Sea To Summit DryLite Towel

September 7, 2009

A medium should have plenty of drying capacity for any activity, including showers. I've used an XS for showering, just ring it out if it gets saturated.

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Sea To Summit DryLite Towel

September 7, 2009

These feel reallly soft to me, softest I've ever found. I've stuck with Drylite for the last 4 years or so.

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Sea To Summit DryLite Towel

September 7, 2009

The prior answer reads more like an ad, no comparison with the featured product - pretty useless. The drylite towel is more comfortable to me than any of the other pack towels. I would recommend you find some to get a feel for yourself before buying.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Oakley Titanium Whisker Sunglasses - Polarized

December 1, 2008

Peggy,Not sure what year they are, but Oakley still offers them, so they have not been discontinued. Also, I found them at comparable prices on most websites. Get em while their hot.EDIT (Jersey Hiker): These are current issue for sure - still available on Oakley's website. I find that, for the same frame design, Oakley periodically mixes up the frame/lens combinations (maybe every 1-2 years). AFAIK, there is no "newer" whisker sunglass design available.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Ultimate baselayer

Arc'teryx Rho LT Bottom - Men's

Arc'teryx Rho LT Bottom - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 December 1, 2008

...and for the price, they should be! These are very nicely constructed (could do without the laminated pocket - not sure what their obsession is with these things, but, whatever). Extremely comfortable, seem to be very odor-resistant, moderate warmth. Intended to be form fitting, so don't size up.

Nailed It? 2 Yes

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Brunton Nomad V2 Pro Digital Compass

November 27, 2008

I do not know for certain if the Brunton Nomad V2 Pro Digital Compass will work in other countries but I see no reason why it would not. It is NOT a GPS and does not use Satellites. According to the included product manual: "the altimeter has a 1 meter (or one foot) resolution and has a working range from -700 meters (-2296 feet) to 9000 meters (29520 feet)." So just keep it in that range, which shouldn't be hard, and you are good to go. EDIT (Jersey Hiker): Yes, this will work anywhere on Earth. Altitude is determined by air pressure, and the compass is simply a digital version of a standard magnetic compass - no sattelite or other local data system is used.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Oakley Titanium Whisker Sunglasses - Polarized

November 27, 2008

Yes they do, and in fact, I believe all of their lenses meet ANSI specifications for impact. Look for the "industrial M frames" if you need an actual pair of safety glasses.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Fine specs

Oakley Titanium  Whisker Sunglasses - Polarized

Oakley Titanium Whisker Sunglasses - Polarized

Rating for this product: 5 November 26, 2008

I already have the whisker in brown/bronze polarized (love them - but light transmission is a little high for snow/sand). The titanium frame (incorrectly listed here as C5, which is the heavier alloy material) is super lightweight, noticably lighter than my other pair of whiskers. My first pair was returned because the frames were bent a bit out of alignment (could cause the lenses to pop out). The exchanged pair are perfect, no problem with lenses popping out (just don't sit on them!!). Besides, if you have any problems with the frame, my experience with Oakley (and Backcountry for that matter) is that the customer service is very pleasant to deal with, and there is a warantee to cover these sorts of problems (they've repaired/replaced stuff for me for free, even though the damage was clearly my fault). The titanium iridium lenses are just about perfect for me, still a little bright in sand and snow (significantly better than bronze polarized though), but I don't like lenses that are too dark. These have a pretty stong mirror finish to them, and a tint which improves contrast. Optical clarity is just as good as any Oakley I've owned (6 pairs and counting), no worries there. I suspect that the black iridium lenses might be *perceived* as being less clear because they lack any contrast enhancing tint (but nice because they give better color accuracy), and my experience again is that Oakley more commonly offers lenses with contrast enhancement rather than without. Anyway, great sunglasses as usual - highly recommended.

Nailed It? 2 Yes

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Suunto Vector Altimeter Watch

November 21, 2008

he means if the readings are in feet or meters and the barometric pressure in mBars or other units !!!!are they ?EDIT (Jersey Hiker) - I doubt that he is referring to units, that makes NO DIFFERENCE when determining pressure trends, and every digital altimeter I've used can be set to either feet or meters (I'm certain that this one can as well). He is apparently confused as to how the watch functions, i.e., if it uses a data system only available in the US (no it does not). All functions of this watch will work anywhere on Earth. This watch uses a simple air pressure sensor which 1) functions as a barometer IF confined to one location (no changes in altitude!) for a day or two so that a pressure trend may be recorded, or 2)functions as an altimeter IF properly calibrated to a known altitude IMMEDIATELY BEFORE USE. One sensor, two ways of interpreting the data generated.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Inertia Plus is quite a material

Cloudveil Inertia Peak Hooded Jacket - Men's

Cloudveil Inertia Peak Hooded Jacket - Men's

Rating for this product: 5 November 21, 2008

I have the hoodless Inertia Peak Jacket from Cloudveil and have to say, I love this material. It's got some thickness to it which gives it more warmth than a standard windbreaker. Soft feel and MUCH quieter than other nylon-faced softshells I've tried (like Windstopper and PowerShield). A good bit less wind resistant than these materials, but as a result, it's significantly more breathable. This is a very effective combination of breathability and wind resistance, perfect for spring/fall in the northeast (IMO, not very good by itself once it gets colder - but if you layer up it can do the job - especially if there's not much wind). This fabric seems to be much more technically advanced than other wind resistant fabrics - 1. It uses no spandex, which is prone to absorbing water, instead it uses spiral yarns for stretch (ingenious!), 2. It combines a nylon face for abrasion resistance with a polyester lining for soft, effective wicking, 3. The lining also incorporates a little carbon to eliminate static (and it works!) - every jacket should have this, especially winter gear. The fit is baggy, I recommend sizing down if you can. Not a big fan of the collar either, it doesn't seem to hold its shape well (but with a hood, that might not matter).

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Arc'teryx Gamma SV Hooded Jacket - Men's

November 20, 2008

The front falls just below the buckle on me, but (at 5'6") I'm not a tall guy, so YMMV. Anyway, I've tried on other Arcteryx stuff that just barely meets the belt line on me, so this definitely seems to be cut a little longer.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Brunton Atmospheric Data Center Summit

November 20, 2008

The watch has an altimiter so it knows what the pressure should be, and checks how much the pressure has changed vs. how much your altitude has changed. Any anomolies in that would point to a storm.EDIT (Jersey Hiker): No, you are not correct. I guess a lot of people don't understand that a pressure-based altimeter and a barometer are THE SAME THING. This is a drawback because you will always have to calibrate the alitmeter to a known altitude immediately before using it. Additionally, if atmospheric pressure changes during your climb (which it usually does to some extent) it will introduce an error into your reading (not usually a big error though, especially if you use a topo to recalibrate whenever possible).A GPS is an example of a non-pressure-based altimeter since it uses satellites to compute your position and altitude. With good reception, a modern GPS is reasonably accurate (USUALLY, but I've had mixed results myself - also having a standard altimeter or combined unit is preferred).For example: Say you're planning to summit a peak - if you calibrate your pressure-based altimeter in a location with a known altitude right before your hike, then reach the summit and find that the measured altitude is a few hundred feet higher than the surveyed peak height, this means that atmospheric pressure has probably dropped since you began your hike (or the survey is wrong, USGS figures are very accurate though). This also would suggest a possible storm (or low pressure system) approaching. Your altimeter can't warn you when your climbing, but (as I just demonstrated) you can get an idea of the barometric trend by yourself if you understand the basics.

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Brunton Atmospheric Data Center Summit

November 17, 2008

When a storm is coming, the pressure will drop much faster than you could generate due to hiking uphill. Altitude change on foot actually changes the pressure quite slowly.EDIT (by Jersey Hiker): I think you've got your facts mixed up here (see my next question). If my research is correct, it's just the opposite: barometric pressure changes as a result of a storm are typically much more subtle than air pressure changes due to altitude change (assuming we're talking about 1000s of feet).

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Brunton Atmospheric Data Center Summit

November 17, 2008

This uses a small (about the size of a US quarter) lithium primary battery. They are not rechargable and there is no such rechargable battery currently available.

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Brunton Atmospheric Data Center Summit

November 17, 2008

For each 1000ft you ascend, you will measure a pressure drop of roughly 1 inch Hg (under steady atmospheric pressure). Let's say a good pace will gain you 2000ft of elevation every three hours, that's a pressure drop of 2 inches Hg. I'm not a meterologist, but after reading up a bit, my understanding is that a strong storm might give an average pressure drop of ONLY 0.1-0.2 in Hg over 3 HOURS. Only in hurricanes or other rare weather events will pressure drops even approach 0.5-1 in Hg over three hours. If this is correct, then how could the storm alarm function on an ascent? I sersiouly doubt that it can, nor was it intended to do so.

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Slick, subdued technicality

Arc'teryx Gamma SV Hooded Jacket - Men's

Arc'teryx Gamma SV Hooded Jacket - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 November 17, 2008

I have the Gamma SV hoody in black and I love the looks - not overly technical, but you can tell this is a serious jacket. Haven't had much time to use it yet, but I can give my initial impression:

Insulation is cleverly distributed and seems to be optimized for moderately aerobic activity in relatively cold (maybe 35F and below) weather. The first thing I noticed is how warm it is around the neck - seriously toasty! The material is very thin under the arms to release heat better (no pit zips, but some venting looks to be possible if you leave the pockets open). Powershield seems a bit more breathable than windstopper when I try to blow through the jacket (I compared with the new Venta AR which, btw, is awesome as well but has minimal insulation). Love the hood - can be cinched down to fit a bare head nicely, and in usual Arcteryx fashion ITS SEPARATE FROM THE COLLAR, which makes for a much nicer look IMO.

Highly recommended... so far

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Sweet sleeper of a jacket

Arc'teryx Venta AR Softshell Jacket - Men's

Arc'teryx Venta AR Softshell Jacket - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 November 17, 2008

I have the Venta AR in black and you would have no idea how technical the design was unless you really looked closely. Super lightweight and thin, kind of plain looking (in black at least) but that's what I wanted (still retains at least some of that classic Arcteryx fit). The microfleece is only around your upper chest and down the back, elsewhere the material is even thinner to let out heat. No pit zips, but core venting is possible by leaving the pockets open. Oh, and a nice suprise - all of the interior seams are taped, which makes it a bit more comfortable than other jackets I've had if you're wearing a very thin shirt underneath (or nothing at all ;). Haven't had it very long, but so far it's perfect around town for temps down to 40F with a t-shirt or thin sweater underneath. Layering (or aerobic activity) should extend the comfort range lower, but my chub (combined with the athletic fit) seems like it might prevent me from layering up too much. If you're a thick guy, you might want to size up on this. If you're looking for something warmer (also more technical looking and maybe a bit more breathable) check out the Gamma SV.

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Brunton Atmospheric Data Center Summit

October 28, 2008

Barometers only function properly when your altitude isn't changing, thus, how could the storm alarm function when you're ascending a peak? I suspect that this product description might be a bit misleading - the storm alarm should work nicely when you're at camp for some time, but not while climbing (a GPS/barometer, however, could be capable of this as it can determine your altitude independent of air pressure).

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Pretty solid

prAna Stretch Zion Pant - Men's

prAna Stretch Zion Pant - Men's

Rating for this product: 4 June 17, 2008

Nice pant, if a little on the baggy side. Very comfortable, even in summer heat, and durability looks to be very good.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Slick as expected

Oakley Whisker Polarized Sunglasses

Oakley Whisker Polarized Sunglasses

Rating for this product: 5 June 17, 2008

Very nice design from Oakley. Lenses are really nice quality, frames in bronze look slick. My previous pair of titanium A-wires were noticably lighter and had spring hinges (which I kind of miss), but for the price, the whisker is very nice.
Oh, and I have a pretty big head - these fit a little snug, but they fit my face perfectly.

Nailed It? 3 Yes

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Tadpole 23 Rocks

The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent 2-Person 3-Season

The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent 2-Person 3-Season

Rating for this product: 5 October 5, 2005

This is a great little tent. Not much headroom and a little cramped for 2 people, but the ample vestibule space is a welcome bonus. It’s very nicely designed from some amazing materials.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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