Well what can I say this jacket is bombproof. Everything is layed out just the way you would expect it to be. I got mine for a cool $145...HaHa...well this happend 'cause of a mix up that the company had. So as you can imagine I am very HAPPY. So if you have the dough go out right now and get it.

i actually own the karakorum, which is the predecesor to the kichatna. i feel this review is in order as they are still very similar, and many of the problems i had with the original model were "fixed," though i have yet to see improvement. for background, i work for an outfitter, and i have worn, tried, fitted and seen the durablity of many jackets from patagonia, marmot, TNF, mountain hardware, columbia and lowe.

i have many issues with this jacket. first, the fit is horrible. the articulation is poor, and TNF compensated for a poor fit by making the volume of the jacket bigger. thus, you get more freedom of movement, allowed by the extra room, but you have more bunching and more fabric. this is a poor design. second, the jacket has too many seems at the elbows. in an effort to form fit their jackets TNF has placed many panels at the elbows...great, all we need is another seam to burst. which brings me to the third point. the detailing is wretched for the price you pay. if you look at the bartacts of my jacket, many are uneven and unravelling. this jacket didn't get much abuse...i wore it mainly around town as a rain coat. a neck seam failed and had to be resealed (more on this blunder below). the dwr chosen by TNF doesn't last 4 days.

on the good side of things, it kept me dry until the neck seam failed. that was about 2 years of on-and-off use. again, nothing extreme. if it were, say $200, it would be a good deal. however, when stacked up against similar g'tex 3 layer jackets with which it is marketed (marmot alpinist climbing3, mountainhardwear ethereal ftx and patagonia torre) it fails miserably. it lacks the durablity, fit and detailing at which these other jackets excel.

i no longer use my karakorum, even after i had the seam repaired.

Customer Service

i sent the shell back to TNF because it was leaking. they det. that it was a failed neck seam...the fix they applied was horrid. in fact, the seams weren't fully laminated on when i got the jacket back. it was really poor.

Similar Products Used:

marmot: alpinist climbing 3 (great jkt...my main one now); litespeed (sweet fit...love the curves and lite weight); thunderlite (i'm too skinny for this to fit well)
TNF: mountain jkt, mountain lite (TNF isn't worth the $ anymore...poor service, poor quality)
lowe: alpine flash (beefy, durable, heavy, boardy)
mountain hardwear: ethereal ftx (nice jkt, almost bought it)
patagonia: nitro anorak (circa '93, ooo, sweet shell, got stolen); nitro parka (my bro's...great ski shell); torre (expensive for what you get, but bombproof and good fit); stretch triolet (nice, kewl stretch); guide shell (classic...works great as a backpacking shell)

This jacket is as good as anything else out there.
In comparison to the newer jackets, it is heavier, but it is a lot more abrassion resistant.

It'll keep you dry for most situations.

I have owned this jacket for three years now, and it has seen some extended use in a variety of conditions, from backcountry travel to mountaineering to skiing. The jacket breathes well, and it keeps the weather out, but that's about where my praise ends. Its Gore-Tex, its supposed to do those things. My complaints:

1.The pit zips are difficult to operate with gloves on becasue the double storm flaps get in the way.

2. While the hood itself is well thought out, the positioning of the drawcords on the outside of the jacket is demonstrative of an incredible lack of foresight. In high winds, the cords slap your face annoyingly.

3. The long velcro strip on the zipper flap is a pain to open and close easily.

4. The number of seams around the elbow area makes for excellent articulation, but a bulky garmet.

5. The altimeter pocket is too small.

6. The chest pockets are difficult to get in to when wearing a pack.

7. Its not very durable and poory sewn. The face fabric on the back of my jacket has begin to fray in several areas. Some of the seam tape, especially in the hood and in the arms has begun to delaminate. The stitching on the zipper inraveled, and finally, the zipper broke after one year of use.

Bottom line: I will never again purchase TNF clothing. The quality is suspect, and there are a variety of other, superior designs out there.

What all of this boils down to is that although this jacket has served its purpose for me, its little design flaws have made it less than ideal for me.

Customer Service

Customer service at TNF is underwhelming. After sending the jacket in for zipper, seam tape delamination and blown joint repair (due to poorly laminated seam tape (that's what they told me), I was charges something close to $50 for what were esentially manufacturing defects.

Similar Products Used:

Marmot Aplinist II, Patagonia Torre, Mountain Hardwear Ethereal

Great jacket. Bought it and the pants for a company ski trip. I'm a skier getting back into it after 10 years away from the sport. Once you see quality of the construction, the attention to detail and the overall look of it when you have it on, nothing beats it. Tons of compliments from others - looks really hard core even when getting gas... No pit zips in the 1999 model but large zips at the sides of your chest seem to work well - don't get covered up by backpack straps. Great by if you have the dough.

Customer Service

None yet.

Similar Products Used:

Nike ACG gortex suit

This has always been my dream coat, ever since I opened up the North Face catalog and pointed to it saying to my friends, "someday I'll own it." It is a great jacket, versatile, dependable, comfortable, and has a lot of nice features including water bottle holders and lots of pockets. I use it for snowshoeing, rainwear, hiking, skiing, and other outdoor uses. I love the hood. Pitzips work great. Never too warm, never too cold and wicks moisture away. The best coat I own.

Similar Products Used:

It is a great jacket compared to my Columbia parka and Black Diamond coat.

I have owned several gore-tex shell jackets. This jacket has proven to be the best of them all. It is rugged, very breathable and has pockets where you need them. Where my other jackets have failed, this stood up to a very heavy rain. Overall, I have been very pleasd.

I've had this jacket for 5 years. I've used it on summer backpacking trips, backcountry ski trips, and climbing trips and never had any problems. You need to redo the waterproofing from time to time to keep it from soaking up the water in the outer layer. The hood is exceptional. It can be adjusted such that it turns with your head and doesn't constrict your vision at all. It may be a little heavy for use as a summer backpacking jacket, but as a go anywhere, do anything jacket it's great.

Customer Service

The velcro started coming unattached from the jacket. I sent it back to TNF and they replaced it for free. My only complaint is that it took them 4-5 weeks to do it.

This jacket works when you need it to. It is one of the most durable jackets you can buy, it is also plenty breathable. Overall it's a great bombproof jacket. Because it's 3-ply it's a bit stiff and so probably not as comfortable as say the mountain-lite jacket, and it's a bit heavy (but not too bad). It's worth the cost if you are going to be subjecting it to some serious abuse, but you'd probably be better off with something else if you'll mostly be wearing it around town.

This jacket has been exactly what I knew it would be. I wanted a gore-tex jacket for a long time before I finally forked out the dough. I chose the three layer because of it's lighter wieght, absence of a liner which makes vapor transfer easier and because the material it is applied to is more durable than softer two or one ply jackets. I am a very corageous person and often fail in my attempts to perform stunts. I have ripped and ruined many rip stop jackets and this one was the most durable I came across. Sure, It's a little stiff, but that just makes it easier to fold and roll up into the little stove size bag.I'm from the raniest city in the southeast, second rainiest in the country next to Seattle, and it deals with thunderstorms and hurricanes like there's nothing there. We also have very moist air down here and when it gets cold it chills you to your bone. This jacket's tall collar covers my entire face to my eyes. This winter wind chill is a joke now with this thing. Even in hot weather thunderstorms this jacket is perfect. The warmer the temperature, the more the jacket breathes. And the hood, oh my goodness, it is a masterpiece. Even in an uncovered golf cart, top speed, torrential downpour, only my eyes got a tiny bit wet. I would suggest this jacket to anyone anywhere, but those who live in areas with extreme weather will definitely get more out of it. In my opinion, there is'nt a better jacket made today. Not for me, anyways. And the only things that could be better are a bigger zipper, lower pockets on the outside for hands, and the ability to zip in a big down jacket...none of which are very important.

Similar Products Used:

Marmot Thunderlight
U.S. Special Forces issue gore-tex