The Flylow Higgins Jacket, one of the companies most consistent products year in, year out – is a skier’s dream. First, I’ll disclose the only con I’ve found with the jacket – the weight. For a tourer who goes deep in to the backcountry often and likes to count ounces, this might not be a good match, as the fabric is thick and the bells and whistles of the interior of the jacket may not be necessary for some. For anyone who wants a durable shell that’ll help you feel perfectly content with whatever crap mother nature throws at you – you will get along very well with this piece of gear. I bring it on all my tours – long and short – and the functionality of the jacket was obviously well thought out.
It’s not really a hardshell, but its also not really a true softshell – its a true hybrid. It’s got a moderate amount of stretch, but it also would take a bowie knife from John J Rambo to penetrate its fabric. There are also pit zips, a characteristic more common with a hardshell, and they are almost snag free and easy to open and close on the go. I’m 5’11 185 with a 36″ waist and the large was taylor made for my frame. It comes with all the standard features as well – water tight zippers, helmet compatible hood, numerous pockets, DWR finish (20k/20k), etc. Keep reading…
I was in need of a new “3 season” bag as the synthetic bag I’ve used since I was 14 just doesn’t cut it anymore. I was looking for a down bag in the 15-20 degree range as that seems to be the best compromise between warmth, packability, and weight for a bag used primarily here in Colorado. Several options exist that fit those general criteria, but I ultimately chose a traditional mummy bag design in the Big Agnes Bellyache Mountain SL 17. Big Agnes is located in Steamboat Springs, CO and is known for several things – namely tents, sleeping pads and bags, but has also recently begun to dabble in the apparel market with a few down jacket offerings.Bellyache Mountain SL 17 Side View
The Bellyache Mountain fit a pretty good sweet spot in terms of down quality and fill weight – 700 fill, 21 oz fill weight and weights 2.3 lbs (measured) for the regular size. Big Agnes is one of a few manufacturers who offer down that has been chemically treated to repel water, thus maintaining loft and insulating properties when wet, and the Bellyache Mountain sports their DOWNTEK water repellant technology. The bag also has a nice draft collar around the neck as well as a draft tube down the length of the zipper. The draft tube has a strip of thicker nylon sewn into it to help prevent stuck zippers. Speaking of zippers, the bag is available in both right and left hand zipper configurations – which is nice as 2 bags can zip together for those fortunate guys with girlfriends/wives, or if you’re just one of those weird left handed folks. Read more…
Cheap ski gloves are getting more and more popular these days and not just for fashion statement reasons. They are practical, affordable, more durable than they seem and give skiers great dexterity. I used to buy 70 to 100$ gloves and they would usually last a year, maybe 2 if I were lucky. Marmot, Black Diamond, Mountain Hardwear North Face, Hestra, Swany – it didn’t really matter. A moderately large problem I had with some of these gloves, outside the lack of longevity, was the insulation bunching up when you removed your glove, making it brain damaging trying to put your hand back in. Kinco work gloves and Flylow Ridge and Tough Guy gloves avoid this problem by more consistent stitching throughout the whole glove. Kinco gloves are the most popular brand out there cause of their price. You can buy a pair for 11$ and squeeze 2 seasons out of them, taping up as necessary – or just start with a fresh pair. They are so cheap, it doesn’t matter. Flylow has recently joined this market with their own versions of the leather work glove – the Tough Guy (50% leather) and the Ridge (100% leather). I just wanted to show a quick analysis on the two and show the benefits to both. Read more…
I’ve toyed around with many a ski over the years and the Ski Logik Howitzer seems to fit the “quiver” tag the best. It’s dimensions (134/110/128 – 176cm ski) is a nice, happy medium that can rest on the high end of the fatty preference of some people’s threshold. Truth is, the 110 waist is balanced out by the early rise and the tip and tail aren’t absurdly wide. The weight to sidecut ratio is unlike anything I’ve seen with a not so insanely heavy overall weight (3500 grams – 176cm ski) and a burly enough sidecut to tackle most any condition. Its a fat ski, but the shorter length (176cm) avoids any tail snags in tight and steep couloirs involving committing jump turns, or condensed inbound trees. I wouldn’t make a habit of taking these into mogul fields all season, although it couldn’t hurt your form from overcompensation – but moguls aside, this ski can, and will, do it all. The early rise is a noticeable bonus in deep powder. This ski flat out floats!
Some of it’s counterparts within the Ski Logik family – such as the lighter Yeti, the heavier Ullr Chariot and the fatter Bomb Squad – all serve their purpose. I’d go as far to say the Chariot is arguably the best overall ski ever made, but it’s weight is undesirable for long backcountry tours. The Yeti is lighter, but lacks the control and manueverability. The Bomb Squad is better suited for Utah pow days or Alaska heli drops. The Howitzer was made for the lower 48 – Colorado in particular. There will be no regrets. Continue reading…
