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The North Face’s New City-to-Mountain Jacket Takes the “Mountain” Part Seriously

Did you think “town-to-trail” was played out? Think again.

Brown and dark brown jacket sleeve with a grid pattern on the upper arm, featuring "THE NORTH FACE" logo in white. The jacket also has a vertical black zipper on the left side.The North Face
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By Hayley Helms

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Once a frontier for technical apparel brands, “city-to-mountain” has basically become a tried excuse to slap a trendy colorway on an existing garment. No upgrades, no innovation and probably little in the way of actual adventure.

Leave it to The North Face to remind us all that the “mountain” part means something.

While its new HKe Collection certainly belongs on city streets, thanks to its bias toward earthy and tonal colorways, garments like the TNF HKe Devils Thumb GTX Jacket actually takes itself seriously as a piece of technical apparel that pushes the industry forward.

It just so happens to look good, too.

Three people dressed in outdoor gear stand on a grassy, shrub-covered hill under a cloudy sky. The person in the foreground wears a black jacket and beanie, slightly out of focus. The person in the middle wears a brown jacket and beige beanie, looking off into the distance. The person on the left wears a white and beige jacket with a hood. Thin metal poles and wires form a geometric structure behind them.
By marrying technical integrity with expressive style, The North Face is shaping what’s next: the post-GORP generation of performance apparel.
The North Face

Everyday expeditions

Driven to expand the definition of outerwear and what hiking gear should look like, the 18-piece HKe collection is where visionary fabric technology meets a refined take on outerwear.

A man stands on rocky terrain near a body of water with a glacier and rocky mountains in the background. He is wearing a brown and beige jacket, black pants, beige hiking shoes, a brown knit hat, and dark sunglasses.
The HKe Collection is aimed at adventurers who seek to merge technical performance with personal identity.
The North Face

The anchor of the collection is debut of Spectra fiber technology, an advanced ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber recognized for its unparalleled strength-to-weight ratio.

The TNF HKe Devils Thumb GTX Jacket mixes Spectra with a polished, elevated aesthetic designed to speak to a rising community of adventurers who merge technical performance with cultural identity.

In other words, they want good-looking gear they can wear just as easily off the trail as on it.

Man wearing a beige and brown The North Face Gore-Tex jacket with zippered chest pockets, a beige fleece neck warmer, a brown fleece hat, and black pants, standing outdoors against a cloudy sky.
The relaxed fit of TNF’s new jacket makes it ideal for layering.
The North Face
Brown fabric with a white grid pattern consisting of evenly spaced horizontal and vertical lines forming small squares. The texture of the fabric is visible, showing a woven material.
A close-up look at Spectra, one of the strongest materials on the planet.
The North Face

This relaxed-fit jacket utilizes robust, waterproof Gore-Tex 2L fabric with a non-PFC DWR finish for added protection. The majority of the jacket is made with recycled materials, while Spectra ripstop is featured high-abrasion zones.

The elastic-bound stowable good, pit-zip venting, pack-compatible pockets, an internal harness strap, adjustable hem and a two-way waterproof front zipper underscore the jacket’s utility, while blending in harmoniously with its lifestyle aesthetic.

Performance fabrics and performance art

The North Face went all-out for the campaign visuals for the launch of the HKe collection, collaborating with Dutch designer and artist, Johannes Offerhaus, to create a sculpture utilizing the Spectra fabric.

This was manifested in a custom-built pack, which Offerhaus and his team used to carry all materials to the location, bringing to life the spirit of exploration that defines the collection.

A large, multi-tiered fabric structure supported by tall poles and numerous tensioned cables, set against a mountainous landscape with patches of snow and greenery. Three people are adjusting the cables and fabric, which consists of three differently colored sections: white at the top, gray in the middle, and black at the bottom. The structure appears to be an artistic installation or a specialized shelter.
The custom-built HKe Collection sculpture is meant to symbolize art’s relationship with the environment, and to demonstrate Spectra’s protective abilities.
The North Face

All materials were then carried back out, reflecting the brand’s commitment to Leave No Trace principles and environmental sustainability. 

Availability and pricing

The HKe Collection is available today at select lifestyle retail partners and online at the official website of The North Face.

Prices in the collection will range from $150 to $550, with the TNF HKe Devils Thumb GTX Jacket coming in at $470.

About the Author: Hayley Helms is an associate editor at Gear Patrol specializing in outdoor gear. Once upon a time, she wrote for Men’s Journal, Gearjunkie and Shape. Whether it’s testing a new rain shell or putting a pair of hiking boots through its paces, she leaves no stone unturned (however, she always Leaves No Trace).

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