New From The North Face

We thought you'd like a quick scoop preview of the North Face's range of new products for Spring-Summer 2004, the kit that'll be appearing in the shops in January/February next year, so we popped up to TNF HQ in sunny Kendal for tea and chat.

There's some interesting new stuff in the wings, including a whole new category of kit which TNF has called the 'Flight Series' which, they say, has been developed for 'multisport athletes' who are going to be moving fast and light.

The Flight stuff gets its own logo and covers everything from lightweight waterproof jackets, through base-layers and tights, across lightweight footwear and finishing with tents and sleeping bags. It includes....

Last year when everyone else was churning out mountains of Paclite jackets, TNF had something called the Atmosphere using a Japanese-made Gore-Tex fabric called LightFast. It was breathable all right, but nothing like as light as Paclite - more of a 'sensible' weight jacket at around 525 grammes.

For 2004 though, TNF has a new 412-gramme Paclite jacket called the Prophecy PacLite. Priced at around £150, which is par for the Paclite course, it comes complete with a roll-down adjustable hood, brushed chinguard lining, pit-zips, two big pockets and a sleeve pocket. Interestingly, although the jacket's respectably light, the fabric still feels pretty sturdy in contrast to some of the ultra-lightweight Paclite tops out there.

The pit-zips use MHW Simplex-style closures where the zip is backed up with internal flaps to minimise bulk and make them easier to use. Looks very smart too. There's also a simple Prophecy Paclite Pant at £120. The jacket is also available in a women's specific version.

Weighing in at a claimed 431 grammes, the Coriolis Jacket is a hooded windproof jacket designed for general use. The fabric, something called Sundowner, is windproof and water-resistant and the garment's pretty well featured for a wind shell. For example you get a roll-away, adjustable hood which stows in the collar, cape vents, two hand pockets, Velcro adjustable cuffs and a hem cinchcord and for easy carriage, the whole jacket stuffs into the lefthand pocket.

The price will be £50 and it looks more suitable for general use than many of the more minimalist windproofs out there targeted at runners and mountain bikers.

Apex is TNF's own softshell fabric. It's a stretch fabric that's denser and more wind resistant than, say, Schoeller, but still retains decent breathability. We have some of the 2003 versions on test right now and will report back soon, but coming your way in January is the new Apex Zip Shirt.

It's an Apex shirt with a soft-brushed backing fabric complete with a half-length zip, chest pocket and elastic bound cuffs. We actually have one already and it's a very neat piece of kit that you can wear as a light mid-layer, a light outer shell or, if you want, next to the skin.

Price is £60 and our only complaint is that the hem - cut wide to fit over-sized American butts - is a loose fit and really needs a drawcord to stop icy 'up the back' gusts of wind from ruining your day. This one's in black but it also comes in blue and grey. Also available in a women's version.

Our main problem with Gore's Windstopper Softshell in the UK is simply that in our damp climate, some users simply find that it's not breathable enough. One solution is to go somewhere colder and drier, another is simply not to use it and a third is to combine Windstopper with other, more breathable materials to up overall performance.

It's the third option that TNF has gone for with the Windstopper Hybrid Jacket. As you might possibly guess, it's a hybrid, in this case the illegitimate child of Windstopper which forms the front and back of the jacket and the fronts of the sleeves and Apex, TNF's stretch wind-resistant soft shell which does duty on the shoulders, sides of the trunk and backs of the arms.

The stretch panels should improve fit and up mobility, the rest of the jacket's a simple design with fleece-lined collar, two pockets, Velcro cuffs and a shock-corded hem. There's also a women's version in nicer colours - as always - and price is a not inconsiderable £120.

A couple of interesting developments here. One is that the El Cap long-sleeved and short-sleeved base-layer tops which currently uses a rather heavy grade of PowerDry which makes it too warm in summer and compromises wicking performance, gets a new silkweight version of the fabric for quicker drying and better performance. Definitely a step in the right direction.

Also new, pictured in fact, is the Vortex Tee also in silkweight PowerDry, but those dark panels under the arms are actually made from a mesh to provide extra ventilation and access to your armpits, mmmm.... Price is £32 and you'd better get some effective anti-perspirant if you want to keep your walking, climbing and other partners we reckon.

New for the spring is a range of three Quantum sleeping bags. These all use Pertex Quantum fabrics which are downproof, soft, and significantly are 50 per-cent lighter and 50-per-cent less bulky compared to normal Pertex.

The two down bags in the range, the Hightail 900 and Beeline 900 both use 900-fill power down from eastern Europe to give maximum warmth with minimum bulk. The bag is stitched using what TNF call a 'ripple' construction - see pic - to stop down shifting within the bag and even the logo is a heat transfer 'to save embroidery thread weight'. Ahem...

The Hightail is rated down to -10C, weighs just 800 grammes and costs £270 while the Beeline weighs just 545 grammes, is rated down to -1 C and will cost £200.

Even more interesting is the Propel. It's a synthetic bag using the latest PolarguardDelta insulation - one of the best on the market - which is a refined hollow-fibred fill. To save more weight, construction is welded - or glued as we used to call it - rather than stitched. The end result is a bag rated down to 4 C, which weighs in at just 481 grammes and costs £150. There's a hood but no side zip.