The Helly Hansen Mission Jacket has become my go-to ski jacket for the winter season. This jacket is a perfect choice for the resort skier who wants a bit of insulation without too much bulk, allowing the option to layer up or down according to weather. The Mission Jacket is stylish, functional, and has some [...]
If you are in the market for a pair of versatile ski or ride pants, look no further than the Outdoor Research Aspect Pants. These pants are available for men and women – equal-opportunity awesomeness. The Aspect Pants are composed of a highly-breathable, waterproof, soft shell fabric (Ventia Dry). I found these pants to be [...]
Mammut’s Arctic Mitten features a combo of 600-fill goose down and synthetic fill. Together, the insulation is designed to keep your hands toasty regardless of the temperature or type of adventure. I am a good mitten/glove tester because my hands are typically colder than most, even when sitting around the evening fire. Therefore, I have [...]
If you are anything like me, you spend hours, days, and weeks researching and comparing the latest products for all your favorite activities, as new gear is released each season. We spend our hard earned money on the best products that we can afford…sometimes because of our superb abilities…and sometimes because we believe the [...]
For the skier who is in search of the best gear on the market, The North Face Enzo Pant might just fit the bill for you. I’ve been testing out the North Face Enzo Pants over the past few months on the slopes of Keystone, Breckenridge, and A-Basin and hiking and snowshoeing on the trails [...]
The Helly Hansen Enigma Jacket is the greatest jacket that I could not use because of a fatal fit issue. The Enigma is Helly’s top-of-the-line insulated ski jacket and it is one of the most comfortable and feature-packed things I have ever worn. No expense was spared in the creation of this jacket and [...]
Winter boots often times are full of function, but as many of us know, most lack fashion. While I am not a fashionista, I do enjoy a good looking and functioning piece of gear. The Sorel Kitchner Frost High is a winter boot that has the classic leather outer and a rubber toe box area. [...]
With winter in full swing and lots of people heading to the slopes, I hope to bring you this jacket review just in time to help your ski jacket purchase decision. Over the past few months, I’ve been testing out the Mountain Hardwear Vertical Peak Jacket while skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin. The [...]
Finding the right balance between warmth and breathability/ease of movement is always a challenge in cold weather sports apparel. Obermeyer has achieved that elusive combination with its Coco Jacket — not too hot, not too cold. Carving turns on the Beaver Creek slopes with my board, my torso twisted about with ease in this lightweight [...]
The Bleecker Stretch Pants by The North Face are women-specific, ski/ride pants, new for this winter. The Bleecker Pants feature more than simply feminine colors and slightly smaller sizes; TNF has tailored these pants to the female body in order to optimize shape and comfort. The Bleecker cut is a low rise, straight fit through the [...]
When it comes to cold weather, Isis has you covered with their Whisper down products. Isis offers a solution for all of your active and casual needs with the Whisper Jacket, Whisper Hoodie, Whisper Hoodie Vest, and Whisper Coat. A few years back, I reviewed the shorter-length Whisper Hoodie, and this year I had the [...]
As most people know, goose down is one of nature’s best insulators and the benefits of its use in outerwear is readily apparent. Depending on its fillpower and amount, down clothing can be a full-on, heavy-duty jacket for the most brutal cold, or a nice insulating layer to add under a shell when temperatures [...]
Sorel, once again, mixes fashion-forward and function with the Tofino Canvas Boot. Last year, I tested out Sorel’s Cate the Great and fell in love instantly. Since the Tofinos arrived, I sadly have not stepped foot in my Cates. The Tofinos are not only attractive, they pack features that make them worthy of calling themselves [...]
The Aerial Arson Shell from Columbia Sportswear is a light-weight, high-performance ski jacket that will also serve you well while hiking, snowshoeing, or grabbing dinner in your favorite mountain town. The ultra-breathable, waterproof Omni-Dry® slub fabric outer shell will cut the wind and seal out the rain, and the Omni-Heat® thermal reflective liner will keep you nice and warm. The [...]
Ski and Snowboard season is upon us and what better way to kick off the season to do some product testing on The North Face Perception Jacket. The Perception jacket is a Primoloft Eco insulated jacket with Gore Windstopper to help keep out the elements. Primoloft for those of you not aware of the insulation [...]
Winter is right around the corner. What shoes are you going to turn to when the snow and slop invades the sidewalks? Boots are great, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes you don’t need all of the extra protection that a boot offers. Slip-on clogs often fit the bill; as they are easy as pie [...]
For the gear snob that has pretty much everything, but wants to have the newest, lightest and greatest gear, the Patagonia Ultralight Down Hoody might just do the trick. The Ultralight Down Hoody is an 800 down fill jacket that works great as an outer layer and also works nice as under a shell for [...]
Waterproof and breathable has been marketed for many years now, but you know just as well as I do that waterproof and breathable haven’t really gotten along all that well in the past. For this fall/winter, Marmot is utilizing a new fabric by Polartec called Neo Shell. Most people know Polartec for its fleece [...]
Not knowing how the weather will act in Colorado can be a difficult challenge when deciding on layers for going out. If you wear your down jacket you might be too hot, and a fleece might not be enough warmth. That’s where the Mountain Hardwear Lado jacket comes in. The Lado Jacket packs a lot [...]
Whether you’re passionate about finding a cure for breast cancer, love the activity of snowshoeing, or just curious about this growing activity, the Tubbs Romp to Stomp is an event worth taking a look at. I recently raced the 3k race in Frisco, CO at the Romp to Stomp and I had some time to [...]
Before wearing the Powderhorn Gunpowder jacket, I thought all puffy jackets were the same: warm, lightweight and fragile. I would grab a puffy jacket on very cold days when I had no intention of being near trees or other pointy things that could snag a delicate coat. Now I grab my Powderhorn in nearly all [...]
As backcountry and sidecountry skiing is gaining in popularity, it has many skiers thinking about switching or upgrading their bindings and ski setup. I recently had the chance to test out a Dynafit setup that included; STOKE ski’s, skin’s, ZZERO4 C TF Boots, and TLT Vertical ST bindings. I only tested this setup for a [...]
POW is a Seattle based glove company that produces three major hand wear lines: ski, bike, and golf. This ski season we have had a few testers wearing the POW Feva glove, designed for women. For starters, our tester felt that the sizing was a bit snug; while testing out a medium, she was wishing [...]
