I've had heavier, bulkier trail runners and wanted something more sleek and low-profile. I wanted shoes for moving quickly (fast hiking and running) on dry trails on day trips. The Fireblades definitely seem to be that - but unfortunately I didn't get to use them other than for extended periods of wearing them (trying them out) inside my house. The fit seemed good for my fairly low-volume, high-arched, just-the-narrow-side of medium width size 44 - 44.5 feet. The upper contoured the right places and curves. Right away, however, I could tell that there was not much in the way of cushioning. I felt this mostly in the forefoot. I think my rigid feet have lost some of their padding over the years of use, especially under the ball of the foot and behind the toes. My determination was that if I was feeling the lack of cushioning during inside use, then spending several hours in them on the trail might be uncomfortable - maybe even painful. I would like to have done some real runs in the Fireblades - maybe I would have been surprised, but I doubt it based on past experience with shoe feel and fit. I wanted to like them and keep them but think I need more underfoot padding and shock absorbing ability than these provide. Another thing is that the laces are quite short - they are barely long enough to make double knots.

Conclusion: These are probably good shoes for some people but didn't work for me so I returned them.

I liked these pants a lot - great material (Schoeller Dryskin with 3X Dry) and quality construction. They have a simple design and they fit well with one major exception: they were 1-2 inches too short in the inseam for me. I have long legs for my height so if you're of more average proportions, they'll probably work. I tried to justify keeping them but felt the slight high-water look wouldn't do. I wish they made a long version (like Arcteryx does their sizing). Too bad - Westcomb is making some really nice apparel.

These are well-made, simple belts. The buckle has a solid, industrial feel to it. Unfortunately, due to the stiffness of the webbing and the buckle design, the buckle area protrudes considerably from the waistbelt of the pants they're used on. I found this to be a potential problem as I'd want wear them on pants when I was also wearing a backpack waistbelt. The high profile design would compete for space.

As an everyday, basic belt with good "hold up power", however, I think they would work well.

This jacket, like most everything made by Montbell, is high-quality. Additionally, the size L I ordered fit me very well. Nonetheless, I sent it back as I couldn't see where it would fit in my clothing arsenal. The synthetic insulation is thin (about as thin as synth gets) though I suspect it's warmer than it looks. My thinking is that it's probably not warm enough for me for stationary use (i.e. high mountain camps, winter lunch stops, etc.). However, it's likely too warm for use while on the move as I sensed that it didn't breath very well (had a plasticky feel to it). I'd rather wear a light, breathable fleece vest for this second purpose (like Pata R2).

This may be the answer for some people but it wasn't for me. I may get a Thermawrap Parka (which has a hood and more insulation, yet is still quite light) instead.