Reviews by User: Mike Traslin (103)

Even though I mostly use dynafit bindings.I still have place in my heart for these bindings. For inbound skiing they are solid,and for one to two day ski tours or ski mountaineering objectives with steep chutes on your mind they still work great.You will be a little slower on the up,with no compromise on the down.

I get clastraphobic when I am in a bivy.This tent is a good alternative.I wish it was free standing. You have to set all the pegs in place in the ground for it to stand up.If you were car camping it would be nice if you could place it anywhere with out setting the pegs!

I got this jacket about a month ago!And it rules,the coast of british columbia has had some of the nastiest weather in years,but the vanquish has kept me warm and dry!I love the fact that the jacket is lined inside.With this feature I have been able to leave extra layers at home.Amazingly enough the gore-text soft shell has kept me dry in extremely wet conditions.This jacket will be with me on the ski hill,and off the ski hill in the backcountry! Mike Traslin North vancouver british columbia!

This shirt has a very light feel on the body,almost silk like!Good for training at the gym.I used it on a ski tour recentley,and it is a little on the thin side,as far as the durabilty goes,once you nick it,the fabric seams to unravel easily.For rock climbing,mountaineering,and bouldering I do not think it will hold out. For hiking ,running,road biking in the summer or spring it should be a good shirt!

Great stove boils water fast! I kept my cabin friends up at night with the noise,and got them up early in the morning.

I have had these boots for a few weeks now! They are light and fast, My feet still seem to have to build up strength to accommodate the flex in the toes.My slow power style of touring can not keep the rpm's up to match the lightness of the boot! I admit I will mostly use them for rando racing or summer ski mountaineering, because the downhill performance is compromised!

Good pack! For long one day ski tours this pack is great!Same applies for ski mountaineering objectives. Two options for carrying skis has worked out well!So far the pack has taken a year of abuse!To many straps everywhere hopefully they will make the straps not as long so it does not fly around everywhere. probe,shovel,down jacket,crampons,rope,ice-axe,camera,snow study kit,food,couple bottles of water,ski goggles and other little odds and ends fit into this pack.With all the gear stuffed in it carrys well ,and comfortable on your back for all day use!

Great for emergencies,just do not forget that it is in your pack it is so small. Good as a reading light when you are camping! It might come in handy if your bigger light blows up! Would not use if you were climbing a peak for hours on end!

Solid helmet it takes a lot of abuse! I have owned a white one and it is still going after ten years! One issue is the adjustable head band starts putting pressure on the temples leading to head aches!

Good pack for on the hill skiing!Just enough room to fit your backcountry gear,lunch,and a small water bottle. A light sturdy pack for short backcountry ski tours. I used it for free ride mountain biking to!

Lightweight and comfortable and good for wearing around town or on mountain peaks! I might not make it in New York,or LA,in THE BAR,but I would not make it regardless. On a visit to my family's place they were happy they thought I was making a step up in this shirt!I think my dad went and bought one! It kind of suits canmore, Alberta!In a good way!

Keeps you cool on hot summer ski tours or on ski mountaineering objectives. Wicks away moisture, I have used it for trail running, rock climbing,mountaineering any activity you can think of. Good under shirt in the winter!

It is just built to stay in your pack for rando races!But I give it a zero for actually digging your partner out,or for snow caves!

Great underlayer for ski touring and ski mountaineering.Also works well on cool spring mountain bike rides and rock climbing.The quarter zip works great if you are ski touring on the up track and you start overheating.Easy to roll up the sleeves and make it into quasi short sleeve shirt.!

I had the gold core and I loved it for the two months it lasted,it was very user friendly. It seemed to suck a lot of battery juice,I even started bringing extra batteries.Finally after two months it just stoped working.The store wear I bought it replaced my watch but not the same one because they returned all the core's back to the suunto.I hope they fix the issue because when the watch works I would give it a five.

For spring and summer ski touring you can not go wrong! Tennis golf,trail running you are good to go. Packs well in your back pack when you are not using the hat.

These bindings are stronger then you would imagine by just looking at them! Solid binding,light and efficient when you are in ski touring mode.Takes a while getting use to getting your toe lined up with the toe piece.Make sure the toe piece is clear of snow!

For flat pedal riding these shoes are unreal! The grip is so good it is like you are cliped into spd pedals. These shoes can moonlight for moderate rock climbs or for approaches to climbs!

This jacket is all about keeping you warm in parts of the planet humans should not survive! I had this jacket in extreme cold on Mount Logan for over three weeks and it held up to the task and kept me warm! You can get lost in that amazing hood!

Great lightweight harness for ski mountaineering,and ski touring! This actually a harness you would bring on extended ski traverses! Does not meet the standards if you are trying to pass the acmg ski guide course! No belay loop!

I have used these carabiners for years and will continue for many more! Make sure,especially in cold weather you do not over tighten the screw lock.

Good support but I do not think it fits a narrow foot!

Had this tent at the mount logan base camp.And started feeling like a pig because everyone wanted to stay in the north face hotel with the brother and I. Oh yah it held up to the craziest wind storms you could imagine!

Great for all day comfort! I am on my second pair, the last pair lasted about four years with three resoles! Good all around shoe! Not great for bouldering,but I am not that good at bouldering regardless of what I wear!

This jacket has a lightweight feel even though it is meant for heavy duty use. Just got this baby and it worked great for uphill ski touring with a thin layer underneath.For the downhill I slapped on an optimus hoody underneath and I was plenty warm.Another good quality is the price point for what the jacket was intended to be used for climbing,skiing,wet downhill mountain bike rides,hiking.

I have the mammatus in the kiwi green medium!And I love the colour,it could be that my parents are european,but either way I love the colour. This jacket packs light for ski mountaineering,but handles the rigors of coastal British Columbia. I even took this out for a wet mountain bike ride on the north shore of vancouver.

Light an durable for trail running!

I have been using these pants for ski touring,and ski mountaineering! They are light so they pack well in your pack. They work well for inbounds skiing to,but a little thin when you are riding the chairlift! You would be better off with the free thinker pant for really cold inbound skiing days!

With over a year of ski mountaineering these pants have held out in all types of conditions. What I like is they are not skin tight like other ski touring pants. So you can where them in town after a day of skiing and bagging summits. I wish they had an elastic around the cuff to keep it tight around the boots to keep the snow out a little better.

For about a month it works great,then it just stops working.Then I replaced the first one and it stoped working a little over a month later!The battery holder on the back where the straps attach break also.If they made it more durable it would be a good product otherwise!

This under garment has been with me all winter on skiin and ski touring trips! It has also worked well as a base layer under my one piece suit in rando races! Comfortable and wicks moisture well!

Simple to use! I learned to climb the belay device and I continue to use it for ski touring,climbing,ski mountaineering! A classic!

Good watch but it is on the heavy side for ski touring and ski mountaineering!

Great for wthe amount of gear it can hold for such a lightweight product!For two to three climbing and back packing trips it is perfect!

Pretty good but sometimes tough to get your hands in the bag. I like that I have a place to put my keys. They should make the belt removable,sometimes I do not want to use the belt!

I got these in red and have never owned a better head phone!And the noise reduction works! So well in fact you really can get into the zone to the point you are not aware of what is going on around you!

Good but I washed it and shrunk it now it only fits a baby's head.Comfy and warm while it lasted. Hand wash in cold water next time!

Good price for a name brand product!Lightweight for the amount of protection it offers!

I got this because the price was pretty good,and it has just enough functions,so it is simple to use.I agree the face does scratch easy!It was fun seeing how many calories I burned on a 10 hour ski tour.

Great light,but now I am confused between the three petzl lights I own. I guess you choose between what activty you will be engaging in that day!

This jacket has a great athletic fit. And works great as a mid layer. A very warm jacket for how light it is to carry for ski touring,and ski mountaineering. For wear and tear I think you are better off with the Red point optimus hoody. Great jacket for it's intended purpose. Did I say it feels soft and comfy!

This shirt is a classic,comfy to!

Great venting lightweight,the perfect road cycling helmet.So comfy and light you might forget you are wearing it. The price is hard to take!

Good dexterity! Great for ski touring on the up track! If it gets really cold they can work as a liner in your gore-tex glove. Good fit!

Light for how much warmth you get! I have used this bag for about a year now,I have used this bag on trips to Mount St Helens,The Haute route in europe,and at home from vancouver to pemberton.

Packs light! Fairly warm but I would bring a down jacket,and maybe wear all your clothes to sleep if it gets cold! Great as an emegency bag. Or to bring on long one day ski tours!(spring)

Love this jacket for spring ski tours!It packs away light you almost forget you have it in your pack!Also works well for road riding and mountain biking or rainy trail runs!Also good for emergencies on rock climbs. Do not expect it to replace a three ply gore tex jacket in extreme winter conditions!

Great lightweight jacket as a mid layer,in the winter,or on its on in cool spring conditions,or in town for every day use. It might sound like overkill,but when it cold on a food break in rogers pass the other day I put this jacket on over top of my red point optimus hoody and I was plenty warm!

In crapy coastal wet skiing conditions these pants worked great!Very tough pants,I would consider wearing them for construction work in inclement weather conditions.To nice a pant to get dirty though! I would only use them on short hikes and ski tours because they tend to overheat. Unless you were hiking in extremely cold conditions! They fit a little tight if you have a hockey butt,or bubbble butt when you get into a squat position!

Soft and comfortable on the skin.medium Athletic fit but fits a little baggy in the arms! 5'9 154 to 162lbs

I like this jacket because I feel instantley warm when I put it on. And for extreme cold as an extra layer you will be toasty warm.It has a good athletic fit! I remember the old fleece jackets were bulky and very heavy to carry around. Not this fleece it is half the weight! You need a thin jacket over top if it is a windy day!

I have this belt and it keeps my ski touring pant and jeans with style. The clip stays secure!

Just brought this bag on a recent ski trip,and managed to get two pairs of ski boots,multiple shirts clothing,and medium back pack and various gear into this huge pack! Awesome that you can also wear as a back pack once fully loaded! Good to go!

This is a comfortable glove and it keeps you warm! I kept these gloves on for the up and the down in colder weather!Did not over sweat on the up so I warm for the down!

Comfy and stylin but do not use if you will be walking for hours on end! Great for casual outings!

I have had this light for about half a year now and so far it is working great. The price is a little high compared to other lights that are similar but the durability seems to pay off the difference!

I got these in chamonix,I thought they were expensive. But they they have paid off and they are well worth it! Light on the feet when climbing,and if you do not pull them out of your pack,you barely notice the weight. They have got me out of some interesting situations. Make sure they fit your puts before you use them,they tend to pop off once and a while. And be carefull on hard ice climbs they will bend. Awesome for what they are intended for!

Great pant! I almost felt to stylish when I was hiking in the backcountry! Amazing for lift skiing! They look great, perfect for heliskiing or cat skiing or chillin on the ski hills.

The glide on these skins are great even if you are using a fat ski. The grip on steeps is awesome!

Love the hood! This jacket stays in my pack full time,and is always there to keep me warm on the summits!

I come from an alpine ski race and freestyle ski background and these boots fit my low volume foot well. Finally a ski touring boot light enough for the up with out compromising the downhill performance!

Just got these bad boy's mounted with dynafit bindings.{177cm}I have had about five days of skiing on these skis and they have been a great surprise.For a fat ski I am amazed how well you are able to do short turns,and on steep chutes littered with crud and ice they held strong and stable.And the little powder I could find on the coast mountains of BC this year they are pure joy! For traversing on steep terrain on the up in ski tour mode the amount of grip made me feel safe and secure.With just a tweek of my ankle it felt like I could hold the never ending super g turn!

My favourite spring and summer ski mountaineering ski.Skied off the summit of Mount Baker at least five times this summer! What amazed me is how well they held skiing in Chamonix,and La Grave in bounds as well as out of bounds.I was even able to do some mogul skiing in these babies! If you are Alpine ski racer they kind of remind me of a light gs race ski. Oh Yah and they hold well on jump turns in steep chutes. I am 5-9 155lbs to 160lbs and I was on 170cm.

Just went for a two hour mountain bike ride and this shirt worked great! Comfy!

Great bivy! Kept me warm and dry in adverse weather on the coast and cascade mountains!It is almost like a one person tent!

Got these gloves three weeks ago, and I can not stop wearing them.they have been great for spring ski touring,and cool weather cycling commutes! Comfy with good dexterity!

worth carying on long one day ski tours as an emergency water source tool!

Biking,climbing,great shirt keeps you dry and comfortable! Looks sharp going around town!

I have four days on these skis and I just recently finished the spearhead ski traverse in conditions from crust,to steep chutes! I found them quick and snappy and light and a perfect compliment for a spring and summer ski mountaineering ski!

Great shirt for chilling around town and when it wears out you can take it up the rock walls! Cotton is always comfy!

Good pants for cool spring hikes,or summer ski mountaineering! The hand pockets came apart after a few months! Instead of glueing the pockets they should stich them!

You can pack a solid amount of gear for long ski tours,and ski mountaineering objectives! To many straps and they are too long!

Nice snug fit! Just got one at the Helly Hansen mountain battle! It replaces the original one I owned for over ten years! Most durable under shirt you can own,good for every active sport you can think of!

Good light for mountaineering,rock climbing,and mountain bike emergencies!

I have used these all winter and they are still keeping me comfy and warm!

Four years of abuse on the construction site and these pants are still going strong! Only pit fall is they are a little heavy weight wise!So your legs get a little fatigued if you are doing a lot of walking on the construction site!

Mountain biking,trail running,hiking these socks work great.I have had a set for about a month and the ankle stiching is starting to come apart at the seams! Comfy!

Four years of use,this is the most comfortable all day use harness I have ever owned!Used it mostly for trad climbing,but I also used it for ski touring and mountaineering.

Like many outdoor athletes I have used a variety of energy bars. But the clif bars are still my favourite,they seem to give you the most sustained energy with good healthy ingredients!

Works well for free riding. Wicks moisture away when you are active!

I always use shimano chains,the only time I used a different brand I broke the chain. I have been using shimano chains since 1986!

I have had these pants for over a year now,have mostly used them for casual occasions. Very comfortable!When they wear out they will become my bouldering pant. The pockets are kind of awkward.

This hat has worked well on sweaty ski tours! And it packs away well,without losing it's form. Light quick drying material!

I used these shoes in my first 25km trail race an they worked great on the muddy wet course I encountered. They have good support,and they seem to be built in a way that would make them good for hiking also!

Comfortable and light feeling short! Packs well if you are travelling. Also a great short for approaches on summer ski mountaineering objectives. As they mention it is quick drying! And I like the fact I do not feel like I am Borat in A SUPER SHORT, SHORT!

Lightweight and great for ski mountaineer racing! ski touring,ski mountaineering! And comfortable on long hot summer climbs in squamish! Good for someone who might not wear a helmut because they are worried about weight!

The price is right,I got this at REI,and I have a year of free riding and cross country riding with this helmut!

Keeps the top of your head warm with the cosy fleece! Your ears will be exposed,so it is best for hanging out on cool days! I do not think it will stay on your head if you are bombing down hills!

Three years of mountain biking,commuting,hiking,and rock climbing and it is still going strong!

For ski touring,and ski mountaineering this pack held up to a lot of abuse. After five weeks in europe riding trains,flying,skiing,climbing,and generall abuse this pack held up!

I have had these gloves for a year now and they have been great on the up ski tours. Used them ski mountaineering all summer in the cascades!

I have used these socks for mountain biking and trail running and they have worked out great. They seem to wick away moisture even after long days on the trail!

I am visiting my father who retired to the cold climate of cannmore alberta and he loves them! He worked a physical burly job all his life,he loves the non lace slip system,he does not need the work out! While on a hike in icy conditions he said the soles grip was awesome,and the boots were comfy and warm. And that is a big complement from an old school eastern european block father!

These shoes have worked out great for wet,rocky, trail runs! Unfortunately I am kind of a crappy runner still,I have the ice hockey legs going on!

I have used this probe for spring ski mountaineering trips for just over four years. And it is as strong as when I bought it!

Three years of digging in the coast and cascade mountains and this shovel is still going strong! Built to last!

Had these mittens on Mount Logan in the St Elias area.And in the extreme cold my hands were still warm!

For multiple searches nothing is faster!

This jacket works well for cool weather,but if it gets really cold you will have to put layers on underneath! I have had this jacket for about a year,what I like most about this jacket is that it is tough,it seems to hold up to persistant abuse. It is kind of like an over built hoody![deluxe version}

When I was an alpine racer it was all about the scott poles.Then I got into backountry skiing and I got the bright yellow leki poles.How could I not the man who got me stoked on steep skiing the late great Trevor Peterson had them! But after a while those poles bit the dust! So I got the carbon flick lock poles and they have been on expeditions,ski guide courses,even rando races and they have been solid! Note, now I use goofy cross country looking ski poles for rando racing.Man if my skateboarding friends could see me now they would figure I might as well be a figure roller skater!

Light and smooth action and they place well!

The water seems to taste better from this bottle! Light and good quality! If they could get the price down I would give it a five!

I have been skateboarding in these since the eighties and still can not use anything else! Hard on the knees and back if you are going to do heavy duty walking stints! Do it for jeff spicoli he would be proud!