My North Face Summit jacket is over 20 years old and except for the zipper runner, it feels like new. Best clothing purchase I ever made - every ski trip, bad weather hike, lots of random winter walks, camping trips - works perfectly. I don't plan to replace it, this one will last my whole adult life. I would not chose yellow a second time, though.
That's a pretty dang solid lifespan (and thank you for choosing function over staying-current-with fashion trends). I have not seen current generation TNF jackets have the same reliability (in my very unscientific study)... maybe times have changed.
In the last few years TNF has increased focus on streetwear though. I have become more hesitant to buy gear from them due to this since i suspect this has affected quality.
That's possible. I would still start with North Face for a jacket if I needed one due to great experience, possibly compare to an ArcTeryx - had great experience with them too. Both are very expensive of course.
