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Reviews
Reviews
09-10 Columbia Sportswear Stormtrooper Jacket Review
0A waterproof/ breathable all mountain jacket at a very reasonable price. Extra pockets for all your goodies!
This jacket exceeded all of my expectations in the technical arena. Breathable and waterproof, I tested this jacket hiking and riding in a snowstorm and shoveling a foot of snow over a couple hours. I stayed comfortable and dry throughout. Light insulation coupled with a supple exterior fabric keeps this jacket clean and functional.
This piece is packed full of standard features found on garments twice as expensive. Adjustable powder belt, detachable helmet-compatible hood and insulated audio pocket make this jacket a great value. Additionally I counted ten pockets on this garment, allowing you to carry everything but the kitchen sink with you on the hill.
Added benefits include you friends never losing you on the hill due to the technicolor mash-up of green, blue and white print!
Baggy fit.
09-10 Jimi Jimi Review
02 years ago
by Graham
in Other Gear
The wallet for people who hate wallets!
I picked one of these up a week after my trusty money clip of three years finally failed. I am one of these people who hate wallets and like to carry only the essentials. I don’t keep gas receipts or pictures of my childhood dog in my wallet. I keep two credit cards, a driver’s license, an expired health insurance card (upon my Mother’s pleading) and a few bills. The Jimi fits the essentials perfectly. Nothing more and nothing less. Five cards and three bills fit ideally in this hard-cased wallet. Compact, water resistant and easily attachable this non- wallet is perfect for the active traveler.
09-10 Chaos Herman Review
0If you want to look like you are wearing a condom on your head, well this hat is for YOU!
I just can’t get over how goofy I look wearing this hat. While you could fold it over to flop the top down, I prefer to wear it fully extended. It adds 10" to my overall height and tends to give passerby’s a chuckle as they try not to stare at the reservoir tip extending from your melon.
A light weight hat best for trips to the mailbox and that spring concert at your local hill. Made in Canada.
09-10 Adidas ID2 Review
0A stylish and functional goggle that fits best on a narrow face.
I tested the Adidas ID2 on a typical Colorado winter day. Sunny and bluebird in the morning turning to a snowy flat-light afternoon in a matter of hours. The ID2′s "Shiny black" lens tint worked well all day as light conditions changed.
This goggle vented as well on side country hikes as it did slashing powder in Vail’s back bowls. Standard anti-fog coating on the inside of this lens keeps you seeing clear all day. This goggle is also prescription ready so bring them into your optometrist for a custom lens.
My only gripe with this particular goggle is that it is a bit tight on my face. Though someone with a small to medium (narrow) face, these goggles are for you!
09-10 Buff The Original Buff Review
02 years ago
by Graham
in Face Masks
An easy to wear, low-profile extra layer to keep your face warm and supple on the coldest of days.
So the people of Buff have found over twenty different ways to wear this thing on your head, neck and face. A few look pretty goofy if you ask me, however looking goofy on the hill is acceptable if you are protecting your "mug" from the elements of winter.
I tend to wear my Buff as a standard neck warmer/ face mask on cold mornings. The fleece lower on this piece feels great on bare skin and acts surprisingly well as a snot absorber. The upper half is comprised of a super soft technical microfiber. It's quick drying and compact enough to throw into a pocket as the day warms.
I don't anticipate my Buff falling apart anytime soon. The stitching appears to be quite bomber, manufactured in Spain and washing machine friendly.
Given it's versatility, I'd recommend this piece to anyone who's idea of fun is catching first chair on a sub zero powder day.
09-10 DC Judge Review
02 years ago
by Chris
in Men's Snowboard Boots
The 09/10 Judge boot by DC is a solid boot that provides great comfort and an expectional ride.
It's been a few years since I've ridden DC boots, and I have to say the quality, comfort, and overall boot performance has improved immensely since the last time.
The Judge is pretty light-weight boot, and has a small footprint relative to boot size. Overall it is an incredibly comfortable boot, with a deep ankle pocket that helps to hold your ankle down. The Judge features Boa Technology's Focus System, a fancy way of saying that it has two BOA reels, one that tightens the upper half and one that tightens the lower half. The Focus allows for a precise, easily adjustable fit, and makes a great boot even better.
The BOA system has been improved over the years, and is no longer synonymous with the stiff boot tongue it previously required. The Judge is a 7/10 on DC's stiffness scale, but I think it's more like a 5 on most other boot company's scale. It's a pretty lightweight boot but provides good support both laterally and toe-to-heel. Break-in time was about a week and half, and it was a pretty painless break-in period. It's stiff enough to give good power transmission to the board, but soft enough to allow you to tweak and play as much as you want.
On top of it all, the boot is one of the better looking boots I've seen recently – the blue and yellow seriously pops, and I've reveived numerous compliments on them.
09-10 DC Salen X Review
0 I have worn these pants many times and because of the material they are made of and their quality, they look like I have just pulled them off the rack in the store.
I love these snowpants! Subtle animal print, cute buttons and trim all say "I know I am cute; don't underestimate me!" By their looks, you wouldn’t believe how technical and heavy duty they are. They serve as much more than a shell and are insulated to keep winter cold out. For someone who is always cold, one pair of long underwear suffices on the colder days, and when it is warm, a shant or lighter weight pair of long underwear. They don't look bulky.
They are super long and steeze through in through, which means of course that I have been walking over the pant legs for days. They are holding up fairly well. The two-toned matte/ shiny black soft outer material makes it so that scuffs really do not show.
The pockets are large, easy to access and unobtrusive; there is even a small pocket on the inside. The only oddity is that the cargo pockets wrap around the back of the knee slightly and are harder to get into on lifts, but otherwise they are well planned out. They have loopholes to hang a pass on or to hang them on a door; they have Velcro inside the waist for size adjustment; and they have rockin suspenders that easily attach and detach.
09-10 Crash Pads Thermal Long Underwear Review
0When conditions are extremely icy and it is easy to slide out, or when riding in the park over potentially harmful features, I will take discomfort over safety. However, there should be no reason to have to choose.
When it comes to safety I will do most anything to protect myself and these pants are a start. The thick padding won't boost self esteem, but is worth it when you find yourself in the snow instead of upright. Most effective are the knee and butt pads. A few changes would make them much more functional on days when they are needed, not to mention more realistic to have on for everyday riding.
The most necessary design change needed is to have the padding sewn to the outside instead of the inside of the thermal long underwear. If you were to stand in a dressing room and look in the mirror you would see a finished-looking product. But, since I am always going to wear snowpants over them I would rather have the comfort of the stitching being on the outside than a cleaner looking pant. As they are, the stitching digs into the skin and is irritating. It is possible to wear additional long underwear as a first layer, but then even I become way too warm.
Also, for as padded as they are, they could be slightly lower profile. I took several crashes onto my knees and did not feel a thing, which I will not complain about, but still the amount of padding is a bit excessive. Thankfully all my snowpants are several sizes too large otherwise I probably wouldn’t fit into them.
I would prefer a lower-profile pant that I could wear comfortably all the time over something that I only can stand to put on when I need to surround myself with pillows.
All of this said, I wouldn’t completely disregard the pants (especially if you are learning to snowboard or in the park). If you are interested in what they have to offer, my advice is to be sure that they fit properly (so the pads will cover the areas they are intended to protect), and to try them on to see if the inside stitching is bearable without long underwear on.