M Jansson

I just finished the 450-mile 2006 Primal Quest, and did 80% of the foot sections in the Salomon XA Pro 3D. Although I should have had the Gore-Tex version to keep the sand out of them (yes, "sand" may be the only reason to look at Gore-Tex for adventure racing), they became my best friends during this unforgiving course. I started the race in different shoes, and promptly developed severe blisters due to sand packing in the toe box (as did many other racers). After switching to the 3Ds, I logged another 100 miles or so and my feet actually healed up, rather than deteriorate further - the 3Ds were excellent. I have two suggestions to make this great shoe even better: 1)add a thin nylon membrane in the sole to prevent rock bruise and 2)Add an integrated gaiter, but make it thinner/lighter/more breathable than the Nike Orizaba version.

I love everything about this headlamp. I use it for adventure racing, camping, night time trail running, and ski mountaineering. I was considering a MYO 5, but decided to give this a shot. I was worried that maybe the LED wouldn't give me enough light for night time orienteering (part of adventure racing), but there's an amazing amount of light output, and definitely enough. I could even see using it for mountain biking if not too technical. I like having different light output, but mostly I use the high beam, because there's still tons of battery life on high. The "blast" is great for when you are close to an orienteering CP and want to scan around to see if it's nearby. So far it has proven water proof, but I haven't submerged it, and I might try and seal the battery compartment up with electrical tape if I was in really wet conditions. The design is awesome with the diffuser lens, and also the ability to tilt it just so for the right angle for running etc. When you push it all the way up it prevents the light from being turned on in your pack—CRITICAL. This is one of those products I think will be with me for a long time.

Although I haven't used it that much yet, I am very happy with this spray skirt. The mesh pocket is great for adventure racing doo-dads, and it felt very comfortable inside compared to my old nylon skirt. Now, if this came with a zippered opening, to allow fast kayak transition in adventure races, I would award 5 stars!

I have used this jacket on trail runs, mountain bike rides, road bike rides, and paddling, in cool, misty and full-on rain conditions. I find it to be an excellent light shell, when you need something that packs away in one of the bike jersey pockets, yet you don't know what the weather will really be, or you have a long cold downhill somewhere. It isn't waterproof, but it keeps you less wet and a lot warmer than if you didn't have anything. I like having a full zipper instead of pullover style. It breathes really well, and fits me like a glove. The hood is really nice to have, but I wish there was a way to stuff it away behind a zipper so it doesn't flap so much when road biking. Highly recommended though - amazingly light.