In 70's , North Face was a small " Quality Gear Outfitter. Today they are only a name for farmed out overseas, big corp. junk. ( Not unlike most big outfitter chains today.) The the 60's and 70's , gear stores were ran by hikers and climbers and not the big money maggots of today. REI is a prime example.
I GOT A FEW OF THESE , BUT THE NORTH FACE PACK I USE FOR EVERY EXPEDITION IS THE ---> BACK MAGIC , THEY MADE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT VARIATIONS ON IT , I HAVE EM ALL , DOZENS OF EM .....CIRCA MID 70'S TO LATE 80'S
I, too, remember the aura surrounding The North Face, Sierra Designs, Lowe, Chouinard, and so on. I loved REI's 11th Avenue store: funky and cool. The new stores are so sterile by comparison. The phrase "big money maggots" is beautiful.