Reviews by User: Cabernet (19)

I did a lot of research before choosing a pack to take on a 10-day trip to Italy. I originally purchased the Osprey Ariel 55, but decided it was too big to take on trains, so I opted for the smaller Talon 44. It was really the perfect bag for the trip. I packed light, but I fit several pairs of clothes, bathing suit, a pair of sandals, a guide book, fleece, rain jacket, towel, toiletries, sleep sheet, bowls, and some food it in and had tons of room (probably a third of the pack space) leftover. I don't think the pack would do well with a lot of weight (over 25-30 pounds), but it was comfortable for the 15 pounds that I had in it. If you use a hydration bladder it goes outside the main compartment, between the back panel and the inside of the pack, so you have to put the full bladder in before you pack to get the best fit. The mesh, zip pockets on the hipbelt are a nice touch. The hipbelt, while not removable, is smaller on the small/medium pack than the medium/large. I tried on the medium/large and I couldn't get the hipbelt tight enough, but the small/medium fit well. (For reference, I'm a medium torso and a small hipbelt with the Osprey Ariel.) I don't think I would have gotten away with carrying the pack on the plane, but thankfully the airline didn't lose it, so no worries there!

This pack is almost perfect - the only thing that would make it perfect is a pair of little mesh pockets on the outside of the pack. Getting this on steepandcheap is a great deal because it comes with a 2L Camelbak reservoir. Without the reservoir the pack is super light and comfortable and it's still comfortable when you have a full reservoir in. The pack comes with a thin hipbelt, which I think is pretty useless, but fortunately you can take it off because it's fastened with velco. I'm 5'8" but don't find that the pack is too short for me, like I do with a lot of other women's packs, although that's probably because I don't use the hipbelt. The pack fits my narrow shoulders great too. Despite the fact that it looks tiny, you can actually fit quite a bit of stuff in there - camera, snacks, and a fairly bulky jacket - even with the reservoir. What's also nice is that there's a separate zippered compartment for the reservoir so you're not trying to stuff it into a pocket in the pack's main compartment. I've used this as a daypack while traveling in South America - I left the reservoir at home and put stuff I cared about, like my camera and binoculars, in the reservoir pocket to minimize the chances that it would get stolen because the zipper is right against your back. The main compartment has no pockets and the front compartment has a little pouch with a key clip and headphones hole, a wallet-sized velcro pocket and 4 pen sleeves. Something this small constantly comes in handy.

Really soft, comfortable organic cotton tee made in the USA. I normally wear a small, which fit perfectly until I washed it, so I'd recommend sizing up.

This is the first Oakley product I've ever bought and I have to say I'm impressed - this is a really nice jacket. The coat is covered with little hang tags explaining every feature of the coat. I got the wine color and it's just a hair lighter than in the picture. I'm 5'8" and about 125 pounds and the small is a perfect fit for me - the sleeves are nice and long (even longer than normal) and the jacket falls at the bottom of my butt. (If you're petite, this jacket will be way too big for you.) Even the hood is great - it's insulated, has a nice brim, and fits perfectly over my ponytail, which most hoods never do. It even has a magnet that locks the hood against the back of the jacket when you're not wearing it. The sleeves have thin lycra wrist gaiters (they'll easily fit under your normal gloves). The jacket also has pit zips (a must), a drawcord around the bottom hem, and a zip-in powder skirt. It's also compatible with a zip-in Oakley snow pants system that I know nothing about. What's unusual about this coat is the magnetic closure over the main zipper - instead of the snaps or velcro on the outer flap that covers the zipper, this coat has magnets all the way down. They make a fun snapping sound when they come together and you don't even have to bother zippering the jacket to get it closed. One of the front pockets is a "flasher" pocket and flaps up to show an ID on the underside - this is kept down with magnets too. The coat has a tag that warns about the magnet and credit cards, so I'm a little concerned about putting my wallet in a pocket. The one feature it's lacking is a drawcord around the waist to adjust the fit. Considering it doesn't have one, it fits great, but I'd like to take about an inch out of the waist. When you put it on it pretty much looks exactly like it does in the picture in terms of shape. The pockets are a little awkward looking and awkward to put your hands in because they're not angled at all, but the sleeves are long enough to keep your hands warm without them. I haven't tested the jacket in the cold or the rain, so I can't attest to its warmth or waterproofing. As much as I like the fit of the coat, I'm still debating whether or not to keep it because 1. potentially ruining the magnetic strip on all my credit/debit cards is a big drawback and 2. I really like putting my hands in my coat pockets. This is why the coat gets 4 stars instead of 5.

I normally love Smartwool, but I'm not sure what happened with this shirt. I usually wear a size small in Smartwool's shirts (microweight tees, polos and some sweaters). But I can barely get this shirt on. It's extremely tight around my arms and the neck opening is tiny. If I didn't have pitifully small arms I wouldn't be able to wear it. The fabric is good and the shirt is very warm, but order at least a size larger, maybe even two for comfort. This fabric is not very stretchy, unlike their microweight stuff.

I usually wear a S in Mountain Hardwear shirts and jackets and I ordered this shirt in a 4, but this shirt was way too small for me. I'm 5'7" and I have really thin arms, and somehow the shirt was uncomfortably tight around my arms. The shirt hem and the sleeves were both several inches too shirt. The shirt looked like it was either petite or kids. I had to return it, so I can't vouch for how functional it is. Disappointing...

These are fairly large lenses - the frames are 2 inches tall at their widest points. I got the pair with the black/rose gradient lenses and I don't think those lenses block enough light in full sun, even though the frames are large enough to keep sun from coming in over the top. I think I have a small/medium face but the sides are a little tight and have no flexibility, so they'd probably be uncomfortable after wearing them for several hours and so I'm returning them. I do like that there are no rubber pads on your nose though. Also, my pair is made in Tunisia, not Italy.

You can't beat wool - it's warm and never smells. Smartwool is soft and not at all itchy and this shirt is no exception. I also love that it's machine washable and dryable. The only downsides to this shirt are that it's made in China and the collar is a little floppy. I have an Icebreaker polo with a reinforced collar and that makes a big difference. But I wear this shirt to work to stay warm in my cold office - no one cares what you look like outside. I'm 5'8" and 125 lbs and a medium fits perfectly because I usually layer it over a tank top or a t-shirt. I would recommend sizing up if that's what you're planning to do.

I bought 3 of these thongs at the end of January. I've been wearing them frequently and machine washing and drying them and one of them already has a hole in the 'thong' part of the underwear. Granted, they lasted a little bit longer than Victoria's Secret underwear, but they were also a little more expensive. No more expensive underwear for me! I'm going back to my $3 thongs at TJ Maxx or Marshalls. Now I'm faced with the moral dilemma of whether or not to return very expensive, but used, underwear.

I just got these, so I haven't thoroughly tested them, but they are incredibly comfortable. I'm 5'8" and about 125 pounds and the small fits perfectly and looks great too. The waistline is an ideal - just below my belly button. At first I thought the fabric was going to snag instantly, but trying to snag it with my fingernails has no effect, so I think it's a lot tougher than it seems (and for the price it better be!).

This is a lovely jacket - it's soft, warm, light, and not even that puffy. I'm 5'8" and about 125 pounds and the small fit perfectly, plenty long in the sleeves and back. It's a pretty basic jacket - there are Velcro fasteners on the cuffs and a drawcord for the hem, nice hand pockets, and several internal pockets, but it's very well made. The hood is huge and looks pretty silly on, but it's very warm. The fleece-lined collar is fabulous - you'd never need a scarf. The outer shell of the jacket is made of Pertex, which is a really soft and light fabric, but I just didn't trust that it was waterproof (I wanted a waterproof jacket). I did some research online and the consensus seemed to be that Pertex is water-resistant, but there are several types of Pertex and I could be wrong. I never tested the jacket outside, so it might actually be waterproof, and when I stuck it under the faucet for a couple seconds the water ran right off. Regardless, I ended up returning the jacket because the hood was just too big for casual use.

I originally bought this for myself, but it ended up being a little too wide for me, so I gave it to my boyfriend who it fits perfectly. He wears it constantly (often without washing it) - it's lightweight, soft, comfortable in a wide range of activities and temperatures and it NEVER smells. It even still looks brand new. I only wish it had fit me!

I too was excited for this jacket but had to return it because it didn't fit. I'm 5'8" and around 125 pounds and the jacket in size small was not made for someone my height or build. The sleeves are at least an inch too short and the back of the jacket (longer than the front) hits the middle of my butt instead of below it. The hips are flared too much (but there is a drawstring at the hem) and I think there's more room around the midsection than there needs to be. I have a small chest and had no problem with the fit there. I don't have a big head, but I must have a long neck since the majority of hoods don't fit me - this one is no exception. I don't have a chance of wearing this hood over a ponytail and staying dry. It seems like the size small would be ideal for a girl of medium build around 5'4" or shorter with a small/medium chest. The hand pockets are quite high but that might be to avoid interfering with a hipbelt. Also, instead of pit zips the jacket has zip vents that go from the side of your breasts to your waist. The coat also comes with a webbing strap that has a plastic side release buckle - I guess you can fold the jacket into the back pocket and strap it to yourself like a belt. I didn't test that out. I wish I could have tested out the functionality of the eVent fabric, but I couldn't get past the fit.

First of all, the shoulder straps are not adjustable - the description is wrong. Secondly, as soon as I got the bag, I opened the side pocket and the snap that kept it closed broke. Unfortunately, I can't offer any more information than that because I returned it immediately.

My boyfriend ordered a pair of these off Steepandcheap.com - he normally wears a 30 with a belt, so that's what he ordered. They fit like a 34 or larger - they were too big to even use a belt on (I could have stuck a leg and an arm in there while he was wearing them). I double-checked the hang tag and the tag inside the shorts and they both confirmed the size 30. He would have exchanged for a 28, but that would probably be too big as well. They were a little big length-wise as well, falling just past his knees (he's 5'9"). The material seemed pretty tough but wasn't stiff or itchy and I think they'd be good for climbing - just beware of the sizing.

I'm just getting into climbing and am purchasing my first pair of shoes. Unfortunately, these shoes don't fit, so I can't say much about how they function because I'm returning them. But I'll mention sizing, because this is what I was trying to find when I was ordering. I wear a size 8.5-9 (usually 39 European) in women's street shoes. I ordered a size 39 in the Scarpa Marathons, but they're too small - mostly in the big toe area. I think a 40 would probably fit me best. The heel also comes up a bit higher than I think I'd like, so I'm not sure they'd fit right if they were the right size. For comparison, I ordered a 39.5 in the Scarpa Tifosi and they were probably a whole size too small. If you're trying to compare to sizes in other brands: a Montrail Splitter 40 (womens) fit perfectly and a Five Ten Anasazi 8.5 (41.5) was too small in the toe (I think a 42 would have done it). Scarpa shoes are made in Italy and they seem like they're very high quality. (For reference, Five Ten is made in USA and the Montrails are made in China - boo). Reviewers on Sierra Trading Post noted that these shoes stained their feet yellow, which I would be a little worried about, but I guess if the shoes are comfortable it's worth it.

I usually wear a S in Mountain Hardwear shirts and jackets and I ordered this shirt in a 4, but this shirt was way too small for me. I'm 5'7" and I have really thin arms, and somehow the shirt was uncomfortably tight around my arms. The shirt hem and the sleeves were both several inches too shirt. The shirt looked like it was either petite or kids. I had to return it, so I can't vouch for how functional it is. The cream color was also a little more see-through than I was expecting, so I may have returned it even if it had fit. Disappointing...

Nice jacket, but not as warm as I was hoping it would be. I think it could use a little more PrimaLoft - I need to wear a fleece under it to stay warm. I was hoping it would be like an old LL Bean PrimaLoft coat I used to have that I could wear over a T-shirt in 30 degree weather and be toasty. Alas. Pros: The blue/gray is a great color. The back is nice and long and covers my butt which really helps keep in the warmth! It fits well and the sleeves are a good length for me. I'm 5'7" but I ordered a size S and it fits all around. It's not bulky and looks good. I also like that the hood can fold back up into a little zippered pocket on the back of the neck. It makes the jacket look a little sleeker when you don't need to have the hood out. And it has a powder skirt, which is nice. Is waterproof enough to keep me dry in a snowstorm for over an hour, but I haven't tested its limits yet. Cons: There is a cinch strap at the back of the neck that my hair keeps getting tangled on, even in a ponytail. I ended up having to cut it off. I also wish the hood had a cinch to tighten the outside edge of the hood to keep it from blowing off in the wind.

I'm thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail with these socks and I love them. They perform wonderfully, especially in the rain. Even when getting soaked for several days in a row, they keep my feet warm and keep their form.