Reviews by User: Justin Altman (9)

The Copper Spur has been a favorite in our employee Gear Closet since day 1. The tent has been used and abused by well over 50 employees and despite being an ultra light tent, it has held up incredibly well. There has been no damage done to it despite, I'm sure, many people's best attempts. My own time in the tent has been fantastic. The interior space is vast and with the crossbar spreader pole (my name, not theirs) the walls achieve near vertical. The bathtub floor that comes up the side a few inches has kept water and dirt out of the tent in some pretty nasty weather. If you need to hunker down and ride a storm out, the fly provides excellent protection but also allows for good airflow. I can't ask for anything more from a tent. I love you Copper Spur

I purchased this pad with the hopes that it would be the most comfortable sleeping pad I've ever owned. Oh baby I couldn't have made a better decision. The pad system is a little pricey at $200 but it is a very slick system. It rolls up to a fine size for car camping and inflates with relative ease. What makes this pad so special is when you lie down for the night. It is soooooo comfortable. I'm a side sleeper and at 200lbs I find that with most pads my hip bone ends up against the hard ground. Not with the Dream Time! I slept on rocky ground and it was super plush. A great buy for ulitmate comfort!

These Dynastar XXL's (I have 187) are solid the way a good ski should be. The torsional stiffness is awesome and provide incredible edge hold when you need it. They aren't much for turning under 20mph but once you get them moving they'll rip big arcs down anything. I love these skis and they are the perfect do everything ski. The 187 is a great length for me in tight spots as well as open bowls. I'm 6'0 200lbs.

The ALPS Mountaineering Square Dining Table is a must have for the serious car camping gourmand. The assembly is remarkably simple despite a seemingly complex design that allows the entire table to fold up into a stuff sack no larger than a good size camping chair. Once assembled the table is remarkably sturdy and has no problem handing a few cast iron pans, water jugs, and dinner for two.

Underwear nirvana is a beautiful thing and it lies within the Ex Officio Give-N-Go boxers. The fabric is far more comfortable than my traditional cotton boxers and the elasticity means they hardly ever ride up and mess with your junk. The anti-odor fabric really works as advertised which is nice for those times when your next shower might be a couple days away. They also dry very quickly which is awesome on the trail when chafing isn't so cool.

Echoing what many have said, ease of use on this camera is exceptional, as is durability. This model with the wide angle lens is far easier to capture great video with than the first model with standard lens. The durability on these makes you feel comfortable taking out your new expensive toy whenever you want. The two units I work with are constantly being checked out from the Backcountry.com Gear Closet and have held up incredibly well. The only damage I have seen has been a snapped pin the camera cable from someone turning the cable to screw it in instead of just the silver ring, just something to be careful of. The included editing software makes it a cinch to upload your clips and easily share them with friends, it even allows for some basic editing of the clips.

This ski really blew me away in terms of how fun and forgiving it is. The way the tip is designed with the widest point located slightly back from the tip make the ski refuse to hook in crusty or heavy snow. The flex is medium in my opinion which makes the ski forgiving and doesn't beat you up by lunchtime. This is a ski I could ski in so many conditions from a couple inches of fresh snow to 30" of blower. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a one ski quiver, but if you're looking for a powder ski this is one that you would not worry about taking out if the conditions were variable.

The U.L. Super Stretch Hugger #1 is far and away the best sleeping bag I've ever had the pleasure to sleep in. I'm a side sleeper with restless legs and at 6' 200lbs have trouble finding cold weather bags that are not too restrictive. With the stretch ability of this bag I am so comfortable both on my couch and out in the backcountry. On a recent trip it was around 30 degrees and I was actually warm in the bag. I was sleeping in a midweight merino wool top and lightweight long underwear bottoms.

I want to like these skis, I really do. I also own a pair of the Nordica Blowers younger sibling the Enforcer (98mm underfoot). I love the Enforcers and the Blowers are just a bigger version at 110mm underfoot instead of the Enforcers 98mm underfoot. Unfortunately this supersizing of a great ski doesn't quite work. The blowers are a blast on the groomers as they have a nice deep sidecut, vertical sidewalls, and excellent edge hold. Unfortunately once you get in the deep stuff I find the deep sidecut to be a little hooky and with the soft tips it can be difficult in the crud. I later purchased the Dynastar XXL 187cm and definitely prefer them to the blowers.