Skiing Gear:
All Mountain
Elan Magfire 12 07/08 164
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These skis are incredibly springy, responsive, I have sensation right from the tip, the transmission through the binding is outstanding, the binding is flat, not ramped, so it doesn't screw with my angles at all... I'm in a 164, and when I put them on, it seriously changed my skiing.
People have asked me if its the gear that did it, and my answer is, this is the first time that I'd put on a ski and didn't feel like I had to have a discussion with it. Or an argument. I moved my foot, I felt the tip and tail, the ski did what I was hoping it would do. Because of this, I didn't have to worry so much about my feet and could start focusing more on my other body mechanics, and made some serious movement pattern changes in a relatively short amount of time, which was awesome.
This is the ski that made me want to ride for Elan forever.
Race
Elan SLX 164
Elan GSX 175


Quick, nimble, strong, and easy to talk to. These skis tell you what you want. But its easy to give it to them, and the reward you well when you do it.
Alpine Boots
Dalbello Proton 12 Carbon
Protective Gear
Teaching Helmet: POC Synapsis x2

POC does an incredible job with their R&D, really exploring impact and crumple, focusing their energy on having their gear absorb the impact so your body doesn't have to. I wouldn't ride in anything else.
Freeride Helmet: Skull X with Downhill Faceguard

Body Armor Jacket


Gloves
POC Palm Comp

POC Print

Black Diamond Mercury Mit

Goggles
POC Lobes

Iris Comp

Speed Suit

Here is the beauty of this suit. It fits perfectly. Its padded. Its thick and warm. It comes in bright blue, which I was too chicken to get. And I regret it. I love this thing, it feels great, doesn't bind or ride, stays right where you put it, supports you protects you... And, in Ethan's words... it makes me look like the white Power Ranger! Which ROCKS!
Back Country
K2 Shucksan

Garmont Mega Ride

Dynafit Binding

Everyone asks me about these bindings because they are so odd looking, and I have begun to think about what Josh said when he saw them: "Cool, but if I am 3 days out... can I fix them if they break?" Hmmm... The answer, after asking people who have had them for a few years is... take good care of them so you don't HAVE to fix them in the back country. The little plastic piece where you insert your pole to change the riser position is GOING to break. No matter how careful you are. I wish they were an ounce heavier and made of metal.
The package overall is unbelievable for the back country, it weighs nearly NOTHING, but I taught in this set up all season, and the loss of energy transfer due to the hyper flex, and the light tiny bindings on the noodle skis is starting to show in my ski performance in the resort.
Still To Come;
Ortovox Avi Beacon
Avi Probe
Black Diamond Quick Shovel
Black Diamond Covert Avalung
Osprey Spring pack
Black Diamond Guide Skins
Training Gear
Hydration Systems: CamelBak Bottle, CamelBak Isis

A couple of years ago, Tom and I took the WFR, which was an amazing experience in and of itself, but one of the biggest things i took away from it is how many maladies are just directly related to poor hydration.
Unless your pee is CLEAR, ODORLESS and COPIOUS, you are dehydrated! Holy CRAP! Thats 90% of us. Headaches, clumsiness, heat stroke, malaise, poor performance, depression (yes, really, actual clinical DEPRESSION is affected by how much water you drink!) and on and on... My beautiful little nurse friend, Virginia, put it this way:

One of the BIGGEST issues is with winter athletes, because we don't recognize that we are loosing and using fluids when we are cold. But you have to drink just as much!! This year, I am going to buy a Camelbak Sno Angel

So anyway, I use this great bottle, I actually have five of them, (so my kids each have their own, and I have two with me, one always has SOMETHING in it.) I fill it with ice, it has a straw, so I can sip without opening it or spilling it. I am sad to find out that the plastic has been discovered to leach into the water, which can be very dangerous! I hope that CamelBak comes up with a stainless Steel bottle, because there are few brands I am super loyal to, but CamelBak is one of them.
My Isis is an amazing thing, it is a women's fit backpack that has a 100ml capacity, and straps down tight, so I can carry enough stuff for a 26 mile hike, (rain jacket, emergency blanket, first aid kit, water filter, map, food for two days, sun screen, bug spray... hat, sunglasses, athletic tape, my wildflower book... yeah, its a lot!) and then I can strap it down tight and actually RUN with it. It's the best CamelBak I've ever had, and I've had several.
Haflinger Wool Slippers

Huzzah to Haflinger! At $60/pop they are definitely the MOST expensive slippers I've ever owned. But BUT BUT!! They are super soft, warm, dry, and DON'T STINK when you wear them barefoot all day!

FYI: my sister has the same slippers, and hers don't have holes, that's just me and my gnarly feet.
Training Gear:
Solomon XA Pro 3D XCR trail running shoe

About $90, things I love: super light weight, fast drying, quick on and off, nice closure, cushy footbed.
Not so psyched: The sole lasted longer than the shoe for me! The shoe offered great support for the first month, and then began stretching out quite quickly. Now, when I close it up, I have to tuck the laces in because I have to crank down the shoe so much!
A fun shoe, great to run in, but if you are a serious hiker logging lots and lots of miles, buy two pair, or three, they won't last a whole season. (Well, the sole and footbed will, but the support just won't.) I'll probably give these one more try and see how this season's stacks up.
The North Face Gore Tex XCR Trail Running Shoe

Now, a caveat here: I am really freakin' hard on shoes. They have that new shoe feeling for me for about a month, and then most shoes are all compacted, broken down and just useless to me. I am also really REALLY picky about fit and comfort because I have chronic frost bite on both my big toes, whose toenails are always on the verge of coming off... so I'm hard to please.
And I have to say that TNF did it. They made my feet happy for almost 6 months before they started breaking down. These suckers are almost still goin' strong a full year and a half later! I think they have about 600 miles on them at this point, and the sole is finally coming off the last. I can also feel rocks through the compacted foot bed. BUT! They are STILL stable! Yes, indeed, they have softened quite a bit, but out of the hundreds of pairs of shoes I have run into an early grave, this sucker could take a re-soleing and probably last the summer.
They are a bit heavier than most would think they want (just over 1 lb), but again, I've worn lots of them, and heavier seems to equal bomber in this case. When they are dead, I am going to replace them with another pair by TNF, you can count on that!!
Now, let's test their customer service: I'm sending them in to see if they will fix the sole. Stay tuned!
Nike Triax Elite HRM/SDM

The watch has a little guy on a bike on it, but there is no way to use the watch on your bike. I called Nike, they said, Yeah, we wanted it to work on a bike, but we couldn't make it happen. The newer watches don't have that little bike icon. Fabulous. So much for the TRIAX (triathlon?) training tool.
It works in the pool but I have to strap my watch to my bathing suit on the shoulder or it won't read.
The data is amazing and interesting, but only when it works, isn't corrupted or lost.
I have emailed and called Nike numerous times, and have never heard back from them.
Long story short. Don't buy a Nike heart rate monitor. It breaks my heart to say it, I want the new Nike Ipod+, but with the customer service (or total dearth thereov), I wouldn't dare spend a dime, because I know if something goes wrong, Nike's response is gonna be... Tough sh*t.
So, I'm in the market! Anyone have a HR monitor that does SDM, Pool, Vertical Feet, Total Calories, Tracks HR in and out of zone, and downloads info to your computer so you can analyze your data? Post a comment here and let me know!!
****
Update: Nike answered, and asked what they could do. I asked for my money back. I haven't heard back yet. On the plus side, I decided to buy a Suunto T6 with a GPS SDM! Josh Foster's recommendation. Thanks, Josh, good idea! If Nike ever sends me my money back, that's where its goin'!
Clothing:
Performance or Race Base Layer:
Skinz
Patagonia
Wool Base Layer
Pant
Shell
Down Sweater (!!)
Mid Layers:
Mountain hardware
Sugoi
Smart Wool
Boot Heaters:
Thermic Systems
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