Mountain Hardwear Ramesa Short
July 4, 2010
The coming of summer weather means breaking out the summer wardrobe! You know, finding those shorts and capris you’d forgotten about since it has been so long since the temperature made its way above fifty. And speaking of forgotten about, I found these shorts peeking resentfully from last year’s summer pile. How had I overlooked these, I (and surely Mountain Hardwear) wondered? For they are really great shorts. It could perhaps possibly be that I last tried to wear them on a weekend in which I’d traveled from sea level to ten thousand feet in one day and pretty much everything I tried to wear made me feel like a puffy, sloshy water ballon, and perhaps on that particular day they felt or looked a tad bit too tight and I subconsciously squirreled them away so as not to remind myself that they, my regular size, were too small. And then accidentally on purpose forgot about them. Denial, so powerful. Ego, so easily bruised.
Luckily Denial decided to take a day off and Ego went to play with someone else’s wardrobe decisions, and I gave the shorts another try. And lo and behold, I had been missing out on a whole year of wearing great shorts, all because Ego and Denial had come to visit for a day. Houseguests, I tell you. Anyway, I do quite like these shorts. They are low rise, slim/trim fit style, with kind of interesting half-moon pockets. The waist, booty, and hips all fit my athlete’s build nicely, and the thighs are even cut well enough to allow room for my biker/skier quads while still keeping a slim profile. The 9″ length is quite nice; a little lower than mid thigh; just enough to cover what I want to cover while avoiding that bermuda look. At first I was wary of the slender fit because I tend to choose baggier pants, but I have grown to love the look of the Ramesa short. The waist and rise is my favorite part; low enough for comfort but not so low as to display anything ending in “crack” or “line” and beginning in “butt” or “bikini.” Mountain Hardwear calls this design a “conical” waist, so, er, okay then. I like a “conical” waist evidently. The back waistband is even a special, low profile design to allow for wearing a pack without getting chafed. They think of everything, those people. As I mentioned, these are pretty true to size, so order your regular size (size up if you are in between) and you’ll be good to go.
Mountain Hardwear Hooded Nitrous Jacket
October 26, 2009
Our newest reviewer wants to be known as the “GrayingGeargal.” She wrote the following review for us to demonstrate to our readers that outdoor gear is not just for epic adventures; even urban adventurers need gear as well. It’s unlikely that GGG is going to climb any 8000 meter peaks (or, honestly, any 1000 meter peaks) but she does get outside when it’s fiercely cold, and, since she’s been wearing the same 25 year old jackets for a loooong time now, can really give some insight into the industry’s dramatic leaps in technology. Oh, she’s also obsessed with the word “ort. She’d be heartbroken if I edited it out, so for those of you who didn’t own the Word of the Day calendar in 1982, here’s the definition: “bit of food leftover on a plate.” -Head Geargal
First, a few confessions. I was raised to clean my plate. I was raised to work hard and to fulfill obligations. Over the numerous years of being a working mother, I developed some time saving habits: wear minimal make-up, wear the same two necklaces to work, and do not spend time shopping for clothes. I usually buy the exact same clothes as the old, worn out ones and definitely buy the same brands year after year. The resulting wardrobe is loose and comfortable; it is definitely not stylish or trendy. Frumpy also comes to mind.
When the teenagers went to college, I learned that I had osteoarthritis and devoted any free time to exercise. (Loosing weight was part of the treatment; however, the clean-your-plate syndrome was impossible to break when there are orts to devour!) Fortunately, frumpy clothing covers everything! Shopping for new clothing was still not part of my plan. Exploring new technology in outdoor wear was not even considered – too time consuming! I added weekly hiking, 6 to 10 miles on bike trails and park trails in addition to daily treadmill exercise. In our unpredictable ever changing climate, I layered clothes in order to survive my lengthy treks away from the car: shirt, sweatshirt, down coat, rain coat with lots of pockets, hat, gloves, ear muffs, fanny pack, umbrella. These items were toted, worn, and carried throughout the day; I actually resorted to a net bag to help carry items not in use at any given moment. The large items of apparel were tied around my waist. I was prepared for everything, but I was packing quite a load of clothing.
When I first tried on the Mountain Hard Ware Nitrous Hooded Jacket, I timidly zipped it to the neck; I expected to immediately feel confined and hot in some snug fitting fabric. First, I was stunned by the lightness. Second, I was amazed that I have full range of motion in my arms and back. I had never before experienced a fitted jacket that did not pull across the back when I reached forward with both arms. Even my dressy blouses feel snug when I reach forward with both arms. Third, I immediately noticed that that the sleeves were amply long. Since I utilize trekking poles when hiking, I swung my arms and discovered that the sleeves moved lightly and easily; my arm movement did not pull the sleeves away from my wrists. I also did not develop a backache from shoulder muscles tired of carrying heavy garments. This jacket is so light that it is an invisible weight.
I have hiked with the Nitrous jacket each week for a month in temperatures ranging from low fifties to 36 degrees. I must admit that I was hesitant to leave everything in the car on the first hike, but I made myself trust in the new technology. I bravely walked with only my trekking poles and fanny pack for gloves, sunglasses, and earmuffs for the entire month. It is amazingly lightweight and comfortable. Using trekking poles is SO much easier than when I wear loose a rain parka with baggy arms. When my ears, cheeks, and hands are cold, my torso and arms are perfectly comfortable: neither too hot nor too cold. I have been wearing a cotton turtleneck under the jacket; I neither overheat nor get chilled as the clouds obscure the sun or as winds modulate throughout the day. Wind does not penetrate this jacket! Having been raised during the period in which warm down coats were three inches thick, I am stunned at how the combination of goose down fill, quilted construction, and EcoSensor Ripstop fabric combine to keep the hiker at a perfect temperature throughout a day of changing weather conditions. I do not have to take off one layer at a time as the hiking day warms up; I do not have to lug a load of clothes around my waist or in my tote bag. In rainy weather, I stayed warm and dry. Rather than a flannel hat, I used the fitted hood to keep dry.
I accidentally tested the EcoSensor Ripstop fabric when I inserted a fistful of keys into a sleeve while rushing out the door. Everyone has heard that sound of fabric catching on solid objects. I searched the inside of the sleeve diligently. There were no snags, runs or pulled threads!
The Nitrous Hooded Jacket is highly recommended by this “GrayingGeargal!”
Mountain Hardwear Nalu Pack
October 16, 2009
I got to try this pack on a Mountain Hardwear-sponsored hiking trip for a group of us media types. We each got to try a pack from the 2009 line, and since our hike was to take us softies to 10,000 feet, there was a bit of a skirmish for the smaller packs. I lost that battle, but ended up winning in the end because I got to try out the Nalu, which is one of the best-fitting women’s packs I’ve worn. Admittedly I was too much of a sea-level dweller to actually put a lot of weight in the pack for a hike at altitude, but I was impressed with how well the pack fit so I wore it despite it being nearly empty. If I had more stuff to carry, though, the Nalu could do it, with an impressive main compartment and lots of convenient stash pockets elsewhere. The waist and shoulder straps are light and comfortable, which is nice for me since I really dislike thick, heavy pack straps. I don’t know about you, but I don’t find enormously thick waist belts to be any more comfortable, and quite frankly I think they are just too clumsy to be comfortable. If a pack is well-balanced, like the Nalu, you just don’t need an inch of foam to pad your hipbones.
The simple hook closure makes fooling with your stuff quick and easy, so sandbaggers might be disappointed with how little time they can waste fiddling with pack closures. As a matter of fact the lack of insane straps all over the damn place makes this pack streamlined and functional, and you don’t feel like a total noob with pack straps flapping everywhere. We’ve all had that experience with a pack, trying to figure out what goes where and how to stash the strap ends somewhere, and why in hell doesn’t this clip fit into this other clip exactly opposite from it, and who needs to strap that much stuff onto their pack anyway? No, the Nalu is designed for things to be carried IN it, not ON it, which is my preference anyway.
My only issue with the pack was that the lumbar pad was made from a non-breathable fabric and therefore led to some serious under-pack sweat issues in that area. The MHW pack designer said that the nonbreathable panel was there for strength and structure in the pack, and that had I bothered to wear proper (technical) clothing fabrics on the hike I may not have had that problem. Still, he agreed to think it over and maybe make some changes to the design in future. If I weren’t from Alaska and dealing with temperatures that day that before I’ve only experienced in the tanning bed or on the beach in Mexico, it probably really wouldn’t have been a problem, and I wouldn’t hesitate to wear the pack again in a climate I’m more used to.
It was able to compress down pretty well, for a gigantic pack carrying only a banana and some water, and I really didn’t have any issues with the fit even with the light load. Despite my begging, I wasn’t able to take the pack home to load it up in an oxygen-rich environment to test it further, but honestly if I needed to carry a big load, I would reach for the Nalu because of how well it fits. With a true women’s fit, lots of room, and lightweight construction, this pack is sure to be a winner.
Mountain Hardwear Expedition Duffle
October 9, 2009
All ladies appreciate a good bag, right? Well, I was recently reminded of how much I appreciate this tough, water resistant, roomy bag that was part of my OR09 swag (thanks, MHW!) and which recently accompanied me and all my stuff out into the field for a week. You know how when you go on a trip, your stuff seems to expand and multiply even though it’s the same stuff you left with? Why a crumpled dirty sock takes up more room than a clean crumpled sock is a total mystery to me. Hmm, must be all that dirt taking up more space.
Anyway, as my trip progressed, I kept having to stuff what seemed like more and more things into the Expedition Duffle. While other bags that were along for the ride gave up the ghost, busting zippers and rendering themselves useless, the Expedition Duffle gamely accepted the overflow, which let me tell you was an incredible relief. Not only did the bag end up carrying all of its original contents, it also gathered up the contents of the broken-zipper bag (which I left behind in disgust) with a minimum of complaint. It turns out that no matter what, you can usually find another nook or cranny in this bag, and the clever design of the lid means you can always close the zipper, regardless of how full you stuff the bag. And the zipper is heavy duty, a big relief after having two zipper failures from other bags on the same trip.
An added bonus was the waterproof fabric. On the last day of the trip, we awoke to 6 inches of snow, and had several hours of work to do, meaning that our stuff was going to sit around and get wet. But not my stuff, since it was in the Expedition Duffle. All I had to do was brush off the snow. The zipper itself is not waterproof, so don’t go throwing your stuff into a river thinking it will stay dry, but the lid covers up the zipper well enough so that water and snow just roll off the top.
The Duffle comes in several sizes, and I’m not sure which one I have since I was so keen to use it I just ripped off the tags and sallied forth. I’m pretty sure it’s the small size, and to put that in perspective I packed for a week’s trip and then some and it all fit into the bag. I’ve seen the large size and I could pack for a month trip PLUS fit my own self into that bag, so choose your size accordingly. I also recommend the wheeled version for you heavy packers, especially if you’re going by regular airplane. And with that, I can finally get to the real reason for this review: it was all just a setup so that I can brag that I traveled by private helicopter so I didn’t have to worry about airline security, schlepping through the terminal, and all that tedious non-private-helicopter stuff.
Mountain Hardwear EV 2 Tent
September 12, 2009
Usually gear names are some crazy mishmash of numbers and letters that only have meaning to the geekiest of the geeky, but pretty much anyone who has been above sea level knows that the EV here stands for Ed Viesturs. Ed (he lets me call him Ed, or at least I’ll just assume I can call him Ed until he writes in and tells me otherwise) has detailed the specs for this tent for Mountain Hardwear, and it’s evident that he’s left nothing out. Wait, he’s left some stuff out, or else this high-altitude mountaineering tent wouldn’t weigh in at an insane five pounds. Okay, so he’s left the vestibule out – it’s built in. He’s left out the minibar and the espresso machine, which, let me tell you, go a long way in convincing me to go climb anything in winter. I had high hopes once I heard about this built-in vestibule thing, but no – the minibar is not similarly included. Ah well, sometimes a Geargal has to take one for the team.
Most of the Geargals have taken this tent out at one time or another. None of them, I have to point out, were doing anything particularly epic so we all feel a little sheepish about toting around the Ed Viesturs name when it’s a balmy 20 degrees out and we’re only at 300 meters. But then we realize that we only have to carry five pounds of tent even in winter, and we feel better. We do find that lots and lots of people want to borrow this tent when they do anything in winter, and the Head Geargal gets a little shifty-eyed when anyone but her takes it somewhere without her when it’s below 50 degrees. She is well known for her lack of tolerance for cold, which is pretty funny for someone who lives in Alaska and runs an outdoor gear blog, so she never likes it when she doesn’t have the warmest tent in the arsenal at her disposal. [Nice. Way to blow my gnarly persona. -HG]
We have mixed feelings about the built in vestibule thing. I suppose if you really are in some sort of desperate situation (and I find 90% of all mountaineering a desperate situation, I admit) you probably would really like having your stuff in the tent with you instead of outside getting assimilated into the snowpack by driving wind and blowing snow. I have to say that personally I don’t mind having all my gear in the tent but you can really tell that Ed is a dude by the way the built in vestibule takes up most of the doorway. It just reminds me of the way I have to step over 8 pairs of dude shoes just to get in the house – a chick would have put the gear space AWAY from the door. Now, I’m sure there is some sort of fancy mountaineering reason why it’s better to have the gear near the door, but I don’t know what it is and as you’re probably gathering from this post, I really don’t know what I’m talking about when it comes to mountaineering. One thing that I understand about mountaineering is that people who do it really like each other a lot; if they didn’t there is no possible way they could tolerate being in a tent this small. For a two person tent these are some cozy accommodations. But that’s OK because I suppose if you’re in an extremely cold environment, close quarters help preserve body heat. And speaking of preservation, this tent is so windproof that it has all kinds of warnings printed on the inside about how you HAVE to open the vents or you are risking suffocation. Eeek! It feels all kinds of bizarre to be opening vents on your tent when it’s really cold out. But I follow directions and was afraid of waking up dead, so I opened the vents as ordered. The tent still stayed pretty warm and for a single wall tent didn’t frost up too badly – but even if it did, there is a cool little zipper in the floor for “frost management.” Now I am dying of curiosity – do high altitude mountaineers really bring along little brooms to help with the frost management? I must know. I mean, is that a luxury item or what? Also I have to mention that it’s hard enough to get dudes to sweep the floor in a normal house, do they really put any time into sweeping the floors of their tents? I just can’t see it.
Well, I don’t know about dudes, but my winter camping trip with the EV2 really proved that chicks don’t mind a little tent maintenance – we swept out the frost like there was no tomorrow. Though admittedly if that cool frost management zipper hadn’t been there, we probably wouldn’t have bothered. So kudos to Ed Viesturs for promoting cleanliness and making dudes think about sweeping. If only I could install a dirt management zipper in my kitchen floor. [Readers, I present to you a winter gear review written by my least winter-ish writer. Well done! Now give me back that tent. - HG]
Mountain Hardwear Wayback Pack
September 12, 2009
FINALLY this pack is available to the masses. Wait – damn, this means I’m no longer going to be the only one who has it. I’ve been using it since last fall and it has quickly become my go-to for just about everything. I love it for backcountry skiing because the avy gear pocket is big enough, the main compartment has tons of room, and the fit is good even for smaller skiers. I have ample space for skins, snacks, water, camera, extra clothes – everything you need for a full day in the backcountry. And, best of all, the pack has rear-panel access, which is the only way to go, really.
The Wayback is tough, really tough, which it needs to be to tote around shovels, probes, saws, and other avy gear. The fit is the new-ish style that carries the load down lower than we’re used to; but we like it because of the resulting low-pro fit and the stability of the pack. What really makes me favor the pack, though, is the combination of the roomy avy gear pocket and the bottomless main compartment. It’s a rare pack that can hold a 15″ shovel plus a 300″ probe and leave any space in the main pack to put things, but the Wayback has space to spare. I carry a good deal of stuff when I ski and I’ve yet to max out the pack. Two top pockets and two waist belt pockets round out the pocket selection, including a padded fleece google top pocket. The waist pockets can actually be accessed while you’re wearing the pack so no more pesky dislocated shoulders from trying to reach your camera!
Technically this isn’t a women’s specific pack but it seems to recover well from this deficiency by fitting well, thanks to MHW’s careful attention to detail. The waist belt can cinch small enough for us wee folks and most importantly, the chest strap can be adjusted high up for comfort. Chest straps are supposed to be higher than most people think, but for women this is even more vital for what should be obvious reasons. Evidently the pack comes in “regular” and “long” so perhaps the varied sizing helps fit a greater range of bodies. I’m pretty sure mine is the “regular” size which works fine for 5′5″ me.
The one detail lacking is the emergency whistle buckle that for a while seemed to be standard on chest straps. I like this detail mostly for whistling for my dog, but it would also be great in an emergency so it’s a nice thing to include. Not sure if they’ve just fallen out of favor or what, but I endorse them so it’s obvious no one asked ME before making this vital industry decision. Other than that, the Wayback is all I ever wanted in a ski pack – and a hiking pack, a search pack, a climbing pack….
Mountain Hardwear Quark Jacket
May 27, 2009
Anyone who has gone anywhere with me in the past year knows how obsessed I am with my MHW Stimulus Jacket. I wear it everywhere, on hike trips, bike trips, ski trips, you name it. I have serious Stimulus love. I even bought a second one just in case something tragic happens to the first one. So naturally I was stoked to try the Quark, which is the hooded version of the Stimulus, kinda. It’s much the same; with the same ultrathin, ultralight material, same basic styling, and same ability-to-be-stuffed-into-its-own-pocket, but there are a few differences. First, the fit is much more relaxed. I really think this is meant to accommodate the pit zips, which the Stimulus doesn’t have. If you like pit zips, you will like this modification. Personally, I despise pit zips. If you need that much ventilation, take your jacket off! Put on a different layer. Just leave the jacket in one piece. That way, all jackets can be more streamlined and pretty. As it is, I feel like this jacket has a bit too much extra fabric everywhere. Too baggy, even though it’s the same size as my venerated Stimulus.
It also seems a bit longer than the Stimulus, just a tad. It could be just an illusion because of the bagginess, but it does seem as if there’s a little extra length, but no extra width to go along with it. Since it hits a little lower than hip bones, being slightly too snug in that area creates still more bagginess, since the hem of the jacket is bound to ride up a little. Sigh. Perhaps this is one for the taller ladies. One more design difference – the Quark has rip-and-stick (otherwise known as Velcro) cuffs. My instant dislike of most things Velcro makes me think this is a major step down from the Stimulus’s elastic cuffs. Again, just a preference thing – but I don’t really get the appeal of Velcro cuffs on a lightweight jacket. You’re not likely to be wearing gloves or mittens so you don’t need a cuff that can snug down over the cuffs of your gloves, do you? Who knows, maybe you do, but I don’t.
The hood is OK, if you like hoods. I suppose that’s the whole point of the Quark, having a hood, so there you have it. I got to use the hood as a mosquito shield yesterday, and I was darn glad to have it, so I can tell you that it works well for that, anyway. I know I sound as if I’m being really negative about this piece, so don’t get me wrong, it’s a great jacket and will keep you warm and dry in all kinds of conditions, and is superlight and super compressible to boot. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this jacket, other than that it has pit zips and I don’t particularly like pit zips. It has Velcro cuffs and I don’t like Velcro. Therefore, I am biased – but let me fall back on that little caveat of opinion. With the pit zips, it’s just not as good as the Stimulus, or so I think now, while it’s not raining out. I guarantee you that the first time I’m out in pouring rain in the hoodless Stimulus, I will be thinking, “hmm, wish I’d brought the Quark instead.”
Mountain Hardwear Vail Computer Bag
May 26, 2009
Everyone who knows me (or reads this site) knows that I am pretty merciless when it comes to making fun of stuff. Bloggers are currently in my crosshairs, especially outdoor/adventure/sports bloggers.
Since the Geargals site has become more popular, I’ve been pinged by a few outdoorish blogs so I got curious and did some reading. My conclusion: blogs written by outdoorish people are bad. Hilariously bad. As an outdoorish person with a web site, I really don’t know what to think about my conclusion, but my opinion stands. I’ve read five accounts of the same endurance race, written by five different participants – each covers not only their story but everyone else’s story, and each of them are remarkably the same: “It was far, really far. And very cold, and really snowy. I got really cold. I had to ski and ski and ski and ski and then I slept. And then I ate a bunch, and then slept, and I was cold so I skied to get warm. Then I ate. [Insert name of other participant] was struggling, because it was very cold and the race was very long, and very snowy.” The tendency to mention other bloggers is my favorite part. You get these people together and they ALL have to blog about each other, and make ego-massaging comments about how badass and hardcore the other bloggers are.
And the pictures! The pictures. Oh, my. How many billions of pictures do they need to post? “Here is the view from the start. Here is the view 20 minutes later. Here is the view from my lunch spot. Here is a picture of my muddy boot. Wow, that mud hole sure was muddy! Here is a picture of my skis. Here is a picture of my totally disgusting sweaty, blistered, shriveled feet. Here is a picture of my car at the end of my hike.” God! Give me a break. Stop. Please stop. No one wants to see the 11th picture in a row of the same micro-dot on a hillside a quarter mile away that you claim is a mountain goat.
I also can’t get over the number of people who go on a trip and then scamper home to their computers to post the (usually rather mundane) photos all. over. the. Internet. In the course of my research for this article I found a few local folks who post the same trip reports over and over again, on over a DOZEN message boards. They use the same username on all of them. And post the same stuff. Hee! It’s too good. How much of a badass hardcore skier/biker/climber/whatever are you if 90% of your day is spent posting on the Internet – and not even hiding it? And I know I post on the Internet via this site all the time, but that’s different! It’s my actual JOB. It’s not the same. Shut up.
Hypocritical, you say? Hear me out – this blog is about gear. Lots of different kinds of gear, how it performs, and what it’s like. Most outdoor blogs are about….the blogger. One person who is convinced that the interwebs need to know their every move and thought. Hardly any actual, useful, interesting information is posted on these blogs because they are too focused on being soooooo self-contratulatory.
It’s painfully transparent that each and every one of these people is seeking attention, sponsorships, and/or jobs, but since very few of them can come up with anything other than the I’m-so-badass-and-committed-yet-amusingly-self-depracating schtick, none of them stand out. And because these blogs and message boards are just too good to be true and too funny not to be completely in-your-face serious, we’re honoring the outdoor blogger by featuring this MHW laptop bag. Of course, this is a women’s laptop bag, and my few hours of outdoor blogger research revealed the unconfirmed theory that most outdoor bloggers are dudes, so this might not be of help to actual bloggers. Which is OK, since they don’t seem to ever put their laptops away, so they probably don’t need a bag anyway.
First, though, we’ve got to make fun of some folks. For your entertainment, I’ve collected The Very Best of Outdoor Blogs and Message Boards (at least the ones that my one day of research uncovered), in all their hysterically self-important glory. I’m not sure what to do about giving credit where credit is due, but I’m also not sure anyone wants to actually claim any of these quotes. So I’ll post them without sources for now, unless anyone spazzes.
- ” I have got to say that I’m EXTREMELY impressed with myself.”
- “What I have not revealed up to this point is that I loaned [her} my bike, which she knows is a crazily exotic bike, thereby causing her untold intrepidation. Nobody drives so slowly and overcautiously as in a borrowed Ferrari." OK, OK, we get it, your bike is nice and you liken it to a Ferrari. I'm also pretty sure that "intrepidation" is not, you know, a word. Try "trepidation". Now, if any bloggers find this post, I'll be deluged with heaps of criticism about my own grammar and spelling, mark my words.
- "But the blood and humiliation was all worth it to have a chance to meet the master." Note: "the master" is....another blogger. We're not talking meeting Ed Viesturs, here.
- "Sitting at the kitchen table one day later raw is how I feel, like I rubbed my whole being hard up against the earth, scraping away layers, physical and deeper." Now, this person is talking about a ONE DAY ski trip in great weather with good conditions. Drama much?
- "I rode X miles up X feet in elevation in X amount of time in [insert dramatically inclement weather here].” OK, that’s not a direct quote, but it sums up the content of 99% of outdoor blog posts. Trust me, I just saved you a bunch of time.
- “the doc also issued a stern warning that he meant ‘normal for normal people, not normal for [me].’” Oooh, you’re so abnormal. We get it. Eyeroll.
- “I weighed myself about 36 hours after I finished, and I had lost 4 pounds. At that point, I had already eaten about six big post-race meals, and my feet and ankles were still very swollen. At the finish, I was probably 6-8 ponds lighter than normal. For the first week afterwards, I was consistently eating 5-6 full meals a day. I weighed myself again a week later, and I was back to my normal weight. All in all, not a lot of fluxuation.” The fussy hyper detail just to let us know that his weight didn’t change is what got this one into the Best List.
Two words sum up these blogs: WHO CARES? Trust me, bloggers; no one besides your spouse and your mom care about the mundane details of every little trip outside your front door. Give it a rest, already. But for those of you who set their best PRs sprinting for their keyboards to make a post after every hike you go on, take a gander at this MHW laptop bag. It’s spiffy! It’s got bold black and white styling; you won’t look boring and corporate. It’s MHW so everyone will know you’re outdoorsy, even though you’re sitting at the local Starbucks, typing and posting pictures for three and a half hours. The handy outside zippered pocket holds your thumb drives, cell phone, and whatever you can think of to clip to that little spiral telephone-cord looking thing inside the pocket.
For some reason, the zippered opening is not as big as the actual bag itself, so laptop size is limited. My 15″ MacBook fits in the bag with a bit of maneuvering, but those of you with those desk-sized machines are out of luck. There’s not a ton of extra space for much else, so if you travel with a (small) laptop, a normal-sized notebook, and a few other knickknacks, this will be perfectly sized for you. Have fun typing away!
P.S. I totally have a bet going as to how much hate mail and accusations of hypocrisy I’m going to get over this post, so let ‘em rip. At least I know you can’t get me on the pictures, I just post gear pictures, so there
Mountain Hardwear Synchro Pant
March 18, 2009
30% off at Backcountry.com! Click here!
Always a sucker for a new pair of ski pants, I nonetheless am quite fickle about them. I like all of the pants that I have, but I usually have one little thing about them I’d change. So when the Synchro pants arrived at the Geargals’ door in a bright blue color, I was sure that the color was the thing I wouldn’t like about these pants. I even warned my ski partner I’d be looking like a clown that day in blue ski pants. He didn’t believe me until I showed up in my new blue pants….and regular pink jacket. As it turned out, I couldn’t go through with it, and I switched to a black jacket, which went nicely with the black accent stripes on the Synchro pants. Now that I’ve seen the pics from that day, I’ve been won over by the blue color; it looks sharp and it’s a nice change from the standard “black or khaki” ski pants staples.
I was also won over by the pants themselves – I think they might be as close to perfect as a soft shell ski pant can get. I’m a little low on creativity today, so let me just list all of the things I like about these pants:
1. They have that nice ski boot-cut without an inner gaiter. They fit perfectly over my boots – not too tight, not too loose. And no gaiter! I dislike inner gaiters on ski pants; they are a hassle when switching from walk to ski mode and don’t seem to do anything special to keep snow out of my boots. I don’t have a “snow in boots” problem to begin with so I really get annoyed with an extra layer of snap/zip/velcro to deal with. Don’t buy these for climbing, they have a perfect boot cut cuff that is clearly intended for ski boots.
2. They have 3/4 length zippers that make venting a breeze (pun intended)! Gaining lots of vertical usually requires generating some heat, and it’s so nice to be able to just zip down the Synchros and let the excess body heat out. There’s no goofy mesh inside the vent zipper either; it’s full access to your base layer. it’s great. I have been struggling all year with finding the right venting situation for my ski pants, and this is it. There is zero reason to not have a vent zipper as simple and effective as this one on ALL ski pants. I was in perfect comfort all day just by adjusting the vent zipper. It seems simple, but trust me, there are gear manufacturers out there who can make a vent zipper waaaaaay too complicated.
3. The material is awesome. Admittedly I’ve only worn these pants twice, so perhaps the water shedding ability will disappear over time, but for now it certainly does seem fully waterproof. They’re waterproof AND a billion times (at least!) warmer than hard shell pants. Perfect!
4. They are extremely flattering. Yes, yes, I know, it’s only function that matters. But not to me! The accent stripes and the flared cuffs make my rather well-developed skier’s legs look long and lean. Hmm, I wonder why these are my favorite pants….
Yeah, I really like the pants! But I would be amiss in my gear tester duties if I didn’t include a note on fit. In my regular size, the Synchros fit really well except for the waist. The waist is too high and therefore too loose. I had to break out my trusty web belt to keep these on, and adding more things around my waist in addition to my backpack hip belt and transceiver harness is not my favorite thing. But it was almost a non-issue, just a slight inconvenience. It seems that taller ladies with a smaller hip: waist ratio might fit these pants perfectly, but that’s going to be an individual thing. For average-height me, the length was good but the rise was about an inch and a half too high and the waist therefore too big. Luckily I can compensate for it, because I’d hate to miss out on wearing these pants.
Mountain Hardwear Onza Mitten
January 26, 2009
Get the Onzas for the great price of $59.95 at Altrec.com! Click here!
I can’t believe I haven’t written about these yet, what have I been thinking? These are straight up awesome mittens. Actually, they are called “mitts” because evidently it’s not cool to wear mittens. It’s true! Every time I wear them, I get some snide cutesy “awwww, nice mittens!” remark. In print it seems innocuous, but try saying it out loud with a bit of a mocking tone, and you get the idea. To which I say: why yes, they are nice mittens, thanks very much. And my hands are ever so warm in them, and I don’t have to wear big clumsy gloves that go halfway to my elbows. So there! Finally, a mitten really, truly, honestly made to fit a woman’s hand. They’re not baggy, not bulky, and won’t drown your hands in extra fabric. They are exactly Head Geargal-hand-shaped. It’s a little creepy to think that Mountain Hardwear keeps sending people to measure me in my sleep to make stuff to fit me exactly, but I really love the results so, MHW, just let me know if you need a copy of my house key to make this easier.
The Onzas have been my standard hand-wear this year, in any temperature cold enough for mittens. I’m a cold-hands person, so mittens are a must for me, and the Onzas are just perfect. They are streamlined, form-fitting, and low-profile, but incredibly warm even without yards of bulk. You might be surprised at how dextrous mittens can be if they’re not huge and bulky, or just plain too big. I will put my nice warm Onza-mittened hands up against anyone’s stiff, cold, gloved hands any day. I really like this trend towards more form-fitting gloves and mittens, and the Onza is so far the best of the lot. Once I cinch down the wrist zippers, no snow can get in, and there’s no way snow is getting these things wet. They are practically impervious. The only way they get wet is when my hands sweat, which is gross, but is a good indicator of how warm the mittens are. I’m sure a few of my ex-boyfriends out there are reading this in disbelief, because they know my hands are NEVER warm. Well boys, I have warm hands now, believe it or not. Just add that to the list of things you’re missing out on. And since my brother reads this site, I’m sure I’ll be getting a “hey, TMI!” email pretty soon. Sorry bro!
