Reviews by User: Benjamin Vincent (25)

After trying out 5 different TNF fleece jackets (khumbu, pumori, impulse, denali, pamir) this is the one. I wanted something to wear October through March in Salt Lake City, sometimes as the outer layer, sometimes as a liner in a shell, and something to stand on it's own in the milder temps (45+). The khumbu was about the right warmth I was looking for, but was too thick in the shoulders/armpit area when layering, and lost a lot of it's warmth with the wind. The pumori was softer and layered better, but just wasn't quite warm enough, same problem with the wind as the Khumbu. The impluse was too thin, and the denali too thick and too warm - although a great product. The Pamir is the one, the windstopper technology allows it to be warm while remaining thinner. Was even fine on it's own in the low 40's with just a short sleeve polo underneath. And a special thanks to backcountry.com for putting up with me buying and returning so many jackets while finding the perfect one.

Pros: waterproof, breathable shell of north face quality. This jacket is light, partly because there is no additional zipper for the liner, it snaps in. The liner is really light, but extremely warm. powder skirt is great, hook-ups for your pants, awesome. goggle pocket and media pocket are outstanding (and accessible). Hood is nice, zips off if you're rocking a helmet. ***Cons: as a 3-in-one jacket, I wish it did have a zipper for liners, for two reasons. 1) you could use other zip-in compatible liners (fleece or whatever). 2) I like having my liner zipped in, so that the zipper on the shell is then the only one you have to deal with. would have been nice to have the choice to zip in the included liner or any other, or just snap in the heatseeker. The big reason I gave it just 4 stars is that there is no venting of any kind on the shell: pit zips, core vents or otherwise. TNF really should have included those. Overall really great jacket because honestly, how many of us out there actually use the pit-zips?

This watch really does look sharp. It is large though, not for 7.5" wrists or smaller, IMO. Leather is top quality, but it's still leather and still stinks when exposed to sweat or moisture. Became uncomfortable when I removed the leather piece under the case in an attmept to make it smaller. Face is too plain (not the same as simple) for the price range. Good casual watch if you have large wrists and don't sweat.

Great softshell, preforms well. The outer layer is pretty water resistant, more so than TNF apex bionic. The wool lining isnt merino, so it isnt *that* soft, but it is pretty thin, won't sweat you out. I found the double zippers in the pit zips to be useful, the double zipper down the front a bit of overkill, but not completely useless. For style, good luck beating this soft shell -- looks great!

I went ahead and purchased this to go along with the exped 7 comfort foam mat. It works just ok as both a pillow and a pump. The pump action works, but takes forever. It takes some practice and a lot of work to get the pumping motion down. The outlet hole works well at only letting air out, but you have to cover the intake hole when compressing the pump, or some air escapes there as well. As a pillow, it's ok. not super comfy, but works well when lying on your back. Doesn't really work for sleeping on your side. I tried letting some air out and folding it in half for side sleeping, which did work ok (not great), but then it was a pain to get air back in when switching to lying on my back again (I rotate between side and back a couple times during the night.) On the plus side though, it can do the job of both pillow and pump, and compresses pretty small to take up the space of both. it doesn't do either of it's functions particularly well, but a solid choice when space is a factor.

Great tent, the "x" pole design isn't the most flashy, but it is sturdy! The third pole in the rainfly is a nice touch in making the vestibule a little more lofty, and easier to access the doors, and doesn't add much wieght. This tent has a ton of pockets, the tent is lined with them. don't really need the gear loft, which doesn't hang too low, but this is a two man tent, it's not that high to begin with. Space is adequate, but like most 2 man, you're going to be cozy with 2 people in it. Specs list it at 34 sq feet, *most* 2 mans fall between 30 and 36 sq feet. This tent vents well -- didn't ever get stuffy, haven't used it in cold temps yet so I can't comment about condensation issues. There are two man tents that pack smaller (mountain hardwear, marmot, eureka all have 2 walled tents that pack smaller than 20" long), and wiegh less, but packed up this tent isn't heavier or larger than the norm either. Set up is intuitive and a breeze, didn't even bother with the instructions. Bottom line: this isn't the lightest or smallest(packed up), but at far below top of the line price, it has top of the line features and quality.

The fit was odd, didn't seem to breath well. Buttons broke off first time trying it on out of the package. Sent it back. Backcountry is the best!

Pros: packs extremly small for a 2 person -- the poles break down to be a few inches shorter than normal, and is very light for having a full rain fly. It doesn't have a vestibule in the traditional sense, but the way the tent is designed, it pretty much has the vestibule integrated into the tent. A sleeping bag fits in the portion of the tent between the front and back poles, and all the space beyond that where the tent comes to a point is "vestibule" space. Gear stored there is completly coved above and below, so if it rains to the point of puddles, no worries -- your gear is dry. It's roomy for a 2 man as well, would truely fit 2 people plus gear, where many 2 man tents are really 1 1/2 people. 2 doors is always a plus, even if you just plan on using it solo. ***Cons: Not freestanding. No outside vestibule space for muddy boots you don't want inside the tent. No gear loft available to my knowledge, but not deal breaking because it has internal pockets already. Doesn't come with footprint -- but only a few do. ***Bottom line: Really cool, small, light tent. Would have kept it if it were freestanding-- that's a deal breaker for me. Still gave it 5 stars -- can't buy a non-free standing tent and dock it for being just that.

This is a very lightweight jacket. Not to say that is bad, would be good for jogging on chilly mornings. About half as thick as my tka 100 pullovers from TNF. The stretchy panels on the shoulders are a nice idea, but the slightly different material that they are made from makes noise when you move, I found it distracting.

Main compartment: Spacious, but not overly so. Back is padded, has laptop sleeve. School books will fit in vertically. Has 3 pencil slots, two open top pockets to hold stuff - 5" high x 4" wide. Front zip compartment: 3 more open top pockets (5.5" x 3.5") and key ring leash. Front flap pocket on the "wool pocket, H trim white, etc" has magnetic closure. Material is very durable and rugged, seems pretty weather proof. Might not be water tight, but is going to keep things dry unless you fall in a lake. I was worried about the interchangeable front flap, but it attaches securely. Pad on shoulder-strap is beefy and permanant. Bought this for the trail, but ended up using it on campus as well. Highly recommend.

Gore-Tex pro shell is the best stuff out there, primaloft is one of the better insulations, so you know this jacket performs well. Cuffs are cut offset, so the edge comes down under the base of your thumb nicely. Pocket selection is kinda weak. Would prefer if the powder skirt could zip out. Biggest complaint is the hood. I like the stowable hood, it's just the way it adjusts - the entire hood adjusts with one drawstring, located on the back of the hood. It probably is great for most, but I have a very short neck. as the hood cinches down, to fit snugly over my head, it bunches out on the sides, creating a nice little wind tunnel around each of my ears. With no drawstrings on each side, like most jackets, there is no way to remedy this. Not as big a deal with a helmet, but do you wear a helmet every time you put on your jacket in nasty weather? Me either.

Comfortable piece, relaxed fit. No wind blocking, but it's a sweater, not a wind-breaker. Looks good enough to wear at the office over shirt and tie. Has a lose elastic closer at the wrists, and waist (no problems with it turning up at the waist because of this). Very good in cold conditions, yet I don't seem to overheat in moderate conditions or indoors. Slate color is grey/brown, looks more brown than shown on this site.

I dig the simplicity and subtle style of this shirt, and appreciate that it has some cotton in it. It's a little bit longer in the back, which is nice. There is a split at the bottom of the shirt on both sides, and it has started to turn up a little bit, probably from the cotton in the shirt shrinking but not the polyester. oh yeah, expect some shrinkage from the garment as a whole as well. All in all a good looking comfy shirt.

great price on a merino wool piece. They are a bit baggy for the most part, but are tight (not in an uncomfortable way) on my calves. I agree that this piece runs a little long. I have the Monogram/Black ones, and my wife makes fun of me when strutting around the house in them, but what does she know? They look awesome!

Great shell with all the goodies! Hand warmer pockets are dual layered, one layer accessible from the side, the other from the top - easy access to that space if you are wearing a pack. A soft micro-thin fleece layer around the neck and chin area is comfortable. The liner looks good, something you can wear around on it's own -- not wind or water resistant so far as I can tell though. Liner also matches the color of the shell, not black unless you buy the black coat. This jacket is loaded!

picked one of these up for my wife to use on windy days when the TNF Denali doesn't cut it. The fit is excellent on her, very flattering. It is very soft still, and the look is great for a windproof fleece -- not too techy as many of them are.

Great coat. Liner is also 100% waterproof (I ran it under tap water, it's good to go). Plenty warm when paired together. One complaint is no pit-zips, or any other kind of venting. Good thing the fabric is breathable. The liner is wearable on it's own, is a bit short, but looks like a down jacket.

This is a 0 degree bag, and as such requires a sleeping pad that can also do it's job in below freezing temps. I paired this with an exped 7 and was disappointed with the outcome (I love the pad, BTW). the exped is about 2.75" thick, and having a pad that thick in the sleeve pulled the top of the bag tighter around me, felt like I was sleeping on a skinny bed with the sheets tucked in real tight all around me. I still had good foot room to move them side to side, but the bag was pulling down on my toes. same thing around my torso -- room for my elbows, but pulled tight on my chest. I then tried just putting the pad underneath the bag, but it just doesn't work that way -- you only get complete coverage from the insulated portion of the bag if the pad is in the sleeve. Simply placing the bag on top of the pad leaves "dead zones" where you have no insulation between you and the open air (the bag is well designed where if the pad is in the sleeve, this doesn't happen). It would probably work better with a thinner 4 season pad, like the thermarest prolite 4, or the pac outdoor all out aero mt., but then those aren't thick enough for me to sleep on my side and keep my shoulders/hips off the ground that well(I weigh about 200). Also, no pocket for a watch or whatever. The draft collar doesn't cinch up like some other cold weather bags, but it is a little heavier so the weight keeps it on your body. I tested this bag vs. the mountain hardwear switch 5, and I'm going with the switch 5 -- with the expander unzipped it has equal shoulder room, and even though it is more narrow in the feet, I felt like I had more room because it wasn't pulled tight by the pad.

Great rain jacket with some nice features. This isn't the type of shell that would normally take a zip in liner, it's lighter -- much more of a rain jacket than a skiing shell, IMO, but like any shell will work on the slopes with proper layering. Quality is outstanding, for what it is. the waterproof, windroof qualities and stretch panels also make it a great piece for hiking, back packing, climbing. Packs up small, I also take it on motorcycle rides in case I get caught in a shower.

Extremly comfortable. The water repelent works well -- shed snowflakes like a champ. Remember though it's not a waterproof shell. One thing that's hard to see in the pictures is the collar that's around the neck -- it really adds a nice touch that isn't on most hoodies. Drawstring waist is genious. **note: I usually wear a large, even in Oakley polos, but had to size up for this one.

hands down my favorite shirt ever. Despite what others are saying, I quite like the cut. It looks good on me, and feels good, too! Looks excellent even after many many washings. I have two, and wear them around the house, out and about, and as a layer for city stuff under a jacket. Very comfy on its own outside in 50+ weather.

my wife loves them! The lenses are big enough to fit with todays fashion trend for womens sunglasses, and the design is great! They fit in wearing business attire or street clothes. Very classy.

I've recieved nothing but sincere compliments on these glasses when I wear them. There are plenty of pictures, so if you don't like the angles in the design, don't buy them and then knock them in the review. I like the added angular side piece, personally, in addition to the angles on the front. I've always gone with irridium type lenses in my oakleys, but tried this pair with the warm grey lenses because they were for a sweet deal on SAC. I have to say I really like them. they still do the job in bright light, but also work well in dimmer light as well. The other day it had just snowed, but was overcast out. Even though there was not any direct sunlight and it wasn't bright outside, I still felt like I had to squint while driving around. These lenses solved the problem, without making it too dark, as my black irridium lenses would have.

I just want to add that my favorite touch TNF used in this jacket is the velcro on the cuffs. It is softer then normal velcro, and doesn't snag on stuff, including the soft interior of the pockets. Great job.

I bought this knife in '01 and have loved it. Very light. I own a couple of more expensive knives that are by all accounts nicer, but this is the one that I take with me on a daily basis. Blade has held its edge well. I think one of the reasons I like this knife so much and use it so much is a combination of it working so well, and the price being right where I'm not afraid of ruining it and having to pay a lot to replace it -- which after 8 or so years I never have had to.