Is this the iphone of PrepHole gear?
$400 for a rain jacket? It's just for the brand name isn't it? For appearances?
Is this the iphone of?
Is this the iphone of PrepHole gear?
$400 for a rain jacket? It's just for the brand name isn't it? For appearances?
No, you’re just stupid.
Most of these popular brands that people wear as fashion choices also make legitimate, high quality, high end outdoor clothing. Most people don’t need what they offer, and there’s a diminishing return on the more expensive stuff, but it’s not always luxury branding.
I'm stupid for thinking $400 for a jacket is insane? Ok. I don't give a shit if the gear is good if it's still ridiculously overpriced. Twat.
It’s only insane because you don’t need it.
Not OP but what would a $400 jacket do that a lower end one couldnt?
for a rain jacket? i mean you buy a rain jacket based on your preferred shell type. h2no, gtx, etc. from there its fit, pockets, hood, color, look. if youre getting into insulated jackets then yeah theres different types of down and synthetic insulation as well as nylons used in them.
you sound like someone who have vast experience into dick tasting, tbh
And you sound like someone who would unironically hike Everest in some fake wool you found on the street and a wal-mart shopping bag as a rain jacket. Of course, no oxygen and sherpas, that's for pussies.
lol thanks for defending me. idk if it was about wanting a jacket to look a certain way or be a certain color? idk i like simple craggy stuff. i have one of these in a greenish brown. i need to change the synthetic sheet insulation in since i got an older used one and its lost some of its warmth. wool is fine for hanging out outdoors or less strenuous activity tho, especially if you buy it larger and felt it in your dryer. that shit is comfy
>gearcuckery at its finest
And I'm sure you need all that to walk from your car into the grocery store during a light rain.
nothing it's literally just paying for the name on the coat
Actually keep out water, for one
you don't go outside in any meaningful way. your opinion on the value of something is completely invalid. someone who spends time in constant rain and wind will see 400$ as nothing compared to there comfort in a shitty environment
>TLDR you dont go outside and have shit opinions idk
How do you constantly spend time in rain AND afford a 400 jacket? Are you a crab fisherman? Never seen patagonia acertryx or north face on a fisherman
That’s what very food rain jackets cost. You can get an ok jacket for $150, and a rainproof fabric that covers your body like frogtoggs for like $30. Just buy to your budget and shut the frick up about other people- just because your punching up, doesn’t mean your not being a classist moron
lol what a poor homosexual
>Uses wealth to justify shit decisions and awful taste
Cool story boomer
top line outwear basically exists to be sold to resorts & lodges so the ski cops and snow carnies don't freeze to death. 90% of the cost comes from features you will literally never use.
but also if you're ever buying gear anytime but off season clearance then you are legitimately moronic
They don't
It's chinkshit with a label and you're a lying doush
It's to keep superficial morons poor and focused on material nonsense. If you want this brand you can usually get it cheap at a thrift store.
Yeah, you’re right. You can get everything you need for a K2 summit from Army Surplus.
The Italians did it in 1954.
The rest is you making excuses for being weak.
Several people died in previous attempts and now it’s done by dozens of people every year. Why is it so much easier now?
>Made in chyna for $2 in sweat shops
>Some moron that doesn't hike pays $300 for it
Here come the retail shills lads
What do YOU wear when it's raining sideways?
I live next to a massive forest--my problem is mud. It also depends on the time of year.
My go to in the woods is a Pancho, gators and a pair of Marmot rain pants I got on sale.
I have a Grunden that I got for 100 bucks that I use for fishing/sailing or sometimes in the winter for going between the snow line back down to lower elevation.
I also am the kind of guy that replaces zippers and patches stuff rather than replace it. I have a north face wind wall from before north face outsourced to chyna and it is still going strong after getting a new zipper.
I see. I'd probably make similar decisions were I in your shoes. Could you accept that people doing multi-week hiking trips or who do stuff like skiing or mountaineering would be better off with a hardshell jacket? Even the hiking part is debatable, because some are moving towards non-breathable silnylon jackets and lightweight umbrellas for that.
I wouldn't recommend my set up for skiing nor would I ever recommend an umbrella for hiking in my region.
Skiing is mostly a fashion show for rich people. I quit a long time ago and don't miss it...I do snowshoe now though.
You were talking about rain, not snow. My snow jacket is a generic shell I got from a local retailer. After 15 years it also only needed a zipper replacement.
I have also found a bunch of northface and main steam brands at thrift stores for practically nothing in new condition.
>Skiing is mostly a fashion show for rich people
Many of those snobs can't ski for shit anyway, who cares
>Who cares
Unfortunately north face and the other outdoor conglomerates.
I have a friend who used to manage a massive "out door" store in Colorado and he told me they were basically a clothing store and the rest of the stuff was much more for image than profit.
Sounds like REI, I remember a time when they were much more focused on actual gear but now the biggest thing in the store is the women's clothing section and it's mostly urban fitness-oriented stuff. It really sucks because they were the last store standing for serious stuff in my region and now there's gonna be nowhere at all soon.
>the iphone of PrepHole gear?
i believe it's canada goose these days
yes, lots of north face gear is just hypelord or whatever the frick they call them shit. they also make good gear. but a majority of their lineup is fashion first, performance second. also everything they make has a markup over other brands that make equal/better spec items.
Do you guys have examples of jacket models that are comparable in quality but noticeably cheaper? Not just vague brands but actual models.
compared to which jacket? im not gonna run through the entire catalog of north face stuff and cross reference it with every other outdoor gear brand for you.
North Face Chamlang
lets see. its kinda tough since north face uses a lot of proprietary naming hoodoo here and doesnt really talk too much about the specs but for a lightweight 3 layer shell i would check out the following:
outdoor research ascentshells. theres a few different tiers and theyre liquidating old models rn. also the hemisphere is about the same price on sale
Rab might have some stuff but their site is impossible to navigate
mountain equipment makalu jacket. just a hair under what sneed face is charging but equal/better specs.
if it doesnt need to be 3 layer id check out marmots shells. as far as i know, theyre the best bang for buck for technical capability and its simply because a) they have absolutely no clout with fashiongays b) i dont think they give a shit about ethical sourcing or whatever newfangled company line they try to sell nowadays. plastic is plastic as far as im concerned. ive never had a bad purchase from them, always perform at or above expectations.
oh, i also want to add. i dont know what youre doing with this jacket and i dont really care but consider whether you need some high end shell for what youre doing. if you just need waterproofing, most people will be find with a basic 2 layer rain jacket. if youre actually mountaineering, then godspeed. burn that money.
As predicted, just some vague "take a look at this other brand" suggestions.
>consider whether you need some high end shell for what youre doing
And the always reliable "well you don't really need gear that good". You lot always fall back to that once you realize you can't name a single piece of gear that is just as good but cheaper.
>$400 for a hardshell
>a lot
Poorgay. I'm guessing you don't do much skiing or mountaineering or the like. Depending on features and materials, that's how much that type of clothing costs. Be it TNF, Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Rab, Mammut, or any other top-shelf brand.
No, you're moronic. Milsurp, some cheap wool, and a garbage bag (frogg toggs) could easily tackle and take on the likes of K2, you don't need that expensive, plastic bullshit.
>it’s bad because it’s plastic
>use this Frog Togs jacket that’s known to rip during casual day hikes
No thank you, I like to be comfortable. I used all that stuff when I was a teenager and I'm happy I now have the disposable income to buy expensive, plastic bullshit.
>milsurp
>clothing set weighs 5kg and you're still cold and wet because it was only designed to keep you alive (optional)
okay but which one is better and which one will use hype name branding you get more shekels from you?
Depends. TNF currently makes the best lightweight fleece jacket, RAB and Patagonia make the best active insulation, Montbell and RAB make great down jackets, every company makes decent hardshells but which one is right for you depends on the features you want. I like RAB because of the long arms and the way you can adjust the hood to fit with or without helmet. Buying everything from a single brand or buying based on hype and advertising is moronic. Do your own research, buy some shit, try it on, send it back if you don't like it.
this is quality advice. unless i really really like something i get my winter gear late summer/early fall when they start discounting previous year's stuff. that and used but used is a crap shoot like in my last post where my rab jacket im replacing the insulation.
OR- outdoor research has very good gear without the name brand adds. A lot of their gear is tested and designed for military applications and contracts- when it is picked up by military, they will make civilian remakes of that gear. OR is expensive, but it’s expensive from a materials standpoint
>made literally of plastic
Let me know when they are wool lined and have real down in them.
>wool lined
>down filled
>in a 3 layer shell
youre embarrassing yourself
It's the Apple marketing. You can buy same quality for 1/3 of price, but city outists will still buy this for the Instagram gold.
This is the ultimate chav cliche shit in GB. Nobody serious buys it for that reason.
They make everything from expedition-rated mountain gear to shitty pencilcases.
old ones were sturdy
I have had one for ten years, even worked landscaping in it for a few months (not cutting grass, hugging pavers, trees, etc. when lugging them around)
and it's just as good as it was when I bought it
but it's fugly
At least it's usually not made of literal garbage luke patagonia. I want virgin oil polymers not roastie recycled garbage.
Depends on what you are looking for, I only know about skiing gear because that's all the PrepHoleing I am doing.
Most big name brands are very expensive when it comes to 3L jackets, doesn't matter if it's Patagonia, North Face, Arc'teryx, Salomon, Mammut, Black Diamond, Haglöfs, Peak Performance and all the other brands I forgot. A 3L jacket will cost you $500 or more unless you get it on a sale
in-season pricing is basically a markup for tourists. you should never have to spend more than 200 on a jacket unless you work outdoors 9 hours a day
maybe. a good belay jacket can be that much when marked down.
All i know is the 65 year old tutor of a mountaineering class i took swore by north face and he had summited K2
idk what the people who run it are like now but doug tompkins was a genuinely good dude and a based PrepHoleist
ITT: sour grapes.
I have $40k in the bank, I still wouldn't spend $400 on a fricking rain coat or any type of coat or jacket for that matter. You can get a used car for $400.
I'd rather have a $400 jacket than a $400 car.
A good Goretex jacket will easily last 10+ years.
I still have a nf goretex shell from the 90s. looks and performs as good as the day I got it. modern nf gear is chinesium trash.
old gear is on another level. my dad still basically uses all the same kit he's had since the 70's & 80's. shit is a lot heavier than anything you'd buy today but goddamn it holds up
that's probably an apt comparison. Most consumers who aren't bargain-searching want to know that they have a quality product without putting much thought into it. North Face and Apple have both spent a lot of time and money building brands and relatively high quality products that you can generally trust not to be total shit. Neither is the best quality or value for people who want to get into the nitty gritty, but there's a pretty reliable floor on product quality for both Apple and North Face. There's also a conspicuous consumption aspect that comes with for a lot of people. If you want to get assblasted at casuals because not everyone has the same tastes and motivations, then that's up to you.
inb4 anons call you a shill or something, this is actually a good take.
Apple acktchually used to advertise their products like that, maybe 20 years ago. “It just works” was a marketing slogan. The “I’m a Mac/I’m a PC” commercials always had something in them about easy use of peripherals; just plug in your digital camera or printer and it works (or something to that effect).
My mom gave me a p-coat from some non-name brand when I turned 18 and I've just been wearing/repairing that for ten years.
IMO it looks better than most of the expensive crap brands like that sell.
I just bought 3 North Face 90% merino wool base layer shirts from Costco last month. $20 each. Same thickness and quality as an $80 Smartwool one I bought a couple years ago.
so not 100%
No, it's 10% nylon which gives it stretchyness and makes it less prone to ripping.
>tfw when I just bought a $600 arcteryx jacket (beta ar)
how much dick do I suck guys?
I've never once owned a real ski jacket (3L gore, etc) I've always worn a $15 wool coat. I just moved to a location where I'll be skiing/hiking for the next three years so I'm trying to justify this. First time I've ever had expendable income. I got the most flexible, all around model too.
But I still feel kind of gross about it.
>HE FELL FOR THE GORE MARKETING REBRAND
>a real ski jacket
Any jacket is a real ski jacket if you wear it while skiing. When you were a kid without expendable income and your mom bought you some off-brand warm jacket to have for skiing those coupof weeks a year, did you give it any thought?
are your requirements/standards as an adult still the same as when you were a kid?
No, they're obviously far lower. In fact, I'm quite certain I'm not having as much fun only because I've grown to be a b***h that worries for all the wrong reasons.
You'll be fine, anon. You had no such issues when you were a kid with probably half the self-awareness you have now. It'll inevitably suck the first time until you adjust.
>warm
that’s the easy part. i like to be able to walk up the mountain and not end up drenched in sweat
Honestly I just wear a pilbara jacket (waxed cotton) and I wear a wool liner under that if it's cold. Frick all that plastic puffy shit, leave it for Dan Andrews are ponces like him.
It used to be good now its just fashion shit made cheaper and less sturdy.
I've never worn NF, but I always thought their gear looked nice when I saw it worn by others -- it radiated an appearance of well-made, and high quality, and were just generally good-looking clothes. I'm talking about seeing it in a suburban context, btw.
But lately, in the past year or so, I've noticed that NF branded clothes look cheap -- it no longer has the appearance of deluxe brand, but like something from Walmart or Costco.
Was the brand sold? Is it under new corner-cutting management?
Pretty sure you can buy North Face at Costco.
false
This has been going on for a while now and it's a common thing in the clothing industry in general. Any big famous company, whether it's a designer or outdoor brand, will have multiple lines of clothing that all use the same brand name and logo but are on totally different levels. TNF has two main ones now, there's the real outdoor gear that's still good and that's only really sold at outdoor shops like REI, but then there's a whole other line of fashion stuff that looks "outdoorsy" but is basically just normal street clothing and is generally much cheaper, and that's what you'll find at regular clothing stores and what you usually see people wearing.
I haven't seen TNF there but I've seen a bunch of other famous brands like Columbia, Marmot, Orvis, and Eddie Bauer on stuff there. None of it is actually made or even designed by those companies though, it's all generic stuff made by a 3rd party company that just licenses the name, and I've seen identical stuff with different names in different years - I actually own a bunch of shirts from Costco that are all clearly made in the same factory to the same pattern but some say Eddie Bauer, some Orvis, and some Weatherproof Vintage.
What is common is a new brand makes a name for making quality gear, they get popular and profitable, they then sell the business and manufacturing immediately gets outsourced to China and even after the quality goes to shit the pricing never changes.
Looking at you northface...
And Osprey.
Pro tip for getting decent gear for relatively cheap: find brands that are a little less popular than the really expensive shit like Columbia, REI, Eddie Bauer etc. They tend to cost less than half of the really expensive brands (North face, arcteryx) while being about 80% as good. Then, look up those cheaper brands on ebay for last year's models or stuff that's new without tags for another 50% discount. Now any poorgay can go out while being well equipped.
Actual pro-tip for getting actual good outdoor gear: buy used or off-season discounts. If you're paying MSRP for Arc'teryx, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, OR, etc. you're a dolt, all of them can be found for cheap.
I just picked up an Arc'teryx proton lt hoody for $120, shipped EMS express, from Japan that was not even used, brand new with tags still attached. Jap put on his mecari listing that he's too big for it. Japanese are getting fat now? Sad times, bros.
Just make a friend that works at one of their retail stores. They do not track what their staff buys on discount AT ALL. Get whatever I want for 60% off
idk about post 2020.
but i have my fleece shell since like before college.
0 damage
0 issues
still good heat management
0 complains.
can’t find the jacket online but it has to option to hook into a water shell although lately i just sling on my wind proof i got from trespass because I’m a twat who forgot his water shell at home whilst in Pentland hills (awesome place btw)
For the longest time I thought North Face was a church not a brand so I thought anyone who wore one of their jackets was a regular churchgoer
for a lot of preppy Christian schools it's just about the dress code lol
Bruh.
as other anons have said, they have fashion items but also good clothes
i have had many coats and parkas but my north face parka is still my favorite and i have put it through the ringer
my backpack is the north face, I got it for 130 dollars and really like it.
arcteryx is way worse
the only backpack I have ever bought is a north face. i thought columbia was discount/second tier outdoor brand now. i would put north face in the same tier. low a, high b, probably a little overpriced if you are not careful.
I have a The North Face raincoat that my dad gave me since i was 18, never needed another raincoat ever since
But it's true, like most up tier brands, it's about showing off and keep appearances of status regardless of their true utility.
Their casual wear is pretty cheap but nice. I got my favorite pair of shorts from them for like $20