Reviews by User: dwd2605103 (3)

I have the black-chop-shop print of this bag. I use it to hold my camelback bladder, an extra fleece for cold days, my clean canteen (I drink a lotta water on the slopes) and my balaclava or turtle. In short, the bag allows me to be prepared for any and all weather situations while providing me some space for my eats. At the end of the day, I stash my helmet in it so I can stalk the village for some recession specials without too much gear on. One of the really positive things about this bag is the straps-- the waist, chest and shoulder straps are all wonderfully adjustable for a nice snug fit which helps as I'm pretty slender and hate things moving around when I'm getting ready for a jump. Another positive thing is that it's really quite waterproof for a bag that claims no such things. I've been in rain (it moonlights as my cycle bag), wet mountain snow and even spent as much as a quarter of an hour on my back in Sierra Slush and it's coating has stayed true. The cons of this bag are as follows: 1) While the behind the back sbowboard storage is flawless, the vertical outside the bag board storage will not work with a pack that's more than half full. Sometimes, on hikes, I can stick a skinnier board (like a girl's) on the outside while mine's behind the back. 2) The bladder stays warm but the "insulated pocket" doesn't insulate so well. I've spent many a minute on a lift blowing back into my bladder tube, deconstructing the nipple to get the frozen water out of th way in order to get to the bladder's hydrating contents. And I use a camelback insulated hose with no valve control (for ease of defrosting). Also, as bladders can drip, I'm disappointed that there's no clip on the bag strap to hold the nipple upright. Since the insulation doesn't keep it cold, they might as well allow for a clip. 3) The side bottle pocket works as long as you're not skiiing, cycling, or doing anything active. My Klean Cantine has a beanerloop on the cap so I use that to connect the bottle to the ski loop just above it to keep from moving about. As is the case with most sport backpacks, you're going to have to zip the zippers to one side on the bottom. Leaving the bag zipped with the zippers at the top in the middle, anywhere else than the bottom sides, will lead it to slowly open as it bounces to and fro on your back as you carve down the mountain. My conclusion is that while it could be better, if you can get this bag at any price under $60.00, the durability and range it gives you (it holds my food so I don't waste time heading to the lodge to buy lunch while on the mountain) as well as the pretty nice look means that while it's my first Dakine product, I'll be looking out for discounts on their wares and it certainly won't be my last.

I got my hands on a Smith Premise in Jan 2008 (my very first season on the slopes was '07-'08) and while it fit fine was wonderfully warm, and the venting worked well the problem was that construction just didn't last. By the end of the '08-'09 season the helmet was toast. After a couple bumps and just one hard hit, water had seeped under the top laminate and that was that. Friends of mine wear the Smith Variant and they really love that one. Not sure if it was because of my first season or what but the Premise just wasn't tough enough for me. I didn't have the Bluetooth version, just a SkullCandy integrated wired headphone. situation.

I'm 5"10, 160lbs, have a 28" waist and a 35" chest, so I took a look at the size chart on the site and decided to go for a size small. When the coat arrived and I put it on it was not only really heavy, the sleeves started well below my shoulders and ended nearly half a foot from my fingertips. I know snowboard gear's aesthetic baggy but this was ridiculous-- DC is off their rocker. is The liner fit well though. I returned the item to back country after confirming that the jacket didn't fit as advertised with my roommates but backcountryoutlet made it difficult for me to exchange it for another, asking that I return the jacket and order anew. I returned it and decided to look for jackets at ski shops since I was worried about advertised fit. Backcountry outlet has yet to return my money and as of 29 December it's been a month.