Contributions by Elias the Terrible (40)

Hey there. The floor as well as the fly are taped for waterproofing. I don't think that this tent is intended for way out there mountaineering adventures, but as long as you have the fly set up nice and taught, you should be okay on for a rainy bit. Hope this helps!

You'll rally groomers pretty casually as long as things aren't too icy. This is a pretty dedicated freestyle board so the design is going to give up some all mountain stability in exchange for a soft, nimble ride. Basically, you'll get around Park City just fine but probably flounder at the Bird.

It looks like about 6 hours...

The shipping weight is about 5 lbs. for the pair. They feel super light once you're skiing on em.

Volume. The 500 has a 700cu inch volume vs. the 440cu inches available in the 450. Everything else is the same (materials, opening, etc). Cheers!

1. I wear a 25.5 and my sole is 295mm. That puts a 26.5 at roughly 305mm. Depending on brand there may be +/- 2mm difference, but most bindings adjust easily to such a small variation.

2. Yes, ski boot shells are made in 'whole' sizes only. Usually the only difference between the .0 and .5 variants is the thickness of the stock footbed. Any shop kid will tell you that the only reason .5s were invented is to create a placebo for those trying on ski boots. "Do you have this in a half size?" Hope this helps!

Buy this. You're stoked! Pair it up with the MSR Titan Kettle (type CAS0385 into the search above) and you are all set. The stove will fit into the pot easily and will hold plenty of water to cook off some pasta. You don't need anything in between the stove and pots, just a flat spot to set everything down before getting started. Have fun!

Scarpa F1: 2740 grams in 27.0
Dynafit Zzero 3: 3190 grams in 27.0

You'd take on ~500 extra grams with the Zzero, but you'd get a great deal more high speed stability too.

They will serve as some protection, but they are not made for snake protection

No non-venomous snake (in North America) has teeth any where near long enough to get through this material. The only (only!) thing that would be of any concern would be very large pit vipers (read: big ol rattlers). Snakes that big are tremendously rare in the wild and, trust me, they do not want to tangle with you. Herpetologists that stomp into rattler country on purpose wear loose fitting long pants over regular ol hiking boots and carry a long stick. You are good to go!

The max height of this tent is roughly 5'3" therefore the vestibule height should be roughly the same. It should have plenty of space for cooking on a camp stove. The fly isn't vented in and of itself, but can be rolled back for ventilation if needed. Hope this helps!

The colors are the only difference. All of the tech features are the same. Snag one!

if it is on sale, that usually means, there is a sale... duh, or it is last years model.

Naw, paddles are sold separately.

These would work very well in wet snow. The narrow 'tail' helps to make them more nimble. It will also help things easier while hiking downhill in deeper snow. A more deep snow specific design would have a wider 'tail' for more float. According to the Redfeather site, get the bigger size for more performance in deep snow. Hope this helps!

This harness is intended for long, long climbs. That being said, the extra loop is just for extra organization of gear, ropes, etc while up on a wall for an entire day. That area of a harness can get a little crowded, ya know?

The footprint is sold separately.

That'll be pretty small for a weeks worth of gear. The laptop may fit, but unless you wear the same clothes every day, you would rather a larger pack. Check out The North Face Terra 40. It's a bit bigger with trim styling (read: not a lot of straps and crap hanging off of it) and not too spendy. Have a blast!

For bumps and groomers a 169 would be better. In powder the 177 will be better because it will help you float. It will also be better for skiing crud. Keep in mind that twin-tip are short for their length. A 177 will be more like a 170-172 non twin.

Yo for your size you should absolutely stay away from the 169. You'll over-turn that thing. I'm 5'9" and 135lbs and swear by the 185cm, mounted a bit back. This ski rips the piss out of every condition...as long as the snow is less than boot-top deep. It's a little skittery in deep snow. Mounted back really helps w/ all mountain performance as this ski is a bit stiff for true freestyle. Even w/ them mounted back a few cm, you can still rally around the mountain switch a-okay!

Lying on your back a left hand zip would be to your left, yeah.

The two are the same length (198cm) but the xtra wide has more room (bigger circumference) and is only a bit heavier. Check the Tech Specs for the details.

Pretty much. There's always a few new routes at established places that aren't in the book as well as local only joints, but this is my go-to for every trip throughout the state. A great starting point and easy to follow road directions.

Yes you can. Just select the 'Womens' version and you'll get the Berry color. Cheers!

Yes, according to Marmot's site the footprint should be included with this tent.

There are plenty available right now (5/19/08). Grab one up!

Yeah, this is a twin ski, but too stiff for most pure freestyle minded skiers out there. But since it is intended for that style of riding, the factory mount point is more forward than usual, but not quite centered. This is the type of ski for peeps that love to ski the whole mountain, like to ski switch, and dabble around in the park when all their friends insist on a few laps. Pull those binders back a bit and you'll dig this ski. If you're more stoked on true freestyle, aim for something softer flexing. Peace.

This stove's shipping weight is roughly 14lbs. Hope this helps!

I don't have an exact answer for weight, but the tips and tails are a honeycomb construction so it skis light and spins real easy. I've skied the big one and was impressed with how agile it was for such a fat ski with a real mellow sidecut (~40m in the 192cm!).

Gotamas. Flat set-up instead of a system ski. More versatile with the twin-tip and way more agile for trees and technical descents. The Titan reminds me of stock car racing; way fast and fun as long as you're not turning much.

Includes 12 ft cable, vehicle cable, battery clamps & link adaptor cable

They're a bit heavy for carrying, but so nimble that they don't feel heavy while ripping around. My brother thought they were clunky feeling until he opened it up some. Ski these fast and they'll turn on a dime. I'm 5' 8" and only 'bout 135lbs and I ski the 189cm so don't be afraid to go big on the sizing.

The big difference is that the Earlylight has twin doors and vestibules whereas the Limelight has only one. A more subtle difference is the shape of the doors. The Earlylight has D shaped doors, which helps to keep them off of the ground when open. These extra features do add some ounces to the final 'carrying' weight of the Earlylight.

Can't say specifically since I wasn't there, but you could assume that a year on the Amazon is a tough life for any product. If the solar panel was ever stored while damp, stored with the solar panels facing outward, or folded/creased through the solar panels themselves then the product's performance will indeed suffer. I can't imagine spending a year in the jungle and having this item never get wet. According to Brunton's online manual, this item is water resistant, but it also stresses that it should/must be stored dry. Hope this helps!

Yup. One on each narrow end. Each has its own vestibule too.

Weight: 3 lbs. 9 oz. / 1.6 kg
Dimensions: 33"h x 15"w x 12"d
Volume: 5000.0 cu in / 81.9L

It's bombproof in the wet weather, doesn't weigh a whole lot, and it won't be cold at all where you're headed. You should be a-okay in this one.

That might be pushing it some. You're basically looking at a shallow tupperwear container's worth of space...minus the interior pockets. You'll probably have to carry less or grab a bigger bag.

It's not mentioned in the Tech Specs, but you can carry skis diagonally as well. The snap at the top of the loop will free it so you can stuff the tails of your skis in there.