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A brief introduction to The North Face Clothing an some of the highlights from their illustrious past

They're probably one of the most famous brand names in mountain/winter sports. Their equipment has been up Mount Everest and has been seen on many a television show. But who really is the company behind North Face Clothing; and why has their story become such a success?

Introduction to The North Face Clothing

North Face was established in San Francisco, USA - the result of two hiking enthusiasts' ambition to open-up a retail shop selling high-performance mountain and hiking equipment. The co-founders of the company decided to name the company North Face because, in the Northern Hemisphere, the north face of a mountain is the coldest; thus the need for high-performance mountain and hiking equipment.

Until the early 1980s the company stuck to its original intent - designing hiking and mountaineering equipment. However, with its growing recognition and success, in the 1980s the company decided to expand it product range to include ski sports wear.

Some of the highlights in North Face Clothing's history

After opening the first store in 1966, the co-founders of North Face set about designing some of the most innovative hiking and mountaineering apparel on the market today. These include:

1969 - the Sierra Parka
1970 - Ruthsac pack
1974 - the Morning Glory tent
1975 - the Oval Intention tent
1976 - Bigfoot sleeping bag; Back Magic pack
1978 - VE-24 tent
1983 - Extreme Gear [North Face first ski product]
1985 - the Mountain Jacket
1987 - Snow Leopard pack; Tadpole tent
1988 - Expedition System
1991 - No-Hitch-Pitch tent pitching system; SteepTech technical ski apparel
1992 - Radical Baffle Construction of down sleeping bags
1993 - Polarguard HV Insulation in TNF sleeping bags; Hydrenaline fabric
1995 - VaporWick fabric introduced to Tekware line
1996 - The Mountain Guide Jacket; Search and Rescue collection; Patrol Pack; Tekware line; North Face glove collection
1998 - Heat Trap Collar baffle added to sleeping bags; Soloist Bivy
1999 - PacLite fabric in Ama Dablam and Devil's Thumb Jackets
2001 - Intelligent Garment Technology as part of the Met5 Jacket
2003 - Infusion fabric with Ama Dablam Stretch Infusion Jacket and Pant.

The future of The North Face

With such a successful past, The North Face's fortunes should continue to go from strength-to-strength in the future, helping to secure its place among extreme sports enthusiasts as being the premium name to trust when push comes to shove!

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