The North Face Outerwear
Skiing Equipment
A symbol for outstanding outerwear is The North Face logo. They have a huge fan base and people who enjoy being active outdoors enjoy the passion put into the many products that The North Face produces.
The North Face is a manufacturer specializing in outerwear and outdoors equipment like fleeces, backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, ski wear and other outdoor clothing and accessories. They target their equipment to climbers, hikers, mountaineers, skiers, snowboarders and endurance athletes.
Some History About The North Face
The North Face started in San Francisco, which is hardly the place you’d think about origins for outdoor gear and clothing but in 1968, Douglas Tompkins and Dick “Hap” Klopp opened a small, retail store that eventually adopted the name of The North Face. They got together and decided to passionately make the best outdoor clothing and gear.
After 40 years of going strong, The North Face today is a wholly owned subsidiary of the VF Corporation, based in San Leandro, CA. Their sister company is JanSport which is the world’s largest maker of backpacks. The manufacturers of almost half of the backpacks sold in the US are The North Face and JanSport. So it seems like they know what they’re doing when it comes to outdoor gear.
Why is it Called “The North Face?”
From what I found, there are two theories about the name. One is that in the northern hemisphere, the north face of a mountain is the most difficult to climb This makes sense because it says they’ve made their products good enough to withstand the most extreme conditions. The other story is that the logo has a quarter circle with 2 lines in it representing “Half Dome” when viewed from the west, which is a famous rock formation in Yosemite National Park. Either way, it sounds like a tough brand to me.
Why are They so Popular?
When you make something good, people notice. They first hit it big with the outdoor adventure crowd. People who camp, hike and ski found that if they wanted to not have to worry about their gear and concentrate on the adventure instead, they went with The North Face. Good news spread that the toughest gear available was something you had to have.
Honestly, I used to think that people that bought The North Face were just trying to show off that they spent a lot of money. They wanted the brand recognition. Then, after going through several bad pairs of ski pants and a mid layer jacket that wasn’t doing it’s job, I tried The North Face. My expectations were truly met and exceeded. I was also now a fan. Wow.
The jacket I got was just made right. The sleeves were extra long and had thumb holes. At first I wondered what that was all about and then I put it on under my normal ski jacket (outer layer). Ah-ha! Thumbs through the holes with gloves on and all of a sudden, there’s no wind shooting down my sleeve when I ski – awesome! The jacket had a great zipper and was comfortable to wear. It has excellent stitching and is easy to wash and it seems to take whatever I throw at it. I’ll never buy another brand. It was totally worth the money.
The North Face ski pants I got were my second purchase from them. Not only did they look cool, they kept me dry – inside and out and I was able to move around in them, virtually unrestricted. The side vents are great when I go inside. They cool me off. Snow just seemed to bounce right off of them, too. There’s enough padding that you don’t get cold sitting on the frozen lift chair, too.
What Do They Offer?
Lots! Here’s a list of their most popular products:
- The North Face Nuptse Jacket
- The North Face Nuptse Vest Womens
- The North Face Men’s Momentum Jacket
- Women’s North Face Momentum Jacket
- The North Face Nuptse Vest
- North Face Vegas Vest
- North Face Windwall Vest
- The North Face Aconcagua Vest
- North Face Nuptse Down Jacket
- Womens Antoinette Night Sky Blue
Other types of products offered include:
- Jackets
- Vests
- Shirts
- Sweaters
- Pants
- Shorts
- Base Layers
- Footwear
- Daypacks
- Technical Packs
- Luggage Duffels
- Sleeping Bags
- Tents
- Socks
- Sunglasses
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Convertible Pants
All you have to do really is look around at what brands people are wearing at your local ski resort. Look at what brands the instructors are also wearing and ask them what they feel some of the best brands of ski gear are. They will most likely include The North Face.
Conclusion
I think a simple rule to think about with The North Face is that you get what you pay for. If you pay $80 for ski pants, then you get an $80 pair of ski pants. They might last the season and might let only a bit of wind in and show signs of wear but you’ll be back in line buying another pair soon when you could have enjoyed one great pair of ski pants that were more comfortable, kept you warmer and looked better for much longer. I guess that’s the long and short of it.
I think you probably save money buying more expensive ski gear even though that sounds like a salesman’s pitch. For example, with pretty much all the clothes I buy (except undershirts), I pay extra for good clothes. I could go to Wal-Mart or Target and get a shirt that looks nice there and then get it home, wear it once, wash it but then never wear it again because it needs to be ironed well to look good. I’d rather walk into Jos. A. Bank, get a great shirt that fits well, never needs ironing and it’ll be one I wear all the time. The cost per use goes down dramatically with the more expensive shirt and I like it more. That’s how I see it and it’s the same with good ski gear. Ski equipment goes through so much more abuse than a button down shirt, so it just makes sense.
With skiing, it’s not all about the gear but the gear is pretty darn important. If you’re not comfortable or can’t get in balance, you’re going to be miserable out there. Trust me on that one.
Popularity: 9% [?]
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