This is my third soft shell from Patagonia and so far it seems like the one I will get the most use out of. The light fleece insulation is just enough to retain heat without being too hot for high-activity pursuits or too bulky for a daypack. Although there is no windproof membrane, I only felt very strong gusts cut through which is more than I can say for most soft shells. Don't expect the guide hoody to be the most water resistant of Patagonia's jackets, but it didn't absorb any moisture during a light rain storm or skiing in knee-deep powder. The fleece lined, helmet-compatible hood makes this version far warmer and more versatile than the regular guide jacket.

Even though Patagonia considers the cut to be "slim fit", I had plenty of room for a couple baselayers and a windproof vest. I wear a Large for most Pagagonia pieces and found the guide hoody true to size (certainly not as snug as Arcteryx). My only complaint about this jacket is that there are no velcro wrist closures which allows wind and snow to get in your jacket unless you are wearing a gauntlet-style glove.

The guide hoody is an ideal do-it-all jacket for backcountry skiing, alpine climbing and trekking at 2/3 of the cost of comprable jackets. It does not have a lot of technical bells and whistles, but it does the job.

I have another pair of polarized Methods that I absolutely love, but I would not recommend the version with the photochromic lenses. The Methods are great because they stay securely on your head without pinching your dome and giving you a headache, even when running or mountain biking. In terms of looks, they strike a great balance between sporty and stylish.

I ended up returning mine because I was not impressed by speed at which the photochromic lenses changed shades in the sun. I wanted to use them for mountain biking where you are always going in and out of the shade but they always ended up being too light or too dark. If you plan to use these for variable light conditions I would recommend getting a rose colored lens instead.

I bought the Work Stinx about two years ago after demoing a half dozen pairs of similar 80-90cm underfoot tele skis. The Work Stinx are super active and responsive on groomers while at the same time light and maneuverable enough to use for a backcountry touring. I found these to have less chatter than most K2 skis, however they won't charge through crud and powder the way some of the bigger 100cm+ underfoot skis do. Overall I love these skis, but will be turning them into my BC set up in favor of something beefier for pow and resort days. The only con I would point out is that the top sheet is not very durable or edge resistant. After a couple seasons my top sheets are so scarred they looks like they got attacked by a weed whacker.If you plan to use these primarily for resort skiing (80% or more of the time) I go for a fatter ski, especially if you like skiing in powder or find yourself in the crud all too often. However, if you ski BC a lot and want a great setup that rips on the resorts, this is a great "quiver of one" option. I mounted them with 22 Designs Hammerhead binding on, but have since replaced them with the new pivoting version from 22 Designs called the Axl.

A couple of my friends have Western bags and rave about their pack-ability as well as how warm they are for their weight so when I needed a bag for Aconcagua I pulled the trigger and bought the Puma MF. I chose the MF over the dryloft becuase it's lighter as well as easier to pack. The dryloft is better at shedding condensation which helps if you plan to do lots of snow camping and/or bivying.

I used this bag all the way up to Camp Berlin on Aconcagua (~5900m) and was completely warm and comfortable. A Western -25 is comparable to most other brands -30 or even higher (they intentionally underrate the warmth of their bags). I would highly recommend the Puma for winter mountaineering or summer climbs at high altitude (4000m and above).

In terms of fit, I'm 6'3" with relatively wide shoulders and the long (6'6") was plenty roomy for me. When in doubt, go bigger since the extra size will keep you warmer and allow you to warm up boot liners or other gear in the bottom.

The R1 has been my go-to layer for cold weather and skiing for years. I didn't think there was any way Patagonia could have improved on the classic R1 pullover, but with the hoodie they did. There are 3 main additions that make this piece more versatile than the R1 pullover:

1) The hood turns into a instant balaclava when the winds pick up as well as a comfortable way to keep your chin and neck warm when climbing. When fully zipped up this thing covers all the way up to your nose. Also, unlike most neck warmers and balaclavas the hood does not strangle your neck or make you uncomfortably warm in high activity. When it's down, you barely notice the hood is there.
2) Thumb loops keep your hands warm and reduce heat loss from the wrists when you don't have liner gloves at easy access. If you are constantly pulling your hands in and out of your gloves (cooking at camp, setting anchors, adjusting boots, etc) the thumb looks keep cold air and snow from getting up your sleeve.
3) The mesh chest pocket is much less awkward than the less-structured pocket on the classic R1 pullover which tended to flop around next to your body as well as get damp when you sweat.

Bottom line - if you like the R1 pullover you will love the hooded version. I brought it as my only midlayer/fleece to climb La Plata and Aconcagua and it ended up being my favorite, most versatile piece of clothing.

There are a lot of lightweight down bag options these days, but for the price I don't think you can find a more high quality, lightweight bag than the Arroyo. The Atom and Hydrogen are great options bags as well, but you are paying more for a slimmer cut and only shaving a few ounces. You can't go wrong with Marmot down bags, so look for the one with the most comfortable dimensions for your body, or whatever is on sale at the time. I got mine at the end of last season for $160! A great accessory for the 20-40degree down bags is a small compression sack from Granite Gear or Sea to Summit. This compressed my Arroyo to the size of a mini soccer ball which makes it easy to pack in any size bag.

Pros: 1) The tape seamed shell material does an excellent job of shedding water throughout the day. I wore these in a slush storm and only the palms were noticeably wet. 2) The wrist closure is genius and easy cinch/uncinch with gloves on. 3) The dexterity is excellent, making flipping buckles, grabbing zippers and navigating pole loops is much easier than the Patagonia or Marmot ski gloves I have owned.

Cons: 1) If your hands are a bit sweaty and you pull the gloves off, the liner comes with it. I think this has more to do with the type of fleece material used in the liner than the glove construction. 2) The liner has no grip on the palm and starts shedding fleece when you use it separately. Fortunately they include an additional polartec liner with palm grips that is much better but not quite as warm.

In terms of the fit, I agree with the other reviewers that it's snug, but after 3-4 days on the hill it broke in nicely. I would classify my hands as "chunky" yet I still find most ski gloves to have a sloppy, baggy fit. In short, size up on this glove to be safe.

With any leather-palmed glove there is some degree of breaking in required, after which the glove is going to conform to the shape of your hand. I prefer leather palmed gloves despite their tendency to get soggy when wet because of the increased durability and fit they offer.

Overall, this is a really well-designed, well-made glove that's heavy on features but surprisingly not on weight. I would buy it again.

I ended up returning my BCA Stash for warranty and replacing it with the Osprey Switch 36 which has proven to be a better all around winter BC pack. The Switch 36 is slightly larger, has two easy access hip stash pockets for snacks, camera, GPS, etc as well as a more comfortable suspension for heavier loads. There are multiple options for carrying skis and the loops are reinforced with ballistic nylon so they won't get slashed by your edges.

There is no integrated hydration bladder in this pack, but you can easily slide one into the sleeve and thread the hose through the right part of the yoke. Some other reviewers were not fans the stretchy helmet pocket and goggle sleeve but I think they are clever, useful additions to the pack. The stretch material is not waterproof so you may end up with a wet helmet, but there is a waterproof barrier below it so that your pack stays dry.

Even though this pack was designed to be winter-specific I have found it very useful for traveling and day hikes. Overall another awesome pack from Osprey!

I'm a complete soft shell convert, but there are some trips where you only have room for one shell and it has to be bomber. For those trips, I highly recommend the SV line from Arcteryx and particularly the Sidewinder for it's versatility. The Sidewinder doesn't have a liner so you have to insulate it with layers, but it's completely downpour proof, windproof, not to mention highly resistant to snagging and tearing. Note that the Sidewinder AR does not have pit zips like the SV which are key for preventing overheating (big complaint about hard shells).

The two main drawbacks to this piece are far from deal breakers, but I'll point them out anyway.
1) The curving zipper seems gimmicky at first, but then you realize it's nice not having a frozen piece of metal in your mouth when waiting out a storm. Arcteryx lines the inner zipper flap with an ultra-thin, soft fleece material, but only the zipper flap. The rest of the collar holds no warmth and gets wet and chilly in high activity. Adding in a small piece of fabric the size of your face to the collar would be worth it's weight in gold.

2) The powder skirt and waist cinch have really tiny plastic closures that don't hold very well. I have experienced this issue with Arcteryx soft shells, but it's understandable since their designers tend to focus on minimalism. If you plan to use this jacket primarily for resort skiing (especially in POW), I would go with something more ski-centric. This jacket is bomber, but it was designed for the backcountry where lightweight is king.

In terms of sizing, it runs big, but that's good for when you need to throw it over a bulky fleece or down sweater. I am 6'3", 185lbs and the large is roomy but the sleeves and torso are just the right length. Over the past 3+ years I have used and abused my Sidewinder while mountaineering, BC touring, winter resort skiing, trekking and just keeping dry in rainy Portland. After all the abuse, my jacket is still in great shape and has never failed to keep me warm and dry which is why Arcteryx is worth the price for something as important as a shell.

I have the 2003 version of this tent and have gotten lots of use out of it over the years. The tent body and especially the fly are very durable and versatile, with plenty of storage space and ventilation options. If you are not expecting rain, the relatively light tent body is plenty to cut wind and keep you warm. The bathtub floors, heavy fly and stake-down options make the Swallow a true 3+ season tent. It was quite comfortable and warm when I brought it snow camping and the vestibule space easily accommodated all our gear and boots. I also like how each side's sizable vestibules allow you to shelter your gear on one side while cooking or from the other in a storm. They also prevent you from crawling over everyone else in the tent during those middle of the night forays into the woods.

The two biggest downsides of this tent are that at almost 9lbs it's quite heavy and becomes hard to pack into the "burrito cover" Marmot gives you when out in the field. On the flip side, if you are looking for a durable, comfortable, well-designed tent to use year-round and you are more concerned with durability and comfort than weight, this is a great option. By far one of the most well-designed tents I have used. I prefer my Mountain Hardware Skyledge for summer and in more temperate conditions.

Most recently I used this tent for a month long climbing trip in the High Andes and Aconcagua and it performed like a champ. It withstood 70-90km/hr winds without the poles bending as well as heavy hail and snow up to 5,900m (19,000ft). The Swallow's performance was a pleasant surprise considering it's a 3+ season tent rather than a 4-season or mountaineering-specific model. I had my doubts about taking the Swallow to Aconcagua but I was quickly sold. This tent does not shine on 2-3 night trips due to its weight, but I truly realized its value while living out of it for the better part of a month. For trips where you will encounter highly variable conditions, this tent can do it all.

I have been using the stash BC pack for 2 seasons now and for the most part I love it. The design is simple, yet very functional, pockets are well placed, integrated hydration system is the best I have seen and the waterproof material/zippers shed water, even in a downpour. The outer pocket fits a shovel blade and there is an internal sleeve to store the handle and probe for quick access. My biggest complaint about this pack is the way the ski loops were sewn onto the top of the pack. The sewing is solid but the material is very thin and with no backing material the loops tore off after a single ascent with skis a-framed. The lightweight material used on this pack compromises durability and is prone to tearing if tested by an ice tool, crampon or pole tip. Like a previous reviewer, I also experienced some seam splitting (they are glued, not sewn).

I ended up returning my BCA Stash for warranty and replacing it with the Osprey Switch 36 which has proven to be a better all around winter BC pack. The Switch 36 is slightly larger, has two really useful hip stash pockets for snacks, camera, GPS, etc as well as a more comfortable suspension for heavier loads.