Reviews by User: Techweenie Todd (62)

I've been lusting after this kayak for a while now, and finally got to try it out. It was everything I had hoped for. It's an absolute rocket. Once up to speed you can maintain speed with only relaxed strokes, and if you go to a balls-out high angle stroke it takes off like a missile. It's reasonably stable, and the length is about right in that it gives you enough boat to cook with but it turns pretty well (unlike the 17 footers, which turn like aircraft carriers.) I sort of wish it was just a little edgier, since when you tilt it and dunk a rail, it does turn, but not as naturally or smooth as I'd like it to. Still, making it behave edgier would probably compromise something else, and just wouldn't be worth it. This is an absolutely fantastic, sexy boat.

Hands down the best coat I've ever owned. In everything from blowing snowstorms at the top of The Canyons to corn snow spring skiing this coat has made me deliriously happy. The combination of windproof and softshell breathability means the useful temperature range of this coat is immense. On top of that, it's super comfortable and has great comfort details like the inner fleece cuffs. Get this jacket, you'll never ski in anything else again.

Hands down the best coat I've ever owned. In everything from blowing snowstorms at the top of The Canyons to corn snow spring skiing this coat has made me deliriously happy. The combination of windproof and softshell breathability means the useful temperature range of this coat is immense. On top of that, it's super comfortable and has great comfort details like the inner fleece cuffs. Get this jacket, you'll never ski in anything else again.

These shoes are fantastic. I've used them on everything from icy packed down trails (crampons worked stunningly well) to fluffy windblown powder, and in all conditions they have behaved wonderfully. The binding system is absolutly the best invention ever. It's super easy to get on, and the switchlocks on the straps are easy to operate in gloves, and have very few moving parts so snow and gunk doesn't seem to affect them. The binding itself covers and holds your foot in place solidly, but the best part of this shoe is the articulation. Ten minutes out you'll forget you're even in snowshoes. My previous shoes were like a pair of slippery trampolines that flopped around as I walked. The Atlas's don't have the problem. Bottom Line - Believe the hype. These are the best shoes I've ever owned.

After trying out the Carolina 16 (I'm not so much gonna fit in the smaller one) I can comfortably say that this is a killer beginner touring boat. The Carolina was very, very stable in character, to the extent that experts may find it a little tubby. This big boy will get some good speed and hold it, but its substantial size and weight in roto-mold plastic is such that acceleration isn't really in its vocabulary. Even with a vicious high angle stroke, it's still pretty deliberate. One absolutely brilliant feature of this boat is that the back rest adjustment is in FRONT of you. This is super duper cool cuz you can go from paddling mode to Beer:30 mode without fumbling around behind your back. Just great design. To summarize: Totally awesome touring boat for beginners and intermediates, not edgy enough for experts.

I'm dead serious. I bought these for watching biathlon races in god awful cold places like Fort Kent Maine and Calgary. Nothing I've ever worn before or since is as comfortable or as warm as these boots. They're pretty darn heavy, as you'd expect from something this burly, but every ounce is worth it in cold weather. I can't stress enough how much I love these things. My feet have never once been cold in them, and the fit, finish, and attention to detail is second to none. Bottom line, you simply cannot beat this boot. Buy it now.

At first I was a little put off by the crispiness of the windwall fleece and the weirdness of having mesh inside it. Fear not, it just takes some breaking in. A little bit of use and suddenly this fleece just rocks. The Mesh, once you get used to it, is really nice if you're sweating or wet (IE, flipped a kayak, don't ask how I know that one) or just feeling kinda greasy and gross on day 3 of a 5 day camping trip.

I hate tiny sleeping bags. That trapped, claustrophobic feeling is just miserable. I love my Goliath though. The extra pound or so is completely worth it when you slide into this thing. The shoulders don't bind up, you can roll on your side if you want, and you can move your legs around. Absolutely, positively fantastic. The compression sack that comes with it is a lifesaver too, taking the bag from massive tube (it's big, even when packed) to something resembling a thick, narrow manhole cover. It's a weird shape to pack, but again, utterly worth it for the comfort.

This is such a great insulation layer. I have fleeces galore but the smooth fabric and warmth of this coat really make it a better choice for extreme cold. It's cleverly designed with layering in mind, as evidenced by the snap-loops on the cuffs that make it an ideal replacement for the lame-o liner that came in my motorcycle jacket. There's really nothing else which is both this thin and this warm. I can't say enough good about it.

This is such a great insulation layer. I have fleeces galore but the smooth fabric and warmth of this coat really make it a better choice for extreme cold. It's cleverly designed with layering in mind, as evidenced by the snap-loops on the cuffs that make it an ideal replacement for the lame-o liner that came in my motorcycle jacket. There's really nothing else which is both this thin and this warm. I can't say enough good about it.

First, the good. Functionally, this has the key features, 3 ranges you can set, timers corresponding to each, and basic but handy watch functionality. Now, the bad. I found this monitor to be extremely difficult to get some function out of. I'm a Polar certified sales rep and I had an evil time with it. The stretchy band doesn't provide enough friction and the tingly electric feel on your skin is noticeable and uncomfortable. In five attempts to use this HRM, I found it works fine sitting still, but a minute or two after I start running it tells me my heart is about to burst beating at 290+ Bpm, or has stopped and I'm dead. I tried numerous things suggested in manuals and online (electrodes wet? Strap in right place, etc etc) to no avail. After a minute or two, I was in Faux-cardiac-arrest again. For a basic consumer level HRM, it is far, far too finicky.

Yeah, they do keep the bugs away from your legs. They just have that "Old dude Sans-a-belt slacks look" about them that really doesn't do it for me. As an added bonus, when the legs are off you've got "Slightly too short to look normal" shorts... there's just no winning here. I also found the zippers to be irritatingly fiddly getting the legs on and off; they catch a lot and don't seem terribly durable. Technically these are well thought out pants that deliver the technical features they promise, but their bizzarre look has left them languishing in the back of my closet.

Simply put, these things rock. As previously mentioned, the control you get is surprisingly good. It does take some work, however, to get used to it. Testing at (closed) Deer Valley with my brother, we both noticed what he refers to in skateboarding terms as a "death wobble" where the board starts to shake at speed. Laying flat on the board rather than leaning back seems to counteract this. I tested the board on corn snow conditions, and it performed extremely well. The Air gives nice cushioning too, which is a plus since it is particularly good on iced up corn, where it absolutely rips. Helmets are an absolute must.

This is a pretty serviceable touring skirt. The "utility" (beer) pocket on the front is a nice touch. The fabric does indeed shed water nicely. My only complaint is the Velcro waist. It's easy to get set up but it has to be done and undone everytime you take the skirt on and off, so over time the velcro (as it was on the demo skirt I was using) starts to wear and pulls itself apart if you staring making lunging motions or just a really hard full-on paddle.

Great on rock, garbage on ice. These things are extremely comfy. I wear them on a daily basis as my kick around shoes. The sticky rubber provides great traction PROVIDED that what you're walking on isn't cold. When cold, the rubber's traction is rubbish. Don't even try these things on ice. That being said, everywhere else they're fantastic. They fit my high arches decently, and give nice cradling. The insoles and tread are pretty ordinary, nothing amazing but nothing terrible either. To summarize - These are killer in canyon country or as bum around shoes, not so hot for winter usage.

I'm extremely fond of these. They are indeed cheap, which is always nice, and work great and don't weigh much. Do make sure you keep the flicklock thingys closed when transporting, as when they're open the screws tend to self unscrew from your car's vibration and you'll find you've got non-locking poles when you arrive at your destination.

Boots, nothin'. I don't have any leather boots, but this stuff's freakin' awesome on my cloudveil troller gloves. If you've got leather gloves like trollers or work gloves (and you should, they're sooooo much better) this stuff is an absolute must have. Leather generally won't let water through to your hands, but it sucks when the leather itself gets all soaked. I also like the way this keeps my gloves from getting all crunchy and stiff. Wish I'd known about it sooner.

I was (very) skeptical about the high power LED in this baby, but no longer. The short range function is nice, giving a better spread than most LED lamps that have the LEDs in a straight line. The long range is extremely good, giving a very focused beam that threw across 2 half acre lots to illuminate my dog eating the neighbor's birdseed. She was shocked, I was thrilled. The lamp is lighter than a Myo series, and the straps are comfortable on your head. The Zipka is my standard for indoor use, and this is now my standard for outdoor.

I actually use my tadpole as a solo tent. It could theoretically be just fine as a 2 person, but you'd better be darn sure that either A.) The person doesn't thrash around at night and/or B.) Is someone you know well enough that you won't mind waking up inches from their face. To summarize, it ain't big at all. For bigger fellows though, it's a killer one-man operation with room to stretch out to either side, well thought out pockets to hold your light/stank-ass-socks/book and so forth. Of particular note is the vestibule, which is pretty big, but cleverly built so that when open and tied back the door leaves open space ABOVE your head so you don't have to duck walk out once you've put your shoes on. The best description I've ever heard of the Tadpole is as a "Man and dog" sized tent. The footprint is worth every penny if you're lazy and want to be able to put it up in your sleep.

I'd been suffering in trail runners running on pavement until I got a pair of these awesome shoes. Hands down, these are the best, cushiest road shoes I've ever run in. Support is excellent laterally, and while the lacing is nothing new or special, it works. What I can't say enough good about is the shock absorption. I ran 7 miles downhill in these babies with ZERO knee trauma, something I've never experienced before. If you're stuck on the blacktop, these are the shoes for you.

Why Suunto doesn't sell this band as standard with the Vector is beyond me, because this band makes it perfect. Nothing but smooth, soft elastic touches your arm, and the adjustment is intuitive and easy to change for wearing over stuff. I'm a chronically non-fashionable person (hence the massive gadget watch) but I have to say that the width of this band looks darn good and de-emphasizes the humongousness of the Vector very, very nicely. If you get a Vector, which you should, get this band with it.

The skis, not me. Of all the skis I've ever skis on the Havocs are the best by a huge margin. They're only so-so light for touring, but you won't care when you ski on them. They're amazing in powder, good in crud, and surprisingly competent on groomed stuff for being as fat as they are. Beware, as the big sizes like to run, and you have to be ON or they will take your for a ride. I'm not sure why they say "w/ Big Boots" though, as my T2's work just fine with them.

The best part about these babies is the fit: They fit like a pair of socks. Tongue, sides, and top make an inner booty that keeps your foot in solidly and is just totally cush. The soles give great traction on everything, though are a little stiff for road usage. These move like an extension of your foot, which is really great for wilder trails. An extra lug acts like an outrigger on a canoe and keeps you from rolling your ankle.

This was my first helmet, and I'm spoiled now. I don't expect I'll ever bother with anything else. The on-the-fly venting and the insano-light weight just rock. I've got my entire family outfitted with these at this point and everybody's in love with them. Don't screw around with other helmets, just get this one. You'll love it.

You can tell right away that this compass has been carefully thought out. The magnetic disk is a nice touch. The fact that it holds a solid bearing when you're shivering is nice. The combination of two flippy tops works extremely well. The wacky look of the compass is actually designed so that you can operate the bezel no matter which top is flipped up. I particularly like that you have a choice between peep and open sights for taking a bearing, since through a tiny slit one tree looks the same as any other and my arm is steadiest at about half extension. The magnified bearing reading is absolutely brilliant though, as it allows for very high degree of accuracy and makes it easy to read in your peripheral vision while sighting. I have to disagree with previous reveiws regarding the rubber boot and hinges. The rubber boot can indeed be left behind, but the rubber sits nicely on your skin under a shirt, so I feel the comfort offsets the extra couple ounces. I found the hinges to be crisp and reliable. Reference cards are handy for "brain fart" moments. The only thing wrong with the compass is the god-awful nylon lanyard it comes with. Whatever nylon rope Brunton used for it is the scratchiest, nastiest stuff on the plant. It's easily swapped out for a leather lanyard though.

I've been using this for my runs for the past two weeks or so, and I've grown quite fond of it. The belt is indeed comfy. The buckles are covered in such a way that they won't contact your skin, but this makes them a giant pain to adjust, and difficult to clip in, particularly if you're a stout/wide/substantial/chubby individual. So, good and bad points for the buckles. The reservoir isn't very big, and there's no extra storage, so this is a perfect Camelbak for short (<5 mileish) runs when you don't want extra junk weighing you down.

It became rapidly apparent that these shoes were made with wide feet in mind. This meant that they took 3rd party inserts beautifully. Field Tests in Escalante indicate that they feel nice on your feet, breathe well, and won't protect your feet from knee-deep pools of reddish muck. The stiffness of them took a little adjustment, but once they were broken in and I got used to them, I found them super nice. Traction on the slickrock and sandstone was also top notch. This is a really great pair of hiking shoes for those of us who don't like the wieght and movement restriction of high tops.

God I love this thing. The lightness and smooth feel of the fabric is the greatest part about it. A lot of baselayers have that kind of semi-scratchy texture, but the silkweight is super smooth. Absolutely top notch for comfort. The lightness of it makes it really great for stuffing in the bottom of a hiking pack just in case, and I barely used anything else all ski season. On that note: Beware. Silkweight is synthetic, and gets uber-stinky uber-fast. Don't bring just one on a multi-day trip.

This footprint is light and small enough you can jam it into the bag with the rest of the tent (best done when it's clean.) It really makes putting the tent up completely brainless, because you get to see how the tent is going to sit and can reposition with just the footprint, which doesn't conceal the pointy rocks the way two layers of tent floor and roof do. As mentioned, it's all color coded with the tent so no matter how crispy you are you can set the whole shooting match up.

They said my little brother's hands could never be warm in gloves. But these did it. He's been through every glove on the planet at this point, I bought these because I could afford them and because of the INCREDIBLY FREAKING THICK fleece liner they have. It's incredibly freaking thick, you see. He loves them. He's warm and therefore happy. They're fine for grabbing a ski pole, but that same super thick liner makes them about as dextrous as oven mitts. I wouldn't wear them if you paid me, but then my hands don't get cold. If warmth is your only goal, these are your gloves. Buy them for all your cold-hand relatives and make them shut up.

The kick is all there for this stuff. Really delivers the kick in the pants as advertised. Taste is surprisingly tolerable. Apple Cinnamon is mega-nasty, but the Vanilla/Orange has a mild citrusy taste that's totally doable. Like all gels, it isn't any fun to eat (texture is a close relative to Epoxy) but you can't beat it for results.

The locks are great, don't get me wrong. I bought 4 to keep my rack from leaving without me. But I only bought 4, which means my bike racks and box and towers all have different keys. DOH! If you're buying locks, it pays to buy a lot.

I've got a pile of headlamps because I'm a nerd, but the Yukon HL is the standby one that I keep coming back to because it's just so darn good at everything. The high beam is blinding out to about 30-ish feet, and the triple ring of little LEDs fills nicely without being quite so horrifyingly bright. I love having short and long range options on the same lamp. If you change the batteries before a multi-week trip you can forget about them until you're back home. It's tough as heck too. I've been bashing it around inside hardcases, backpacks, and pockets for years, and have dropped it a stream, down a rocky embankment, and onto about a hundred different kinds of dirt. It's still going strong.

I bought this to be our travelling tent for the back of the motorcycle. It packs pretty small, especially if you pack the soft parts in a separate compression sack. The tent's shape is weirdly asymetrical, with one side longer than the other, but it's so big that isn't much of a problem, apart from gear storage at your feet needing to be all on one side. The picture doesn't really show the whole thing, but the entire canopy is mesh, so with or without the fly the ventilation is superb. My single complaint would be that the vestibules aren't very big, and the internal pockets are in weird and not necessarily useful places. All in all a very good purchase that made us much more comfortable on our long trip.

Apparently I do. These things are awesome. They are a little shorter than I'd prefer, but on the trail I couldn't care less. They really do wick moisture well, to the extent that if you're sweating and you touch them you can feel little beads of sweat forming on the outside. Very strange sensation, really excellent shorts.

Yes, they are really that good that people will rave about them. These have fast become my favorite gift to give to people, because it seems like a dorky gift until they start wearing them. They're really excellent for trail running, and good for hiking in low shoes. They don't really rise high enough for serious hiking or backpacking boots. If you spend all or a large part of your day on your feet, you need a pair.

God I hate thick socks. I got my first pair of these bad boys as a freebie, and I've since bought several more pairs. They're wonderfully thin, wick moisture famously and never, ever bunch up. I refuse to wear anything else skiing. This and other socks have made me a Bridgedale customer for life.

Great lenses. My sliders pretty much live on my head, and these lenses seldom leave them. Darker than most, but that's a real plus here in the Utah sun. I like the Neutral Grey tint/nontint for the color trueness it gives me: A big plus when you're on the lookout for pictures.

Ok, so I hate goggles, but sometimes you just need them. I got the wisdoms because they're reputed to fit big noggins well, which they do (I wear an XL helmet.) What they don't do is fit big noses. I've got the wonderfully big solar panel nose courtesy of my grandfather (proportional to my head, but big), and the nose notch on the wisdoms is too darn narrow. It causes the goggles to either sit too high or squeeze my nostrils closed. If you've got a schnoz on you, look elsewhere, these will make you miserable. Other stuff: The strap connection system is pure plastic with small contact areas and as such, highly suspect. Peripheral vision is decidedly so-so, and your up and down vision is similarly mediocre. Overall, I'd call these a decidedly Ho-hum offering that don't really change my opionion on goggles being uncomfortable and limiting to your vision.

I bought these babies two years ago and though I've gone through more than a couple lenses, they're still with me. My only complaint with them might be that if you get used to using perpheral vision, you can see almost the entire frame in your field of vision. This is a pretty minor gripe though. In all, these glasses are incredibly durable, totally affordable for their (extremely high) quality and look sharp, which doesn't hurt.

Solitude's awesome, hands down one of the most under-rated and easily overlooked resorts in the Rockies. Everybody gets into town and dashes to Snowbird and Alta but the 'Tude gets the same pow without the lines, and if you know where to look (around behind the patrol cabin, for instance) it's got some of the wildest craggy skiing around. Solitude's a deal anyway, which makes these passes a crazy deal. If you're skiing in Utah you owe yourself a Solitude day.

If you've ever been frustrated by a binding with toe slop, you'll dig these. Not only are they economical, they're totally solid. Since you're clamped in there's no slop at all, which on my groomer skis makes for a good 'ol time when I need quick turns. My only complaint is with the flex point (too far forward for my liking) and the general non-burliness of the hard wires. They're fine skiing but the wires are too easy to bend and mangle when storing, carrying, and what have you. Snapshot: Skis extremely well, very solid connection and control, a few irritating design elements.

My Q towers are old. My Q towers are scuffed, dinged and dirty. If I grab the bars and yank and shove for all I'm worth, all it does it make the car shake 5 years after I first put them on. Count on these towers outliving many, many cars.

I bought these and promptly had them theived by my parents, who love them. They report that downhills are night and day better with the poles, and that they really help alleviate a lot of aches and pains that usually come up on their lower backs and knees. I'm debating buying another pair so I can try them out for myself. Grr.

I feel dirty giving anything bridgedale less than a 5, but these socks just don't feel midweight to me. They're sickly comfortable as only bridgedales can be, but are extremely warm and thick. I used them once hiking and they were just too much in the summer. What I have adopted them for though is motorcycling. Their warmth and thickness really keep my feet happy riding over mountain passes on cold mornings.