SUMMARY: I purchased mine from SAC for $11.99 in April 2011. Now available on DoG for $10.38 (Aug/4/11)
The average performance for its advertised use and the price range earns it three stars. The shoddy workmanship, lower than average value compared to other performance socks in the price range, and the minor ambiguity in the description removes a star. Had these socks been described as performance casual socks they would have four stars.

RECOMMENDATION: If you're transitioning from cotton to performance socks you will love these. If you're used to high-performance socks and are wondering if you can save a few dollars while still getting great performance by buying these, you'll get what you pay for.

SOME DETAILS:
Overall these are nice socks and they dominate cotton socks. The large size feels great on my 10-10.5 US size feet. It's obvious that Lorpen has put plenty of effort into making a sock that feels like it wraps and supports your foot. An added bonus is that they are very attractive and I often save them for times when I'm going to a friend/family member's house and I know that they'll ask me to remove my shoes. In other words I use them as very nice casual socks. If that was the intended purpose of these socks the rating would probably be four stars. But Lorpen's vision is "to produce the best technical socks for serious outdoor activities." If these are intended to be serious running socks they fall short.

Yes, these running socks make a decent sock for outdoor activities but I still have to peel them off at the end of 8-12 miles of rollerblading in 70 degree temps. That puts them on par with acrylic socks -- except I can get three pairs of running acrylics at my local store for $12 (a better value) and a 3-pack of very thick merino-blended hunting acrylics for $15 (same price but arguably better value considering they'll keep you warm in winter).

Of course my feet sweat no matter the sock - more in cotton socks and I sweat less in Merino (I'm only stating a comparison to help explain why I think these socks are on par, with both performance and price, with acrylics; the relative performance of cotton and Merino are not factored into my rating).

What lowers the value further is that when you turn these Lorpens inside-out you'll find a ton of inch-long loose end threads. Time will tell if this kind of workmanship will have an unraveling effect on the socks but until then that's not something you want to see from relatively expensive performance gear. If the loose ends are intended to be some device to help wick away moisture (quite the opposite, I suspect), then the description should say so. I own other Lorpen socks and they don't have this problem.

I've worn and washed these socks about six times -- two or three of those times were after using them to rollerblade and the rest of the time was just casual use. There is a VERY minor funk when you take a close, deep wiff. So good for Lorpen in those regards. My blue Backcountry acrylics smell worse, but have been far more abused (ie, I've tested their limits by wearing them for a week straight until they can stand on their own - I'm not going to put these Lorpen socks to the same test because I want them to remain good casual socks).

Finally, there is some ambiguity with the description. When they say the socks are black/white, they mean that one pair is black and the other pair is white. Even though I probably would have purchased these socks had they been properly described, I wanted and expected two black pairs with white stitching/logo. It made me think I was sent the wrong socks and wasn't a welcomed surprise.

The other Lorpen socks I own (Merino/acrylic light hiker blend) tend to slide down my calves more than other brands so Lorpen has two strikes now. But with that said I'll continue to wear all of my Lorpen socks. The hikers are warm, soft and don't pill up much. The runners look good and are supportive. I enjoy the feel of both. Overall, Lorpen makes great socks -- just not when compared to others in this class and price range.

When the top retails for $40 common sense should tell you that it isn't 100% merino. And when you find it on SAC for $12 it's a steal for any material. So while I was still disappointed, I wasn't surprised when I found out that the top layer is 80% polyester and only 20% wool. The inner layer is 100% polyester. The packaging mentions a bio treatment that I had never heard of before, so I have very little confidence that this item will repel funk.

I haven't tested this item as performance wear because
a.) I do own 100% merino items that I'll choose for sweaty wintery fun over this top every single time, and
b.) I think this looks too good to risk letting it get funky!

Nobody would ever mistake me for being a stylish guy, and I know that not anyone can pull off the "is he wearing underwear in public?" look as well as I can, but I think this top is attractive enough to wear in public. My family, who berate my lack of style, mistook it for being a pullover. If they felt I had committed a faux pas I would have heard about it. Ever since, I've been enjoying it as a warm casual top. Stitching, seams, fit, and zipper are all nice. The ultrafine fibers are soft!

The rating is based on the top's advertised use. Had it been advertised as a dual layer poly with merino on it, I'd still feel the same way about it, but it would get a three or four star rating (possibly five star if the bio treatment were tested and held up to the claim).

If you're looking for 100% merino, look elsewhere. If you're looking for an attractive piece of warm long underwear and don't care that the description is a borderline blatant lie, pick this up.

Purchased with a plate/tray and cup on SAC for $5.33. Mess kit not offered on BC.

Snapping the three together is nice but it doesn't feel like they would hold together if they were floating around in your pack. Luckily you can string a dog tag chain through the holes at the end or wrap a rubber band around them to keep them together. I keep mine inside of my cooking pot and they stay together just fine.

Of course they're not as durable as any metal utensils, but I'd worry more about the knife or fork poking through my pack than something in my pack breaking the utensils. They're superior to any plastic utensils I've found at my local supermarket.

I didn't test the knife's sharpness except to press it to my skin. It feels sharp and sturdy enough to handle a loaf of Italian bread (the hard kind that you could break open over your knee). The fork's tongs aren't as impressive to me. They moved a bit when I stabbed them into some of the crustier (ie, burnt) areas of my campfire-cooked pies and sammiches. If I continue to eat such things with my fork the tongs will eventually break. GSI provides deeper and sharper tongs than my titanium spork but they are not as strong.

Most importantly: they are comfortable! You can eat with these all day without cutting the corners of your mouth!

Overall, a great set. They make buying titanium utensils an option.

Review item: Sherpa Adventure Gear Lungta, medium - MENS

MSRP: about $150; purchased for about $55 on SAC

Summary recommendation: Emergency use only (ie, "better than nothing" or "good enough that I won't return it but bad enough that I will look for a more dependable pant for my hiking kit")

Reviewer stats: just under 6'1"; 155lbs; 33" waist (over underwear); just over 42" waist height (floor to top of waistline, no shoes)

Review date conditions: Traverse City, MI; car/camper camping; mid-July; high 80s; humid; scattered showers and thunderstorms

Also wearing: Rab Momentum event jacket, Stoic 150 Bliss shirt, cotton boxers, and no shoes/socks

PROS:
- comfortable
- great lineup of features
- does repel rain
- does breathe
- dries quicker than cotton

CONS:
- price
- poor overall rain repelling performance
- low value considering performance

I was looking for a waterproof rain pant that I could slap on in the event that rain hits mid-hike; something that could be taken out of my pack and put on so that the rain doesn't keep the hike from stopping for more than five minutes while still keeping me dry and comfortable. To those ends I was looking for a pant that had zip down and adjustable cuffs so that I wouldn't have to take off my hiking boots as well as an adjustable waist band. The Lungta's features were perfect on paper.

So when I was camping with family and a shower hit the camp site, I took the opportunity to change out of my shorts (just in case the pants didn't perform well; they were the only shorts I had packed) and into these pants (along with the rest of my rain gear) to leave the protection of the camper's canopy and adjust my hammock's rain fly for inclement weather.

I was pounded pretty well by rain. It wasn't windy or "scary" -- just a constant shower stronger than a sprinkler. I took my sweet time with the rain fly to make sure I would have been soaked to the bone had I not been wearing rain gear. Even so, I was in the rain for some time between three and five minutes. The rain bounced or beaded off the pants and at that time I was happy.

But when I sat back down under the canopy I noticed that my thighs were damp. Not the thighs themselves but the pants. Because I was squatting to tie the rain fly to the ground the rain was directly hitting my thighs a lot. I know that all rain gear can fail given enough rain, but between the short time I was in the rain and the MSRP price point of these pants I don't think that I should have felt any dampness.

As the clouds cleared both my father and brother-in-law suddenly mentioned that they felt a wave of humidity and that their cotton shirts were starting to stick to themselves. I didn't notice the change at all. They thought I was miserable in full-length pants and a long-sleeve jacket, but I was dry (minus the damp thighs) and cool inside my shells. My pants were drying while they were getting wet.

I'm tempted to give these pants three stars because it does so well in so many ways. But because, I feel, any pant at this price range shouldn't allow dampness in a less-than-five-minute shower, the rating dropped to "below average" - or two stars. Had it kept me dry (or had the price been in the 50-75 range) it would have received more testing and probably four or five stars.

But they certainly work better than regular pants and they're keepers for the price I paid. They're no good if you want to stay dry and comfortable on a long rainy hike. And they're no good if you bike to work in the rain and don't want your work clothes to be damp all day. But they'd be excellent for emergency kits. They'd be a godsend if Mother Nature takes most of your house or you suddenly find yourself needing to change your tire in the rain. Hikes with light, vertical rain where you're not stretching the fabric over your thighs would likely do well.

I'll keep them until I find more suitable hiking rain pants. Then they'll be demoted to emergency use only.

Other notes of interest (I consider most of these to be qualities of an average or three-star rain pant):
- I didn't go over it with a fine-toothed magnifying glass, but the stitching and taping I did examine were flawless
- pocket is big enough to carry a wallet and not much else
- zippers are small and stiff but work well without snags
- zipper for pocket has a 1.5" lanyard
- the material is soft and comfortable
- the "brushed poly tricot" inside the waistband is especially soft
- while the medium size was great for me, the elastic expands to AT LEAST 36" and adjustable internal belt would cinch it down tight; however, if you plan on dressing this over your normal clothes, I would not expect it to go on easily over a 34" waist
- buckle requires one to press the left surface of it in order to release; not sure why Sherpa decided this was ideal, but I have to admit it would take quite a bit of pressure from the waist plus hitting the buckle in just the right spot to accidentally open up
- waistband will not prevent water from dripping down your torso and into the pants
- no belt loops in the event you want to make your own belt for it
- integrated belt stitched into waistband in multiple places but doesn't seem likely that it will fray or break
- durability wasn't tested, but the fabric feels average for a rain pant
- fabric will mark/lighten when scuffed
- hook and loop cuffs provide a good range of cuff tightness
- normal wear and tear not covered by lifetime warranty, so when the elastic inevitably fails you'll probably be on your own to replace it
- tags on pants indicate that both waterproofing and breatheability is at 10k
- folded in half vertically and then rolled up and it becomes about the size of a Super Stack Pringles can