Gear

Still trying to gear up for some trail-running, mountain marathon type stuff.  I'm looking at waterproof jackets/smocks this time.

I'm tempted by the Montane Minimus jacket.  Anyone got one they like/dislike?  And does anyone have any other suggestions for ultra lightweight shells?

Richard Pain on here just bought one a couple of weeks back. We were chatting about it on Saturday as he's used it a fair bit cycling now. Reckons it breathes great.

I've got the Litespeed H2O, which doesn't really get used, it just gets carried in the sack as an 'it wont rain but' sort of jacket. It's a fair bit lighter than the Minimus but if buying now and after comparing them both - the Minimus would be my choice.

There'll be a whole raft of those Active Shell fabric smocks and jackets out soon I'd have thought, may be worth waiting a little while to see what the score is with them.

Worth bearing in mind that if you're running you'll get wet one way or another, so trying to keep dry is to some degree a bit of a moot point.  As long as you're in something that stops you getting cold you're most of the way there and you don't need anything too Whizz to do that.

Having said that, running through wind-powered rain is a whole lot less like miserable if you've got a good hood which you'd be more likley to get on a "technical" top, and it's also a good thing to have a generally nicer top for when you're walking but just want a light jacket rather than a Kitchen Sink Included variety.

Pete.

I'd suggest you try whatever your looking at buying on  as if you are wearing it all day irritatingly long arms, etc. will get on your nerves.

I use a Haglofs Ozo which I like, wore it all day on the 2nd day of the OMM last year and it was fine - but then I wasn't moving that fast.   I tried a Kamleika smock but the sleeves were way too long for me.  OMM have an event jacket this year which might be worth a look.

I have the Minimus but have yet to use it in the rain

The reason I bought it is that the Minimus is one of the very few lightweight yet full spec jackets available (accurate sizing - unlike many lightweight jackets you do not have to size up, proper hood, adjustable wrist closure, even a POCKET!)  - I bought the XL and yet it only weights 230g.

So long as it breathes as well as reported... very impressive

Thanks for the suggestions, folks: much appreciated.

One thing I did notice when looking at the rules for one marathon [?Saunders, I think]: they specifically ban waterproofs made from Pertex, which the Minimus is.  Sure, Pertex in its raw form isn't particularly waterproof, but I'd have thought that when it is treated as Montane say they do, it would do the job.

Surely aimed at people just relying on windshirts that? Or just maybe coated fabrics like the lightspeed h20.

Pertex shield is just a normal 2.5 waterproof fabric with a pertex outer and so can't imagine  any problems. Its very obvious on inspection too, so would be amazed if it really was a problem.

I had a windshirt on yesterday, up around the Yorkshire 3 peaks area. It kept the wind off fine, but once the rain came I got soaked to the skin and felt very cold for a while, notably on the windy tops.

The jacket was a Montane H2O thingy, which is supposed to be a bit waterproof. Well, it isn't. Luckily I had a Berghaus Paclite in my waistpack.

I too am looking out for a lightweight, small packing waterproof jacket for fell running. So far, I'm thinking of Montane's atomic DT jacket, or the Marmot Mica. But I'm on a budget, can't afford to spend eighty quid on a jacket only to find it isn't actually waterproof!

Anyone got any experience of either of these two jackets?

they specifically ban waterproofs made from Pertex

I agree with Martin's take; I suspect that rules saying "no pertex" are a hangover from when there were far fewer flavours and none of them could be reasonably be deemed waterproof.

If you have a taped-seam garment with a 1m hydrostatic head (IIRC 1m is the current accepted definition for "waterproof", though it might be more and if it is substitute that higher figure) I don't think it'll matter what it's made of.

The jacket was a Montane H2O thingy, which is supposed to be a bit waterproof. Well, it isn't.

This gets us back to the rather hard to pin down meaning of the term "showerproof"...  Unlike "waterproof", where the stated HH requirement is pretty much going to keep you sensibly dry in anything, there is no formal meaning and it's left down to marketing departments, who IME are apt to be a little "creative" about it.

The thing you need to realise is that once a "showerproof" has soaked through then the "a bit waterproof" is very unlikely to apply any more, because you've got liquid water all through the weave and there goes the surface tension effect that was keeping it out to begin with.  Anything less than fully waterproof will eventually soak through and when it has it will leak continually.  But I think it's fair to call it "a bit waterproof" for the time it takes to soak through, and for many soft shells (especially with a good DWR) that is actually useful.  I can drop the kids off at school and cycle back to work in about 20 minutes and light/showery rain won't get through my Ready Mix or Windshadow jackets in that time.  If it's thumping down I'm going to need a hard shell though, but that means more often than not I can use the lighter, more comfortable "softies". But if you're going to be out in heavy and/or sustained rain then a soft shell will leave you wet IME.

But I'm on a budget, can't afford to spend eighty quid on a jacket only to find it isn't actually waterproof!

If it's made of a waterproof fabric and has taped seams then it will be.  Otherwise they can't sell them as waterproofs without breaking trades descriptions.  You're still going to get wet if you're running, but the important thing is you aren't going to get cold and wet because the material won't soak through and get you covered in cold rain which is very good at cooling your body.  But it's also the case that you don't need to spend £80 for this effect, and even if you do you'll very, very probably overwhelm the breathability with sweat running up a big hill in 100% humidity and get (warm and) wet.

Pete.