Pretty warm fleece. I got the large (5'9"/165lbs), and it's neither loose nor tight, just a normal fitting large. I'm using it to layer under my jacket, and I'm fine in just a tee shirt, fleece, and hardshell down to around 15 degrees.

However, like another reviewer had mentioned, the seams are not so good. They are fraying all over the place and fuzzing up after light use. I'm not exactly worried about the stitching coming undone, but still.

The hood is pretty form fitting around your head, so if you like more relaxed hoods, keep that in mind.

I don't get cold hands very easily and normally wear a lightweight glove exclusively, so I'm fine in this glove down to around 15 degrees. If you get cold hands, this glove might be okay to 25 degrees or so. It has some lightweight insulation. My biggest complaint is durability. The fabric material started fraying heavily after the first used, and has only gotten worse. The fraying is occurring primarily on the sides of the forefingers, because when you are closing the velcro wrist straps, it locks onto your fingers and pulls on the fabric. I suspect that these gloves won't last much longer than a season or two, but they are definitely adequate for the price, and they are nice looking and comfortable. You don't get any uncomfortable inner seams that you would get with some spring gloves, which is nice.

Background:

I was looking for a ski with fairly specific dimensions. The Snoops satisfied my requirements, so I went for it. I haven't skied on much else other than Armada AR5's and 4frnt MSP's in the last 5 years, because I liked those skis. I would call myself a bump skier that loves skiing park and trees and all-mountain. I was looking for a quiver ski that would be better in powder and all mountain than the MSPs and AR5s, but that wouldn't destroy my bump skiing. Granted, I have K2 Cabrawlers for bump skis, but I still like to ski bumps with my all-mountain skis.

The Review:

So, after my first day on them, I've been able to put it through it's paces a little bit to form an initial opinion. Basically, they rock. I've never skied a more fun ski. The AR5s and MSPs have been muting my skiing enjoyment for the last 5 years and I have not known any better. I had no idea there was so much more fun to be had. I was able to arc out smooth turns on yucky variable east coast snow, and the skis power into quick turns with a snap. They are incredibly playful and powerful. They seem to want to be in the air, and you can easily launch off little bumps and it feels like they are spring loaded. I haven't had a chance to ski them in powder yet, but I'm very excited to. They seem like an amazing all-mountain ski.

Bumps:

I did ski a few bumps, but coming from AR5s and MSPs which are slightly narrower and have a smaller sidecut, the Snoops were a little bit too bouncy in the bumps. I knew it was going to be a compromise to have a wider and slightly stiffer ski, but I'd imagine it's just going to take getting used to (I hope) It wasn't impossible, but it just isn't ideal for skiing bumps, but not many skis above a 90 waist or anything with a lot of sidecut are going to make a great bump ski, so yea. I'll deal.

Overall, it was a very fun day, and I felt like a little kid on Christmas when I first started getting these things on edge.

PS. I got them in 176cm. I'm 5'9" and 170lbs. I mounted them half-way between the center mount line and the all-mountain line.

Absolutely MASSIVE helmet. The styrofoam is very thick, like 1.5 inches thick. I hate to say it, but I'd be impressed/suprised if anyone can make this helmet look good and not like an astronaut (unless you are going for the spaceman look). I think I'll stick to Bern or RED. 2 stars because I'm sure it will do a good job at protecting your head, but at the same time will potentially hurt your pride and self esteem.

Absolutely phenomenal pack. I tried the Kestral 48 and the Atmos 50, which had the features I was looking for but the straps were killer on my shoulders if I was carrying a loaded pack. I tried a Gregory Z55, which had more comfortable straps but was a bit minimalist in terms of features. This Deuter was my answer.

It was extremely hard to find a local Deuter dealer to try it on in person, but once I found this pack, I was instantly blown away. Extremely comfortable, great amount of padding. Perfect size for a variety of trip lengths. Bombproof materials. One size fits all, meaning you can adjust exactly where you want the should straps on the back panel. Great airflow.

I was confused a little at first by the "50+10"... it is 50L but it has an inner flap that can raise up past the top of the pack to add an extra 10L, and the top flap can adjust up and down to accomodate for the extra size.

Also to note, the sleeping bag compartment divider can zip off if you don't want to use it.

This is the best pack that I've ever laid eyes on. I'm glad I didn't overlook just because it was hard to find in stores to see it in person first. Great purchase, and look forward to many more trips with it.