I have only been out with the boots one time, but they were great for snowshoeing. They are clearly very high quality. The light weight and the quick lace mechanism are top notch. I'm not sure how the quick lace mechanism will work over the years, but if it fails, there's no reason one can't just start tying the laces. The boots have a very sporty look, and I expect them to be great for winter activities for years to come. By the way, I would say they're true to size. I have a somewhat narrow foot, but found the support and fit excellent. I would not try to go up or down a size - just order what you normally wear with your shoes.

The Sport NTS Crew - Long Sleeve is a great shirt. I wear it as a base layer for XC skiing. At 6'0" and 185 lbs. with a 35" sleeve, large is just the right size. I have two of these shirts, and have not observed any shrinkage from the few washings I've put them through (air dried). The material is a bit more durable feeling than the non-sport NTS versions, and this is a 1st class shirt for active people. It's cut to form fit and highlight an athletic physique.

I tried to order the Patagonia A/C Shirt twice, the first time from another seller, the second from Backcountry. I returned the first one because it was missing a button and a button hole on the bottom so that it looked like the shirt started to part right about 2/3 of the way down. I'm not sure how Patagonia missed that, but for $70 I thought they could do better. My second order from Backcountry was better, but the shirt doesn't look quite even in the front when I leave it untucked, so I've resigned it to the most casual wear and nothing where looking neat is required. Of course, the delivery service from Backcountry was great, and I highly recommend them as a seller. As for the Patagonia A/C shirt, it's a great, lightweight summer material, but there's definitely more value in shirts from other manufacturers, the organic component notwithstanding.

I just finished with a 30 mile hike along Pictured Rocks at Lake Superior. This was my first time out with trekking poles, and while I can't compare the Black Diamond Countours to other brands, they performed great. The poles felt very light and felt and performed as if they were one piece, not telescoping poles; i.e. they were very sturdy and there were no issues with the locking mechanisms. I also felt that they were very good at dampening vibrations, probably due to the carbon fiber component to the poles. Over the course of their use, I inadvertently gave them a couple of kicks while they were planted and there were a couple times where I torqued them a bit while planted. My basis for going high end from the start was to try to avoid having to dispose of something with a shorter life span. These poles felt extremely solid; they exceeded my expectations; the hand grips were impressive over the entire hike; and I expect they'll last for years based on this initial test run.

Chacos have excellent arch support and stability, and they wear more like expensive hiking shoes with nice inserts in that regard. In fact, my father-in-law wears them for backcountry hiking. I took my first pair to Costa Rica for wear on the beach, hiking through rivers, walking around, and, after a rinse, nice dinners. The performance and toughness of the Chacos was great. The abrasive footbeds take some getting used to, but they're designed that way to reduce foot slippage. One caveat for wear on the beach and in dusty environments: sand and dirt can enter the soles of the Chacos through the strap slits, and can reduce the ease with which the straps adjust. I spent a good deal of time banging the Chacos around trying to get the sand and dirt out.