Reviews by User: Benjamin Refling (3)

I wish I could keep this jacket - there are a lot of things to love about it. The fleece lining is slightly thicker and therefore warmer than my other softshells, the North Face Apex Bionic and the Backcountry Shift. The firebrick color is fantastic - very bright but not obnoxiously so. The quality of materials seems to be high. Unfortunately the fit is not ideal for me. I am 5'9" and 165# with a slender upper body, bought a medium, and although the jacket is clearly supposed to be slim-fitting, there is a strange amount of excess material around the sides and back. I'm not sure what that's all about. I also don't like the shirttail hem - this is a problem I've found with a few other softshell jackets, such as the Mountain Hardwear Alchemy. I wouldn't mind it except that it creates a dumb-looking upside-down V by the bottom front hem, where the hem slopes down away from the zipper. Even for its sale price, this jacket is a little too expensive for me to justify keeping when it's not "just right." But if it fits you well, it's a great jacket.

I bought this shoe last spring on sale. It's a good shoe overall... I like the look of it, it's comfortable for walking around town or just hanging out. Unfortunately, it just doesn't seem designed for running. Like all the Vasque products I've encountered, it has no arch support, which for me is fine. However, the sole is so stiff, even after over 6 months of use, that I couldn't possibly imagine running in it for much longer than a mile without my feet getting tired. My feet need the flexibility to roll in a shoe. On the bright side, the stiffness of the sole means that this has become my go-to shoe for biking when using normal pedals. So all in all a good shoe, just not for its intended purpose.

I'm not a snowboarder but I needed to step up from my old $15 snow pants. When I saw these on sale for $50 at Brociety I decided to take the plunge. I haven't had the opportunity to use them yet, but I tried them on when I got them. The fit is great, not as baggy as I was afraid of, but still definitely "snowboarder" styled. The leg openings are really wide, but that suits me just fine because I can easily fit them over my Sorel winter boots and ski boots. The quality of the material and construction seems high, especially for such a good price. As someone who plans on getting down and dirty in the snow, I definitely appreciate the waist and leg gaiters. The suspenders are a little funny, though, even at their tightest they are still pretty slack on me, but I've got belts for that. Overall this is a great pant, they look cool but not ridiculous like some snowboarding pants can. I'm looking forward to taking them into the snow and onto the mountain.