The North Face

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I’ve heard so many great things about North Face that I’ve finally decided to buy myself a good fleece jacket from them. I need some help deciding which one to buy though. The Denali jacket seems really nice and all the reviews I’ve read contain nothing but praise for the jacket BUT - I’m not sure if the Denali can hold out against the strong winds of the Windy City that is Chicago. Any suggestions?</p>

2

<p>I’m no expert, but the Denali model is one of the most popular outerwear choices at my children’s university (Vanderbilt) which is not known for extremes like those found in Chicago. Others will probably offer better advice, but I’m thinking it would be a good choice for fall and early spring, but not the hard core months of winter.</p>

3

<p>Denali is big at UNC-CH…again, not nearly cold there as Chicago either.</p>

4

<p>I have a Black Denali…I live in Northern Ga.</p>

5

<p>A fleece jacket will only get you through early to mid-December in most years. What you want is a fleece-lined parka; you can wear the fleece alone (or the waterproof shell alone) in the fall and spring, then double up for the coldest months. Make sure it covers your rear. If you are moving to Chicago from a warm climate, you will feel the cold more than a native will, so don’t skimp on a jacket.</p>

<p>My kids wear Columbia parkas like the Bugaboo (currently on sale for $160 on rei.com) They are often on sale at this time of year, then go back on sale around December to clear out stock.</p>

6

<p>

True, assuming you are sensible in your choice of winter outerwear. “Sensible” being defined as the way we parents would do it ;).</p>

<p>You will find molto threads here on cc describing the way Northeastern teens do or don’t dress for the winter weather. My son when in hs in Maine and college for one term here wore lightweight fleece ONLY. Has one of the lightest weight NorthFace one’s. Simply will not wear a true winter jacket. His friends all the same.</p>

<p>Go figure.</p>

7

<p>Look for the fleece that says is made with “windstopper” materials. It’s called North Face Pamir. It also makes the fleece somewhat water repellant.
My S has had a Mountain Hardware jacket for two years made out of that stuff and he loves it. Says it is really warm yet lightweight.</p>

8

<p><a href=“http://www.rei.com%5B/url%5D”>www.rei.com</a>. You don’t to go to TNF (The North Face) as a brand, though. If you want a good 9-month fleece jacket (I wouldn’t think a single layer would hold up in a Chicago January), look for a wind-blocking fleece. If you want to layer, look for Polartec 300. Real Polartec is generally fluffier and warmer than generic polyester fleece fabrics, and the higher the number, the warmer the garment. My sons both layer a Polartec jacket under something else in winter – either a parka-length Goretex shell with a hood, or just a short Goretex jacket. WashDadJr lives in his Marmot PreCip shell and REI fleece jacket in the winter.</p>

<p>For what it’s worth, and that’s not worth much, TNF is becoming more of a fashion brand than real outdoor gear here in the outdoor community of the Great Northwet. Out of the city you see a lot more Marmot, Arc’Teryx, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, and REI’s house brand than TNF.</p>

9

<p>^^^Yep, that’s the resason my S wanted the Mountain Hardware jacket and also owns an REI pullover fleece. He didn’t want to be just one of the crowd in the North Face. I will say that the Mountain Hardwear jacket has held up great under a lot of abuse. Have never owned North Face so can’t attest to durabiltiy.</p>

10

<p>North Face Denali jackets are expensive but can sometimes be found for less at their outlet stores or discount outdoor supply shops. Regarding durability: My son received one as a gift from a grandparent for Christmas in 8th grade. He is now a college junior in Vermont and is still wearing the jacket. During high school, he wore it virtually every day in the colder months, sometimes with a shell on top. In all of those years, the only thing that needed fixing was that some stitching on the cuff binding became loosened. Since then, we’ve added two more Denali jackets to the household. They are a great value when you consider how long they last.</p>

<p>In the northeast, Patagonia is considered more of a brand for the 'rents, while both 'rents and kids of all ages wear TNF.</p>

11

<p>According to a salesperson at REI, NorthFace has returned to it’s roots and appears to be making quality outerwear again. They have a new owner or CEO or something - I bought my husband a lightweight fleece zip up shirt for his birthday from North Face and was surprised at the quality. I had been in search of Mountain Hardware or Marmot but settled on the North Face.</p>

12

<p>I was reading reviews of jackets:
Found one for a Mountain Hardware Exposure II that was an excellent review- checked the location of owner and he is in Bulgaria! Seems like that one will work in Northern California, and any snow trips…</p>

<p>Looking for one that is warm enough for the snow, but not too heavy to wear to class on a cold day. Any suggestions? Yes, I know about layering, but it seems that son doesn’t wear more than one jacket at a time.</p>

13

<p>The Denali is nice, but it is NOT a Chicago winter jacket! It might go UNDER a ski parka, but my son can’t get by in his Denali much past October in Philadelphia. Back in the day, when the glaciers were melting, when I was at UChicago, I walked around like Nanook of the North and still froze…</p>

14

<p>D bought a NorthFace coat in Boston. I can’t recall the name, but it was NOT fleece. It had an outer shell and removable inner lining. D LOVED the fact that it was basically 2 jackets in one; she wore just the outer when it was wet, but not too cold. Just the inner, when it was cold, but not wet and the whole enchilade when it was wet and really cold. It kept the wind out too. She was also warned NOT to buy fleece gloves because they would not keep the wind out. And…she is a southern Cal girl…</p>

15

<p>D has a Denali, and at least last year, was all she wore up until Christmas break at Syracuse. We also live in the Chicago area, and as long as she’s not going to be outside for a long time (walking downtown through the wind tunnels), it’s pretty much all she wears. Couldn’t tell you about Syracuse last spring semester because she was studying abroad. But it was here, so I used it and loved it. It worked great except for the windiest, snowiest days.</p>

16

<p>Ok, thanks for all the replies. I think I’ve underestimated the extremeties of Chicago’s climate. Fleece jacket is certainly not going to be sufficient and I really don’t want to have to buy a fleece jacket and another outer shell as well so I think that a jacket that’s lined with a removable fleece would be a good idea. Anything of that sort from North Face? blucroo - could you please tell me what jacket you’re talking about?</p>

<p>Also, I checked out some other North Face jackets which I found on sale at Backcountry.com - they seem to have quite a few North Face jackets on sale. These two looked particularly appealing and reasonalbe:</p>

<ol>
<li><p><a href=“http://www.backcountry.com/store/TNF1783/c11/s20/The-North-Face-Verdi-Down-Jacket-Mens.html[/url]”>http://www.backcountry.com/store/TNF1783/c11/s20/The-North-Face-Verdi-Down-Jacket-Mens.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
<li><p><a href=“http://www.backcountry.com/store/TNF1845/c11/s20/The-North-Face-Sherwood-Jacket-Mens.html[/url]”>http://www.backcountry.com/store/TNF1845/c11/s20/The-North-Face-Sherwood-Jacket-Mens.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
</ol>

<p>Do let me know what you think - any other suggestions also welcome.</p>

17

<p>I’d go with the first one, as long as you like the color. Down is very warm and light, and a 600-fill down is outstanding. You won’t need this in October or most of November, but you’ll be glad you have it in January.</p>

<p>The second selection seems to be missing something - what is it lined with? Also, a fur-trimmed hood is the kind of thing that goes in and out of style, and it obscures your view when fully zipped. Since you would keep a coat like this for 10 years or so, it’s better to go with something timeless.</p>

18

<p>If you’re not set on The North Face, LLBean makes a 3-in-1 parka that’s less expensive and more versatile.
<a href=“http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=storm-chaser-3-in-1-parka&categoryId=51596&parentCategory=502907&cat4=6347&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&feat=6347-sub2[/url]”>http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=storm-chaser-3-in-1-parka&categoryId=51596&parentCategory=502907&cat4=6347&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&feat=6347-sub2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

19

<p>Midwesterner,
I’m actually leaning more towards the second one (mostly because the first one is in an awful color). Here are the details from North Face’s website:
<a href=“404”>404;
It also has a 600 fill down insulation so it seems good. The hood is removable and I’m not the kind of person who wears a hood anyway.</p>

<p>Marite,
Yes, that looks good too. But I don’t know how good the insulation will be compared to the North Face (which costs the same or even less if you consider the sale price I’m talking about).</p>

<p>Grrrr… this is so hard…</p>

20

<p>Also, won’t I look kind of odd walking around town/campus with a monstrous ski jacket (or is that pretty normal) ?</p>