Dakine Cougar Gloves
April 5, 2009
Embrace your inner feline with the Cougar Gloves from Backcountry.com.
OK ladies, here’s your big chance to try the gear that nets younger husbands. With these gloves, you’ll be unstoppable at your local apres-ski haunt, preying on those out-of-towner twentysomethings and worshipping your goddess, Demi Moore. No, just kidding, these aren’t for THAT kind of Cougar. Actually, I really don’t know why they are called “cougar” gloves, but I DO know that I repeatedly turn to these gloves when the pow is flying. They’re really well-padded (read: not nimble) and moderately warm, which is nice, but what keeps me coming back is the well-sized wrist cuff that keeps wayward snow out of my sleeves. Dakine has thought of everything; giving you a nose wipe patch AND a goggle squeegee, one on the left glove and one on the right. Of course I keep forgetting which glove has which, and I’ve had some painful nose-squeegeeing incidents. You’d think I’d learn….
Dakine Faction Pant
February 15, 2009
The Faction microfleece pant is a base layer for days that really, really require a base layer. Supersoft and thick, this is a base layer for deep, dark winter. I love how warm and soft it is. I don’t love how a crotch seam ripped within the first few wearings. Well, whatever, they’re still good, it’s only about an inch tear. But still, they didn’t last long before tearing. Perhaps I just got a bum pair. The crotch area is made of a different, and lighter-weight, fabric; so maybe that fabric is the culprit. Or maybe it’s just a good idea to buy these in a size up to prevent excess pressure on that crotch seam. And on that note, it’s probably also a good idea to just sum up by saying these are warm, but they might rip.
Dakine Targa Glove
December 18, 2008
Get your grab on at backcountry.com – ON SALE at $59.96!
One of the most eye-catching gloves in my arsenal, the Dakine Targas have quickly become one of my staples. That could have something to do with how they PERFECTLY match my orange and brown (cooler than it sounds) ski outfit, but it also is because they are sized correctly for women’s hands and are very warm and water resistant. They have a rather rare form-fitting cuff that doesn’t end up pushing your jacket sleeves up your arms. The cuff is also shorter than usual which is nice for getting your sleeves over them. I like its precise fit and the adjustable closure that gives you as close a fit as you want.
They’re fairly warm, though I’d say they’re for milder winter temperatures from upper teens to upper twenties, but their real attraction is their water resistant nature. It took many, many wearings for these gloves to let any water through, and that was after pretty much digging through slushy snow with my gloved hands for a while. They also tend to get wet when I’m working with snow with my hands, because the short cuff tends to let snow in when I reach down into the snowpack. But honestly, most people won’t be plunging their hands into snow so I think you’ll be fine.
I thought they might be kind of gimmicky because of the trendy design, but I was pleasantly surprised and found that they have significant function value as well. I think I use them most days unless I know it’s cold enough to need mittens. And, extra bonus: the flashy design attracts commentary, which is a good way to strike up a conversation with your favorite ski instructor. And what Geargal doesn’t like a good, healthy “conversation”?
Dakine Poacher Pack
December 8, 2008
Get the Poacher ON SALE for $116.96 at Backcountry.com! Click here!
So, it’s no secret that Dakine makes great packs. Dakine packs are consistently the most well thought-out winter/ski packs available, and their Poacher is no exception. It’s my favorite pack design for search and rescue and other technical pursuits because of the tons and tons of pockets, multiple access options, and reasonable yet ample size. My absolute favorite feature is the rear-access panel, which is only one of many ways I can access my gear in this pack. Gear access is the most important issue for SAR professionals, or at least it’s the most important issue for me. I like to be able to reach all of my stuff without moving all of my other stuff. The Poacher has top access, back access, front access, and side access. It’s as if they knew about my access thing and made the pack just to address that issue. “FINE, HG, here is your stupid access pack. Happy?” Yes, I am, thank you! This pack is organized well, carries well and has almost every feature one could reasonably think of. I love the camera pocket and the multiple compartments in the lid. I also like having a sleeve for my shovel handle. If I was a hydration bladder kind of person I’d love the anti-freeze hydration tube insulation as well. Generally the pack is awesome. But I can’t quite give it a patented Geargals rave, because it’s so obvious that this pack is made for dudes. The harness is just plain huge and the back panel is pretty long too. When I’m wearing it, I’m usually inwardly bemoaning the fact that it doesn’t fit me.
Now, I know from reviewing the Dakine Heli-Pro Girls Backpack that Dakine can make a pack that fits women perfectly. They’ve got the design and the sizing right – so where is the Poacher (and its big brother the Guide Pack) for women? OK, fine, so the taller ladies might be able to fit the Poacher all right. I do know some lady ski patrollers who swear by this pack, and I can see why. But it sure would be great if we could have a pack the same size, with the same features, but with a harness sized to fit a female user. That would pretty much be my dream SAR pack. So how about it, Dakine? A Lady Poacher? A Girls Guide Pack? I swear I would actually put down my own money (and for a gear tester, that is a big deal) for a Poacher or Guide pack with Geargal proportions in mind. If this pack fits you, you’re in luck, but if you’re smaller, help me put pressure on Dakine to add the Girls Poacher to the lineup!
Dakine Waterfall Crew
October 16, 2008
So this isn’t the most attractive picture of this shirt, but believe me, it’s cute. I’ll be honest and say that it’s probably not as cute on, say, a 34 year old Geargal as it might be on a 21 year old shred Betty, but the shred Betty is too busy shredding to write reviews, so I had to dress like a college student for a few trips to get this test session done. Consequently, the students I took on the trip had some trouble accepting my authority because they assumed I was only a few years older than they – so, straight A’s for all! Especially to the charming young man who insisted I didn’t look a day over 25. And that sums up my teaching philosophy – well-placed flattery always has its place.
So, the shirt. It’s a little off-putting to discuss the anti-microbial properties of my base layer, because everyone knows that no part of me could possibly need such a thing, but I can report to you that this item, like every single thing that belongs to me, never stinks, no matter how dirty I get it. Ever! OK, I could probably get it to stink if you gave me enough time in the backcountry. But I was very pleased with how soft and reasonably non-stinky the Waterfall stayed even after a few days of hard use without laundering. As a mid-weight base layer, the shirt is warm, cozy, and just cute as a button. Dakine makes no bones about the fact that their women’s line is for “Girls” so expect to order a size up, but don’t fear that the gear has any less technical value despite the clear bias towards the younger set. This is a sound, warm, breathable AND fashionable base layer for “Girls” (okay, and women too).
Dakine Heli-Pro Girls Backpack
January 27, 2008
I read many raves about this pack. Its size, the features, the fit, the special padded pocket for goggles – sounded gimmicky. “It can’t be THAT good” I thought, and as I pulled it out of the delivery box I was a bit underwhelmed. “This is the uber pack that everyone’s talking about?” I thought. That feeling didn’t last though, and whelming took over as I started loading the pack up with all my stuff. The whole process can be summed up in this thought process: “This pocket is for what now? Oh, my goggles. They can’t possibly fit in that pocket, no way. See? Won’t fit. Wait, they do fit, and perfectly.” Substitute “probe” “shovel” and “other stuff” for “goggles” and you have a play-by-play of what it’s like to load this pack up. Everything somehow just fits just where it’s supposed to go, and juuuuuuust right. The pack carries well; it sucked right into my back and stayed put while skiing and skinning. I have a rather short-ish upper body and a small waist, so it’s hard to get packs that fit, but this one was great. It didn’t shift or flap, and the waist belt actually hit my waist instead of my hips. There was plenty of strap left to cinch down for those elfin types, and the excess straps tucked away so they didn’t flap in the skiing-induced breeze. The pack also features a cool-as-ice emergency whistle integrated into the chest strap, ice axe/shovel handle sleeve, diagonal ski carry, and an insulated reservoir sleeve. You can also carry a snowboard with this pack but I didn’t try that out.
A few minor quibbles: As I found out the hard way during an avalanche rescue training, the deployable avalanche gear pocket does fit probes and a shovel; but it fits so well that if the main compartment is loaded with other gear, it’s hard to get the shovel blade out. Luckily there were no video cameras present to catch the scene of me scrabbling at my pack, trying to get my shovel blade out of the front pocket. So be warned: if you need it fast and have a full pack, you might have to strew the rest of your gear out into the snow just to get your shovel out of the pack. Best to practice deploying your avalanche gear to make sure you can get it when you need it.
The pack also has a much-lauded hip belt padded camera pocket, which sounded and looked super cool until I found that I couldn’t reach it well enough when I was actually wearing the pack. I could get the camera out, but getting it back in and rezipping the pocket was a shoulder-torquing exercise in frustration. The pocket just sits too far to the side on the hip belt, and it can’t be shifted. Oh well; just a minor flaw in an otherwise incredibly well-designed and comfortable pack. The extra features are so well executed that when one doesn’t quite work out the way it was meant to, it just makes me sad that I’m not able to put that feature to use. I’ll expend my frustration by blowing the hell out of that super cool whistle, just to irritate my neighbor’s dog.
