D-Fens

Since there's only one other review on this site I thought I'd chime in with my view.

GOOD: This is very comfortable, and the optics of the lens is incredible. I can wear it with glasses, so if you can't wear contact lenses and would like to avoid the large, over-the-glasses goggles, this is nice.

BAD: The G2 is very popular in my DZ and everyone has the same problem: fogging when under canopy. I had the same problem, to the extent that I had to open it before landing. This is worth knowing: my first jump I did with a G2 I got line twists, and the fogging could have made that situation stressfull weren't for the fact that I've done so many jumps this year and I'm very comfortable with all my other gear.

GLASSES: Oh, and something that's specific to the issue of wearing glasses: You can't actually put on/take off the helmet without first taking of your glasses (obviously) so you will, if you're not careful, end up with your glasses becoming dirtier than usual.

SIZING: Worth noticing, which is a bit weird: My main helmet is Cookie Ozone. I was very surprised when I bought that one and realized I needed the XXL model (though Cookies website recommended XL given the measurements of my head). For the G2, "L" fit just fine. So I guess the measurements differ between the various models.

VERDICT: All in all, I give this a 4/5. As far as I know, Cookie are working on the fogging issue. Once that's improved, this deserves a 5/5. It's a really solid piece of equipment, and I will probably buy one. It seems extremely awesome for wind tunnel work also.

UPDATE December 2011: I brought a G2 in October. I decided to purchase the G2 instead of the newer G3 model. The G2 has much better build quality and feel, whereas the G3 is and feels like plastic.

I have not jumped with my G2 yet, but I have used it for around 4 hours wind tunnel. It is extremely comfortable for wind tunnel work. Fogging is not an issue at all in these circumstances. I couldn't imagine using anything else in the tunnel.

The Solo II is a newly released, entry level audiable from L&B. Under the hood, it has some very sophisticated software and instruments, the altimeter is very precise, and it does exactly what it's supposed to do. And you can't beat the price (I got mine really cheap).

For the right person, the Solo II is possibly the greatest purchase ever. However, for myself, the cons are pretty big. You can only set the unit in feet, not meters, which complicate some jumps with friends who set their audiable in meters. And the Solo II has an interface that's quite difficult to work with (after 80 jumps with it, I still have to lookup in the manual how to change the warning signals without turning the unit off afterwards).

One jump I set off the 3rd alarm by doing a 360 under canopy. That was a surprise! Especially since I jump a very big canopy (210 sqft).

All in all, I'd say the Solo II is great value for the money if you are American, or jump in another country where everyone use feet anyway. If you live in say Europe, think a while if you want to live with it. I myself will probably get an Optima II when I can afford it :)

This is a great helmet. Very lightweight - I haven't tried it with cameras but without it feels like I'm not wearing a helmet at all.

Before buying, I would recommend you try the helmet first. According to the sizing chart I was a "XL", but that model was way too tight, so I had to go with the XXL instead (which is a bit weird, since my head is not that big, most other helmets I've used were of size L).

So in short, try it, and you will probably like it :)