Page 7 - Apparel

  Going into spring with temperatures varying, it can sometimes be difficult to find a sock that fits my needs. As someone with sensitive skin, I was skeptical about that dreaded "wool" word, especially for $20. However, the Margarita sock was so soft and comfortable it was hard to believe it was 71% merino wool, combined with nylon and elastane. I noticed almost immediately how cool my feet felt, the merino wool is great at regulating body temp and absorbing any moisture.  These socks can hold about 1/3 its weight in water and still keep its warmth in cold weather and breathability in warmer conditions. They are lightweight and thin enough to wear with any dress shoe, western boot, or just plain ol' sneaker.  Perfect for everyday wear, whether you're hitting the slopes, trekking back country trails or simply going to work, these ... Read more

It starts like this: we were going to be out on the boat in the middle of a lake with absolutely no cover. The night before our trip I decided that I needed some kind of rain gear so that I wouldn't be completely miserable if it did rain. I talked with some of our clothing sales people at North 40, and they were talking up Frogg Toggs like it was the-be-all-end-all of anything rain gear saying how lightweight they were and how breathable they were and, "Oh yes, they are completely waterproof." You can check out our selection of Frogg Toggs online here. Well, what got me wasn't the fact that they are completely water proof but that they are breathable. I remember the days of the vinyl rain "slickers" and how they might keep the water off of you, but you're no better off because you are trapped inside of a plastic bubble sweating as much... Read more

I was privileged to field test a pair of MSR Evo snowshoes last week on an overnight hike to Tiffany Mountain, elevation 8200 in a sub-range at the eastern edge of the North Cascades about 25 linear miles northwest of Omak. I got a ride from Omak and began my walk up the North Fork of Salmon Creek from the mountain hamlet of Conconully. Low clouds and fog which overhung the Okanogan, seemingly for weeks, gave way to sunshine at Conconully, elevation 2300. I changed into a new pair of Merrell snowboots that were on clearance at North 40, and donned the Evo snowshoes at the Tiffany Lake Trail #373 trailhead, elevation 4800, a mile or so beyond Salmon Meadows, at about 2PM. The snow was paltry, maybe two feet, and was very rotten, making for some deep postholing and slow progress. I have snowshoed for about 25 years, usually several times ... Read more

Did you know that the average person will walk anywhere between 70,000 and 120,000 miles in their lifetime? If you do the math, that is almost halfway to the Moon or 4 times around the Equator. That is walking up and down the Empire States building's 1,576 stairs 5 times a day. Better yet, how about a realistic perspective for the everyday working class? In a typical 40-hour work week the average person can put in about 15,000 steps a day which is 75,000 steps or 37.5 miles a week. Most importantly these steps are made on or around hard surfaces such as concrete, blacktop or tile even rooftops with a lot of intermittent standing. Starting to sound familiar? For a visual aid, I ask you to look at your work shoes or boots. I worked as an Assistant Manager in our Moses Lake store from 2009: 2010 and then Manager of our Havre store from 201... Read more

This month: buy-one-get-one-free on SmartWool Arrow top sock. Read the full review below and get into your local North 40 Outfitters to take advantage of this sale. It sure seems like foot comfort impacts the way we feel all over. In the winter months, I have a problem keeping my feet warm. SmartWool socks catch your eye with the stylish designs and they do a great job of keeping my feet warm. Our Sock of the Month selection is the especially comfortable Women's SmartWool Arrow top sock. The comfort of this medium cushion, over-the calf sock is provided by 56% merino blend. If you've never worn merino before, you may hesitate about paying $24 for a pair of socks but wearing them will make you a convert. Folks are becoming more familiar with merino now, as it becomes ever more popular. It comes from a fine knit which is much softer that r... Read more

In the spring of 2009, I walked into the local North 40 Outfitters (known as Big R at the time) with a baby on my hip asking the tall, red headed manager for a job. I knew nothing about farm or ranch, but desperately needed a job like many others in our community. I was hired the following week. I quickly began learning vendors, what each product was used for, etc. It was a whole other world for me, but it was fun. Several months after I started, a young dairy farmer walked in. Some of the other girls had already met him, and he invited me to bring my daughter out to see the baby calves... I quickly searched out some "farm attire" for her to wear. I came across Carhartt. I bought several shirts, zip up hoodies and later on someone else bought her a Carhartt coat. You can see the selection of children's clothes North 40 has online here. ... Read more

As a sportsman here in the Northwest, I have been on the hunt for a comfortable pair of warm, waterproof boots that doesn't cost a quarter of my paycheck. When I noticed the Kamik Hunter boots had hit our shelves, I was hopeful these were the ticket. Steelhead season was fast approaching, and $49.99 seemed like a fair price to give the Kamik's a shot. Check these boots out online here for a closer look at the product. Features of the Kamik Hunter Boot The Hunter series looks like a normal rubber boot on the surface, but once in your hand, or better yet on your feet, it's apparent that these boots have been beefed up to handle the cold and wet conditions that are typical here in the Northwest. The felt liner and drawstring nylon collar on top (to keep the snow out) seemed to me like pretty unique features in a basic rubber boot. Field Te... Read more

Berne Jackets: Quality Apparel at Affordable Prices When we needed good quality affordable coats to outfit our family, we headed in to town to our local North 40.  The gals there kindly helped us choose the correct size for the whole bunch of us.  We have since been more than pleased with our Berne jackets.  They are tough enough to withstand the rough and tumble of every age and stage of work and play in our busy life.  Not only are these coats affordable for our full family, they wash up nicely for a trip to town.  Our children love to get out of the house and a favorite saying at our place is, "Kids, get your Berne on". From chores to church, Berne coats fit our family. God Bless, The Wolfe Family And it's customers like these, employees like these that bring pride and a deeper sense of value to our brand here at North 40 Outfit... Read more

I've been living in Bangkok for the last two years, so this white and frozen Northwest winter is a foreign country to me. My first experience with driving in the snow was to get stuck in the pass from Helena to Great Falls during this last storm they named Astro. Ended up staying at a little motel in Cascade, which I found out later doubled as one of the best fly shops on the MIssouri River. So... What does this winter weather have to do with Bluetooth and music you ask? Why, let me get direct to the point: the BE Headwear beanies that we stock at North 40 Outfitters. Check out our selection of online headwear here. BE Headwear Review: Warmth and Music I tried one of these beanies out after the snow storm I talked about above--I went out into the below zero weather when traditional headphones would not have been an option, and I wouldn'... Read more

  As the cold weather is approaching and I'm busy clearing my closets of summer clothes and shorts making room for all of our sweaters, long johns, thermals, boots, scarfs hats, gloves and everything else us Montanans wear during our 6 months of winter: I come across my wool socks. These are by far my favorite accessory and you can tell by ranging assortment (most of them SmartWool of course) and each one with a memory: the pair I got from my grandma who has since passed to the bright stripe ones I enjoy wearing to work or the heavyweight ones perfect for a winter day moving cattle with my husbands family. I've got them all- Why do I love SmartWool? First of all they keep my feet warm even during those -50 degree days when the car will barely start up and you pretty much don't want to look out the window, let alone go outside into ... Read more

Smartwoolâ„¢  Men's PHD Ultra Light Mini Our Sock of the Month for September 2014 is the Men's PHD Ultra Light Mini Smartwoolâ„¢ for $6.95. This is by far the most comfortable sock I have ever worn- perhaps after writing a bunch of these Sock of the Month blogs (now a regular posting), it will be harder for me to write those words, but for now, let me reiterate: this is by far the most comfortable sock I have ever worn. I came home from the Great Falls store with this sock, went to my friend's house to have the kids color Cecelia and get free Sprecher root beer opened it up and promptly lost it to my friend K, "I better try that on for you," she says to me in a "I'm-doing-this-for-your-own-good" kind of tone. Two days later, I got the sock back so I could actually wear it around and write it up here. After I got my socks back f... Read more

The efficacy of the Carhartt Pyramex Billings safety glasses, the functionality, the fit- and most importantly the price our store is able to get them to you that's the subject of this blog. These glasses are available at our stores right now at a price of under 5 dollars. You can't beat that. Carhartt Pyramex teamed up to get you these glasses at a ridiculous price. The glasses my brother is using in this video are the Carhartt + Pyramex Billings model- price? $4.99 yeah... $4.99 in USD. Shop for your Carhartt Pyramex Billings safety glasses here. And, well- I've used my brother once again for a tester of our products. He is a farrier out of Great Falls, Montana that only uses handmade, bar stock shoes on the horses. The argument for handmade horseshoes versus keg shoes- that isn't the subject for this blog. If you have your own though... Read more