Help Me Pick a North Face Jacket

[jefe]

Originally Posted by KBW

+1...I sold these for a living several years ago and I'd go Arc'Teryx, Marmot, or Mountain Hardware LONG before I'd go with North Face. Arc'Teryx is probably the best (also most $$$$).

All of the Arc'teryx gear I have is unbelievably bomber. Also NORRØNA, Montbell, Mammut and Eider are all under-the-radar and really good stuff. NORRØNA and Eider can make arc'teryx look inexpensive though.

 

[uhurit]

#6, because I can't see the logo...but, I'd buy a Marmot instead

 

[sho'nuff]

North Face got this $300 ski jacket that i like.

 

[mdeep1]

Originally Posted by KBW

+1...I sold these for a living several years ago and I'd go Arc'Teryx, Marmot, or Mountain Hardware LONG before I'd go with North Face. Arc'Teryx is probably the best (also most $$$$).

+1 I'm not sure how all of you are commending the quality of a North Face jacket. Must not go climbing much.

 

[constantine.]

i really like jacket number one but that logo pisses me off. is it possible to take the stitching of the logo out?

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Originally Posted by JO3B

spend your money elsewhere.

you want a casual jacket it seems, get a jacket from a clothing brand, not a technical outerwear brand turned street label.

I'm with him!

CURRENT TNF jackets are overpriced fashionwear. I call them the Bose and Monster Cable of technical outerwear. You're paying overinflated prices for substandard quality.

OLD TNF gear was the bee's knees. Back in the 1990s their gear was bombproof and worth the high prices. My buddy and I would buy TNF gear for our multi-week assaults into the highlands of England and Montana. It was great stuff.

Then things went wrong. Horribly wrong.

TNF went bankrupt. After they were purchased out of bankruptcy, the new owners decided to retool as a fashion brand. Quality took a nosedive but prices stayed the same.

But their new marketing tactic worked. Look around you. Soccer moms and pampered college students (who think staying at a three star hotel is "roughing it") are wearing TNF. They aren't the types who beat on their gear in the whipping chills of Mt. Washington, they're wearing it while moseying down Main Street to the next strip mall. The current popularity of TNF gear has no relation to the quality of the product itself because the vast majority of the people who are buying/wearing it are not using it for its intended purpose.

You can call it posing or you can call it branding ... the result is the same. You're paying too much for substandard quality.

If you want real "bang for the buck" mountaineering gear then I'd second the recommendation for Mountain Hardware or Kelty. For people who are less price sensitive, Arcteryx gear is also my recommendation.

 

[Dashaansafin]

Originally Posted by onion

+1

The logo really kills it. Though if you buy black, you can always just get a sharpie and color it in. That's what everyone did in high school with their back packs.

I vote 6, because it's the only one that looks half decent, and while there might be a logo somewhere, I can't see it.

They actually sell jackets with black logos, Im wearing one right now. I dont know which one it is though and I can't seem to find it. I got it for Xmas this year...

 

[billiebob]

I sent my 10 year old North Face Gore TEx jacket back to NF because the seams had come untaped after many, many years. They completely retaped the seams and patched all the holes for free. Awesome.

 

[dcg]

Originally Posted by hamm23

If you aren't in a rush keep checking steepandcheap.com and something nice will come along at a good price
+1 Also, I agree with everyone that recommended Arc'Teryx. They moved production to China not too long ago, not sure if/how that has affected things. BTW, Backcountry.com (who operate steepandcheap.com) makes some great stuff under their own label. I grabbed this on steep and cheap for $140, and it's awesome (In the carbon color).

 

[Kregg]

Whoever voted for #4 should be punched in the throat.

 

[2sweet]

This is it exactly! ha ha. It's an attitude of "I'm a wanna be rugged outdoorsman" pretense among city (college) kids who want to kowtow to that kind of mindset.

I remember a couple years ago, I picked up a down jacket at old navy for $40. Plenty warm, looked nice enough. I saw a jacket nearly identical from north face at some outdoors store. Yes, it was a nylon jacket. Yes, it was down filled. The sticker? $140!!! The north face logo was "worth" an extra $100. The jackets seemed identical, in color, in design, in most details. I wouldn't be surprised if they had rolled down the same assembly line with the north face receiving a logo, the old navy jacket not.

Originally Posted by JO3B

spend your money elsewhere.

you want a casual jacket it seems, get a jacket from a clothing brand, not a technical outerwear brand turned street label.

please?