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Replacement For North Face Mountain Jacket ( 1998)

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 Pyreneenemec 28 Nov 2014
My 16 year old North Face Mountain Jacket ( yellow and black) is starting to look a little grubby even after a good wash ! Time to look for a replacement ?

The problem is I haven't found anything that comes anywhere near in quality terms. The thought of spending silly money on a jacket that will only give 5 years service drives me mad !

Any suggestions ?

 marsbar 29 Nov 2014
In reply to Pyreneenemec:

Have a look on ebay for one that isn't as worn out?

I remember my brother being quite upset when beloved jacket finally got to that stage.
 PPP 29 Nov 2014
In reply to Pyreneenemec:

Mountain Equipment jackets seem to be bombproof. I've got Morpheus which is quite nice!
In reply to Pyreneenemec:
You will never replace that era of jacket, i had a pair of expedition gore-tex and matching fleece salopettes, fantastic.

I do think todays jackets are lighter, better cut, simpler and less bold, embrace modern thinking!!

Stuart
OP Pyreneenemec 30 Nov 2014
In reply to Stuart the postie:



> I do think todays jackets are lighter, better cut, simpler and less bold, embrace modern thinking!!

Modern thinking then means accepting shit made in China that will undoubtedly need replacing in a relatively short period of time ?

I know, I know, coming up with an alternative will be difficult, if not impossible !





 JayPee630 30 Nov 2014
In reply to Pyreneenemec:

I think you're wrong with equating made in China with bad quality BTW. Think it's more due to the modern tendency for gear to be lighter and designed for a more specific purpose.
 Skol 30 Nov 2014
In reply to Stuart the postie:

> You will never replace that era of jacket, i had a pair of expedition gore-tex and matching fleece salopettes, fantastic.

> I do think todays jackets are lighter, better cut, simpler and less bold, embrace modern thinking!!
I disagree except to the lightness. I bought a rab event a few years back. Yes it's light, waterproof it's not. The cut is so short that my fleece hangs lower than the jacket at the front. Ok for a summer jacket, but not up to bad weather . Conversely, my 15 yr old Changabang is spot on. It's quite short compared to older hillwalking jackets, but is long enough to sit on.
If modern thinking is to get cold and wet, then I'll stick with the old thinking.

>

OP Pyreneenemec 30 Nov 2014
In reply to JayPee630:

> I think you're wrong with equating made in China with bad quality BTW. Think it's more due to the modern tendency for gear to be lighter and designed for a more specific purpose.

The modern tendency is just to convince people that they need to spend silly money on a multitude of garments when one good quality one would probably suffice for a wide range of activities. Close inspection of expensive garments / sleeping bags that I've bought "made in China" show defects and shoddy workmanship that were absent in similar articles previously manufactured in UK/ Europe. The same factories in China are turning out Reggatta and Patagonia products with identical loving care, the components may vary but nothing would ever convince me that the prices Patagonia ask for are justified or good value.

 TobyA 30 Nov 2014
In reply to Pyreneenemec:

Patagonia is actually interesting in that they have stuff made in all sorts of interesting places round the world. I have Patagonia stuff made in Portugal and Ecuador IIRC. I also think you're wrong though about Chinese meaning poor quality. There is poor quality stuff made in China and great quality stuff. I interviewed the guys who started Jöttnar last year and they said they simply couldn't find any factories in the UK that could make clothing to quality they wanted, so they had to go to China. Various Chinese factories are the only ones licensed to make clothing with certain fabrics too, so if you want to use, say, NeoShell you need to use those factories that have the relevant technology and trained staff.

Where was your old jacket made anyway? Were TNF making stuff in the US still back then? Is it still waterproof? You're doing well for Goretex to last that long.
Dorq 30 Nov 2014
In reply to Pyreneenemec:

I agree that where equipment is made does not determine the quality (control) anymore. In fact, my 'made in England' stuff, from Rab to Mountain Equipment to Terra Nova, has been worse and when they outsourced to China completely, the build quality actually went up.

But if Crux can sell a 'made in Canada' eVent jacket - Westcomb also - for a similar price as the uber brands, then that must tell you something. (Gentrification!) If PHD made goretex jackets, they probably wouldn't be any more than the best of the bestest. So other things equal, "which economy do you want to support", is a better question than which quality manufacturer is foreign-based.

Short waterproofs are probably best for ice climbers and commuters? The female extent of shortness actually looks silly on some stuff. Perhaps the fashion of it drives the sale of WP trousers and sit mats?
OP Pyreneenemec 01 Dec 2014
In reply to TobyA:


> Where was your old jacket made anyway? Were TNF making stuff in the US still back then? Is it still waterproof? You're doing well for Goretex to last that long.

The label is no longer readable, but I believe it was made in Scotland. Jacket has been washed many times using NIKWAX products and still watermproof.

OP Pyreneenemec 01 Dec 2014
In reply to Dorq:

> I agree that where equipment is made does not determine the quality (control) anymore. In fact, my 'made in England' stuff, from Rab to Mountain Equipment to Terra Nova, has been worse and when they outsourced to China completely, the build quality actually went up.

This isn't my experience, but I do not buy often, I expect expensive kit to last ! A good example :- Zamberlan walking shoes bought in 1986 ( quality leather upper/ SkyWalk soles) still going strong and looking good ! Saloman walking shoes, bought five years ago and hardly worn, leather disintergrated, impossible to repair.
 TobyA 01 Dec 2014
In reply to Pyreneenemec:

They definitely did something at Port Glasgow when I lived in Glasgow in the 90s but it would be interesting to know if they manufactured there. Found this pic https://geolocation.ws/v/W/File:The%20North%20Face%20-%20geograph.org.uk%20... when googling for answers. Why not just buy a new, simple, TNF Goretex jacket? Get one made of Proshell and you'll find it less sweaty than your old one.

I do wonder how much its the Nikwax holding out the water. I have a Phoenix Goretex jacket maybe 8 years older than yours and when I last used it about 6 years ago it was as waterproof as a teabag, and had mainly just been hanging in a cupboard for the decade up to that point. PTFE seems to break down with age.

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