Reviews by User: Matthew S. (5)

This jacket is as light as it looks, and yet it offers great water resistance and remarkable stretch at the elbows and in other places where you need it. Seams are sturdily constructed. The fit runs on the small side, often size small is too big for me, but this one wasn't. No hood and "razor"-thin material means it can't be used for heavy downpours, but it's a great jacket for short outings.

I never write reviews, and I really like most of The North Face's stuff, but I feel compelled to sound a warning note here. I bought two of these jackets, one for me and one for my friend as a gift, and both of us experienced MAJOR pilling of the fabric after very limited use. Anywhere the fabric comes into contact with a pack or even itself, it pills. Until The North Face changes the fabric, I'd avoid buying this product. (As for the other reviews, I am small and ordered a size small and it fit perfectly -- I had no need to size down as others seemed to. Also, the monkey holes are a great feature. If only the jacket did not look like it was made of cotton balls after a few uses.)

Ex Officio makes fantastic travel underwear, for all the reasons other reviewers have listed (lightweight, compact, quick-drying, absorbent, etc.). Be aware, though, that in 2008 Ex Officio redesigned this brief. The material is the same, but there is one improvement and one problem: on the older style, the fly sometimes gapped; Ex Officio eliminated this problem by redesigning the fly. But they also expanded slightly the size of the leg holes, such that if your thighs aren't really big, there might be a gap where the material meets your legs, particularly in the back. This can cause the brief to ride up. How do you tell the two styles apart (while they're both still on the market)?: the older ones have a plain, unmarked elastic waistband; the newer ones have "EX OFFICIO" stitched around the waistband.

I am surprised I'm the only one who's had this problem (at least among the reviewers), but there just isn't enough material up front, in the crotch, to make these comfortable. The material is fantastic and the cut is otherwise great, but there's a definite effect of compressing and pushing down the goods with this product. I'd be all over these if they had some more room in the front.

I have two of these beanies and can't wear them enough. As other reviewers note, they are thin and so not suitable for really cold weather. But for all other conditions they're great -- soft, durable (despite some other buyers' experiences), warm, and good looking. Of particular concern to me was sizing -- I have a small head for a man (6 7/8 inches). These fit great (but also could fit normal-sized heads too -- you might pause, though, if you have a really big head). Note that the red version is much more the color of its name (merlot) than its photo (i.e., it's not as red as it looks), and, as another reviewer noted, the brown is substantially darker than it appears in its photo.