The North Face Free Thinker II Jacket

Jan 05, 2009  ·  01:33 AM  ·  permalink

I'm down to the last two shells I've tested and this one is my second favorite: the North Face Free Thinker II Jacket.

I expect the North Face haters out there are groaning now, but I've never gotten TNF hate. The North Face makes a range of products at a range of price points. The quality throughout the range is largely price-appropriate and aimed at different consumers--when you have ready access to 100+ days of skiing every years, it's easy to forget that not everyone finds utility in top-of-the-line gear. So, at the low end, TNF makes some run-of-the-mill gear and, at the upper end, it makes some great gear. The Free Thinker II Jacket is certainly latter.

The first word that came to mind when I slipped on the Free Thinker was "burly." I swear, I did not get that from the marketing brochure (although I found afterward that's exactly the word TNF uses in its marketing copy). The Free Thinker is burly: it feels like it could go through a glade full of broken-off lodge pole limbs and come out unscathed, or stand up to a howling wind at the top of Peak 8.

The second word, surprisingly, was: comfortable. For me, the Free Thinker just fit right. Which is to say: it is fitted but not restrictive, lightweight and flexible. The size small fit my 5'10, 160 lb frame nicely (but keep in mind that I don't go in for any bagginess or excess bulk) and left plenty of room in the shoulders and chest for a down midlayer. The Gore Tex Pro Shell is finished on the inside with the same fuzzy stuff as the Arc'Teryx Stingray, so it has a nice, slightly cozy feel.

The trade off for burliness is that the Enduro nylon fabric is kind of stiff and has a slightly rough hand. It feels and sounds a bit like 320-grit sand paper, yet this wasn't a problem: it's light and thin enough that it doesn't bind like a heavier fabric would. Although the fabric is really tough and light it also has no stretch at all which might be a problem for some.

In the outdoors, the Free Thinker performs. Wet snow doesn't stand a chance; wind bounces off it. Pull the hood on over your helmet and you'll feel like finding the steepest, rockiest, windiest slope and flipping it the bird. Yet, it still feels light, breathes decently, and vents easily. The high, ample collar provides nice face protection while the offset zipper eliminates annoying flaps and bulk around your face. The hood cinches are dead easy to find and use. Zippers operate easily with gloved hands, although the snaps on the powder skirt and inside cell-phone pocket are less cooperative.

The downsides for me were slight but notable: it lacks a two-way front zip; the cell-phone pocket will not accommodate an iPhone in a sleeve--and just barely accommodates a naked iPhone; the internal storage is wimpy--no place for skins, water bottle, etc. These are personal bugaboos, I realize, but they count.

Ultimately, I wanted to pick the Free Thinker II because it's an awesome jacket that made me fantasize about running it through its paces. If you're hardcore and you want a shell that will perform in 90% of conditions, I doubt you could do better. In my case, though, I found one jacket that checked off more items on my wish list and did so for a lot less money, which is why the Free Thinker only makes it to my #2 spot.

If you have trouble with the price tag, here's a sweetener: The North Face is touting free returns. It's not quite as good as Zappos, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

North Face Free Thinker II Jacket
Price as tested	$549.00
Shell	Gore-Tex Pro Shell 3L Enduro nylon
Weight	21 oz 595 gm
Sizes	S, M, L, XL, XXL
Colors	Sward Green, Molten Red, Asphalt Grey, Mirage Blue
Features	Fully seam sealed Recco avalanche rescue reflector Helmet-compatible drop hood Pit-zip vents Offset front zip Zip hand pockets Napoleon pocket Wrist accessory pocket with goggle cloth Internal media security pocket Internal cell phone pocket Internal goggle pocket Zip integration powder skirt Pants attachments Adjustable hem cinch Hook-and-loop adjustable cuffs Shoulder body-mapping