Reviews by User: Jan Higa (9)

Kudos to the North Face for designing their clothing for women of All shapes and sizes. I've gained 20 pounds since my competition days and you'd think I'd gained 60. Most outdoor clothing companies must think athletic women are all 5'9" and 110 pounds. C'mon people! I should be able to cram my fat ass in a size large jacket and still be able to layer. Most of these companies don't even make x-large sizes any more. Oh, but they do make x-small for all you 10 year olds out there. Geez!! Anyway, I've made my point. I'm 5'2 and currently 150. This size large is a great fit and the arm length is not too long. The pockets are generously sized, another rarity in clothing designed for women. I want functional technical outer wear just like the men folk get. If I wanted to make a fashion statement, I'd wear prada and sit in the lodge by the fire. However, if you're a fashionista, this jacket is a 3 in one. The insulating under jacket or whatever you call it is functional as well as great looking. You can wear either one exclusively, but together it provides a great deal of warmth. If you must, you can layer underneath both of them and still zip it up comfortably to your chin. This jacket doesn't bind when you're sitting on the lift. I also like the fact that it has an opening for earphones although I would have preferred it to be located in a different spot so I don't have to unzip the jacket to adjust it. Also, The North face follows suit with other companies that put one pocket on top of the other. (One inside and outside on the same side.) I don't understand this philosophy. If you have to adjust your ipod settings, it makes it difficult to do so if you have put other objects in the same side pocket. That's the only gripe. The goggle pocket is generously huge. Last week after a great sesh I put my gloves, an energy bar, and half a sandwich in there on the way to the parking lot. This jacket also goes well with the freedom pants which I own in a size large. All in all, nice work North Face. I would recommend this line of clothing to any short, slightly chunky ladies out there who rip it up. Cheers!

It's difficult to find gloves that are warm enough. Especially when it's 10 degrees and the wind is whipping. These gloves were almost too warm at times. I ride the divide in Colorado where it can get quite nasty. I recommend these gloves to all the ladies out there that get cold fast. The are a few downsides that could be easily addressed. There are no wrist leashes. For the hefty chunk of change you lay down for these gloves you should get a set like hestra provides for some of their models. I actually bought a pair of wrist cuffs from hestra for 8 dollars and attached then to the gloves and they work like a charm. Also, these gloves don't come with a mechanism to attach them together so you don't lose one of them when you are not wearing them. C'mon Black Diamond, you can do better than that. Also if you remove the liners, expect to burn some calories trying to get them back in there. I certainly hope this becomes easier after being used for a while but if you don't want to spend 10 minutes trying to get them back in then I recommend not removing them at all. They are toasty warm. Probably the warmest I've ever had and the fit is good. Too often the fingers in gloves are too long but not in this case. I have short fingers and wide hands. I wear the small size. All in all a darn good glove. Could do with some improvements though.

Yes, they do run big and thank you North face for gearing your clothing to all women of all shapes and sizes. Large is actually large. Most outdoor companies design clothing for tall slim women. I'm 5'2 and 150. Usually I have to have some sort of alteration done. the Large/short pants fit great and will go bigger in the waist with a simple adjustment. They even make xlarge pants that were way to big for me. I snowboard and like my clothing fairly loose. I also like the fact that the cargo pocket is actually big enough for me to put my hand in. Again, most pockets in womens ski and snowboard clothing are not functional and if it is, you pay a premium. I want functional clothing when I'm out on the slopes, not fashion. Great product!

This shirt gets softer the more you wash it. It dries very quickly and receives many compliments. I'm 5'2" with very short arms so the sleeves are a bit long. The only thing that keeps this from being a 5 star rating is the price. A little expensive.

I agree with the Burton rep who wrote that these are the best Boot for women out there. My circulation has always been cut off in other boots and had hot spots. I have had no problems with the heat packs. My feet always get cold and I've found that the one setting is always usually warm enough. I think what many of the reviewers don't understand is that the liners can be heat molded to custom fit your feet. You want to order your regular boot size (they will be tight and uncomfortable. Then take them in to your local shop and have them fitted. It's a little costly but well worth it. You may have to take them in a few more times to have them adjust hot spots but that should be free. It's kind of a hassle and I was skeptical after the first fitting. Had to take mine in 3 times but now they work better and are much more comfortable than any boot I have had in the past. In the past I have had to take a break and remove my boots to recirculate and warm up. The biggest problem I have with these boots is the speed zone lacing system on both boots is starting to unravel on one side where it comes out of the plastic dealio on either side where you pull up and back to tighten. Now granted I ride hard and rack up many days during the season but I haven't even used these for a full season. This shouldn't be happening. Not sure what to do about it. You can't just replace the laces. I'll be taking them into my local shop to see what can be done. Hopefully it's not a big deal. I paid full price for these boots plus approximately another $100 bones to have them custom fitted. Too much money to have this happening so soon.

This jacket has kept me warm every time I have used it. I get comments wherever I go on this design and haven't seen anyone else wearing it. However, the material used for the shell could be a little more ballistic. I snowboard so I have to carry my board under my arm. The material by the bottom of the pit zipper and down by the side pocket is already wearing away from where the board edge rubs. This is unacceptable. I've only had one other jacket in 20 years that did this and had to take it to Mountain Mend to have some custom work done in that area. Basically remedied by placing tougher material patches in these areas. In my opinion, when you shell out $300 bones for this product you should at least get a jacket that has a bulletproof shell and can handle wear and tear for more than 3 months. Quite disappointing. I have dropped my rating down to 3 stars. Please improve this flaw Orage.

It's still toasty warm after a few more uses. We just got 4 feet of fresh over the holidays. Exceptionally good in the wind. It's nice not to have to wear a ton of layers. Also no binding or tightness when you sit on the lift. I like the fact that you can loosen it from the bottom if you have to layer or just want more room. One more small downside that could be easily remedied is that the opening on the goggle pocket on the inside of the jacket is too small. Actually the whole pocket could be a bit bigger. I'm afraid if I'm not careful I'll rip it. No regrets in buying this jacket

I think the Lexa binding is one of the best out there. I wear size 7 Burton supremes and they fit lexa mediums like a glove. I'm kind of a Burton Junkie from way back. Before the lexa, I rode in the Burton freestyle. What really makes these bindings great is the toe cap. I would not buy another pair of bindings without this feature. They are essential for aggressive riding.

I purchased this jacket a few weeks ago and have worm it 4 times while Snowboarding. So far it's been great. The coldest day was 19 degrees with 0-5 wind and no sun. I get cold very easily but all I had on was a Patagonia zip up fleece underwear and a t-shirt! There are only two downsides to this jacket but they are minor. Orage follows suit with many companies that places pockets in the chest area one on top of the other. (one inside, one outside.) on the same side. I've never understood this philosophy. Why not use both sides? This forces me to carry my ipod and my camera on top of each other. Not very convenient and can be uncomfortable. Also the ipod pocket doesn't have an opening to stick the earphones through but it does have a red piece of cord sewn in as a guide. Lucky for me I decided to go bluetooth and now control everything from my headphones. Hopefully everything will be bluetooth soon so this won't even be an issue. Back to the good stuff, If you're a fashonista,this jacket gets noticed!! It's not loud like so many ski and snowboard jackets and pants but the compliments roll from every direction. The most important is that it's functional. So many womens jacket and pants are designed with fashion in mind and not function. I'm not a tiny woman any more. Have gained 20 pounds or more since my competition days. It's nice to see that this company makes gear in xlarge sizes. Large sizes aren't what they used to be any more and most clothing is designed for little girls. I'm 5'2 and 150 pounds. I ride hard and mostly do steeps and deeps. It has a powder skirt and the pass holder is located between the powder skirt and the jacket. I kind of like this design but am concerned about the plastic mechanism used to secure the pass. The plastic is quite stiff and might break if its cold enough or possibly hit. Time will tell. This jacket also provides plenty of room to layer as well. You can zip it up all the way if you have to wear more insulation. All in all, thumbs up!