Reviews by User: david duffy (9)

This is a great jacket - even greater if you can catch it on the deal site! Since I got this jacket, I've put it through the paces. As a middle layer in skiing/snowboarding situations, it's alright. My main gripe is the torso length isn't really where it should be in order to keep you from feeling that draft up/down the ass, but it's passable. As an outer layer for hiking/camping, this thing shines. It's got a good number of pockets, is lightweight, and you can shove it inside of a spare shirt and use it as a pillow in a pinch. Also, jackets like these are impervious to mosquitoes, so the fact that you can keep it on in up to about 65-70 degree weather without sweating out entirely is a nice plus. I got the gray fabric, so as not to absorb as much heat. In all, this thing is solid and I would definitely recommend it to any outdoorsman.

Only reason to buy: if these are on any of the SAC sites for about ten bucks, and you're looking for earphones that aren't loud enough to block out external sounds. You pick up a set of the white Apple earbuds and although they're obviously cutting corners on the length, it isn't glaringly obvious that they're dirt cheap. Not so with these. They're put together like a 90's era cellphone. Overly cumbersome for something that's pretty small, yet strangely lighter and cheaper feeling than you might expect.

This board is stiff. I disagree entirely from anyone who says otherwise. Compared to other boards I've ridden this year (the Rome Postermania, the Ride DH, the Lib Skate Banana.. bla bla) it's stiff. That means it holds an edge well but is a bit out of it's element in choppy stuff, so try to stay away or you will feel a bit beat up by the end of the day. On the bright side, it is nice to slash turns through powder with, but make sure you've gotten a long model because the float is about average, even for a directional board. As a whole, it does feel stable (none of that triple-base nonsense washing your turns out *ahem* -->battalion<--) but in my opinion stable isn't enough - I'd like to feel PLANTED. Perhaps it's the waist on the board, which is narrow enough to make riding it with size 10 or larger boots a bit of a chore. (Before you flame me out about this review, I will admit that a wide version is made that I have not ridden yet, and that would undoubtedly remedy this problem.) But in spite of the simple, tried-and-true design, I'm just not convinced. And there's another problem. I had last year's model of the Anthem and within three months of riding, the topcoat chipped off on an area of the tail about 1" x 2" wide for no reason at all. I returned it and had it replaced with the newer model at no cost to me, which I was very pleased about. Unfortunately, almost the same thing happened on the opposite side of the tail within about 6 weeks with the new one. I was even walking through REI a few days ago and saw another Anthem returned for the same reason - and on sale for 86 bucks! This seems like a chronic problem and that, frankly, is unacceptable. Granted, it doesn't technically interfere with the board's performance, but who wants to ride around on a board that looks 5 seasons old when it's actually brand new?? I'd like to say that I rode this board and had the time of my life because I like Rome as a company, despite the fact that they never mailed me my die-cut sticker when I sent the business reply mail envelope in to them when I bought it new. However, even though I like the company and they truly do make other good boards, I wouldn't recommend this one to a friend. In fact, I prefer my Gnu Rider's choice 154.5 to my Anthem 162 in almost any condition. Imagine that.

One of the best shell jackets available, especially for the price. I used this jacket for hiking, backpacking, backcountry splitboarding, etc. This jacket is versatile enough to be good at it all. The fabric is tough, the hood is a good size, construction is solid. The only gripe one might have is that it is pretty well-fitted; that is to say that you will need well-fitted inner layers if you want to use it in cold places. Never bothered me. I would highly recommend.

This shirt seems well made enough, although there is nothing spectacular about it. The sizing seems a bit off to me though - I'm just a tad over 6' and ordered the large, and found it to be quite noticeably too small. I expected the skin-tight fit (after all, it's a base layer), but the sleeves and torso were simply too short for me. And because the quality of the garment was as average as I found it to be, I didn't exchange it, I just sent it back.

These are cheaper than the headphones you get with a $10 CD player from 7-Eleven. They're flimsy, fall out of your ears because the cord is way heavier than the earbuds themselves, and mine broke in two and a half weeks. You have to know if you're paying bottom dollar for headphones, they're gonna suck. My recommendation? Either spend a bit more cash and get some real earbuds or just leave your car stereo on in the parking lot - within a range of ~5 miles, the sound quality will be comparable.

These will not fall off of your head. Well, alright - they might fall off the top of your head if you've got them pushed back, but when you've got them on the right way they look great and stay planted. A great replacement for the Dragon rock-hopper glasses I used to have. I love the polarized lenses - they cut the glare and haze out of just about every view you come across. I have not had the lenses fall out when I cleaned them, and I imagine they're about as durable as the next pair of sunglasses. I love em - wear em everywhere I go.

This is a solid tool to have in your arsenal. First of all, the locking mechanism is second to none. If you're like me, when you use other knives, you've always been kind of wary because you never know - the blade just might snap shut on you and slice halfway through your finger. Kind of the same feeling as looking behind you when you pull away from the gas station, just to make sure you're not driving away with the nozzle still attached to your car. ...even though you KNOW you already put it back. So, for paranoid and normal folks alike, this is a great buy. I've had it for about 6 months now and used it for everything from cutting tomatoes to starting fires. Bueno.

Somehow, when you ride this board, everything you knew about snowboarding is suddenly in need of an update. And I do NOT mean that in the Battalion "wtf is this triple base thing" kind of way. This board is so phenomenal it may actually turn you on. Lets start with the magnetraction: by god, it works. I was a bit skeptical of riding a board with an edge designed to look a bit like one of Martha Stewart's bread knives, but all that doubt melts away when you try it out. In the Northwest, where I live and ride the most, we get dense, heavy snow and frequent thaw/re-freeze conditions that leave most people unenthusiastic about riding. After all, concrete is not a fun way to be able to describe the riding conditions. THIS board, however, makes quick work out of the job - edging is always spot on, turns start and stop exactly when you want them to, regardless of conditions. Nothing - not even one of the knarliest traverse across the top of a 40 degree bowl - was too much for this board to handle. And in the park, it's even better. I haven't read any of the promo material for the serrated-edge design boards, but I would hazard a guess that it's primarily a park design. The idea being that park boards need to be more aggressively de-tuned than regular "all mountain" boards - and this normally means that boards set up exclusively for park use are generally shite anywhere else on the mountain. Not so with this board. I de-tune the crap out of mine and it still holds it's edge on ice better than many of the snowboards I've had in the past. One caution I give anyone interested in buying this board: try not to sit next to someone with your opposite stance on the chair, because the top coat seems pretty vulnerable to getting gouged by someone's sharp edges. Other than that, it's good to go. Bottom line: think about the name. Rider's Choice. I've ridden many a snowboard and I have to say this is my favorite. (I also rode next year's model, and it's not as good so buy now!)