I have been a Benchmade guy for years, having gone the Spyderco and Cold Steel route in the past and finding that I preferred the Benchmade knives.

This is my daily carry knife, at work, on days off, and for hiking and backpacking. I have a 722 as well as this 551, as I normally like a Tanto blade. I may even get a 553 in another color.

When compared to basic pocketknives, these may seem pricey, but they really aren't in the big picture of knives.

I picked one of these up in the new Spring 2012 version, and I must say that I am quite impressed. The brim is now a full inch wider, making it a legit hiking hat for me here in sunny So Cal, and the fit and sizing has changed as well.

In last year's (last season's, I guess) model, the large fit me too loosely (it was moving around and would fall off if I leaned over), and the medium too tightly (uncomfortably so), but the Spring 2012 model fits perfectly in a large, with just the right amount of wiggle room. The crown depth on this hat is also just a touch less than on most comparable sun and bucket hats, which I like. It means the hat doesn't creep down too low on my forehead while hiking, which I usually have to accomodate for by cinching a hat's adjustment down, which sometimes affects comfort.

I am loving this lightweight, breathable, comfy offering from Patagonia!

I bought one of these after being impressed with reviews all over the net about them. It arrived and it looked sharp. I tried it on and the cut was a little strange. A tad shorter than I like, and the neck was cut rather wide, kind of a boatneck effect. Oh well, I thought maybe that would help with ventilation. The chest, back, arms, and shoulders fit perfectly.

I also noticed that the mesh portion felt a bit rough, but chalked that up to it having not yet been washed. I washed it and wore it to the gym. I was thoroughly underwelmed. The mesh was still abrasive, and the shorter length meant it showed my stomach when reaching overhead. The boatneck cut bothered me, too.

I bought this for warm to hot-weather hiking and for the gym, but I prefer my other options. If I want a techie crew, I prefer my MH Wicked Lite T, which I get for $21 on sale. It wasn't really any cooler than my Cap 2 crew shirts, $27 on sale, and much less so than my Cap 1 stretch tanks, which I get on sale for $18.

Maybe I'm just not an Arc'teryx guy, I don't know. For $65, this one is going back.

No surprise, I guess, after how much I have enjoyed my Nano Puff Pullover, that this has become my most-used piece of insulation. I bought it in black, so it goes with everything. I wear it daily with a t-shirt and shorts as a casual piece, and will probably keep it that way, using my MH Zonal Vest for hiking and my mont-bell Ex Light Vest for backpacking. I love vests, so if my tax refund comes in, I may even look at an Arc'teryx Atom LT Vest as well for casual and hiking wear. No, I don't need all those vests, but hey...

Bought this for my wife in the Horizon Sky color, which is very pretty in person. The hat has a nice cut, fit, and finish, and is very lightweight and breathable. For a ballcap, it has a nice feminine look to it without being too girly or useless. It is perfect for the warm to hot weather hiking we typically do. The clincher for her was the slot for her ponytail, which surprisingly a lot of womens' hats do not have.

Nice cut, fit, and quality on this shirt. Sizing is true to size. The design caught my eye, and honestly, simple items like this are the only way I will ever have any Arc'teryx gear. The cost is on the higher end of T-Shirts, but not crazily so.

This is my go-to shirt for hot weather hiking. I sported one of these on last summer's Rim-To-River dayhike of the Grand Canyon, a 17-mile trek in 113 degree weather, and it performed like a champ. They are great for the gym as well. I picked up several in various colors when they went on sale.

I just picked one of these up because I thought it would slot in perfectly between my size medium TNF Base Camp Duffel, which can be too small for a 4-5 day motel road trip, and my size XL TNF Base Camp Duffel, which is just friggin ginormous. Yes, I know it can be cinched down, but frankly, that thing is a body bag, and more often than not, when I load it up, it is too cumbersome to lug. The medium just gets too tight sometimes, and it is not going to get bigger. I am using both of them to store gear in my garage right now, as they are super tough and durable.

I was right about the Patagonia bag. This fills the bill nicely, and in the meantime until the next road trip, keeps all my gear neatly organized in the back of my rig. I like the flat, padded bottom and the organizer pockets. The fabric seems to either be a lighter weight or just more pliable than the TNF bags, because I don't feel like I have to wrestle it as much, and the zippers seem smoother.

All told, I am very happy with this bag so far, and may look to get one for my wife and son.

This just arrived in the mail. I think I'm going to like it. The 94% nylon / 6% spandex blend is uber freakin lightweight, and feels comfy on my grape already. It sports a 2" brim and a 3.5" crown depth. I think it's going to be an awesome summer hiking hat.

I wear a 7 1/2 to 7 5/8 in fitted caps and the L/XL just fits. The color scheme in the Calico is saucy and fun. I will wear it hiking tomorrow and update my review.

Edit/Update: I knocked out a 7.5 mile dayhike today in sunny conditions and this thing is a champ if it fits you, but it was just snug enough to start bothering me halfway into the hike. I will be returning it and sticking with my OR Sun Bucket and Patagonia Bucket hats for now.

For some reason I thought this was a foam trucker. Bummer. My bad; I guess I should read descriptions more carefully. And it's a really trucker-y trucker hat. Short, flat brim. There's no way I can even pull this thing off. Oh well. For eight bucks I will send it back; it will cover shipping on my return with a couple other items.

So far, so good on these. I bought them for my little dude and we have tested them out in the house and on short walks. He seems pretty comfortable with them. I will update my review after they have been field tested on some longer hikes.

Got this on sale, just as with almost everything else I buy. Quality is good, fun design, tagless, and nice soft cotton blend (recycled content is good, too). Sizing seems about right as well. Great casual shirt for the little dude.

Got this on sale, just as with almost everything else I buy. Quality is good, fun design, and nice soft cotton. Sizing seems about right as well. Great casual shirt for the little dude.

I bought this on sale for my son in the "Cerise" color, because it looked red on my computer screen, and other than that, there are no differences between the boys' and girls' shirts. It arrived and it is definitely pink. Not hot pink, but a rosy red pink.

I am sending it back and getting him the Lemon Lime, as he already has the Bali Blue. This is still a great shirt and the usual five-star quality from Patagonia, just be forewarned about the color.

Bought this on sale for my wife in the modern blue color, which turned out to be gorgeous.

Although not labeled here on the site, this was the "Anika" fit. For her, the various cuts play out as follows:

The "regular" fit is cut a bit slimmer than the "boy" fit and about the same as the "Anika" fit (just without the scoop neck).

As always, the quality is outstanding, and we both love the softness of the Patagonia organic cotton clothing.

Bought this on sale for my wife in the coral color, which turned out to be very pretty. The "regular" fit is cut a bit slimmer than the "boy" fit and about the same as the "Anika" fit (just without the scoop neck). As always, the quality is outstanding, and we both love the softness of the Patagonia organic cotton clothing.

Great shirts; I love the cut and the fit, and it has a nice soft jersey feel to it even though it's polyester. I bought a couple of these when they went on sale in the short-sleeved version. I can't really speak to the performance aspect of these, as I use them for everyday wear and hike in my Cap 1 or Cap 2 shirts.

I picked one of these up in the new Spring 2012 version, and I must say that I am quite impressed. The brim is now a full inch wider, making it a legit hiking hat for me here in sunny So Cal, and the fit and sizing has changed as well.

In last year's (last season's, I guess) model, the large fit me too loosely (it was moving around and would fall off if I leaned over), and the medium too tightly (uncomfortably so), but the Spring 2012 model fits perfectly in a large, with just the right amount of wiggle room. The crown depth on this hat is also just a touch less than on most comparable sun and bucket hats, which I like. It means the hat doesn't creep down too low on my forehead while hiking, which I usually have to accomodate for by cinching a hat's adjustment down, which sometimes affects comfort.

I am loving this lightweight, breathable, comfy offering from Patagonia!

Every bit as nice as the Cap 1 boxer briefs, but a bit more breathable, and cut a little fuller. Love these for casual wear on my days off.

Many folks dread the newest "refresh" or redesign of a favorite piece of gear or clothing, and I am no exception, so I shuddered a bit at seeing that my favorite hiking shorts were changing. We have all seen nearly perfect pieces of gear and clothing go horribly awry, as with the classic REI Sahara shorts (need I say more?)

The first thing I noticed in the description of the GI III shorts vs the previous models, the GI II, was that the inseam had gone from 11 inches to 10. Mind you, I am no fan of the "basketball shorts" look, but I don't want to look like Magnum, PI, either.

Looking closer, I saw that the fabric was changing to Taslan, a new color was available (Alpha Green), and the belt was not quite as "captive" as before.

I took a chance and ordered a pair...

The new fabric is nice and soft, and not at all crunchy. The new zipper pulls are a nice touch, and the difference in the belt is barely noticeable. I like the new Alpha Green.

Now the serious business. The one-inch difference in inseam length is noticeable, but not a big deal. Be aware, however, that these shorts are cut significantly slimmer than the previous iteration. Significantly. Mrs. B-P likes them a lot, and says they flatter my physique more so than the "baggy" GI IIs, but I'll have to say, I was initially a bit worried that they might be too sleek. I am now used to them and wear them more than my old ones, but just know what you are getting into.

All said, for me, these are an improvement over the GI II shorts, and I am relieved. I even bought another pair in Forge Grey.

I picked one of these up recently, but my little dude is not yet old enough to roll in it. The construction, features, and fit are all top-notch, and he enjoys sitting in it. The storage, hydration bladder compatability, and foot support were key features for me, as I want to be able to roll solo with him and not need another bag. I will post an update after it has been field tested.