npm 2 and Windows

The LTS package(Version: v4.5.0) for Node.js on Windows includes npm at version 2, as of the time of this writing.

npm 2 loves to nest its dependencies

On Windows, the max path length is 260 characters

And all hell breaks loose when you combine them both(Or more specifically, you run into the dreaded Path is too long error).

Fortunately, npm 3 takes a flatter approach with dependencies, which solves this problem.
You can install npm 3 by choosing the Current package on the Node.js install page or by manually upgrading your npm version by running:

npm install -g npm@3.0-latest

You will also need to update your PATH variable to include the npm 3 directory before the Node.js directory

%APPDATA%\npm;C:\Program Files\nodejs\;