Reviews by User: jrwhodidit (9)

I've had this pack for about six months now and it has been all over Virgina: Shenendoah National park to MT. Rogers National Recreational Area and many cool places inbetween. 100 LT seems to last about 15 miles. I was worried about the size when i first recieved it, but you can really load this pack up. I use it for hicking, biking, and trail running and i've had zero problems. Now I live in Texas and it's getting ready for a Big Bend Adventure. Add some ice to your water and enjoy! Also great for outdoor concert festivals like Austin City Limits. Bottom line: great pack at a good price.

I love this pack! i used it to back pack all over Europe for a couple months last spring and it was the perfect size. had plenty of extra space to bring home my extras that i picked up while i was there. I have used it in big bend national park as well and i do agree with the other reviews about comfort on long hikes, or the lack there of. But i have always been a budget gear man so i will deal with a little discomfort for such a large capacity pack for the price. i like the adjustment system or "load shifters" that help adjust the weight on your back. my only complaint is the top load only. some of there other packs like the orizaba have top load and front load which i love. it does have the sleeping bag seperation which is always a nice feature. Alps is a fantastic company as well whom i have dealt with for some years now. you wont find better gear for the prices they offer. you get what you pay for, but if you are a budget gear man (or gear woman) alps will never disappoint!

i actually love this pack but i gave it a 3 because i dont use it for snowboarding or skiing. i bought it for the price because my north face hydration got funky and they dont sell replacement parts which totally sucks! So i cant comment on the below freezing issue some people seem to be having however it works perfectly for hiking and MT biking which is what i use it for. I can stash a whole days worth of gear, food and camera equipment in the spacious pack and i have found numerous uses for the snowboard straps, or you can just tuck them away which is a really cool option. i also love the fact that camelpak makes replaces parts for their packs, what a novel idea! I do camp in the winter so the winter features will be sweet. For the price on tramdock, absolutely cant be beat.

These might be the sweetest pair of trail shoes i have experienced yet. my absolute favorite feature is the lacing system. i hope they make more styles with this system because i have never had a more exact fit before in a shoe. i was a little skeptical at first but after my first 5 miler i was convinced. No pressure points in the shoe, most notably on the top of my foot. they are a relatively light shoe, but when i am trail running i will give up some weight to have good, honest ankle and foot support, something i feel the arnuva definitely offers. i will be doing my first triathlon in two weeks and cant wait to showcase my arnuva's. when my wife saw the $125 price on the box she almost freaked out, but then i showed her my SAC receipt and all was great. damn i love BC and all their sister sites!!!!

This helmet is pretty sweet. After seeing it at my local bike shop for $100, i was stoked to see it on chainlove and scored it for a paltry $44 and change. I love the adjustment system, with a turn of a dial i get an exact fit which keeps my wifey at ease knowin' i wont splatter my money maker all over the hard texas limestone. It is plenty well ventilated as well which is a must for ridin' here in the blistering south texas heat. It's also pretty light compared to some of the other helmets i have owned in the past. No storage bag included though, bummer. thanks chainlove for another rockin' deal.

This pack is a pretty solid pack. I have taken it to a couple national parks as well as all over Europe last spring and it did not disappoint. It is pretty dang large, the biggest pack i have ever owned. Not sure if this is always the best thing because my wife kept adding whatever she purchased into my pack because she had no room left in hers however i had plenty to spare. The "load lifter" straps make a huge difference when getting a true fit to your body. A couple extra pockets on the outside would be nice but over all the pack works great for almost any type of adventure. The hydration compatibility is quite nice as well. I used my north face blatter and it worked perfectly however i did have to get creative to keep the hose out of my way since there is no mechanism to keep the hose secure (my north face has a magnet to do this). But a simple twisty tie took care of the issue. For the price you will not find a better pack at this size.

Got this bag off steep&cheap and have been very satisfied thus far. The coldest weather i have been in with this bag is a messily 28 degrees so cant vouch for 0 degree just yet however i was very toasty this past winter on the trips i did get out on. The hood cinches up as tight as you could want it and it has a velcro seem at the top to ensure no drafts will get down your bag and "chill" you out. One of the better bags for the price no doubt. Plenty of room, i have the long and i am 6'-2" and i have enough room but not too much to create "dead air". Alps is a solid company, i have multiple tents, bags and other gear from them as well. It wont disappoint.

I got this jacket after trying to decide between the north face venture and the PreCip. The PreCip came on steep&cheap so I went with it and I couldn't be happier. I have worn the PreCip in Shenandoah national park during what seemed like a monsoon and stayed completely dry in my upper half, can’t say the same about my alleged waterproof pants. I wore it to Guadalupe National park as well which is notorious for wicked winds and it did not let me down. Great wind resistant jacket for sure. I wore it all through Switzerland last march and with a base layer underneath, sometimes a fleece as well, I was great. I have had the jacket for a little over two years and have put it through some pretty extreme conditions as well as everyday abuse and have zero complaints. Well I guess if I want to be objective, I am not a big fan of the drawstring adjustment for the waist. I think some improvement could be done here. The pit zips are excellent for running or hiking in the rain or drizzle and for skiing the Swiss Alps! They seem to be a little larger than the venture (not sure if this is accurate, just a visual observation) which is great to dump the built up body heat. Stuffs into its own pocket and has a loop to use a carabiner to clip onto your pack for easy access. My opinion, great jacket for the price, especially if you are lucky enough to get it on da steep!

This little fella has been a great pick up for my gear. It is fast and easy to set up, jsut two pools, and easily withstood crazy winds at Guadalupe Mts. National park, Guadalupe peak campground. Having to backpack up 4 miles while gaining almost 3000ft, the 4lb weight was super sweet. I am 6'-2" 180lbs so I believe this to be a one man tent however it fits me and my two 65lbs dogs perfectly. Air circulates well with a vent above your head and both doors being large mesh. The tent seems to be well made, I have been out in some not so nice weather with it and had zero issues. Just this last week I had it out in 26 degree windy weather and accompanied with my Alps Mountaineering desert pine 0 degree bag I was more than comfortable. Bottom line, for the price this is a great little tent. Alps itself is an awesome company as well. They have a testing program where you can get up to 60% off some of their gear just for trying it out. Check out their website for more details.