Reviews by User: Matt Hart (64)

i run trail as a profession. this is my favorite shoe. it's not for everyone, and i couldn't have run in it years ago. it's light, which means it's not very protective. many of the montrail shoes have a protection plate. but that is heavy. so there isn't one in the steak. i like that because i feel the trail more. but it can mean if you run long your feet will feel a bit more beat up. the light and breathable upper drains water well and has plenty of protection for me. however i would not suggest this shoe for someone who runs super rugged trails often. go with a continental divide or hardrock for that. this shoe is so light i often run road with it too. i find the tread is great. but if you know you are going to deal with miles of muddy trail i would pick something with a bit more aggressive tread pattern. i would say the durability of the upper on this shoe is good, not great. but the comfort makes up for it. i simply love the way this shoe feels! oh yeah and it's a neutral shoe with no posting.

this is the worst designed foot pod attachment i've ever used. i have lost 2 t6 footpods with this attachment. it is supposed to stay on via rubber tension. but if you run trail or mud it's bound to come off. no doubt. i've kicked it off in the middle of a 50km race after a couple miles of moderate bushwhacking... there goes $100. i've also stepped in mud in the cascade mountains that almost took my shoe off. i saved the shoe, but the foot pod was gone forever. this thing sucks. i also know for a fact suunto has updated this piece and it's now presumably better.

this was my first and i'm still using it years later. it's a great beacon. it's easy to use. the display tells you which way to turn the dial as you approach the other beacon, if you are getting closer or further away. i've used this thankfully only in practice and it's as efficient as any other beacon my peers have. the strap is easy to use and fits the body well. the only gripe i have is getting it to shut off completely means you have to dig up this little tab and pop the bottom out. sometimes tough with very cold fingers, and impossible with gloves on.

i have to agree, the best workout shirt i've ever owned. i've run the deserts of utah, the humid monsoon appalachian trail, the muggy cascades and these t-shirts do it all. they fit great. they wick moisture in all conditions and climates. perfect for a base layer when it's cold. it's a home run of a product really. i can't have too many of them. the only knock is sometimes the material near areas of wear or rub get

i honestly try to avoid gortex shoes. this is because they don't typically drain very well. what keeps moisture out, REALLY keeps moisture in as well. so they are great until you dunk the foot in a puddle and water runs over the top. i still stick to that. however this shoe has been great on those wet in between days in the pacific northwest where it's wet, but you can avoid submerging the foot completely. i also love them for snowshoe running. perfect for that. they are supportive and the gortex upper gives the shoe a bit more protection while being light and comfy. in the 2006 primal quest adventure race my teammate wore these shoes. it was 120 degrees in moab and super hot. we all had more "breathable" shoes on, while he went with the gortex to keep the sand out. after just 2 days of non stop racing our feet were torn up from the sand and the friction. his were pristine. so if you are running sandy canyons or beaches these gortex is great for keeping the sand out.

i used this to film karl meltzer as he started his attempt to break the appalachian trail record on aug 7th, 2008. it was light and pretty easy to use.. although not super easy. the lense is circular, so it was hard for me to tell which way was up. it was windy and rainy and i have gloves on so it was tough to manage. the quality of video is good.

70% organic ingredients and the best tasting bar on the market today. you can't beat a clif bar. easy to pack and a good solid hours worth of calories when you are training or racing hard. what i love is the ingredients. but they also taste sooo good i often eat them as a treat. the banana nut bread is AMAZING! try this - put a clif bar in the microwave and heat it up for 20-30 seconds - they are ooooh so good warm. just make sure you take them out of the wrapper first, it's got some metal in it that will fry the microwave - i learned this the hard way!

i tried. i wanted to love this ski boot. it sounds perfect and has some amazing reviews. i only ski the backcountry and after the first day i had the worst shin bang of my life in these.. as well as inner ankle rub from another planet! i don't think they have much padding on the inner ankle bone area and i suffered EVERY time i wore these. on two ocassions i took two weeks off from skiing in hopes my wounds would heal but these boots just don't fit me right. they ski well and they are stiff for sure. i was pushing k2 coombas around in them with ease. but the fit hurt me very quickly in a alpine tour. the ski to walk mode was easy enough for me to flip with gloves, no issues there once you figure out how it works. also the buckle latches sometimes prevent the buckles from falling into the actual slot. they are there for a reason but it sometimes makes it harder than necessary to get the buckle on without a lot of tension. also at 14 degree lean i felt a tad in the back seat with these. i need more forward lean options! anyway they just aren't the boot for me.

i love these insoles. i have a high arch and these insoles have the arch support that i need. the are rugged too and seem to last a lot longer than most others i've tried. i've used some multiple seasons. you can also heat mold them to your feet which is great. a note to the wise though, don't over heat them. you don't want your foot to sink too deep into them or you can cause issues with friction blisters... but when you get it just right - it's awesome!

i hate sleeping bags. well that is until i bought the phantom 0. i am 5'10" and the regular size fits me fine. it's amazingly light at 2lbs 10oz, a whole pound less than most 0 degree bags. 800 fill keeps me toasty. it's also easy to regulate your temperature too with the draft collar and zippers that go in each direction. i also love the mummy style as i can bury myself in it and stay super warm when it's super cold out.

these little numbers serve a purpose. i have historically wrapped a wod of duct tape around a ski pole or a backpack strap. often adventure races make you carry some too. so this little number takes care of it. nice little package, clean.. and worth the $2.

i've used this light in many adventure races and ultramarathons. it's bomber. it's bright. i also think petzl has mastered the angling of the light unit. it's easy and affective and i have never seen or heard of them wearing out. great light. with led and halogen you can't go wrong because it's got the amount of light you'll need for everything.

it's light at just 1 lb 10 oz. just for that fact alone you give up some other comforts. i bought this to do long multi day adventures where i don't stop. the bivy is for weather that rolls in and stops me. so i have somewhere to hide rather than just a space blanket. it's light and does exactly what i bought it to do. however it is a bit tricky to get into, and i have to admit stupidity here - if you haven't set it up in a while it's not easy to figure out. me and phd took over an hour and had to come back to it on a hike through the enchantments (yes we had the instructions!). and of course there are compacted condensation issues with a smaller overall space inside. i think that is expected.my bottom line: it's perfect for adventures where you will need a bivy but don't wanna travel with the extra weight. but it's not easy to setup.

i've had tons of bike racks. this is the best one. it fits any bike without taking wheels off. it's not on the roof so you can enter and exit any garage without tearing the rack off. i've used this rack hard for over a year now. the only issue i've had: when first putting this together we over tightened the front wheel tray screw.. and pop. it's broken. it's plastic and amazingly easy to do this. how do i know? i bought another tray, and while attaching it, and being as careful as possible.. pop. i broke the second one. it's super glued now - not good but it's been working and hasn't broken again.

i've skied in this jacket for the last 3 winters. i love it. i alpine ski tour in it all the time, but it's not an aerobic piece. if it's not cold i'll just wrap it around my waist or open it up. it's much warmer and more protective than i thought it would be. it does better than any other softshell i've had in the rain and wind, and after 3 seasons it's taken the beating well. what i like the most about it is the pockets. i use the chest pockets for my climbing skins. which means i don't ever need to take my backpack off at the top. i just pull the skins, jam them in the chest pockets and charge. the zipper garages and a welded sleeve pocket are great finishing touches. it's obvious someone actually thought about this jacket and i think it's a superior softshell because of it. i wouldn't be surprised if greg hill helped design it.

i went into pro ski in seattle thinking i'd be trying on and eventually buying the dynafit zzero cf. i tried them on side by side, one on each foot. i had been warned by tetonat.com's steve romeo about the boot liner in the dynafits. wearing them on different feet this was obvious. the dynafit zzero boot just wasn't as comfortable as the garmont radium. also the radium feels like more boot because it comes up higher. it's a full alpine length boot which can only translate to better ski performance. now knew which one felt better on my foot it was time to weigh them. in size 25 the garmont radium was 5 ounces heavier per boot. for a race geak that is considerable. but for me that wasn't enough to tip the scale. i just ordered the radiums and can't wait to ski it!

this is my go-to headlamp. for camping it's perfect, light and simple. i run ultras and do adventure races. the better your light the faster you will be through the night. i've done many adventure races with this as my sole head lamp and it's worked flawlessly even when my brain is far from working correctly... and that's because a 2 year old could work this thing. on buttom, three brightness modes, that's it. it's waterproof enough and tough. for ultramarathons i wear the petzl tikka plus on my head and the petzl myo xp around my waist with the light defused. that is more than enough light for me to see the trail and move fast as i can!

the weight listed as 5lbs 2.6oz (1950g) is wrong. the dynafit website lists it as 3900g = 8.6lbs (size 27.5)

backcountry magazine gave this ski it's 'editors choice'. "Coomba yeah! This tribute ski to the late Doug Coombs first appeared in K2's alpine line last year, and this year has been added to the backcountry line. It has the footprint of the Anti Piste without the latter's soft-flexing tip. And that made a noticeable difference in how it grabbed a turn, making it one of the best skis tested. "Awesome, " said one tester. "Does everything the Anti Piste can do, but better, quicker-initiates a turn, unlike the Anti Piste. A lightweight, stiffer fatty that is playful and forgiving. A fun, all-mountain ripper." "Versatile dimensions and accommodating flex," said another. And beyond that, "Very diverse, very adaptable," added another. Many testers remarked on it's light feel - "Could be your primary touring ski or your everyday inbounds ski," said one.

i do a lot of skinning uphill and skiing down. this jacket rocks. if it's cold i wear it on the way up with a light long sleave under it. if it's not cold enough i just wrap it or have it in the pack. then i ski the downhills in it. it's go great chest pockets and side pockets that are perfect for your skins for quick transitions. no need to take the pack off to put the skin in there.. just tear, stuff and go! a hood might be a nice addition, but this jacket for the most part is perfect and well thought out.

no high fructose corn syrup, no fake man made sugars, 70% organic and they taste awesome. i love these bars.

very well thought out and designed. super light and works for adventure races and traveling to adventures.

it's small and light so i take it more often then not. i bought it as my 1st aid kit for adventure races and now i take it on anything over a single day in the backcountry. i like the little pouch it comes in too. it's got all you need for 1 to 4 days with 1 to 4 people.

this back is awesome. it's huge at 7000cu but it also is standard airline size, checks in no problem. i can put tons of gear in it, well organized and it's got wheels to easily roll around effortlessly. it has an external pouch for dirty shoes. it's got a detachable dirty cloths bag. it's got two mesh pockets inside for gear, and it's great to be able to see into them. the third pocket is covered, again for dirty shoes or whatever you wouldn't want to leak on the rest of the gear. the external straps are awesome for picking it up or strapping it in for a boat ride or rough back of a truck ride, etc. my bottom line: this is the best back i've ever owned for traveling with gear... period.

i've used this filter on adventure runs. it's great because you can wrap a handheld around it and go. it's a bottle too. so it doesn't feel like you are taking an extra piece of gear with you. that of course makes it a bit heavy. also it's hard to squeeze. like often you really have to work at it. but it gets the job done. i actually prefer iodine on adventures where i'm not sure if i'm going to need to filter or not, just because it's big. also it doesn't filter very fast comparatively. but for what you get that is an ok compromise since it's a bottle and a filter in one.

it's great. the hyperflow is awesome. it's light and super fast at pumping mass quantities of water. this replacement works great, just like the brand new one you got with the filter. it makes it so the filter can do it's job on the other nasties and not worry about the swampy muck.

kinesys makes the best sunblock out there. especially if you are an athlete. first off you can't beat the spray. this allows you to get your head, your back and all the spots you usually need some help covering. it also means if you are dirty you don't have to rub it in. just spray it over the top of dirty legs and go. i love this stuff. i take in in my backpack for most adventures. it's so small i leave one in my car as well for all those times you almost forgot to put sunblock on. i also love the bigger bottles because spraying sunblock on is just an easier and better way to apply it.

it works great. kinesys makes the best sun block out there. especially if you are an athlete. the applicator isn't the best because it's so small. but that also means it can fit in a backpack for adventures, etc. what i like about it better than just taking sun block in the backpack is that it is a thicker consistency and can be used as a chapstick too. so you can really protect everything with this product.

i ran my first 100 mile ultramarathon in these shoes. i love how tough they are. the upper seems unpenetrable and i've never had a tear or issue with it not protecting my foot. this shoe also has a protection plate in it. this shoe has a full length TPU plate that protects the foot from rough terrain and provides support during long runs. the only think i don't like about this shoe is the heal cup. it's deeper than my heal needs it to be. so it rubs and often creates a blister when i run long in it. an all around great stiff shoe. Runner's World Spring 06 'Best Trail Shoe Debut'.

these shoes are the best mtn bike shoes i've ever worn. i have used them in adventure races where we ride and then shoulder our bikes and bushwhack for hours and hours, etc. there is just enough grip in the tread to get away with some off road treking. i made the mistake of buying a super small size - since i'm a race geek that made sense. i then started to race 24hr mtn bike racing and i bought another pair for the "just in case" during a race. my first pair ares still in rotation. i'm kind of amazed they are still alive after 6+ years of hard racing. i think they are a touch narrow, so if you have a wide foot try them on first.

i've seen this opener work 100% of the time. that is pretty good.

the highlander is one of my favorite shoes. it's a bit narrower than other montrails. it's designed after the "fell running" shoes they use in the UK. they run straight up the mtns and don't bother with trails. so the tread is super aggressive. i love it. it's got a bunch of lugs that grip the dirt better than any other trail shoe i've worn.. but where they excell is the mud. the lugs are built for mud running and they do this hands down better than any shoe on the market today. the upper is protective enough for some rugged terrain and it drains water extremely well. at just 10oz these shoes are light and simple, just the way i like them. i've even raced a 50km trail race in this shoe. it has just enough protection, cushion and comfort for 50km but not sure i'd wear them in a 50 miler. great shoe.

what can i say about u? it's a great vitamin water. it's the best thing since sliced bread. just yesterday i said "i don't even drink water anymore". it's u or nothing for me. it tastes so good. if you are a nuun user it's a slightly different type of flavor, i'd say even more relaxed. i like it strong and drop 2 tablets into a 12oz glass. i will take it when i train as well since it does have about 1/2 the electrolyte profile of a nuun tablet, so it's still aplicable there. i love that it's like drinking a quarter of a vitamin with Vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, vitamin B-12. it's all natural and sweetened with stevia leaf extract. good stuff. i like them all but i can't seem to get enough of the goji berry green tea.

i chose the mountain hardwear phantom over the mountain hardwear sub zero for two reasons. 1. it's warmer with 800 fill vs. 650 for the sub zero. 2. it's lighter at 15oz (440g) vs. the sub zero 1lb 11oz (765g). i am 5'10 with 30 inch waist and i even went a step further and went for a size small. it's perfect, but any smaller and it would be too small. it's light and super warm. i like the shortness of it in case i need to wear a harness however some might feel it's too short. it packs down into a nice little package for packing on the skin up. AND the fleece lined pockets are a very nice supprise luxury for a superlight jacket.

i am not a fan. the taste is not very good. certainly doesn't make you want to drink more like nuun does. the fact that the sugar is fructose is also a negative for me (fake man made sugar). i've had some of these little packets in my closet for the last 7 years! that is because i couldn't bring myself to drink them. i just threw them away. yuck.

running on snow is tricky. i think these yaktracks do their job. they are just $25 and if they last a season that is great. they are not rugged. if you use them for going to the car and back on icey days they will most likely last for years and years. but if you run in them consider yourself lucky if they last one season. as for performance i think they are great. i have put screws in my soles and worn running crampons. on some days the screws aren't enough and the crampons are too much. so these fill the middle role on those days when you just aren't sure just how much you might need them. they are light in the pack and don't take up that much room. just throw them in the backpack just in case and go.

this watch has a lot of great features. however i've arrived at this watch as my "go to" for logging my training after using the suunto t6 for years and trying to use the 305 and 406 garmin forerunners. i'm a trail runner mtn biker so gps doesn't work in the bush. also foot pods inevitably break. so i use this watch for time, elevation gain and the occasional "which direction am i facing" check of the compass. the altimeter i find to be pretty good, although usually when i check it against topo or some other resource it seems to be a tad bit low - but since it uses barometric pressure i think that is acceptable and expected. the compass is good enough in a pinch and for general direction, but anyone really navigating knows to bring a real compass anyway. the features and screen are good. i leave mine in altitude mode and it shoes me the time of day on top and the log run time on the bottom. i can change the bottom view to show me total vert gained or lost on the day too, which i do frequently. my bottom line: this watch simply works and isn't packed with so many features they get in each others way. simplicity.

there are two companies that have similar products, 1st endurance optygen and wicked fast nutrition's energ-ease. both have cordyceps, rhodiola as their base. the first think i notice when i take optygen is a slight energy or awareness increase similar to coffee. rhodiola is an ancient chinese stimulant afterall so that explains it. the problem i see with these products as with most sports nutrition products is it's almost impossible to see if they work. there are so many variables involved with how you feel and how you perform, etc. also i think with this product the placebo affect is real. i take it and i am expecting my oxygen uptake to increase and for me to feel better when i'm in anaerobic zone or even redlining. so my opinion is it's worth a try. but i've trained and races well both on and off this product.

i've been skiing this ski all season. i love it. at 135 at the tip, it's phat. it floats great when skiing powder. i have a 174 so in the backcountry it's great, very nimble and turnable on a dime.. even for it's size. where it doesn't rock is the groomers, it's kind of soft. i had fun on them skiing resort groomers but it's not made for that kind of turning. it's quite a bit softer than the bd verdict.

this towel was just big enough to do the trick. perfect for trips where you want to save some room in the pack. the clipable loop was also super easy to clip onto anything. better than a loop which requires a biner. it also dried really really fast!

it's a sufficient shovel for sure. it's good and light. i don't however like it as much for digging pits and making clean straight walls of snow for testing.

davenport is bad ass. this book is awesome. it's basically a big picture book of colorado backcountry ski porn. the story is compelling mostly because the challenge is daunting. plus he's from new hampshire so he must be cool. there is no shame i buying it for the pictures and using it as a coffee table book. it's so big it's made for that. this book definitely stoked my fire to get out and ski some crazy shit.

these lil' guys are great. when i'm racing i don't want a whole 260 calorie clif bar. it's tough on digestion and might cause a stop in the woods. because they are individually packaged, i only eat them during races. i don't like all the waste. but i have friends who take them on trips, planes, etc as quick snacks. mmmmmm

i like options. different races will see me carrying two handhelds, running with nothing, with a nathan 10k pack, with a krissy vest, with a full nathan #020. this mutation pack is great. keeps my hands free. with one bottle it doesn't move around, which is what i was worried about. however when i get into a full sprint ANY hip pack moves a bit on me. it also has great pockets, nathan is always great with making nice little pouches that work in race situations.

i've used this watch the most. it's heart rate monitor works great. it's altimeter has been the closest to right on that i've ever used. paired with the foot pod it was astonishingly accurate at calculating the distance i've run. the problem with their first design is that you will lose the foot pod. no exceptions, at some point the foot pod which is attached via plastic tension will fly off your foot. the bike pod was equally as accurate. overall a great watch. the software kind of sucks and after a windows xp hotfix it stopped working altogether. the firmware was missing a few features like a delete all logs on the watch, etc... but just minor things. overall a great watch. it gets more complicated when you try and use the footpod and bike pod. it seems as though if you have the whole set, something is always not working right. also of concern i had to bring a couple of t6's back because of "foggy screen" as condensation would somehow get under the glass and either kill the display or just make it so you couldn't read it.. yeah not good.

probably the best long sleeve aerobic shirt i've ever worn. i trail run in it when it's a bit too cold for short sleeves. it's the perfect base layer for skiing or apline ski touring because it is light and it really wicks moisture away from the body.

i've used this to attach to my road bike and my mtn bike. it's simple and just works. if you are doing intervals or focused heart rate work it's a must... because otherwise it's impossible to keep looking at your watch.

ok full disclosure i'm a mountain hardwear athlete. however i'll give you the straight dope on this shirt. it's great.. but not for everything. it's no lie that it wicks great. i've used it as a base layer while alpine ski touring and it performed well. i've worn it in all conditions. running in the wet and rain of seattle and the northwest is not where this shirt excels. on a rainy day it holds more moisture than some other base layer shirts. however it's also more substantial than those whisper shirts so when the wind whips up you don't feel naked. in the dry conditions of the wasatch mountains it does awesome. it's kind of course so i find that on long long long runs (i'm talking like 30+ miles) it causes chafing on my nipples quicker than some other shirts.

oh my these things are soo good! these are the perfect hiking or long alpine ski tour bars. they are higher in fat and therefore pack in the calories for their size and weight. they taste so good, it's like a lil' treat while you are out there. i think of them as the perfect hiking bar. however when i'm racing hard or moving fast this bar has too much fat and calories for me to consume all at once.

i love the nectar bars. 9 ingredients and all organic. super simple non processed foods. closer to the source than any other bar. i think the nectar bars are super flavorful. i keep them around for quick snacks. but i will also throw them in the pack for all day adventures because they are a refreshing change from the gels and powders i normal consume. and at 160 calories they are perfect little snacks and not as committing or over-stuffing as a whole regular clif bar.

one pouch is just 100 calories, that is about 30 minutes of exercise. they taste ok but not great, pretty sweet. i will only use these at this point if they are the only option. pouches however are easy for drop bags and leaving in the car, etc.. but they are pretty wasteful for just 100 calories. obviously not my favorite.

ok so i do a lot of backcountry adventures. this light is so lite that it's a must in the pack for any adventure where there is even the most remote chance of getting stuck out past dark. after my last adventure i've decided to just take it all the time i have a backpack on - period. why not.. it's not even an ounce! it's enough light to run trail with if you are desperate. not enough to run it well, but enough. it's so small it's just great. perfect too for camping and reading in a tent, etc. for me this light also makes it into every race drop bag just in case, etc.

as i graduated from slack country to banishing lifts from my life all together i moved to dynafit. however i still wanted a stiff enough boot to ski hard in the backcountry. for that this boot is sufficient, but not perfect. the description says "awesome freeride strength", but i disagree. if you are a serious hard charge or "freerider", you will need more boot most likely. i lean toward wanting more boot and not caring so much about every ounce weight-wise. i'd agree with the description of "feather-light". it's garmont's lightest four-buckle alpine touring boot. for me coming from alpine boots this boot is super light. and the "amazing comfort" i'd say is short lived as it has been pretty packed out quicker than i would have hoped. my bottom line: it's a great in between boot, for someone who is willing compromise on both weight and performance - because you can't have both!

the race vest is a great piece of gear for trail runners. if you prefer to carry handheld water bottles this vest is perfect for you. the vest is lighter and more simple than a backpack. if you don't need to carry a water bladder then you don't need all that comes with a backpack... enter the race vest. you can fit a rain jacket, gloves and hat in the pouch on the back. the front pockets allow you take a lot of food with you. this works for adventure runs where there is a lot of water available on the route. it fits great and i use it all the time. i put a just in case rain jacket, gloves and a hat in the back often. to two front pockets are big, but well designed so they don't bounce even when they are full of my gels, my camera, my iphone, some nuun.

this watch has a lot of great things about it. it's got all the data i want. the display is nice, well because the watch is huge. that makes this watch one that you would not wear around. you put this on and train then take it off when you are done. one thing i noticed right off the bat was that the total ascent was waaaaaay off. useless in fact. that alone rules this watch out for me. the other thing is it's rechargeable battery just doesn't last long enough. seems like a 50km, or about 5-6 hours is it's max. that just isn't long enough. strike two. the software seems like an afterthought and is kind of a joke - bear in mind that is coming from an ex software test engi-nerd. and you can upload to motionbased.com and geek out on the gps data. i had heard that the gps might not work well in the woods. although i didn't have extensive testing on this it worked well enough in the lightly treed capitol forest south of seattle. i wish they nailed the altimeter and the battery and worked less on the useless on watch gps features.

this compass has been through many adventures and adventure races with me. it's great and always works. however if you have to change the declination frequently the little screw will get stripped. i have used it for years but i can no longer change the declination on mine. that sucks, but i think it's common.

there are many companies making gels - there are just two doing it right. hammer gels have long chained maltodextrin as their sweetener. it's man manipulated and slightly processed but very minimally and it provides a superior source of long lasting energy. clif takes it a healthy step even further by using no man manipulated or processed sugars by using brown rice syrup as it's sweetener. both provide great energy. both have great flavors - try 'em all and figure out which one works for you.

this bar is a nutritional powerhouse. all bars by their nature are process to some degree. they just don't grow on trees afterall. but this bar is blended with all natural ingredients and whole foods. knowing that i was very pleasantly surprised with the taste. a mouth full of flavor. they are are also a calorie powerhouse at 350 calories. that is pretty much the most of any bar on the market. so if you are eating them during a workout be careful not to overdue it. wheat grass is a great healthy ingredient. however if you are eating just probar superfood slams during an event or adventure i'd be careful because this can cause bowel unhappiness if taken in high doses.

"highest impact strength of any mtb riser bar on the market". i adventure race which is hard on bikes. i mtn bike as well obviously and wanted the lightest and toughest bar on the market. this is it as far as i'm concerned. light, tough and was the exact rise i needed. i rock this on my turner nitrous. i love this bar.

nuun was created by an ironman triathlete who couldn't find a good way to replace electrolytes during races. if you can't stomach or don't like to bother fishing for and trying not to drop pills while you ride or run or ski, etc... then nuun is a great way to go. i race ultra distance adv races, ultras and cycling events. nuun is my one and only source of electrolyte replacement. i love the lemon lime and orange ginger flavors. many elite athletes are now using nuun for electrolytes during races. ultra running stars karl meltzer and krissy moehl to name a couple. it works and it's easy. it tastes good so i find i drink more of it.

these are probably the worst gels on the market. first and most basic to me they don't taste very good. also they are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. most healthy people avoid high fructose corn syrup, and they should. also the gel package is so wide that it will most likely cut your mouth when consumed. don't say i didn't warn you.

straight up worst gel i've evern had.. and that was before i looked at the ingredients. then i saw man made fake sugar after man made fake sugar. then.. wait for it.. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. go look it up if you don't know how bad this is for you. i like the idea of these having a bit more protein in them, but anyone in the biz should know that soy protein is prefered for during exercise and whey is best after exercise. bottom line: with all the options out there this should be your last choice. i'd say the best two out there as far as energy and ingredients goes are clif shot and hammer gel - and i've tried them all.

i had the mule years ago. the one thing i didn't like about it was the lack of front waist pockets. i ride fast and don't want to stop take the pack off and get a clif shot or bar. so i need food available at my fingertips to eat on flat sections or up hills where i can afford to take a hand off the bars and get something. the last thing i want to do is stop. this pack doesn't work for me.

dynafit bindings for those in the backcountry are a must. most of my friends have been worried that they aren't enough binding for aggressive skiing. i'd say this is not a problem. think about it, some pretty bad ass skiers live in these bindings. if you aren't dropping 50 foot cliffs in them you will be fine. i don't see a reason NOT to buy these bindings.