and occasionally for resort skiing.

I got these on a deal, and they were about half the price of the equivalent Oakleys. I liked the Flak Jackets better for overall sturdiness, but couldn't justify the price difference. These fit my face perfectly, keep out the rays, and I'll probably lose them anyways. Lots of lens choices, but I only find myself using them for super bright days. Great ventilation when you're pushing it, even for a sweater like me. Snatch them up if you need a toss-around pair!

I am desperate to fall in love with one of these Stoic products! I think the company is trying to do good things and push the envelope. But this bag, once again, is not the one.

My buddies bought a TNF XL and I got the Welded Haul XL, so we got to compare them side by side. The use - hauling all our crap to Argentina and Chile through customs at multiple airports, in/on vehicles/buses between destinations. So they need to be durable and light enough to lug around, but mostly durable and carry-able.

The Stoic folds like a taco when you load it up wrong. Even when it's loaded right, the dimensions are just weird. You can't wear it walking through most door frames since it's too wide. The material is water-proof, but not nearly as thick as the Base Camp Duffel stuff. The lack of rigidity in the overall bag makes it harder to pack and harder to carry around. It sure looks cleaner than the TNF, but it loses functionality.

The colours are true, go for it if you can get it cheap or expect to send it back if it's not quite right. I have decided to pay over 3 times as much to have the TNF duffel instead! On a college budget to boot...

I LOVE THESE SKIS. I had the 190s for a few years and basically skied the bases into oblivion - loads of dirty ski tours in CA, but also deep powder excursions in BC and big mountain tours in CH, they did everything. Well, they pointed everything and stayed straight. They are so much fun anywhere you can open them up.

So when it was one core-shot too many, I looked for a new pair. I got a deal on a pair of 180s, the new orange ones (same ski, different topsheet). They ski just as steady, but they are actually a bit more nimble in the tight spots! Even more perfect! Of course, I'll miss sitting back and cruising on the 190s in a huge bowl, but these will do just fine. Get a pair now! At 5'11, I am probably better off with a 180 anyways... or so they say.

These are exactly the same as the red/white alpinist skins I had before, but half the price! Thanks backcountry.com! GREAT SKINS.

I used these on a pair of BD Verdicts, but I realized they weren't any better than the regular clips - just a lot harder to put on and off in a hurry. But I can see that they would work great for a pair of big twins. They definitely do the job of staying put when you cinch them down nice and tight. Don't be afraid to stretch those skins!

This neck gaiter is just way too loose, as many others have mentioned. I feel like my head is "normal sized" but then again, maybe I need to check on that! The gaiter works around my neck but fails to stay up on my nose or face when I need it.

It's going back... Too bad too, it's comfy and super light.

I ordered a bunch of these tubes, and they are the best energy drink I've had! Nothing tops water, but it's nice to get some electrolytes in too, and these are not too sweet, but fizzy - which is totally awesome!

Problem is, I left them in a bear box at Big Pine trailhead in the Eastern Sierra, and never saw them again... along with my trail runners and a jar of Nutella! Let me know if you see them! ;)

This is one heck of an expensive pot. You buy it only if you are shaving every ounce, which on our 2-day Sierra traverse (Onion-Wolverton) was an essential plan. Surely, it was light, and JUST the perfect size - Nalgene fits right in, or a 3oz can of fuel and a pair of socks. Combine it with a pocket rocket, and there ya go.

My gripe is that for $60, it should work well and do its elite-only job with ease. The problem is, after all day on your feet, you want to melt some snow with a user-friendly pot and THIS AINT IT! You have to constantly put your gloves on to grip the pot with one hand just to remove the stuck-in lid and check the water/slush status. The little handle on top doesn't stay standing up, so more fumbling. Brutal! Sounds like a small gripe, but this meant everything after 17 hours on our feet. Why can't they make the lid just sit on top? The handles are also fiddly, but the worst thing was the lid.

It's a pot plus a lid. The lid sucks. 3 stars out of 5.

I picked this up for general use as an insulating layer on everyday ski missions. Hike in a shirt, throw on the shell and/or insulation when you reach the ridge. I watched Andrew McLean's little promo and thought it'd be just what I was looking for.

Having used it for a few months, the jacket is now in my ultralight mountaineering kit ONLY. After the first weekend of use, loose threads and burrs were coming up everywhere. It is practically falling apart! This is such a shame since it is so nice and warm for its incredibly lightweight.

Still recommended, but 3 stars for its rather limited use. By the way, size up 1 level from whatever MH shell you usually wear so you can throw it over top.

These gloves are a happy medium between gloves that are too thin to be sturdy, and gloves too thick to use for spring touring and moderately-cool temp backcountry chores. My hands sweat. A LOT. These gloves do a decent job even on the ascent for me, which says a lot. After using them for a full day of heavy shoveling, climbing, skiing, and repeat, (during a snow survey in Tokopah for example), they were soaked on the outside but warm on the inside, which was important when the weather changed from +20 to 0C.

The problem is, they're expensive. A $15 pair of work gloves would probably do 90% of what these do. More if the water-proofness decides to quit. Get em on sale if you can, I paid $50 and feel OK about it.

A note on size - read the MH website sizing chart, these run kinda loose.

I needed something to keep my hands warm on wet and/or windy tours that wouldn't cause a swamp situation inside my gloves on the uphill. These work perfectly. In moderate conditions, I use a thin liner glove (or none at all) for ascent, since my hands tend to perspire a lot. But in bad conditions, I always had the problem that rain/snow or wind or a combination of both would cause a serious chill, sometimes nearly frostbite. A thin, but windproof/waterproof layer is actually often all you need to stay warm when your pump is going because blood is circulating plenty well. Apparently, the OR folks have realized this as well, this mitt is designed perfectly to combat nasty unpredictable weather.

On the downhill, plug in the nice insulated liners and you have an instant hand oven. Of course, in really bitter cold, these are not the most insulated mittens you can get, but they work well in most conditions (down to -10 C I would say). If you're standing around in colder weather than that, go with something thicker.

Bottom line: carry a pair of thin liners, and a pair of these, and you're set. Sizing is true, I am an average guy and I wear a L, as usual.

This jacket is an awesome alternative to the Lofoten, which is probably the more famous Norrona Gore-tex Pro shell. I like it better because it has less mumbo-jumbo: no media pocket, no thumb-hole cuffs, no skirt, etc. It is a pure shell for skiing, climbing, and everything in between.

Super sturdy zippers are matched with bomber Pro fabric for a shell that is intended to last a long time - I can only say mine is holding up extremely well so far. The fit is standard Norrona fit - athletic, but a very tad bit looser than an Arcteryx equivalent. You get style points along with function, whether you want them or not.

The pit zips and hood do exactly what they are intended for. The arms have great articulation, as expected. The cuffs fit over large and small gauntlets with ease, if you like that. The size is true: if you wear a M in everything else, buy a M. Match them with a pair of Lofoten pants and you have a winning combo.

Picture: pit zips (and leg zips) FULLY OPEN during a big day with Greg Hill (!). It breathes.

Waterproof/breathable tent fabric is inherently an oxymoron. With outerwear, we make a compromise toward one or the other because we know that both can't perfectly exist (hard shells for more waterproof, soft shells for more breathable, etc.). In a tent, during a mixed weather trip (as is common in the high Sierra), we would like to stay dry and not overheat or create condensation inside the tent. This problem is often solved with 2-layer tents, and I have had great experiences with them.

The EV2 tries to solve this with a single layer of fabric between you and the weather, and frankly, it fails. Even with the vents open, this tent does not breathe worth a penny. It snows inside the tent heavier than it does outside. Sure it's light, but it's miserable. Rain seeped in during a heavy storm at lower elevation.

Secondly, the craftsmanship inside is brutal. After a few trips, all the pockets were unglued from the tent wall and useless. This appears to be a result of cold weather (-20 C) use where the glue just does not work anymore. The lack of vestibule is very inconvenient.

With care to tie it down, it holds well in very strong winds and is sufficiently large to accommodate 2 normal sized dudes, so there are the pluses, besides the very low weight.

Despite the other really positive reviews, I personally think MH blew it on this one.

It does the job it was designed for: simple, cheap, lightweight harness (although there are much lighter harnesses now that have a more modern design) for general mountaineering and especially while wearing skis and crampons (since you can take it on and off with ease). Good right?

Well, as a guy, let's just say it isn't the most comfortable harness I have ever used. I get an instant surge of pain when I put my weight on this harness, no matter how I fit it! Since it was my first one, I didn't even realize that it was uncomfortable until I tried a modern style padded harness and immediately felt the difference. No wincing anymore!

It is now my lender...

These are the best ski/touring pants on the market. Yes, better than the Arcteryx SV line. Gore-tex Pro is the obvious choice for a Porsche of pantalones, it is uber-durable and waterproof, which is excellent for all but the most aerobic tours in spring bluebird. I have skied 9000 ft days in these and still not had a swamp in the lower compartment. Shorts underneath for warmer days in CA and long undies for the coldest days in BC and you're set. Crampons have never caught on the pants despite that the fit is nice and roomy all the way over the boots. This is a dream come true! The price is ridiculous, but you know what they say...

Details: I am 5'11", 165 lbs, the M is the ticket.

The pockets are well built and in all the right places. The bibs are super nice and breathe well to boot. The cuffs are strong and top quality. The colours... well, I have stopped caring about trying to match stuff, these are some bright pants!

Picture: a 60+ lb load and a long, late-night walk-in to the snow, and with the vents wide open this was no problem!

So maybe these aren't advertised as gloves for grueling physical exercise, but if you think like me, you may be tempted to go for them to satisfy your need for a thin touring glove. My advice: don't do it. When the temps are mellow, the sewn-in liner is a nightmare as your hands start to sweat. When the weather cools or when you stop moving, it is sometimes impossible to stick your fingers back in. In slushy conditions, the glove is not nearly as "water-resistant" as expected - it actually absorbs water readily after a few uses. In cold powder conditions, the glove is pretty useful as long as you don't exert yourself beyond the point of perspiration. In this case, the palm is grippy and the insulation is just right in the case of a breeze. The sizing is dead-on for these.

Overall, I still bring em along because I don't have any other light duty gloves. Meanwhile, I am on the lookout for a shell glove that is water-proof!

These lightweight, easily attached crampons are absolutely perfect for most ski tours and ski mountaineering adventures on predominantly snow covered terrain. I wouldn't be super eager to whip them out for front pointing on mixed rock/ice or anything, and it makes me a little uneasy to walk on anything hard at all since the aluminium is not really meant for that.

For their intended purpose - steep, hard snow in ski boots or heavy duty mountaineering boots - they are brilliant. You won't feel them in your pack or on your feet. They snap on like nothing too and have a very snug fit if you adjust them properly. I bring them in my pack whether I think I need them or not.

I really wanted to like these, but they're going back. I intended to use them as shells for touring, resort skiing, and a little bit of ski mountaineering from time to time. The main goal was a storm proof pant that would last at least 3 seasons.

The construction on the pants themselves is very burly, I admit, but the cut is way off. The flares at the boot are like bell bottoms, which would be a huge issue if you ever had to use crampons in these. They stick out to the side of your boots like wind flaps slash powder scoops. The "bib" is attached by the cheapest zippers I've seen on ski pants. The velcro suspenders are great, except that you don't have more than an inch of adjustment without creating awkward overlap. This resulted in complete floods for me - while the gaiter was plenty long, the bottom of the pants barely made it to my top buckles. The M fits about right for me (5'11", 165 lbs) otherwise (waistband that is).

Seeing the construction, main pocket/vent zippers, Keprotech cuffs, and awesome welding, I know Stoic has the potential to make a great pant. I will try again in the future when they release a better fitting variant.

Gore-Tex Pro is the best material out there for abusive, continuous use throughout the fall/winter/spring seasons. The bottom line is that it stands up to anything Mother Nature throws at you - and even the tree you swiped on the way down. Getting shrubbed while wearing Pac-Lite is a no-no, while Pro holds up over multiple seasons of hard ascents and descents. It breathes well on the up hill and the vents work as designed. Overall, this jacket kills as a touring shell.

Other companies sell their Pro jackets for $500+ and at retail, this jacket sits right in the same category: uber-mega-extremely expensive. The craftsmanship of these top line jackets is about the same across the leading outerwear companies - some little things aside, the Mentor compares pretty easily to jackets from Arcteryx, TNF, Mountain Hardware, etc. The difference is, you stand a chance at getting the OR Mentor for a much cheaper price in the off season. Snatch up this jacket for $100-200 on Tramdock or SAC and you will be one happy camper!

Having used others' plastic shovels, and lighter weight aluminum ones, I cannot be happier with my ice-busting, crud-munching monster. This beast chops through anything, and thats important when you get into high camp late in the evening and every minute of digging out that tent spot counts for extra zzzs - even more so when you are camped on wind blown cement.

I also use it for day touring and even slackcountry because it's my only shovel, and I am sure it is overkill for those activities, but I don't really notice the weight. The D-handle is also a must have for serious backcountry use.

I have toured these skins in everything from cold clear December days in Roger's Pass (-20 C), standard cloudy powder days somewhere in the -10 range, to t-shirt soaking Southern CA corn harvests (+20?) and they hold me like glue. They glide and grab extremely well, and stay clump free - I have never had any problems. Though I do agree with one gripe that they stick to themselves extremely readily since they are thin compared to BD skins - but it's not so bad that it has ever been frustrating. Cutting and fitting is a breeze, as with any skins. The tip attachment is bomber, I thought it might turn out to be finnicky in the BC but it has never come even close to slipping off. Now slap em on, and earn those turns!

There is a reason these are the market standard for tourers who like to ski hard - they simply work. And very well - the release, the lifters, and the walk/ski switch are all very well designed. These will give you the confidence you need to push big skis to the limit on those deep days in the backcountry. I recently also used them in the resort and found no real problems, but these are meant for day tours in places like Rogers Pass and Jackson Hole. If you skin around only once per season, buy some Dukes and you will be fine. If you ski in a resort a few times a season, but mostly earn your turns and still like to ski hard, these are definitely the ticket. If you are willing to sacrifice downhill durability for weight, get a Dynafit setup and never look back.

After 3 epic seasons of skiing and climbing, the only sign of wear is a broken strap that connects the cinch cord to the gauntlet on one glove - THATS IT. The leather is super durable, just treat it with Nikwax waterproofing at the beginning of the season. Not the warmest glove, but you sacrifice a bit for Jedi-like dexterity and no-bulk simplicity. Simply awesome gloves that fit true to the sizing chart and I use them as my everyday standard.

If you ask my uncle, its better to look good than to be good. This fleece fits that bill. The M fits just like you have come to expect from all other Arcteryx outerwear - perfect for me at 5'11" 165lbs. No pilling (sp?) yet but I dont doubt that it will come after a few more months of wear. No wind protection, and not too warm, but just awesome for covering up your smelly shirt to head over to Mom's house for dinner.

Overall, I am very happy with my purchase (size M, 160 lbs, 5'11"). The fit is loose enough for casual wear, but also fits under my shell and has a few nice features: long cut in the back for keeping out cold drafts and thumb holes to keep things together. Not too much wind protection, and an unnecessarily large neck/collar are things I would change. Very nice craftsmanship, I am impressed with my first Norrona jacket.

After extensive searching around and trying everything, this jacket has to be the best downy out there. Functional everything: hood (huge, snug and comfy closure), nice pockets, perfect sizing (ie. just a bit bigger than everything else you own so you can put it on top), very well made. That being said, this is a lightweight warmth layer for mountaineering, probably not going to stand the abuse of tree skiing for many seasons. It is very durable for just about everything but shrubbing up against bark at mach speed. I am 5 feet 11 inches and ~165lbs and the M fits nice and big so I can wear it over my stuff when it blows. Order your regular, everyday size for this one. Nice job OR!

Even with all the brilliant reviews, I still need to add my own. These bags are as bomber as it gets. Strap it to the top of a bus, the back of a mule, check it on Delta airlines, etc. etc. I have done it all with this bag for years. The size M works great for expedition gear on non technical trips and for just visiting the rents. Size up for bigger adventures! Just dont let your mule keeper put the leaking jug of kerosene next to it on the saddle! In multi-day downpours, stuff will get wet near the zips so dont expect a dry bag - this is a gorilla tough home for your goods though.

Seemingly impenetrable to rain, I wouldn't test it too much to abrasion though. If you're going to get Pac-lite, or just can't afford Pro, Arcteryx is the only brand to trust I think. Medium fits with loads of movement but snug enough to still be comfortable at speed on the planks (I'm 5'11" 160lbs). Why alpha you say? Its a bit longer and has a bigger hood for helmets. Otherwise identical to Beta.

This is a must have in the MH line. It is very soft, super warm, and feels like it will last forever. Good as a jacket and better as a packable layer. If youre 5'11" and about 165lbs go for the M. Fits great. Happy turns!

The hat sheds. But other than that, rock on!

These pants are warm and comfortable on a chilly morning around the campsite. Mediums fit me well (not loose or long at all) and I am 5'11" size 32. They make great ski pant liners too.

This shirt is well worth the price, and is quite snug in size. Great for hiking under the summer sun.