20-02-2025
Review: The North Face Summit Torre Egger FutureLight Kit
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A few years ago, The North Face took a pretty big bet–and by most measures, lost. They stopped using Gore-Tex membranes in their expedition-grade technical outerwear, instead opting to go all-in on their proprietary waterproof/breathable FutureLight membrane. The material stood out for two reasons: it was remarkably breathable and felt silky soft, but it was lacking in both the durability and long-term water-repellent departments. It worked great for high-output activities like ski mountaineering, but wasn't that well suited for resort skiing during a storm, where the fabric would wet out and absorb water–though the membrane did keep you dry on the inside. The North Face ended up returning to using Gore-Tex membranes (notably the new PFAS-free Gore-Tex ePE and Gore-Tex Pro materials) in their dedicated ski kits like the Summit Verbier collection, but now uses an updated FutureLight fabric in their minimalist alpine kits, like the Summit Torre Egger.
While the Summit Series Torre Egger jacket and pants were designed with high-level alpine climbing and ski mountaineering in mind (the kind of stuff TNF athletes like Christina Lustenberger and Sam Smoothy are into), we set out to see how they would fare for more garden-variety backcountry skiing. I don't have any 6000-meter peaks in my backyard, but we've had plenty of stormy weather in the Tetons this season!
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Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Fit: Regular fit
Material: FutureLight 3L Shell
I tend to size my ski outerwear slightly differently depending on where I plan on using most–though I've definitely been trending toward the looser and baggier end of the spectrum for both resort skiing and backcountry touring. My one exception is for a kit that I'm going to wear on high-output days ski mountaineering, particularly when that day involves any technical components like climbing or rappelling. Then, I'll typically opt for a slightly slimmer fit, as I'll often wear a harness over the pants, and I don't like a baggy jacket and pants getting in the way of that. I tested the kit in size L, and felt it fit exactly as I wanted: slim, but not constrictive.
Both the jacket and bibs have a relatively slim silhouette. The jacket isn't as long as other ski shells, but fits nicely with a pack and harness, and still provides plenty of coverage. The pants are more slim-fitting than most ski pants, but definitely don't fall into the skimo/lycra category. They are slightly articulated, and fit in a way that allows for an impressive range of motion. Slimmer cuffs play nice with crampons, and allow you see your feet when climbing, but could be a tight fit over larger ski boots. I didn't have an issue fitting these over ski touring boots like the Tecnica Zero G Tour Pros or La Sportiva Kilo.
The kit comes in both a men's and women's version with more or less identical features.
I tested the kit ski mountaineering and ice climbing in the Tetons and Norway, during both bitter-cold but sunny high pressure periods and warm, wet storms.
Right off the bat, I was surprised to find how burly the jacket and pants felt, particularly compared to the older versions of FutureLight. The North Face clearly updated the face fabric on these garments to be much heavier-duty and more waterproof, which for a kit designed to get rowdy in nasty weather, seems like a pretty good improvement. In practice, the fabric update removes some of the suppleness and smooth feel, but testing the jacket and pants in two-inch-an-hour storms proved that these are notably more water repellent than before while remaining really breathable. Older Futurelight was actually quite waterproof, but the face fabric didn't do a good job having water and snow bead off the surface the way Gore-Tex Pro's DWR treatment did.
I love the jacket and it's impressive breathability for high-output days where I'm sweating a lot, but it's storming out and I want a shell to stay protected from wind and snow. I found myself wearing the shell much longer than I expected to on ski tours where I would normally stash the shell in my pack. When it did come time to stash the jacket, I found that it compressed nicely. Unlike the feature-rich Summit Verbier kit, the Torre Egger's super minimalist pocket layout (one chest pocket, two waist pockets, and one small zippered inside pocket) keeps the zipper count low.
The pants feel like minimalist winter mountaineering hardshell pants–oh wait, because that's what they are! There are two thigh pockets, both of which have reinforced anchor points and comfortably fit an avalanche beacon and stay out of the way of a harness. The left thigh pocket features an additional small side zipper that I couldn't quite figure out a use case for other than stashing candy bar wrappers. I really like the full-length side zips on the pants that double as vents, and allow you take the pants on and off without removing your boots. That might sound like a superfluous feature, but it's really nice when you're changing in a tent on an overnight mission, plus it helps when going to the bathroom in the mountains. Finally, the removable suspenders are remarkably low-profile, and are very comfortable to wear with a pack (they only attach in the front, so there's no rubbing).On paper, the Torre Egger jacket and pants are a pretty specialized piece of kit, but are much more versatile than they might seem. I've found myself wearing the jacket most days ski touring this winter, and enjoyed the pants for technical days ski mountaineering. I prefer a slightly baggier and looser fit for most days of riding, but when lots of skinning and climbing in crampons are on the menu for the day, these are a great choice.
If you're a skier who finds themselves frequenting technical terrain in foul weather, the Torre Egger kit is an excellent choice. Its combo of remarkably breathable, burly and heavy-duty construction, and improved water repellency (and proven waterproofness) will keep you dry and happy on storm days in the high peaks.
