Supreme/TNF for the ultimate in gnarr mountain urban twattery

Urban survival

for the ultimate in gnarr mountain urban twattery

Because you don’t understand something it doesn’t mean those that do are ****.

Supreme/TNF for the ultimate in gnarr mountain urban twattery

I don’t think I’ll wear my TNF softshell top ever again.

Who is the bigger fashion victim – someone who buys an item because of the label, regardless of intended usage, or someone who declines to buy a item because of the label, regardless of it being suitable for the intended usage

Gary_M – Member
for the ultimate in gnarr mountain urban twattery
Because you don’t understand something it doesn’t mean those that do are ****.

Would you go to Waitrose dressed like that?

I go to Waitrose in my Rab jacket. Because sometimes it’s raining and I only have one waterproof off the bike, and it’s for both walking and everyday.

Interesting – I’d always thought Jöttnar was Norwegian or Scandinavian at least (although I knew about the UK connection with the ex-Marine chappies).

They got the ideas for their clothing designs while on training exercises in Norway, so chose an appropriate name for their business.

Best piece of advice I’ve received was from a guy who worked in Mountain Rescue. He said they wouldn’t send folk out to save others in shit kit. He recommended the high level Keela stuff, and between that and Paramo I’ve never looked back.

My Keela Soft-Shell is the best jacket I’ve ever owned – 9 years old now…

I really like Keela stuff. I have the Munro and Saxon jackets as well as Scuffer trousers and a windshirt I can’t remember the name of. Well made gear for reasonable prices (always available cheaper elsewhere than their own website).

I see a lot of people out shopping or in the pub wearing arcteryx. Quite often the clothes are filthy from constant and heavy use. I’m just posting this so that I can tell people that I live in the Yukon. Yesterday my Big Coat wasn’t big enough for a trip to the shop. I literally felt like is was wandering about in the nuddie! It is even colder today.

Edit- TNF is popular, too.

I see a lot of people out shopping or in the pub wearing arcteryx. Quite often the clothes are filthy from constant and heavy use

No denying it’s good gear, it’s just sodding expensive over here, like a lot of American stuff is, the UK price being a direct pound/dollar comparison, rather than a conversion, $350 translates to £350, rather than £259, which is what the current exchange rate gives.
If Arc’teryx gear was cheaper, on a par with Rab, say, I’m sure more people would wear it.

Yes, £/$ conversion is always suspect. Without being a bore, the UK price does include the VAT while the US or Canadian price won’t.

I was just looking for the uk price of the Atom AR jacket (I was looking at one yesterday), but couldn’t find one to compare.

Without being a bore, the UK price does include the VAT while the US or Canadian price won’t.

Yeah but sales tax is what, 3% ish, whereas here VAT is 20%.

5% in YT (IT is a whopping 12% in BC), but that is the point I was trying to making regarding the price. Coming from a town where outdoor clothing was primarily worn socially it always makes me happy to see people in gear that has been through the ringer.

On the whole, Canada isn’t a cheap place to live and it is almost impossible to get Canadian Cheddar! Amusingly, if I wanted a Bird frame, and I do, it would cost me as much as buying a Transition or a Santa Cruz.

I’m off for a ride!

Weren’t people saying the same thing about North Face stuff in the 1990s?

I seem to remember swerving their stuff because they were getting a bit like Timberland.

Still wear my 1990s karrimor fleece and mountain equipment goretex jacket regularly. The colours have kind of come back in now.

DrJ – Member
Who is the bigger fashion victim – someone who buys an item because of the label, regardless of intended usage, or someone who declines to buy a item because of the label, regardless of it being suitable for the intended usage

I think it’s more of a trust issue.

A switch in focus to fashion raises doubts as to whether what you are looking at is truly suitable for outdoor use.

Honest labelling would sort it though. Call the fashionista stuff something like Urban Adventurer or somesuch.

You’ll not appreciate discovering you’ve bought the wrong item on a mountain top in sleet and wind….

If Arc’teryx gear was cheaper, on a par with Rab, say, I’m sure more people would wear it.

It’s always heavily discounted somewhere though. I’ve got a fair bit and never paid more than 50% RRP.

And on the subject of outdoors gear generally, I’d say it’s never been better for consumers in terms of availability of decent technical garments at affordable prices.

Well OK, maybe just before the Brexit vote…

I have a feeling the real issue is the original TNF consumer demographic not wanting to share their aspirational brand with people that they don’t aspire to be.

Jottnar are based in Cardiff, good kit, cheaper than much of the better known gear.

Their top-end waterproof jacket retails for £495. Am I missing something?

A switch in focus to fashion raises doubts as to whether what you are looking at is truly suitable for outdoor use.

Can’t you tell by the specs and looking at the gear?

Most manufacturers make everyday stuff and hardcore stuff. Quite rightly so.

Weren’t people saying the same thing about North Face stuff in the 1990s?

I bought their Expedition system Jacket and sallopettes in the 90s and got a good 10+ years hard work out of it doing all my ML / MIC courses / training. Awesome kit. Spent weeks in the Cairngorms using it day in day out in winter. Very 90s colours mind….

Me on the left….

[url=https://flic.kr/p/dT1TJD]Myself and Ian MacNab on Aonach Mor[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

I’d be far happier to buy outdoors gear that ain’t covered in logo.

molgrips – Member
‘A switch in focus to fashion raises doubts as to whether what you are looking at is truly suitable for outdoor use.’
Can’t you tell by the specs and looking at the gear?

I could make an informed guess by doing that and still get it wrong. It’s the hidden details where the shortcuts are usually made. Hence it’s an issue of trust.

It’s bit like the way some manufacturers used to do a specced down model for the big box stores, eg lower spec BB, cables etc. Not obvious to the unwary. Look how quickly some decent bike brands became regarded as little better than BSOs.

I could make an informed guess by doing that and still get it wrong. It’s the hidden details where the shortcuts are usually made. Hence it’s an issue of trust.

Not sure why creating a leisure clothing range implies that corners are being cut in the serious range?

I have a feeling the real issue is the original TNF consumer demographic not wanting to share their aspirational brand with people that they don’t aspire to be.

There’s a lot of truth in that!

Their top-end waterproof jacket retails for £495. Am I missing something?

I’ll bet an equivalent Arc’teryx would be a couple of hundred quid more.

I’d be far happier to buy outdoors gear that ain’t covered in logo.

You’re in luck as most just have one small logo.

I’d be far happier to buy outdoors gear that ain’t covered in logo.

Like TNF then:

Most of their proper outdoor gear seems to have the same small chest logo. Got any examples?

This thread came to mind yesterday when I was skiing at Lake Louise. The temperature varied with -23C at the base and -32C at the top. With windchill that was below -40C. Every employee (liftie, instructor, ski patrol) wearing TNF kit. Now I’m sure there is a commercial agreement in there somewhere but I’m also sure that at that temperature it’s not just fashion wear.

Now I’m sure there is a commercial agreement in there somewhere but I’m also sure that at that temperature it’s not just fashion wear

Yeah – there’s a commercial agreement in place and the clothing frequently remains the property of the ski hill company: Staff aren’t really allowed to deviate from the designated uniform (although some allowance is occasionally made for trousers)

RCR staff used to be Helly Hanson for lifties, tech crew and instructors with the Pro Patrol wearing Arc’Teryx, but I think everyone is on Helly Hanson now.

I guess since RCR/Charlie Locke sold and re-aquired Lake Louise a couple of years ago they’ve now done a ‘gold partner’ deal with TNF.

But you’re right – it isn’t ‘fashion wear’, but then it isn’t necessarily always the first choice of the people who are wearing it either.

Same situation when someone is a ‘brand ambassador’ or sponsored by a tyre company etc .

Yeah – there’s a commercial agreement in place

But the question is wether or not the staff were comfortable and happy with their clothes.

But the question is wether or not the staff were comfortable and happy with their clothes.

With windchill below -40C you are going to be cold pretty much whatever you are wearing …

A friend of mine used be a TNF brand ambassador – he always rated their Summit Series kit quite highly. The top end technical clothing is developed and tweaked with feedback from the brand ambassadors.

However the lifties on the ski hill will often be wearing the ‘hand-me-downs’ from the previous season …

I always think Peter Storm might sell a lot more if it didn’t have that logo on it !

Probably Karrimor could drop the label as well nowadays…

FYI, if you work for TNF you get 50% discount on everything and also Timberland and Van’s.

I’ll bet an equivalent Arc’teryx would be a couple of hundred quid more.

Alpha SV is pretty much the equivalent. £600 rrp and I’ll bet I could get a better discount on that than I could on the jottnar direct sales model.

Neither are cheap, stop pretending the jottnar stuff is.

I just went riding in my TNF Apex jacket which is brilliant and has lasted many years. But then any stretch light softshell jacket would be the same I guess.

I thing the fabric manufacturers deserve a lot more credit than the clothing manufacturers TBH.

I thing the fabric manufacturers deserve a lot more credit than the clothing manufacturers TBH

Well to be fair I bought a Gore One GTX jacket last year and both the fabric, manufacturing and attention to detail is pretty impressive! 8)

he always rated their Summit Series kit quite highly

Deservedly so, it is very good kit. Branding is also pretty subtle. My Summit Series GTX-pro shell is one of the best GTX shells I’ve owned (and I’ve got through a fair few over the last 25 years).

[url=https://flic.kr/p/MWTr5P]IMG_0570[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

I’ll bet an equivalent Arc’teryx would be a couple of hundred quid more.

About a hundred quid more for an Alpha SV, but I’m not sure that makes Jottnar stuff ‘cheaper than much of the better known gear’ it just makes it pretty much as expensive as other premium outdoor brands. Not that it matters much, I can’t afford either of them :-/

I’d be far happier to buy outdoors gear that ain’t covered in logo.

You’re in luck as most just have one small logo.

Most of their proper outdoor gear seems to have the same small chest logo.

No, TNF are not the worst for over-logoing, I’d prefer their jackets without the branding however.