I really wanted to like these poles. For the first 4 times out, I truly believed they had a winner. Unfortunately on the 5th the pole snapped as I was knocking the snow off my boots.

The swing weight and feel of these poles is really great. I am just not sure I want to be bothered with swapping these out for new ones ever week and a half after they break.

UPDATE 01/25/12.....Just went throught my second set. This time they splintered right below the grip. Luckily backcountry.com has such a good exchange program or I would be out $200.

UPDATE 03/27/12....3 for 3. Third pair just broke.

Like most products, these goggles will fit differently for each individual. I had the chance today to take these out for a spin and compare them head to head with my Smith IO's. I wore both with my Smith Vantage Helmet. Here are some pros and cons....

Pros....
1. These have the easiest lens change technology of anything on the market
2. The optical clarity appears to be better than those on my Smith lenses.
3. These goggles do not place any pressure on your nose what so ever

Cons....
1. The low light lens does not show as much contrast as that of my Smith
2. With the helmet, there is still a little gap on the sides of the goggles
3. The top vents really move a lot of air, and under a helmet makes you feel like you have a gaper gap.

If I were just wearing a beanie or had a little wider face these would be a great choice.

Picked up a pair of these towards the end of the ski season last year. Very comfortable and initially appeared to work great. The only problem I have is they tend to ride up to above my knees leaving a gap between my socks and my baselayer. I do like the material and these are warm - they just need to have some stronger elastic to keep them from riding up.

These work great for everyday driving around. Lenses are easy to change in and out - definitely a plus if you are prone to scratches like I am. The tortoise color appears darker in person than they do here on the website. Fit is great and I never have to worry about them falling off regardless of the activity.

I was able to take these out for my first day of skiing this year. All I had were these and a pair of shell bibs. The temperature was around 23 degrees with wind gusts upwards of 50 MPH. These provided a great deal of warmth and my legs never felt tired. These did not ride up and stayed in place throughout the entire day of skiing. I really miss not having a fly, but other than that a real solid pair of baselayer tights.

I have been using these for about 3 seasons now, and I am not sure why someone would choose any other pair of goggles. The lenses are extremely simple to change in and out, and Smith offers a great selection of alternate lens tints. For less than $60 I can pick up a lens for bright/sunny conditions, or use the included lens for cloudy and overcast days.

Seamless integration with my Smith helmets, plus these are a little smaller than the I/O - so they work even better when just wearing a beanie.

I have not hat any fogging problems or durability issues. I guess some people may not like the buckle in the back, but I believe it makes these simple to put on, whether you are wearing a helmet or hat.

Nice option for a light weight insulated piece. Compared this to other jackets with similar insulation. The Stoic jacket weighs so much less, allows for better movement, very water/windproof, and with just a light weight shirt underneath keeps you very warm. More pockets than I would ever need. Powder skirt can be winched up to allow a tighter fit. Durability appears to be good - more on that at the end of this season.

4/7/10 - after wearing his jacket for 25+ days this year I have finally found a flaw. The color fades terribly. The jacket is now 2-3 different shades of blue. Areas not exposed to the elements such as under the arms or under the hood are still the original color. Everywhere the fabric has been exposed is now a very pale light blue.

Nice midlayer shirt. I wear this on top of a sleeveless compression shirt and under my Stoic Bombshell Insulated Jacket. Keeps me nice and toasty. Definitely designed to fit snug, and the long arms are nice when you use the thumb holes.

The white is more like a cream and not a true white at all.

This year I have been looking for a better pair of boots. I purchased a pair of Full Tilt Bumble Bee Pro's early in the season, but after a few days, they just did not seem to do it for me anymore. After Christmas I picked up a pair of these Krypton Pro's. Compared to the Full Tilt's, the Krypton does have a higher instep. The boot fitter was actually able to get a custom footbed in there for me where unlike the FT in which there was no room. I do find these to be quicker from edge to edge compared to the FT. While the FT is definitely a lighter boot, the Krypton flex appears to be more smooth, and the buckles are certainly going to be more durable. I believe Dalbello has certainly produced the next step in the "Flexon" technology. Sold the FT's and very happy I am now in the Kryptons.

I picked these up as an alternative to my Hestra Freeride gloves. The gauntlet design combined with the 3 finger set up, make this a very easy glove to use during those deep powder days. I would agree that the liner is not particularly heavy, but one can easily add a second liner for those really cold days. Although I have yet to encounter a day that would require another layer. Wore these to -6 below and they performed great. A big step up over the traditional mitten.

I have been skiing on a pair of Daleboot's for several seasons now. Recently I was in at the Backcountry.com retail store and noticed the Full Tilt Bumblebee's and decided to give them a shot. I am very glad that I did. Once the intuition liners have been heat molded to your foot, the fit is unbelievable. When I compare these to my completely custom Daleboot's, the Full Tilt's fit much better and perform better as well. I especially like the idea of being able to control the boot's flex by simply changing out the tongue. This certainly is a low volume boot. I have always worn custom insoles due to my high arch, but this boot does not have the volume for insoles. However, the liner fits so good I cannot see why a person would require a custom footbed. The boots are warm, good anywhere on the mountain, and do not require any tinkering during the day. After wearing these, I would not buy anything other than a 3 piece boot in the future.

I have used Swany, Spyder, Black Diamond, Marmot and many other gloves over the years. These gloves from Hestra have the best dexterity of any glove I have tried. Normally I lean towards an "over the cuff" style or a glove with a long gauntlet. Since purchasing these gloves I do not think I will go back. During a big powder day this might not be the right glove, but for any other occasion I will not hesitate to pull these out of my bag. My fingers do feel a bit frosty from time to time, but by the time I start moving my hands they warm right up. These gloves allow you to do all the things one normally has to remove a glove to do - accept access your iPhone.

I have been using this in combination with my Mountain Hardwear Kramer jacket. Wearing this, a simple wick away tee shirt, and by Kramer softshell I was warm in temperatures well below freezing. The drawcord on the neck comes in handy to help lock out any wind or cold one might pick up during a quick run down the mountain. Other than the tightness from the thumbholes in the sleeves while wearing gloves, this was a great purchase. Performs better than a traditional full zip fleece jacket.

I have skied these all over the mountain. The only place they do not perform with flying colors is in tight bumps. But then again, I do not go looking to ski just bumps anymore. You can really lean into this ski, but if you do you will be grinning from ear to ear with excitement. No matter the conditions, these skis will not disappoint.

This insole is great when used in combination with the shoes standard insole. I have won it with and without the extra cushioning of the shoe's normal insole. I definitely prefer the added cushion when worn on top of the original insole. These truly help to stabilize the foot. No more ankle sprains.

I purchased these gloves as an alternative to the full blow mittens. I really enjoyed the style, dexterity and overall warmth. However, I was very shocked this weekend to find that the seam has split on my right glove. Definitely had hoped these would be more durable. Getting them under the cuff of my soft shell does require a bit of work - but can be done.

I have worn this jacket during the two extremes of Utah skiing. Worked great during the early season mid 40 degree temperatures. During those days only wore a thin shirt under the jacket - never over heated and never felt cold. Also wore the jacket this weekend during single digit temps. Added my Mountain Hardwear monkey man fleece 1/4 zip as a mid layer and stayed nice and toasty. Why by an insulated jacket and a shell when this will do the job of both.

Switched to the fat cat from my older Yakima ski rack. The larger button is certainly easier to use while wearing gloves/mittens. I am a little uneasy about how far the rack closes with skis loaded. Seems to me like the lock should engage further down. The first time I used this rack I was a little nervous that the rack may come open during transport. The low profile definitely means you do not hear any wind noise while using this rack.

I have been using several different pants made by Spyder over the years. Regretfully the durability was never that great and I was never into the real baggy fit. These pants fit the way a ski pant should. Roomy enough to allow a light weight pair of tights, but not so big that you have to worry about them falling down during a powder day. So far they have performed very well during warm ski days - 40+, and also during single digit outings. As long as they hold up - I am sold.

I have owned several Giro helmets over the years. The fit was always a little bit off. This helmet definitely fits well enough I do not even think about whether or not I should wear it or a hat. I have added the SkullCandy bluetooth audio to make this a great accessory for those solo ski days. When used in combination with the new Smith I/O goggle you get a truly seamless integration. I like the rear adjustment which helps snug the helmet up against the back of your neck. Vents work well - although the lever is a little small and takes a few seconds to find.

I was looking for a good softshell to use instead of my parka. This was definitely what I was looking for. The powder skirt works great for sunny days in the fresh stuff. I wore this with a fleece sweatshirt at 10F and still stayed really warm. The jacket fits snugly so keep that in mind.

I recently purchased these goggles in a comparison against my Oakley Wisdoms. There really is no comparison. The Smith's are much more comfortable - especially when using a helmet. I can actually breathe out of my nose since the goggle does not press down like the Oakley's. If you are considering a top end goggle, this should be your choice. Reasonably priced replacement lenses is also a big plus.

I typically use mittens compared to gloves, but I thought for once I would give these a try. Really easy to use. The gauntlet is easy to tighten and loosen, nose wipe on thumb is easier to use as compared to one on finger, and all leather construction makes them very durable. Worked great for snowboarding and skiing. I have not figured out the reasoning behind the hard knuckles - but I also hope I never have to.

This little strap actually saved me the price of a new pair of goggles. Easy to use and install. Worth every penny.