It’s as well I think it’s unlucky to be superstitious.
More of a ying/yang day, I was looking at the ancient heating system in a well preserved Alexander Greek Thomson building, and then the road leading to the next job had been dug up for the M74 extension.
I was in the unusual situation of looking at the building across the railway tracks with a closed bridge between us and contemplating a slightly inconvenient and annoying detour to actually get there.
I did a 180° and went back into town, had a look in the North Face shop (if I’d had a poly bag full of someone elses cash in my hand, I would still have left with it unopened) while waiting for Craig to meet me for a cuppa.
After the cuppas I called it a score draw and pulled the shutters down and went home.
Maybe the significant date doesn’t mean extra disaster in our world already ravaged by misfortune and suffering, maybe Mr Nasty’s resources are just stretched too thin these days and all he can muster for most of us on his special day is reduced acheivement or mild inconveniece.
Good.
That’s a great pic,lovely composition,works well in mono.
The North Face shops always make me laugh, you look on their website they have the good Flight and Summit Series gear, then you go to their stores and it’s poor. The Covent Garden store sells TNF tee shirts emblazoned with their post code!! The Chamonix shop is Ok, but I think the UK ones are just a chain operated by Ellis Brigham :o(
(if I’d had a poly bag full of someone elses cash in my hand, I would still have left with it unopened)
Of course you would Pete you are Scottish.
Its funny as North Face is massive but only a few bits of their kits any good. People fall for the marketing and ads. Still got my packable hiking shorts and an old fleece. Once bought a down jacket ages ago before a trip to Nepal and returned it as soon as i got back as all the down started coming out. i looked like a duck worrier. Thats were north face purchases ended.
My ying and yang day was yesterday, the fence at work blew over but luckily it wasnt damaged as it had a nice soft, cushioned landing upon my bonnet.
On the upside though my Hols are booked for Skye in May! Mind you, April’s also looking good!
I don’t think I possess a single TNF thing. Like the photo. You could do a Saw type movie with winter kit!!
I must admit the photie started our as supposed to be looking all “old mountaineering” and came out like a poster for a slasher movie :o)
Kinda fun though.
TNF have the power to be the best, but thay have the huge sales not to have to try. I’ve got a Denali fleece from years back, but the newer stuff hasn’t got me very excited.
I’ve got a TNF sleeping bag on test just now, and it’s good, so maybe you just have to sift through the pages of blandness to find gems?
BBF, that was nice of you to help the fence out like that. A rub with T-Cut and you’ll never notice…
Back in my synthetic bag days TNF was the biz !
As was the mountain jacket an sillypets ! (in pink & black of course !)
Now when I see the new kit I really do question what direction they are going !
The TNF store did have some Flight Series kit in, but apart from that it all looked like lifestyle gear, and I suppose it is a highstreet store for highstreet people.
But one of the assistants did ask me if I wanted assistance and started on TNF’s sales speak for the item I was fingering, it was a tense situation. Luckily my phone went and I let the tension out of my gear knowledge longbow and pur my smartarse arrow back in its quiver.
Read the comments and just went to check: yup, that waistcoat with multi pockets o’ mine is TNF. It actually isn’t bad for stuffing bits & pieces into, and generally fitted under or over other layers. But now I’ve got a Trio.
Thing is, we’re not going to change the way the big chains operate. They’ve found a bigger, more lucrative market. I can remember when Ellis B and others like Rohan used to sell some good stuff.
Have to wonder tho, why was PTC tempted inside? Perhaps it was raining.
I was wasting time waiting for the phonecall I got from Craig while I was in there, and it came not a moment too soon!
The nature of the brands has changed, it seems that Montane and Rab are the equivalants of Berghaus at al these days.
I can live with that.
Time to hang my head in shame – I’m reading this wearing a TNF Glacier fleece and their winter mocs…
…however, most of my ‘proper’ outdoor kit is Montane, Paramo, old school Rohan and Phoenix etc. so I don’t feel too bad.
It might also include some Berghaus if I sneak off at lunch to look at the Paclight Pants that several nice folks recommmended ;-)
I always wanted a TNF Expedition shirt, but I could never decide between a medium and a large.
Part of the problems according to TNF is that the retailers won’t stock their most technical kit. That must be disheartening.
Most definitely, although it cannot help that the new TNF store in Bristol appears not to stock the technical kit either. I should say I haven’t been in myself, but my source is very reliable.
One thing that always got me with TNF jackets was the rubbish hoods. I’ll stop there as I can feel a hood related rant coming on – sorry everyone.
…aye, don’t start me on hoods….
This photo is pretty amazing likes.
Cheers, now that I’m looking at it closer I kinda like it, the way the light is making the snow glow, the little drips of melted snow on the axe shaft. I never noticed any of it at first!