Reviews by User: tenpenny79 (4)

I wanted to like the glasses. They're light and fit well. However, I broke them one month after I got them by gently leaning forward against a table in a restaurant with the glasses in my breast pocket. The screw on the nose bridge snapped. I contacted customer service, asking to pay for a replacement nose bridge, but they insisted I send the glasses to them for "their inspection" which, per their website, could take 2-3 weeks. The problem? I'm leaving for vacation in the Caribbean in 10 days. As these glasses are modular, they could easily ship a replacement part, and I could assemble them myself. Instead, I'll be wearing a cheap pair bought at a gas station for all my vacation pictures. Thanks Costa...

I didn't really need another down jacket, but this jacket was so cheap on SAC that I just couldn't pass it up. PROS: It is VERY warm. I slept outside in it one night in -6 F weather with a 20 F down sleeping bag in a bivy with only a patagonia cap 3 layer underneath and a nalgene full of boiled water between my calves. It was so warm that I had to zip it open and eventually take it off for a while because I was starting to sweat. In comparison to the patagonia down jacket and down sweater vest, it's about 1.5 times as thick as the patagonia down jacket, and 2-3 times as thick as the down sweater vest. It's warmer than either, but larger too. CONS: Aside from sleeping outside on cold nights, I keep it in the trunk of my car for emergencies since the girlfriend thinks it's "too puffy" and "too ugly" to allow me to wear anywhere else. The "Not Black" color is appropriate -- the dark coloring you see in the pictures is a very very dark blue. I guess the dark blue and white outer is ok, but when she saw me open the bright red inner collar, she wouldn't be seen around me. She likes my "true black" patagonia down jacket much more.

I bought this shell for nordic skiing, and it works well for this purpose with only a thin, light baselayer underneath. It does a decent job blocking wind and shedding water. I usually un-zip it all the way with a cap-3 baselayer in 20 F weather when I'm really working up a sweat. I've also tried wearing it as an every-day light coat, but it fails for this purpose. It's cut too narrow to fit a sweater underneath, especially at the cuffs. In summary, nice for specific applications, but not a very versatile jacket.

I like this shirt so much that I just bought a second. It keeps you warm and wicks well. I wore it, alone, as a top layer for much of the on-trail time during a 33-mile hike in 30-40 degree weather. It did get somewhat malodorous by the third day. It's not the best for layering with other zip-necks though. Having 4 zip-up mock turtle collars can cause some uncomfortable collar-crunch. I'm looking for a cheap cap-3 crew for this reason.