North Face, you are THE BEST (at least your reps are)

(this was supposed to post last night but the internet was down)

Have been working long days at the ice fest as a volunteer and spent all day and night out in the driving snow and cold, so probably won't write until tomorrow about all the amazing and funny things that have happened over the past two days.

But, even though I'm exhausted, I can't sleep until I give the biggest fucking shout out on the planet to BJ, a rep for North Face.

I am very susceptible to cold. And wearing the wrong clothes doesn't help.

I was working with another volunteer named Liz keeping score for the speed climbing event today. I had dressed pretty warm but not warm enough for standing in the snow for hours at a time while not being able to move around or get out of the driving snow/wind. And I couldn't leave my position because you can't just walk out in the middle of an event when you're posting scores.

At some point in the early afternoon my brain was like "we're going hypothermic, bitches". I was shaking uncontrollably and doing these weird arm and step moves trying to warm up. My hand warmers were failsuck, my gloves wet, my feet wet, and it was generally miserable.

BJ came up to me and asked if I wanted to wear his down coat (I was wearing my down coat already, that's how cold it was). I didn't know him so I was like "that's okay, I'm fine" (was so cold I could barely talk). Then he said he would get me a thicker down jacket than the one I was wearing (my down jacket is pretty fucking thick). I turned that down too, not because I'm stupid, but because I know reps and they always complain about people trying to get free gear from them and I didn't want BJ to think I was one of those types of people who borrow or want to be given stuff.

A few minutes later BJ came over and said "I can't stand to watch you anymore because you're obviously freezing." He handed me a prototype (love prototypes!) light down jacket. I looked at it (was so cold the only thing I could focus on was what the score keepers were yelling at me) and BJ said "Let's take off your down coat and put this underneath". I couldn't even get my coat off by myself so he helped me, and then he helped me put the prototype jacket on, zipped it up (my fingers were useless because they were so cold and at that point someone else had to write results on the score board after I got them), and took off the tag. He said I could keep the jacket and he helped me put on my down coat. I tried to protest but he insisted. And then pulled the hood for the prototype jacket under my neck warmer so it wasn't in the way and was against my neck (the inside of the hood is fleece - NICE!!! - and very soft and warm!!!!).

North Face is probably thinking "we give you a nice jacket and you take a shitty picture of it???? Franki's an asshole!" Sorry North Face, I'm not a photographer.

Even though gained through suffering I LOVE this jacket. It's so perfect. The wrist things that go around my hands are lycra. The underside of the arms and down the sides of the jacket is a stretchy fleece material. Hood is lined with fleece. Rest of the jacket is down. Cool pockets. Bomber zipper. Perfect for anything (and, no offense to Patagonia, much better than my light down jacket I got from them).

BJ is awesome and one of the most chivalrous men I've ever met. I hope they put this jacket into production. The little details, like the fleece hood, make the jacket. And it DID warm me up a lot.

I used to not buy North Face stuff but now I'm going to check them out. And maybe can get BJ to convince North Face to make ice climbing pants that have a longer than 32 inch inseam for women.