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  1. #1
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    FutureLight - The North Face

    Just saw this article and didn't see a thread on it:

    "North Face’s new waterproof fabric makes Gore-Tex look downright primitive"

    https://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoo...gn=daily-brief

    EVent and Neoshell tried, but Gore is still the king! Does TNF have the power/market to knock them off...or will it be another H2No and they'll be back to ProShell inside of a decade? Whatcha all think?
    Last edited by smartyiak; 01-08-2019 at 01:11 PM.
    It makes perfect sense...until you think about it.

    I suspect there's logic behind the madness, but I'm too dumb to see it.

  2. #2
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    Yeah, I saw that and was going to ask if anyone knew anything about it.

    It's interesting. They are saying it's breath-ability level is 75,000, which if true would be essentially more than double anything else available. That would be hugely breathable. No info on waterproof levels, however. At 75,000 I'd actually start to worry about wind resistance and insulation.

    It could be a game changer or it could be a fantastic option for folks working hard (touring) or it could be total TNF made up crap. But they've got my attention.

  3. #3
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    I have yet to wear it, but talking candidly to some of the TNF athletes (even some more cynical ones) they are freaking stoked on it. Helped Hilary and Jim do their Lhotse couloir mission...
    TLDR; Ski faster. Quit breathing. Don't crash.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by NorCalNomad View Post
    I have yet to wear it, but talking candidly to some of the TNF athletes (even some more cynical ones) they are freaking stoked on it. Helped Hilary and Jim do their Lhotse couloir mission...
    Hmm. I kind of hate the idea that TNF would come out with tech that would be industry leading and therefore I would have to consider buying it. Ever since they turned into a higher tech Gap, and then hired a buddy of mine to get them back into serious gear again and promptly blew off every suggestion he had till he left, our motto has been "Freinds don't let friends wear the north face..."

  5. #5
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    Perhaps they’ve developed a manufacturing process that enables more precise customization, but like many other competing products aren’t they just manipulating the size of the holes?

  6. #6
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    Didn't they talk about it on the most recent Totally Deep podcast?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by beece View Post
    Hmm. I kind of hate the idea that TNF would come out with tech that would be industry leading and therefore I would have to consider buying it. Ever since they turned into a higher tech Gap, and then hired a buddy of mine to get them back into serious gear again and promptly blew off every suggestion he had till he left, our motto has been "Freinds don't let friends wear the north face..."
    Was he working on Summit Series back when it relaunched? I might know who you're talking about...

    And yeah they did talk a bit about it on the Totally Deep where they talked to Hilary and Jim, but not many details.

    Yes this way of manufacturing a membrane is different than gore, event, or any others that are currently in market.
    TLDR; Ski faster. Quit breathing. Don't crash.

  8. #8
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    Does anybody know anything more about it since info has been out for a little while now? New shells are supposed to launch on Sept 2 and I saw somewhere that said 15000mm waterproof rating which seems low to me for a laminate claimed to be a game changer. The crazy high air permeability value and average waterproof rating seems like it would be a great Colorado/Utah shell but not so sure about the PNWet.

  9. #9
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    Nov 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason4 View Post
    Does anybody know anything more about it since info has been out for a little while now? New shells are supposed to launch on Sept 2 and I saw somewhere that said 15000mm waterproof rating which seems low to me for a laminate claimed to be a game changer. The crazy high air permeability value and average waterproof rating seems like it would be a great Colorado/Utah shell but not so sure about the PNWet.
    You really have to look past just a water column test. Also being in the PNW you'd actually benefit more than the rockies from a higher breathability. That's because the basic physics of how waterproof laminates work is that there there needs to be a difference humidity inside vs outside the jacket (ie waterproof breathable aren't breathable in a tropical jungle). Basically any membrane will be breathable in the rockies since it's super dry in the winter. But in more humid PNW and Sierra conditions having a higher breathability rating makes it better since you're actually going to have vapor moving out of the jacket rather than sticking inside. Nothing is going to be really breathable when you're having a beautiful rain skiing day in Washington ;P

    Also your post has a lot of "supposed" claims in there, take them with a grain of salt rest of TGR...
    TLDR; Ski faster. Quit breathing. Don't crash.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason4 View Post
    New shells are supposed to launch on Sept 2 and I saw somewhere that said 15000mm waterproof rating . . .
    Where did you see this? TNF never quotes column inch specs, and only occasionally quotes PSI figures, IME. They sent us some samples and my boss is field testing a kit in Chile this week, but I'm not sure how much aerobic time he'll spend in it. Hard to say if it will work on a typical PNW 35 degree pow day.

  11. #11
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    Given not a lot of garments are eVent, it'll be nice to have another highly-breathable material available.

  12. #12
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    Sep 2017
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    Quote Originally Posted by beece View Post
    Yeah, I saw that and was going to ask if anyone knew anything about it.

    At 75,000 I'd actually start to worry about wind resistance and insulation.

    It could be a game changer or it could be a fantastic option for folks working hard (touring) or it could be total TNF made up crap. But they've got my attention.
    Insulation comes from different layers, shells do no insulate. It will be interesting to see how durable it is. They have my attention aswell but I will not be their test group and buy some FL gear anytime soon. Lets see if history repeats or if they will really change the game..

    Quote Originally Posted by NorCalNomad View Post
    I have yet to wear it, but talking candidly to some of the TNF athletes (even some more cynical ones) they are freaking stoked on it. Helped Hilary and Jim do their Lhotse couloir mission...
    You think they could not have done it in a gore-tex pro outfit? Ofcourse it does say something that they decided to trust the gear. For missions like that you do not gamble on gear.

  13. #13
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    Dec 2010
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    西 雅 圖
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    My boss is back from Chile and wore a Futurelight kit all week.

    No new snow and windy in Chillan, not atypical for South America, with hard chattery snow and no precip. He said the clothes were super comfortable and breathable, if a little "drafty" in the wind. No chance to test the water resistance. TNF is not forthcoming with technical info, although they did push back the official introduction to October 1.

  14. #14
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    Jun 2006
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    Of course this is interesting, but unfortunately it is coming from TNF, a company who has lost most if not all its street creed. If the hype is real, this could make me buy TNF again, something I haven't done in a very long time.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by hutash View Post
    Of course this is interesting, but unfortunately it is coming from TNF, a company who has lost most if not all its street creed. If the hype is real, this could make me buy TNF again, something I haven't done in a very long time.
    I think this is a very positive turning point for TNF, at least for their “Mountain Sports.” Scott Mellin has stepped in a led the Futurelight
    charge in an authentic and personal way, developing with his athletes and going to lengths to make this a seemingly real game changer. Now we’ll see if it can sell!


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  16. #16
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    Jan 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by gregL View Post
    My boss is back from Chile and wore a Futurelight kit all week.

    No new snow and windy in Chillan, not atypical for South America, with hard chattery snow and no precip. He said the clothes were super comfortable and breathable, if a little "drafty" in the wind. No chance to test the water resistance. TNF is not forthcoming with technical info, although they did push back the official introduction to October 1.
    How is this any different than Polartech Alpha?

  17. #17
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    Dec 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by NorCalNomad View Post
    Nothing is going to be really breathable when you're having a beautiful rain skiing day in Washington ;P
    Yup, all shells lose the DWR layer after a bit and when water soaks the outside of the jacket completely there is no breathing happening, but i sure as shit do not want that water penetrating the waterproof laminate. that is where the waterproofness of the shell (column test) is the true decider. I wont buy anything under 25k for that reason. Im more than happy to quickly unzip my jacket halfway for 10 seconds to dump a bunch of heat/perspiration, but im not super happy to have water running down my asscrack 2 hours into one of those hotpow days.

  18. #18
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    Boulder
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    I rocked a futurelight kit from ~xmas 2019 until i wrapped up my season in July. The jacket I had saw intermittent use as I only wear a hard shell on storm days, and mine is on the heavier side of FL protos. I

    The pants were a lighter fabric. I wore the pants for 95% of everything i did, from storm skiing to skimo racing to summer skiing. The pants are amazing. Like 250g, amazing fit, super quiet, super breathable. After a few 100k of touring, they showed some wear in spots that are now reinforced for production. For me, they are hands down the best ski pants I've ever used or seen.

  19. #19
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    Aug 2006
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    Californiagrown needs to get in touch with water in his asscrack. Once you’ve experienced a bidet, you ain’t never going back.

    Are they gonna do this in a one piece, Schmidt-style suit?!

  20. #20
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    Love em or hate em, the Face has resources beyond most other brands for R&D. If they choose to spend it on true product development...

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by The SnowShow View Post
    How is this any different than Polartech Alpha?
    Do you mean Polartec Neoshell?

    Polartech Alpha is a synthetic insulation. Not a shell fabric.

  22. #22
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    I can appreciate the brand for getting mainstream people outdoors and thinking about the environment but haven’t bought anything in decades from them, but do wear this most days this Summer.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  23. #23
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    I feel like I remember reading somewhere that this is an electrospun membrane? If so, it's similar to what OR and Rab are doing. Basically, you can completely control the trade-off between waterproofness and breathability by altering the electronspun density. I think this is closer to the breathability side of the spectrum?
    Last edited by Lindahl; 09-02-2019 at 08:37 AM.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lindahl View Post
    I feel like I remember reading somewhere that this is an electrospun membrane? If so, it's similar to what OR and Rab are doing. Basically, you can completely control the trade-off between waterproofness and breathability by altering the electronspun density. I think this is closer to the breathability side of the spectrum?
    Yes, yes and yes. TNF didn't think electrospun was catchy enough and decided to call it "Nanospun."

  25. #25
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    The comparisons to OR's AscentShell membrane don't sound like it's the revolution that TNF is hyping. I had a pair of OR Skyward pants last winter and loved them for touring and wanted GoreTex for lapping chairs. I loved the breathability and stretch of the pants as long as I was standing and didn't sit on a wet seat or let precip accumulate on my thighs but comparing the waterproofness to GoreTex is not realistic.

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