I admit it. I am in love with Osprey products. Why? They are lightweight, full of smart features, and downright comfortable. Everytime I need a new pack for a specific purpose, I look to Osprey to fill my needs and they do, every time. I have packs for backpacking, hut-to -hut traverses, day hiking, skit touring, and climbing/mountaineering. My oldest pack is 11 years old and still going strong! Here is why I love Osprey:

Osprey Talon 33- The smallest and lightest pack in my collection is the Talon 33. This pack has been my 'go-to' summer day hiking pack for the past 4 years. Hip pockets, GPS pocket, and hydration pouch are my favourite features. The lightweight fabric is thinner than my other packs but it has shown no wear or letting up so far. Just shy of 2 pounds in the small/medium size, it's a great pack to put inside a larger backpack if hiking in to set up a basecamp for day assaults.  My only complaint about this pack is the mesh netting on the hip pockets has ripped.  The Tempest 30 is actually the women's version but wasn't available when I purchased mine.

Osprey Mutant 38- The Mutant joined my fleet a couple of years ago to be my rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering pack. At just 35 litres for the small/medium, this pack always surprises me at how much space I always have to fill. This pack has seen some hard use in the abrasive granite of the Bugaboos but still shows little signs of wear. My favourite features of the Mutant are the tool carry, rope strap, and removable top lid. The latest versions of the this pack are incredible-my eyes are always envious when my husband is wearing his! Not a women's specific pack but  in the small/medium size, I have no problem with the fit.

Osprey Kode 42- Hands down the most comfortable of all my packs, the Osprey Kode has risen to be one of my favourites. It has become my winter day hiking pack, my ski touring pack, and my yurt trip pack. At 3lbs, 10oz it's not the lightest pack, but for some reason it feels as light as my Talon when fully loaded. My favourite features of this pack is the top lid helmet carry feature, goggle pocket, hip pockets, and outside pocket for avalanche gear. All the buckles can be easy opened with mitts or gloves on. Note: I read a review that said that a G3 340cm probe could fit in this pocket but that's not the case in the small/medium size. The durability and quality of this pack is outstanding. Osprey has also made the Kode now with the ABS avalanche airbag protection system integrated into it. This pack is bomber.

Osprey Kestrel 58- The Kestrel is a unisex multi-use pack that I bought for a week long hut-to-hut ski touring trip but I've also used it as an overnight/weekend backpacking pack. In the small/medium size, I enjoy the front stretch pocket to stow skins, the hip pockets and the Airscape backpanel. If I were to upgrade, I my eyes have been fixated on the lighter Exos 58 pack, but for now the Kestrel is doing a fantastic job.

Osprey Ariel 75- The Ariel is a recent addition into the quiver. The size and weight of camping gear has reduced my volume needs and the Ariel is my new backpacking pack for week-long missions. It's a women's specific pack that has hip pockets, ice-axe loops, and hiking pole loops. The moldable hip belt is super comfortable and the waist belt cinching system works flawlessly. The dual access side pockets fit a Nalgene bottle perfectly. At 4lbs 14oz for the small size, the pack is lightweight and in the Deep Sea Blue colour, won't clash with any outfit!

Osprey Luna 90- The Luna was my first Osprey pack and it sold me on comfort and women's specific features. After 11 years, it's still going strong and shows little signs of wear. Used for backpacking expeditions and international travelling, this pack has been all over the world. The detachable 10L backpack has been VERY useful when travelling abroad, and is a great place to store gear that you want easy access to while backpacking. The Luna has been the workhorse of my collection and even though it doesn't get used as much anymore, I will still keep it for that time you need the extra volume.

The Patagonia Backcountry Guide Pant has been an integral part of my winter wardrobe now for two winter seasons. Although designed for backcountry skiing and mountaineering,  I have tested these softshell pants in wide variety of settings including: winter camping, backcountry nordic skiing, AT ski touring, ice climbing, and winter hiking/snowshoeing.

The fit of these pants is fantastic. I bought a size snug enough to move with me but able to put a baselayer underneath. The Polartec Powershield softshell fabric enables great wind resistance but yet still ventilates well. The pants have a mini-gaiter to pull over winter boots and a scuff guard to protect the pants. The pants have zippered vents for thermal regulation and three pockets.

After two years of use, I am pleased to say that these pants are very durable. They barely look any different from the day I bought them, and I've used them for countless days. I normally wear them with gaiters for: ice climbing (to protect them from crampon punctures), backcountry nordic skiing (in powder conditions), and winter camping/hiking/snowshowing (in powder conditions). When AT skiing, the mini-gaiter is snug enough around my ski boot so gaiters are unnecessary. Using a harness with these pants poses no problems.  In all activities, the pants seem to stand up to whatever demands I impose on them.

Pros: Great mobility, durability, and versatility
Cons: Waist belt not tight enough, no lace hook on the mini-gaiter

Other similar brands tried: Arcteryx Women's Gamma SK pant

Purchased in 2010, the Atlas Elektra 11's were one of the lightest women's specific snowshoes on the market. What attracted me to the Elektra 11's were the aggressive crampon, heel lifter bar, and bomber harness system.

I spend most of my winter hiking in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. Winter ascents of the high peaks often mean spending 8-12 hours on your snowshoes, climbing up 2000-5000 feet per day. Conditions in the Adirondacks can be challenging as rocks and roots clog most of the trails that can have varying amounts of snow coverage, exposing the snowshoes to all sorts of abuse.

After 5 years of hard use, I can say that my Atlas Elektra 11's are still going strong. I can't seem to kill them, even though I've tried. The harness system still works as well as it did when I bought them, and the frame, although beat up, is still fully functional. The heel lifter bar is amazing at saving my calf muscles when doing long ascents.

My only issues with these snowshoes are packability. There are periods of time when I need to strap the snowshoes onto my pack and it's difficult to do with the bulky harness system. The MSR Lightening Ascent model comes to mind when wanting to stack the snowshoes and strap them to a pack.

Pros: Lightweight, very durable, user friendly
Cons: Not stackable and packable, could be even lighter.


I would completely recommend these snowshoes to any female wanting an aggressive,durable, mountain oriented snowshoe. They have passed the test of time and in my mind are worth their price ($250). It's also a good sign that the manufacturer is still selling the same product 5 years later. As a gear queen myself, I would love to upgrade to the MSR shoes, but can't justify it when the Elektra's are still usable. Kudos to Atlas for such a great product!

In the fall of 2012, I purchased the Women's Mountain Hardwear Drystein Jacket with the new Dry Q Elite fabric. Now that it's 2015, I have been using this shell for over 2 years now. The new highly waterproof-breathable Dry Q Elite fabric was so breathable, the jacket didn't even come with pit zips! Since 2012, the jacket has been on countless trips with me in activities such as AT skiing, mountaineering, winter hiking/snowshoeing, and ice climbing.

Overall, I'm simply amazed at how far waterproof-breathable fabrics have progressed. They wick moisture away so effectively that in winter conditions, I can become cold quite quickly if I'm not moving and haven't put another layer on. I'm able to find the perfect layering systems to effectively move heat out while still having the moisture and wind protection to protect me with. The stretchy under arms are a fantastic feature, as well as the large hood capable of fitting over helmets.

After over 2 years of use, the jacket still looks new. I do wash it and care for it appropriately but it has also endured some hardships and has been used countless times. The medium fit for me is perfect: room to put layers underneath but not bulky and unshapely in anyway. The arms are more of a slimfit but I enjoy that design personally. My rubbber and cord accessory zipper pull tab broke about a year ago but I just tied in a piece of cord into the metal zipper to replace it.

I have used this jacket in gale force -30C winds, heavy rainstorms, and whiteout snowstorms and so far it's been able to handle any demand Mother Nature imposes on it. It's definitely an all-round alpine jacket that can be used in a variety of different conditions and activities.

My only con with this jacket is that the zipper can sometimes stick and be difficult to pull up or down. Tensioning the fabric helps but I'm not sure what I can do about the stickiness. The zipper creates a waterproof seal for the jacket which is important but it could be much easier to pull.

I would buy another one of these jackets in a heartbeat. In fact, I would buy one today but they don't seem to be making them anymore nor can you find them on the internet. Mountain Hardwear: Bring back the Drystein!!

Pros: Very breathable, waterproof, flexible, lightweight, and well fitted
Cons: Zipper pull tab, zipper stickiness

As a backcountry nordic skiier, I frequent ungroomed technical terrain. I have skis that are wider than typical nordic skis and have features like metal edges. I have been backcountry nordic skiing for around 15 years both in track and out, and for the the last 4 I have owned and used the Salomon X-ADV 5 backcountry ski boots.

I initially bought these boots to replace an old pair of Karhu boots which I loved but had simply fallen apart. Having the SNS (Salomon) X-ADV bindings already installed on my skis, I had only one choice when it was time to upgrade: The Salomon X Adventure 5's. Salomon has always had a special place in my closet with numerous running shoe and race cross country ski boots in my collection.

When I first bought the boots, I loved their beefy grip on the bottom, allowing me to transition to using the boots when winter camping or even a ski to snowshoe transition. They were warm and comfortable and I generally enjoyed using them.

Knowing 3 unsatisfied customers with this product, all with the same issues, I knew there had to be more. In the fall of 2014, Salomon came out with a new boot to replace the X-ADV 5, which they call the X-ADV Escape. I was elated that they had discontinued the 5, and had addressed the issues that I had concerns about. The new boot has the pull tab system, new fabric, and even an ankle support bracing. Perfect right?! Nope. Salomon has made their new backcountry X-ADV Escape boot to only fit the Salomon Pilot Classic Binding meaning that they are not compatible with my X-ADV binding system!! How ridiculous. Salomon-you have made a big mistake.

So my choices moving forward are: Buy the Salomon Backountry X-ADV 6 or 8 boots that would still be compatible with my bindings (but are more boot than I need), or to buy a new NNN binding ($90) and NNN compatible boot from either Rossignol, Fischer or Alpina ($200). What??!! That's crazy! It will cost me $400 to upgrade (2 sets of bindings for my 2 sets of skis and 1 set of boots).  As a business decision, I have to question why Salomon would go in this direction. You have lost a customer Salomon and I know of at least 2 more. I would NOT RECOMMEND buying these boots, and if you do get them, it will be costly to replace!


UPDATE: I have since bought the Rossignol Women's X6 boots and are completely in love. They difference between the two are night and day! Ankle support! Durable material construction! Pull tab tightening! The boots and two sets of NNN Rottefella Manual Bindings later cost me $270 on sale. Still upset about having to pay for this, but am happy to have moved on.