Contributions by mnichols (4)

I wasn't sure if the High Point hat was heavy-duty enough for my needs (backcountry skiing, winter camping, mountaineering) but it really can handle temps below 0F. With a Smartwool neck gaiter and this hat, I've stayed warm through some serious cold.

From my experience, most people that wake up because of cold either: (1) didn't have a good enough sleeping pad or (2) their feet got too cold. Well, I didn't wake up from cold feet when I wore the hot socks. I was using an old synthetic bag w/ almost no loft. I don't know how cold it was inside the tent (an ultralight w/ 3 people jammed inside) but outside it was slightly below 0F w/o any windchill factored in). I'll update this review after a couple more outings, but they seemed to do the trick. Add a handwarmer to each hot sock and you're golden.

The Revelation 45L Backpack has all the accoutrements necessary for a good slog in the backcountry. With a sleeping bag and pad, however, you'll be hard-pressed to fit much else inside. Your stove equipment and (limited) supplies of food and water will top it off, depending on personal preferences/necessities for pad length, bag size, etc. The pack compensates on the outside, allowing you, the backcountry skier/mountaineer, to load skis, crampons, multiple ice tools, and a shovel. For peak baggers, the pack can be used specifically for summit pushes. Take out the frame and leave it at home; it's not a very large pack, the frame is (quite visibly) flimsy, and removing the frame makes the pack surprisingly compactable. It can then be stuffed into a bigger, burlier approach pack. The pockets on the waist belt are barely large enough to fit your inedible "energy" bars, so they will be better suited to carrying chapstick, whistle, knife, and other small items. Happy hunting.

I managed to get this thing pretty hot when I cleaned the rope, but it wasn't a problem or anything. Dust all on my hand too. Definitely was doing its job!