The North Face Vortex Triclimate Jacket - Men's - 2009 BCS

First off, I have the 2007 model. Shell + Liner with no baselayer (read: T-Shirt) is good for me to about freezing. Shell breathes well enough with armpits unzipped that I use it as my raincoat during the spring and cooler summer days. Can also use the liner by itself (I guess that's implied by the triclimate design).

Hood isn't helmet compatible, but the shell does have a powder skirt. However, if you zip the liner in to the shell, you loose the skirt. The liner has hooks to snap into the sleeves of the jacket, so I usually just stick to those, and zip the liner and shell up individually (rather than together). The liner stays in place, plus I have my skirt.

I have the 2010 model and I love it...still use it and can't wait to wear it this year.

It is more than plenty warm...I only wear an under armour cold gear dri-fit under it as the liner and inside jacket are more than warm enough.

The jacket is great in any conditions, no matter how cold...

This is a great jacket and hard to beat for the price...period!

Best for skiing. 'Just did a week in Summit County CO, this jacket was great in 40 degree Spring conditions to the top of A-Basin with 60 mph winds, -20 wind chill, blinding blizzard conditions. Kept me warm the whole time, but not too warm. Lining is lighter and warmer than my previous Columbia bugaboo parka with fleece. Zippers seem better made than Columbia and this coat is very water proof. At this price, you can't go wrong.

I purchased this jacket a couple of months ago in order to replace an old 3-in-1 jacket from another manufacturer. So far, I am pleased with the purchase.

I do a lot of different activities outdoors, so I needed something versatile enough to accommodate different activity levels, and changing conditions. On warmer days, the shell is effective at blocking wind and rain, without too much heat buildup. The pit zips help with ventilation, although don't expect a drastic difference. The shell is also not as stiff as some of the other breathable, waterproof shells I have seen. So far, I haven't had any leaks, and the surface repels water well. Most of the water can be shaken off when I get inside, and it doesn't soak in.

The liner is OK down into the upper 40s, and is pretty lightweight, especially compared to the fleece liner in my old jacket. The option of additional vent zips on the liner would have been nice, but that isn't a common feature, so I can't complain. As far as materials go, it is pretty comfortable, although it has a little sheen to it, which I am not a big fan of. On the other hand, it won't get nappy, like fleece liners tend to do.

With just a shirt underneath, the combination of the two keeps me warm past freezing, even when stationary. It hasn't been extremely cold, yet, so I don't know how far it will go, but I imagine that you would want to layer up when it starts getting into the 20s and below.

Size-wise, I think the descriptions are accurate. I am 6'3", but thin, so I was a little concerned about the fit. According to the sizing chart, large looked like the way to go, and it worked out. The body of the jacket leaves just enough room for a couple of extra layers, without being too baggy, or cumbersome. I also retain a full range of movement with this jacket.

As the previous review states, the hood isn't helmet-compatible, but that isn't an issue for me. In light of that fact, I find the hood to be fairly functional. It isn't going to keep you very warm, but it does keep the wind and rain out. If you need more, it is roomy enough for a cap to be worn underneath - something my old jacket didn't do well, as the hood was a little short.

I don't like the handwarmer pockets on this one as much as my old, as they are a little hard to access. I have somewhat large hands, and the openings are kind of small. With thick gloves, this could be an issue. Also, an extra chest pocket on the right would have been nice.

Finally, in the "asphalt gray" color, and the zipper is actually red, not black as in the picture. I actually knew that before I bought it, as I had seen the jacket elsewhere. But, I though you would like to know.

Overall, I am very pleased with the jacket. Time will tell how it holds up, but it seems to be sturdy enough.

I love this jacket and with a TNF Fleece you are set.
Living in the Alaska Bush I use this Jacket always. I have a 20min walk to work and it has been as los as -40 this winter & I layered this coat with a underarmor top, t-shirt, TNF Fleece and this Jacket. I had the vents inzipped and had to unzip the jacket to let a little hot air out so I wouldn't sweat (plus I was walking).

This is an awesome Jacket, BUT I just noticed a 4-inch rip along the stiching of the liner. Makes me wonder about the care they take assembling the Jacket since I have only had it 1.5months. Manufacture defect I believe and the company agrees so i am returning this for a refund, untill I find one my size then I will definately purchase it again.

I love this jacket. Not only the design is great but it's performance keep me warm throughout my trip in Hokkaido at a temp around -10 to -16 degree. I am surprise how well it can keep me warm and dry even i am drench with snow. The pockets are located in good position to keep all my travel needs: cream, tickets, camera, cards. There is even a sun glass pocket at the arm position which is quite convenient. The jacket comes with lot of inner pockets which allow me to keep maps and head covers. But the head covers is quite stiff and big for me which i find it a bit of a nuisance. The inner insulation layer is great too, very comfortable and it can easily attached and detached from the jacket. All in all i love it but the jacket is not as soft as i thought so it might not be of liking for some.

I love this jacket. Not only the design is great but it's performance keep me warm throughout my trip in Hokkaido at a temp around -10 to -16 degree. I am surprise how well it can keep me warm and dry even i am drench with snow. The pockets are located in good position to keep all my travel needs: cream, tickets, camera, cards. There is even a sun glass pocket at the arm position which is quite convenient. The jacket comes with lot of inner pockets which allow me to keep maps and head covers. But the head covers is quite stiff and big for me which i find it a bit of a nuisance. The inner insulation layer is great too, very comfortable and it can easily attached and detached from the jacket. All in all i love it but the jacket is not as soft as i thought so it might not be of liking for some.

and you'll be very happy. Went skiing yesterday and wore a cotton tee & long sleeve tee in -8 weather. Had to open the vents to keep cool! Fit is a little small, I had to order XL but that just gave me a little more freedom to move. I combined it with the Mountain Pant & Patrol gloves - TNF kept me warm and toasty all day!

and you'll be very happy. Went skiing yesterday and wore a cotton tee & long sleeve tee in -8 weather. Had to open the vents to keep cool! Fit is a little small, I had to order XL but that just gave me a little more freedom to move. I combined it with the Mountain Pant & Patrol gloves - TNF kept me warm and toasty all day!

Nice and warm...will last many years to come! The back covers the bum...would be nicer if it's 2" longer for more coverage. Got the ocean blue...it's a bit on the purple side...not as blue as I thought, but still acceptable.

This jacket is pretty awesome. The shell is water and windproof and is surprisingly warm. The liner is pretty nice by itself, in calm dry conditions it'll be good down to the 30's probably. Together, they make quite an impenetrable barrier. The hood is pretty nice too, it's detachable for those days when you don't need a hood, but when it's attached it does a good job of keeping your head warm and dry, and it's pretty adjustable and has room for a cap to be worn under it. The handwarmer pockets are kinda hard to get into due to a flap that keeps water from getting into the pocket and their being positioned slightly farther back than on other jackets. The pockets themselves are nice and big, but the entrance is kinda tight. They'll stay dry on the insides though.
As far as quality goes, this jacket is pretty top-notch. The attention to detail is very high and the materials are high quality. The shell is very waterproof, the water just beads on it and rolls off, but the shell fabric isn't too thick or stiff or anything, it's just perfect. The zippers are very nice and easy to work and don't catch on anything. And there are enough pockets on the jacket to be useful but not...overbearing I guess. Some jackets have way too many pockets.
Overall, I love this jacket. In short; versatile, durable, warm, waterproof, high quality, and stylin.
Note: I'm 6'1", 155lbs, 32" waist, and the medium fits me perfectly, just enough room to add a medium-weight base layer or something, and the length and sleeves are perfect.

Real nice jacket, keeps you warm at sub zero temperatures and very comfortable fit as well. Love the inner layer, great far fall/spring with a nice shine and texture to it.

The coat is very funcional for down temperatures, good for rain, storm and snow. The inner liner is freat I love it, and I used all the time alone. I just wear the external coat when need it because its a little bit heavy and not so good looking as the inner layer.

This coat is awesome. I live in Chicago and I have been plenty warm. When I combine it with my snow pants it is almost too warm. It is really good looking and the inner liner is a cool stand alone coat. I only wish it had more pockets internally. However, it is an awesome coat and worth every penny.

this is a very good coat in terms of warmth and weather resistance. shell makes a great technical shell, and liner is good with just a t-shirt under it down to about 20 on me. however liner is not breathable at all! jacket is very light, and very usable, i've had it layered and been comfortable down to -30 just standing around. unfortunately the velcro on the shell cuffs is starting to come unraveled after just under a year of owning it, but other than breathablity and the velcro coming off it's great.

I just purchased this jacket for my husband. He had been using a pretty old Columbia jacket, so anything would have been an upgrade.

When I was initially researching jackets this was the first one I found. It looked very solid and had the things I wanted. I didn't believe I could have found the perfect one on my first try, so I spent another 20 minutes looking around and doing comparisons before purchasing this one, which was wasted time.

Another review I read said that this jacket has all the little things he wanted in a jacket and had thought of over the years, which is an extremely true statement. My husband loves all the little features like the goggle wiper, vents, easy assembly/dissasembly of liners, etc. I used the liner as an outer jacket in the pacific northwest and was kept extremely warm despite a 30 degree temperature and high windchill.

Overall, great jacket and worth the price (better if you can find it on sale).

I got this jacket and was disappointed with the red zippers on the grey one. So I took it a cleaning place and got the red zipper changed to black and like it a lot better.

I got this jacket for a ski trip coming up in December. I haven't had a chance to test it in the cold but as far as style goes it's pretty cool. It's soft up against the skin (arms) and fits great.