I was looking for a piece to use as an insulating layer under a shell on really cold ski days in the Tahoe area. Our weather rarely goes below 15 F, so a full-on down or synthetic parka is too much for me. I am 6'4" and 210 pounds, so I originally chose the XXL size. This size usually works with me for most outdoor gear. WOW,the XXL was like a tent! I returned it for an XL and found that the arms were a little shorter, but still reasonable for under a shell. The problem was that the body area was still too full and puckered up under my shell. I think that the Nano Jacket fits a little tighter, but I went with a Mountain Hardware Nitrous Down Jacket, as it fit me perfectly in XL and felt great under the hard shell.

I have been trying a few of the insulating layer jackets, both synthetic and down. My primary use would be insulation under a hard-shell. This jacket is pretty cool, but would probably be best used as a single piece. The sleeve things are kind of weird when trying to layer with under and over layers. I liked the construction and the quality of the materials, but the lower sleeves were too tight on my arms. The XL size fit my 6'4" 210 frame pretty well except for the arms. The outside chest pocket is nice and the inside media pocket is unexpected on an insulating piece. I finally chose Mountain Hardware light weight down jacket to fill the niche in my ski gear closet.

I was a bit skeptical about the Bluetooth setup after reading some of the reviews on the net. I took a chance and boy am I happy. No crappy wires, no fumbling for your phone on a pow day, and no dropping your player off the chair. If your phone has the capabilities, you get voice dial and tunes in one package. If not, these remarkable earphones+ will connect to any Bluetooth phone and to a player with a Bluetooth dongle. I was lucky enough to have a Motorola V3i phone that has all the stuff in it. I just connect the phone to my computer using Motorola’s software and load up 2 gigs of music. When I get tired of the songs, I just reload with new stuff. The phone portion was reported to be less than deluxe, but I have had no problems at all. The reports from the other end indicate the microphone works well and is fairly good at noise-canceling. Get yours now – these are the money.

This glove is the best I've used. I have worn out 3 pairs of Marmot Randonee gloves in the last 4 years and used up a pair of Ultimate Ski Gloves too. These babies are tough, warm and comfortable. I really can't believe how warm they are without bulk. Super waterproof, too. I have 50 days on a pair and they still look new. My only gripe is the elastic closure on the cuff. It is too bulky with its leather flap and gets in the way of putting my softshell or jacket cuff over it. I cut them off and removed the closure patch to make them work better for me. Love the Hestra.

I have used a lot of packs in the past few years. If you are looking for a no frills hydration pack, this is the one. The thin profile is great on the chairlift, even with a shovel inside. There is enough room for the basics for a day of in/out of bounds skiing without the "puffy" feeling of some packs. This pack is wide and thin. Also, the zippered water hose really does not freeze, at least not at Tahoe temperatures. Get one now and enjoy.

I love these poles, BUT don't use them to manipulate Naxo or Fritschi bindings! I used my poles for alpine resort skiing for a whole season. The ability to change baskets is cool and there is security in having a probe even when inbounds and fringe skiing. Then, I made the mistake of taking them out while using Naxos. I used a pole to unlock the binding to freeheel mode and POP went the pole tip. The shaft enters the plastic ferrule/tip and it broke at the end of the shaft. There is about 1.5 inches of the plastic ferrule that is not protected by the shaft inside. I saw it happen and was able to save the piece and re-attach it with a metal insert and epoxy. Unfortunatly, the weak spot in the pole is exactly where you put the leverage pressure to lock, unlock, or adjust the height of the heel of the bindings. Back to the aluminum poles for the backcountry.

I ordered a men's small for my wife and she loves it. She hates girlie clothes because they cost more and are wimpy. Real women don't like wimpy stuff. Get one of these for you and one for your girl.

I had several pairs of Line skis in the closet. I kept them virgin because I couldn't get the Pivogy binding last year. I ordered these as soon as I saw them on the site. This is the real deal. These bindings are built like a brick outhouse - they can take any thing you can dish out. It is so easy to change from ski to ski. I don't know how much freedom they allow without releasing, but I set mine at my usual setting and have not had any pre-release problems. I'm thinging of getting the mounting plate and using the bindings on some of my other skis too. Get yours now before they are gone for the season!!!