Contributions by ncaligirl (7)

I ordered a M and both the sleeves were too short and body was too short. I am 5'7", wear a size S on top and don't have ape-length arms, so I chalked it up to poor design and returned it. I kept the Spyder hoodie, which has long sleeves and a long, narrow-ish body.

Best hoodie ever. Medium weight, nice drape, no strings, longer length than typical (just covers hips), trim/modern cut and longer sleeves that fit my long arms. Blows the North Face hoodie sweatshirt out of the water (sleeves too short, body too boxy - will be returned). Not sure if it is worth $75, but it is by far my favorite sweatshirt and would layer under a vest easily. I bought black - nice and neutral, works well with everything. Especially like the neck snaps instead of the drawstring.

I've had this cookset for over 10 years; have cooked up many amazing meals in conditions when one might consider just dropping a bag of stuff in boiling water or rehydrating something unrecognizable. They are a pleasure to use, easy to clean, pack up well (especially with MSR's Alpine Kitchen set - another must have) and are durable. Especially helpful - the removable clamp-on aluminum pot handle - I've even loaned the handle to other friends with lesser-designed cooksets when they couldn't figure out how to get their hot pot & handle off the flame. Newer-fangled materials have since come along (titanium, etc.) which may perform even better, but I think it's great that this MSR design paved the way for innovative, compact camping cookware offered at a great price.

I love this jacket with the sleeves on but when I unzipped the sleeves, I noticed the Velcro near the armholes would snag my long-sleeve jersey. I thought the problem would fix itself once I was positioned properly on my bike, but when I returned from my ride, my sleeve (upper interior bicep area) was quite ragged. It's the only disappointment, however. The jacket is cut perfectly, has excellent ventilation but also cuts the wind chill without overheating me. I bought the Moab/Golden Orange jacket and receive many compliments on it. I think Pearl Izumi would make a perfect jacket if they'd just switch the rough Velcro to the removable portion of the sleeves and leave the soft Velcro on the jacket body (an easy fix, I think). I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a versatile, lightweight biking jacket. I'm 5'7" size 6-8 and bought a Medium. It fits perfectly.

I rode my mtn bike in the dark on city streets tonight -the Tikka XP was far brighter than my bike-mounted light. I used the Tikka's 'strobe' setting and could read street signs well in advance of when I needed to. I felt comfortable knowing I was very visible to cars. Oh - and it stayed on my helmet perfectly without slipping or sliding around. I directed the beam downward, just in front of my bike so as to not blind oncoming drivers or pedestrians. In short - excellent headlamp, compact, simple to operate and lightweight. I can't wait to use it camping! A great find..and water resistant, too. This replaces my two-strap, waterproof 1997 Petzl headlamp that had a 4AA battery pack, two separate bulbs (one adjustable focus) and an unbelievably cumbersome rear battery housing that caused the headlamp to slide all over my head and blinded anyone I was talking to.

I purchased this jacket in Oct 07 and it has performed wonderfully, even at 60+ mph on a motorcycle in 35-40 deg F temps. Very windproof, excellent water resistance, comfortable albeit at times a bit warm for coastal hiking in N. California (that's my fault, I'm just learning how to best use the jacket in the climate here). The cut is excellent, I love the drawstring at the hem (a must), and the pockets are perfect - interior and exterior. People often ask me what the goat is all about, so it is good advertising. All in all - great features, and excellent construction/materials/design. I guessed at my size and ordered a Med - it works (I'm 5'7" and tend to be a size 6/8) - just long enough in the arms and jacket hem comes over the hips to keep out the drafts, with room for layering underneath.