Contributions by maplegirlie (42)

If you're looking for durability or just a non-cotton t-shirt for layering or moderate spring & summer days, this is *not* the shirt to buy. I bought this as a gift for a friend and wasn't sure why this shirt was so expensive but figured the higher price tag (would impress him and) must mean higher quality. I threw it in the wash with another shirt that had some velcro on it, and the velcro snagged the fabric in several places and put a thin, 1-inch long tear in it. After just one washing, it looks junky and old. However, keeping as cool as possible in very hot weather seems to be the primary reason people buy this shirt. It hasn't been hot enough where I live to put it to the swelter test, but as the person who paid $50 for a gift, it's hard to see it fall apart after normal use.

I bought the men's version of these for a male friend of mine and I liked them so much that I bought 3 of the women's cut for myself. They've got a flattering cut for a woman, the fabric is smooth and touchable, and they are a great mid-weight t-shirt with decent wicking ability. The Lemon Meringue (yellow) is a little bit more see-through than I would prefer, but the Gin (green) and Geranium (pink) are completely opaque.

I bought this for a friend and I liked it on him so much that I bought 3 women's versions for myself. The fabric is mid-weight and good for layering or wearing alone on cool to warm spring days. We haven't had a chance to try them out for summer yet so I don't know how they will perform in really hot weather, but the fabric doesn't snag on every little thing it comes in contact with (like the more expensive Patagonia Airius T-Shirt, which I also bought for my friend, does).

I love the quality, color (red), fabric and design of this jacket, but I'm used to the looser fitting American cuts that offer plenty of room for layering. When I tried on the size medium in this, the arms were so snug that the already form-fitting shirt I was wearing underneath bunched up in the sleeves. I ordered a size M in this and a L in another fleece jacket by this same manufacturer (66 North Iceland Tindur Technical Jacket), and even the large was a little too snug for my liking. I am 5'5" and biceps are 12" in diameter to give you an idea.

There is so much to love about this jacket, but the deal-killer for me was the way my shirts bunched up in the sleeves when I put the jacket on. (I bought a size L and my biceps are 12" in diameter to give you some point of reference.) The sleeves are not so tight that your movement is restricted, but they are snug enough to be distracting. Maybe if you wore a super thin/lightweight base layer and nothing else it would be ok, but I want to be able to throw this on over my normal XC skiing and every day clothing and have it move with me.

This jacket made me fall in love with it, almost against my will. I was hoping the cut would be a little more form-fitting and dressy, and it's puffier than I wanted. But dang it, every time I put this jacket on, it literally makes me happy. It keeps me so toasty warm, I feel like my torso is still sitting in my living room, while the rest of me is out in the cold and snow! I have to disagree with some of the other reviewers who said it's a little short in length and the sleeves. I am 5'5" and bought a women's size medium and it fits just fine in both the torso and sleeve length. (But I'm older and don't wear the pants with my booty hanging out the back so maybe that's got something to do with it.) Two features I love are the drawstring at the bottom of the jacket to seal out drafts and the adjustable wrist straps that are so well-designed you can adjust them with your gloves ON.

I love Smartwool socks, and was disappointed to learn that my favorite model of Smartwool sock -- the Casual Sport Crew -- was no longer in production. After scouring the web in search of any remaining pairs of the Casual Sport Crew and finding none, I took a chance and ordered these Smartwool Adrenaline Medium Crew socks. I am very pleased with them and think they are comparable or possibly better than the Casual Sport Crew. I even conducted a couple of informal tests -- one indoor, one outdoor and one wash-and-dry -- to compare my old favorites with the Adrenalines. As soon as the socks arrived, I whipped off a shoe and put a new Adrenaline sock on my right foot and compared it to the Casual Sport Crew that I was already wearing on my left. At first, the Adrenaline seemed more comfy. But as time went on and I stopped thinking about my feet, I could notice no difference between them. They are about the same thickness and warmth; although the Adrenaline seems to have more cushion all around the sock, where the Casual Sport Crew has most of the cushion on the bottom of the sock and in the toe, but not on the top of the foot or around the calf like the Adrenaline does. (The Adrenaline is sportier looking. The Casual Sport Crew almost looks like a thick business-man's sock.) The second test was the wash-and-dry test. I have tried other brands of wool socks that shrank in the dryer to the point where I couldn't wear them again. In the 1-2 years that I've owned the Casual Sport Crews, they never shrank or lost their shape, so of course I wanted to see if the Adrenalines would survive the same treatment. They did. The Adrenaline came out of the dryer looking as if it had shrunk, but as soon as I slid my foot in, it was fine, and very comfy-cozy. The outdoor test: I wore wear one of each type of sock, each on a different foot, while hiking in the snow for about 1.5 hours. Again, I could find no difference in the way they felt. They both kept my feet warm. At one point my toes got cold (I'm one of those people whose fingers and toes are cold almost all of the time) but as soon as I wiggled my toes around in my hiking boots, they warmed up again. I don't know if I was imagining it or not, but the Adrenalines seemed to warm up a tiny bit faster. If you're a fan of the SmartWool Sport Crew sock, the Adrenaline Medium Crew is an excellent replacement. (When I was searching for the Sport Crew, I sent an e-mail to Smartwool and a rep there told me that the Heathered Rib is actually the replacement for the Sport Crew, but I found these Adrenalines first and am perfectly content with them.)

When I first got this backpack, I thought about returning it, but I've since decided it's a keeper. My #1 goal was to be able to carry everything I needed for a day at work in one bag with my hands free. It used to take me 2 trips from my car to office with arms full and bags or sweaters hanging from every available limb or finger. The ideal pack needed to hold my laptop, 3-ring binder, spiral notebook, 32-oz water bottle, maybe an extra sweater and my large lunches (which include a deep cereal/soup bowl, at least 2 frozen dinners and some fruit). This pack holds all that plus MORE (wireless mouse, a big wallet and other items from my purse, power cord, pens, etc.). It really does hold a TON of stuff. As a woman I appreciate the adjustable chest strap. Not sure I would recommend it for people with small body frames, though. I'm about 5'5" and the pack is a little long for me. It has a pressure point that either hits me at the top of my butt, or if I adjust the shoulder straps, it seems to put the pressure point right in the small of my back and bunch up around my head/neck. That's the only reason this bag doesn't get the 5th star. Since my walks from the car to the office are short and I can get everything in ONE trip, this bag has earned my respect.