Reviews by User: Kipp Proctor (9)

Awesome! Gotta love the merino wool. These guys do a great job keeping your legs warm on moderately cold days. While they do just fine on colder days going with the 260's (mid-weight) is a better idea. Have no complaints except that if you want to use them for something other than skiing e.g. hiking or camping you'll need to wear ski socks or otherwise you'll likely have a gap between your sock and the leg opening. Also I guess the other drawback is that there isn't a fly but that's not a big deal because it's not too difficult to pull them down to let your natural stream flow. The best thing about them is that they're made of merino wool and that means no stink, awesome warmth, great wicking capability, and very cozy! After multiple days of skiing in them (sometimes without showering for those multiple days) they still don't stink! Unreal! I will never go back to a cap or synthetics after using merino wool. I also love the fact that you don't have to worry about any bunching around your knee or having the need to try to stretch them over your boot. Two words for ya: BUY EM'!

Amazingly solid AT! These ski as well if not better than many binders that I've used in the past. While I wouldn't suggest long tours on these, slack country and short tours to lines that demand a solid platform are where these bindings shine. Marker while they've received a bad rap in the past has completely redeemed themselves. Salomon better wake up cause the Duke and Jester are here. Pick these up if you want a solid AT setup that skis like an alpine binding if not better. You won't be disappointed.

To start out, this is an AMAZING POWDER SKI! I've never skied anything like it. I have the 188s and it’s amazing how they ski way shorter than that (maybe like a 178). They do everything really well but they shine in a few places. First: Ripping Trees. BD made these guys super light and the rocker tip helps you whip them around in trees with ease. I never loved skiing trees as much as I do now until I got these guys. Also low level trees that you wouldn't have thought of going into have turned into a fun place to get those few extra POW turns. Haha. Second: Pointing Lines! These skis love going fast and pointing lines make these skis shine! They handle well all the time but when you hit 5th gear they really perk up. It’s always fun to hear your buds suggest pointing lines because the Megas kill it! Third: Dropping Big Drops. These skis are so fat and with the addition of the rocker tip, dropping big drops becomes super easy. In other words these guys are just massive landing boards that let you stick it all in the deep stuff. Bad things I've heard about them but I haven't experienced is that the bases are super thin and susceptible to core shots. I ski at Big Sky which is basically a massive scree field and have had a many encounters with rocks (almost daily) but nothing but surface scratches and easy fixes (nothing deep yet). Other than that these guys are unreal and super super FUN! To give another recommendation, put a beefy binding on them. I've got the Dukes on them and they make for a sweet solid platform along with a great slack country setup. If not the Duke/Jester (Marker has redeemed themselves with this line) find a high DIN bullet proof binder. Parting words: MOUNT AND PREPARE FOR AN EAR TO EAR GRIN!

So I broke my back last winter and forced by my Mom to get a spine protector. I decided to go with this vest and have been pretty please with it so far. Its comfortable and the two strap flex belt is pretty cool. It kind of provides some lumbar support which is kind a cool/comfy feeling when you're skiing. It's also pretty light weight which is nice and you don't lose very much movement which I was kind of worried about when I purchased it. You can kind of see the pads but most people wouldn't know what they are so its no big deal. The vest hugs your frame well too. Only beef I have with it is that the collar doesn't cover your neck well. This is a bad deal if you wear a transceiver. I've had some bad rubbing on my neck (I used to always wear a vest to protect against this). And the other thing that has already started to wear out after 10 days of using it is the flexfit belt (doesn't secure as tightly). Other than that it provides decent warmth and cozy snug fit. I would recommend it to a buddy for sure.

Love the pack! I'm 5'10" 180lbs and got the S/M 32L. Fits perfect since I like a secure fit. I use it on a daily basis when riding and it works great. The diagonal ski carry works great for all my skis from Volkl Goats to my BD Megawatts. Although the Megawatts are about as large as you'll be able to go I think. Where it straps across and buckles in front of the binding the megawatts are about 125-130mm. Might be something to keep in mind if you plan on hiking with a ski that’s 130mm plus at the waist. The inside of pack is great. I really like the internal pocket for all your avalanche gear! It holds all your gear in there very well. Also if you're torn between the 22L and 32L, I'd go with the 32L. It may sound too large but actually it’s great to have the ability to add more gear and what not for longer day tours or whatever you need. I hardly ever use all the space but the pack collapses really well and doesn't feel loose at all. I usually only have my avalanche gear, water, and a few snacks packed away for normal resort riding as well as some resort accessed backcountry stuff. Another nice thing is that you can integrate your Camel Bak bladder into it on the other shoulder strap. Great pack all around and you can't beat the fact that it comes with and integrated avalung! I don't ever want to have to be required to use it but it sure is nice to have as an extra safety measure. GET IT!

These are the best gloves you'll ever buy! This is my second pair only because I lost my first pair (the original yellow). The vertical cut freerides are super sweet though. I love these on so many different levels that I don't even know where to start. These have great function along with style and comfort. One thing that sticks out from the get-go is the padding. I don't know how many branches I've punched out of the way or to leaning on jagged scree that has made the padding well worth it. Also the padding provides another layer of warmth that keeps your digits and hands that much more out of the elements. Next is the leather, which is great because it allows for a full range of dexterity along with amazing grip. Also the inside of all Hestra gloves along with these feel amazing! And you can't beat the way these look, they're just awesome! So buy a pair, wear em, and let your hands smile.

These are awesome! I'm an active skier so the mid-weight bottoms I use mostly on the cold to really cold days. These guys do a great job of keeping the stink away, legs warm, and moisture off your skin. I have a pair of the 200's for warmer days which are great as well (similar review for the 200's on its page)! But you gotta love the merino wool. Have no complaints except that if you want to use them for something other than skiing e.g. hiking or camping you'll need to wear ski socks or otherwise you'll likely have a gap between your sock and the leg opening. Also I guess the other drawback is that there isn't a fly but that’s not a big deal because it’s not too difficult to pull them down to let your natural stream flow. The best thing about them is that they're made of merino wool and that means no stink, awesome warmth, great wicking capability, and very cozy! After multiple days of skiing in them (sometimes without showering for those multiple days) they still don't stink! Unreal! I will never go back to a cap or synthetics after using merino wool. I also love the fact that you don't have to worry about any bunching around your knee or having the need to try to stretch them over your boot. Two words for ya: BUY EM'!

While the Big Sky isn't the warmest jacket out there, it does pretty well for a soft shell. I'm happy with the purchase just expected something a little more. I bought it as a replacement to a light weight shell that I had ripped when an unsuspecting tree reached out and grabbed me. But the jacket does a great job for what it is though. One of the first days I wore it, I ended up making Tram laps through the gullies (@ Big Sky) during a storm that included wind gusts of over 30mph that shut down the majority of the lifts (Triple, Challenger, Shedhorn, and Dakota). While there were probably better jackets to wear that day the Big Sky kept me warm and dry. Also I took Altasnowbirdripper's advice and went a size larger (usually L but went XL). It fits just the way he said it would (Thanks!). The only beef I have with it is that I feel like it rides up under my arms a bit sometimes. I kind of find that irritating since the pit vents slightly rub doing certain maneuvers. But thats something I can get over. Other than that I find that it's a great jacket and I would definitely recommend it to a buddy.

I've been hooked on Oakley since I can't remember when until POC came along with the Lobes. They're super sweet! They provide amazing clarity and unreal peripheral vision. I'm stoked on them. I've got the black w/ mirror lenses and they do great on sunny days and decently well in flat light. Just take care of the mirror lenses since they do tend to scratch pretty easily. The goggles are pretty big on your face but that provides an excellent field of vision. If you're in a toss up between these and another pair just do it and get these. You weren't be upset. I never thought I'd buy anything other than Oakley until these. They're sick!