Reviews by User: Eric Sivers (16)

I go through a pair each winter, since a thaw means that my trails are a mix of ice, snow, mud and bare rock. Rock is pretty tough on these, but they're cheap. I keep a spare set in my SUV for friends. Yaktrax work best on packed snow, but if you're careful about your footing, you can get up and down icy slopes without too much trouble. The grip isn't as good as STABILicers, but you can slip these in a pocket for around-town use. In my experience, they fit on shoes better than on boots, since the toes are higher on the latter.

Backpacker gave this pad a good review, but noted that the pump isn't much help. I couldn't get it to do much myself, and if there's a trick to it, the enclosed guide isn't much help. But my biggest beef with the pump is that it makes the rolled pad much thicker than it needs to be (but only on one end). So it's a pain to cram it into the stuff sack, b/c it rolls up asymmetrically. Comfortable pad, but the pump (which I wouldn't use anyway) is a pain. No thanks. I'll be returning this one.

I love these sandals, and put them on the minute I come home from work. But I discovered that the fit is less forgiving than with Keen's shoes. I have several Keen shoes that I wear regularly, and am happy with the fit. The Newport sandal, however, does not have a heel adjustment, so you want a closer fit to keep your foot stable fore-and-aft. In my case, a size smaller than I wear in Keen's shoes (13) is appropriate.

I've used them on a couple of (lift-served) ski days so far, with temps at 8 and 20. I have cold hands, and they've done OK. I noticed slightly chilly fingers on the colder day, but once I started moving, they warmed up fine. What really impressed me was after getting snow into one of the gloves (set it down), my hand was wet and cold for about 5 minutes. The liners dried out really quickly and my hand was warm again surprisingly fast. Construction is good, the gloves look and feel great, and the idiot straps are really nice. They're fastened inside the gauntlet, and are wide elastic straps you slip over your wrists. No wrestling them over your jacket, and nothing to snag. One thing I notice: the gauntlet isn't insulated, so getting the cuff snugged down over your jacket is more important than with some over gloves I've had. So far, pretty happy with these.

Well-built, handsome, and well thought-out. I think Westcomb crammed this thing full of features to help get make a name. MSRP is competitive for a high-end shell, and THEN it has iPod controls! It has pit zips, even though the eVent site calls them relics. I'm not a weight weenie, so I kinda like the option. There's what I assume is a pass/ticket pocket on the sleeve, although the vinyl is hard to see through. No internal pockets, except for the iPod pocket. And finally, it's very easy to get someone on the phone at Westcomb to answer a question.

The idea is pretty cool, but I'm not as thrilled with them as I'd hoped. They are pretty wide, and look a little like clown shoes (at least my 13s do). They're wide enough that it can be tricky to drive with them. Also, I can't swear that I feel the footbed has molded to my foot. It takes a little work to pull the cord tight, too. I like the integrated booty, and that makes these my cold-water shoes. When it's warmer, I wear shoes that are slimmer. Mion's customer service is good, though. I lost a cord anchor in the river, and they replaced it very quickly. Finally, the soles are pretty grippy, and work well on wet rocks.

I gotta disagree with the other reviews. I had high expectations for a knife from SOG, but the construction and materials just don't cut it. I have owned a lot of knives from CRKT, Gerber, Kershaw, etc. The plastic handles on the Flash II look and feel like cheap plastic. Nothing near as substantial as the zytel on a cheaper CRKT. The blade isn't the greatest either, but I'll admit that my regular knife is the big CRKT M-16, so I'm used to a beefy blade. The overall construction just feels weak. And the triangular shape to the handle just feels weird in your hand and pocket. I bought it on a SAC deal, so I'm not out much, but it's getting 'spare' duty and l leave it in the truck door box.

I love these shades. I agree that these fit large faces. My head is too big for me to wear a lot of sunglasses sold as M/L (e.g. Smith Turntables), but these fit over my temples just fine, and I can pop them up on top of my head. Gunmetal looks hot.

Noticeably better than other brands'. They just work and work well.

I see some varying opinions here. I bought this in Jan 2008, and have generally been pleased with it. I've skied in in MT at temps ranging from 0 to the low 30s. I wear it over a T-shirt, and if the temps are below 10, with a fleece. For me, anything above the mid 20s is too warm in this coat, at least if moguls are involved. Once temps get into the teens, this is generally my around-town coat, too, and down to -20 so far without complaint. The biggest beef I have is that the pit zips are impossible to manipulate with gloves: no zipper pulls. To their credit, Cloudveil CS immediately volunteered to mail me some. Twice. Neither set arrived, so I gave up. I'm 6'3" and 230. A large fits fine with room to layer.

I've seen other reviewers comment that Arc'Teryx seemed to have some consistency problems withe their casual lines. I have 3 pairs of Gamut shorts that I love, but the Delegate in the same size are definitely too small. That aside, they're a nice pair of casual shorts that hit above the knee. Great value for the price.

I walk my dog on about 2 miles of trail daily, and in winter, the snow quickly becomes packed sheet ice. Yaktrax work well until the ice gets steep, but I can go through a couple pairs each winter when rocks start coming up through the snow and ice. No worries on that score with the STABILicers. They grip better, too. They do take a little more fiddling around to get on the boot or shoe, and you can't slip them in a pocket, but for grip and durability, they can't be beaten.

The aqua isn't the most masculine color in person, but the construction is absolutely top-notch.

And I hate to see them slipping from the market for some reason. I have three pairs, and they are my everyday, just-got-home-from-work shorts. The material is good, they look great, and not being 15, I love shorts that are cut above the knee. They're incredibly comfortable, and look good around town as well as on the trail.

I've been really pleased with this sweater. Like others have noted, it really covers a wide range of temperatures and conditions. I wore it kayaking on a 70-degree day in March, and was perfectly comfortable. It's a ski staple, and is warm on the slopes (under a shell) and not too warm in the lodge. I've washed mine several times; lay it flat to dry. It shows a very minor amount of piling. It's enough that it's not quite as crisp as new, but not enough to stop me from wearing it to work in the winter.

It's lightweight, comfortable in a wide range of temperatures, and looks great on the trail and in town. I have the tobacco colored version, and have gotten many compliments on it. The silicon nanoparticles are the icing on the cake. Fortunately I didn't have to squirt ketchup on my own jacket, as you can find online gear reviews from people who have. Reportedly works as advertised.