Give'r 4 season glove review

First the leather. Incredible quality and burl. Feels more like a baseball glove than ski gloves.

4 days old

new

The question now, what are they good for?

I've tried them skiing several times in temps down to 9f and up to 35f. Contrary to what the product description says I've found them to be depressingly cold and poorly insulated. For lift serve anything under 25f and my fingers were always cold. Maybe if I'd sized them up there would be more room for air space but as it is, they are a no go for skiing unless you are working hard while you are outside.

In terms of wearing them for skinning uphill, the breathability made them sweaty on the up and freezing on the down. Another non starter.

I heat with wood and spend a lot of time splitting, stacking and hauling wood. It was here that these gloves hit their sweet spot for me. Good dexterity, good grip and impervious to splinters. Great for adding wood to the fire as the wrist guard leather goes high enough to protect the wrists.

On the whole, an incredibly well built glove but a bit over hyped on the ski front. Happy with the purchase, but wouldn't recommend or be likely to buy another.

Outdoor Research Skyward review

OR Skyward Review

It has been a hell of a season. Good snow here in Vermont and 100+ days on it. I picked up a pair of Skyward bib ski pants late in the season so have about 20 days on them. A quick review.

1. The fabric is awesome. I've worn it with a light polypro layer, wool, heavy fleece and nothing. Against bare skin on a warm day the fabric feels almost like a pair of jeans. Slight stretch, awesome breathability and great feel. The surface is slightly shiny - not like slick goretex fabric and slicker than traditional softshell. The result is a surface that water runs off. It is fairly durable although a crampon did puncture the instep on the way up Mt. Washington but almost any fabric would have done the same.

2. The features are awesome. Great assortment of pockets, vents, zippers and zip on/zip off bib. Best in the category.

3. The fit is slim. I'm 5 9 159 pounds and it fits perfect - like a pair of prana size 32 jeans. Any bigger in the waist and the medium wouldn't fit at all. The bib is really snug -in fact I take it off most of the time.

4. The fly zipper is too short for easy access. Particularly with the bib you don't stand a chance of an easy nature pee...

5. Waterproofness is awesome. I've had them in pouring rainstorms and been bone dry.

6. Warmth is fair. I find that in hard blowing cold wind some air gets through. This is a necessary tradeoff for the high breathability. 

7. Leg opening is perfect for my scarpa maestrale. The power strap slot in the powder cuff works but I find it to be kind of fiddly for regular use.

On the whole, my favorite ski pants yet - particularly for uphill skiing.

Tips for retiring early with a little less...

Retiring early is hard. Retiring early with little money is really hard. Here are things I've found can help.

1. Live where you want to be.
If you live in Jersey but want to be in Florida you are screwed. Travel is expensive and a second home is out of the question if you aren't rich so live where you want to be OR enjoy living where you are.

2. Find a source of revenue that you love

Doesn't matter if it is a paper route, making some money in retirement is vital. Even a few hundred dollars a month really adds up and it can cover a few essential luxuries like a good beer.

3. Find and enjoy cheap or free luxuries
Open air concerts, shore fishing, long walks. Retirement means time and if you can find cheap ways to enjoy your time then you are half way there.

4. Physical health is essential
If you are smoking then stop. If you are overweight then start losing weight. Health issues will crush any chance of a retirement on a budget.

5. Help your kids lives be better.
Family is where it is at. Have a sister you don't know or grand kids you rarely see? Go see them now. Spending time with family is cheap luxury and one that pays long term benefits for all.