George Crain

I am very happy with this pack. I have been on two lengthy - but short - trips (one up Half-Dome in Yosemite, and the other up Mt. Timpanogos in Utah). On both trip the pack fit and rode better than any pack I've ever hauled. The adjustments allow me to get it to ride just the way I like, and they can be changed incrementally when fatigue rolls in. The only gripe I have is that the little pockets on the belt could be a little further toward the center. Also, I fear the large, stretchy pocket in front (very, very handy) is going to get too stretchy in the future. I stuff a lot of gear in this front pocket, access it frequently, and want that pocket to never give out. Highly recommended!

This pad is light and rolls up small. However, it is quite a bit narrower than I anticipated (should have read the Specs more closely). The padding seemed okay - I slept as comfortably as I usually do. However, I'm 6'0" and 195 lbs, so there's not much roll-around space for me. Plus, my toes creep off the end, or I have to double up whatever wad of clothes I use for my pillow because it is off the other end of the pad. My advice: read the specs closely. If I had I would have gotten the Long size. I'll be keeping this one, though it may go to one of my teenaged kids.

I have this MH vest and like it a lot. It works very, very well, and I've been very impressed by it. The Windstopper fabric works quite well. This MH Windstopper jacket worked very well for me in extremely cold, windy, and just-a-little wet conditions in Oklahoma. It was quite warm with a capilene 3 layer beneath it. It also worked well for me in merely cold conditions in Colorado and Eastern Utah (temps in the 20s and 30s). However, I returned the jacket after a few weeks. My only nit-picky issues were 1) the pockets were a little funky, and my cell phone and wallet kept falling out (ie, there was no "space" or "lip" between the zipper and the back of the pocket); and 2) the color of the jacket (on-sale for a very good Backcountry.com price) was the exact same color as my MH vest. Yes, these are both extremely minor issues. Nevertheless, I returned it. Honestly, I will probably buy it again, but only after they fix the pockets. And when the black jacket goes on sale. It gets five stars, except for the pockets. Highest marks to MH.

What can you say about underwear? They feel great against the skin and keep my middle-section toasty. These aren't too high on the hips, nor too low on the behind. I haven't had any prolonged treks in them, so I can't tell you about the stink-resistance. My next big venture is not until November of this year, and these will be going with me. My Hanes won't. But for the cost, I'll take these over my Hanes any day. Highest marks.

The Hook Up and Hook Up Add-On both worked great and installation was simple. We took a 6000 mile trip (Houston to Yellowstone to Los Angeles, and back to Houston) with four bikes and not a single problem with the Add-On though part of the regular Hook Up had a problem. Bike installation is very simple, and a gigantic leap from a rooftop mount and the bikes seemed to ride quite securely. The only issue I had was with the regular Hook Up. While in the upright position (no bikes) the front tire lock-in mount rode too close to my car's exhaust and was partially melted, though still functional. I fixed this by simply moving the mount closer to the center, towards the car's hitch. No problems after that. I'm quite happy with the equipment.