Equipment Reviews

On this page I will add equipment reviews that I have personally used and will explain the pros and cons of each. Equipment will include all snowboarding equipment (from clothing to boards and boots/bindings, etc.) mountaineering equipment (packs, boots, crampons, clothing, tents, etc.) and mountain bikes (safety gear, bikes, upgrades/parts, etc.)

Snowboarding Equipment 

1. Burton Custom Flying-V: First things first what is the Flying V? The Flying V is the shape of the board that is similar to a U than a V. Below is a picture that explains the differences between the different shapes of boards. So, is the Flying V all that it's hyped up to be? Well in my experience riding one for the last 3 years my opinion is that it fully depends on the riding you do. On the terrain park this board excels giving you more pop off jumps and even softening the landing a bit. If your more into flying down groomers this board is not for you... since the tail is lifted slightly you sacrifice your control and on ice patches the Flying V is almost worthless. Lastly if your into deep powder riding the Flying-V makes deep powder easier on the legs and glides through the snow pretty good allowing you to relax that back leg.

• Park 4.5

• Powder 4

• Control 3

• Price 3.5

OVERALL 4/5  based on the riding I do, and based on the price being a little spend y. ($550)

2. Burton Mission Bindings- I've rode the Missions for about 3 years and haven't been disappointed yet. There's not a lot to say about these bindings except they feature a toe strap, which is good for response especially going heel side. They are durable and got rubber coating on the straps. I have beaten on these bindings and still look great. The only downside for these bindings is probably that they aren't very light. Price is pretty normal at ($150-$180)

OVERALL 4.5/5


3. 32 Exus Boots- These boots have lasted me 4 years and are pretty durable and warm. They are regular lace up except the inner boot is draw string. Overall the boot is comfortable and durable the heel and support of the boot are just like they were when the boot was new. One bad thing about the boot is it puts pressure on the lead legs shin that can get irritated if your keeping a heel edge for a long time (like a catwalk or something). The price of the boot is awesome though I picked mine up for $80.
Overall I would give this boot a 3.5/5 since the front shin takes that stress but you never know it could be my stance. And if anyone has tried the quick lace systems for boots these day let me know if they are worth while!

OVERALL 3.5/5

4. Burton Custom Bindings- I have been riding these bindings for the past year and I'm not sure if I'm a big fan. They are light and look good and clean and even have the EST mounting system which in my opinion is the same as the old one. These bindings are super light but feel a little weak/flimsy. The straps do not seem near as durable as the Missions and the front toe strap comes undone often, unless you click it extremely tight. The toe straps also do not give the response I was expecting and were a little disappointing.

OVERALL 3.5/5   since they are priced around $120

Mountaineering

1. Mammut Mamook GTX Boot- This is my current boot used for mountaineering and does exceptionally well for the higher elevation climbs up to 15,000ft. Climbed Mount Rainer with these in the fall and kept me pretty warm in single digit temperatures with some thick socks on. These are considered a soft boot and light to medium weight for this class of mountaineering and have an extra high ankle on them and incorporate a memory foam footbed which make a custom fit every time. My crampons (next review) fit well and STAY ON these boots. Breaking them in on hiking I got a few hot spots but I just had to figure out the sock combo. I would highly recommend these boots to anyone doing high summits in the inter-continental U.S. as they deal good with ice and warmth, but I'm not sure how they would fare above 15,000ft.

Comfort 5

Warmth 5

Durability/Stiffness 5

Price 4.5  ($400)

OVERALL 5/5 I Love these boots

2. Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampons-I used these crampons with the Mamook GTX boot and they worked great. They feature ABS Plates and 12 points which work good on steep icy slopes but not ice waterfall climbing or anything extremely technical. If your looking for a crampon for mountaineering I highly recommend these because they put on easy with gloves and fit snug and have never come loose. Anything involving a sharp edge or point I always go Black Diamond. I bought these on clearance for $100 (Normally $140) Only thing I can complain about is that they are slightly heavy but I guess that goes hand in hand with durability.


Overall 4.5/5