 Some good looking stuff there. I like the look of the Fireball Smock, and the Resolute Smock.
The Fireball should be an excellent summer insulation piece.
I hope the Resolute Smock works out, as a more water-resistant shell makes a lot of sense. However, i've a couple of tops with an Epic shell and the breathability isn't too good. My eVENT waterproof is more breathable than my Epic tops. Not so important in a Belay Jacket, but good breathability is needed in something that will be worn all day.
Good to see Montane producing interesting gear.
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 Just hope they decide to may their sizing a bit more even across the range...
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 I like the look of the Resolute smock too, maybe as a replacement for my VR in winter. Looks to have better venting than the VR and I run a little colder than average so for me the breathability of EPIC is not so much of a problem. Anybody know if it's available in jacket form as well or just smock?
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 That new smock, Resolute, has me drooling, at first sight  The Extreme Smock is my favourite item of clothing, ever. The new one looks great.
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.JPG) Looks good ,as we all seem to agree, but is it double the price better than the existing extreme smock ?
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Montane used to do a beefed up Extreme with a tougher more water-resistant (orange) outer and bigger collar - can't remember what it was called - but it only lasted a couple of seasons. This new thing is similar and a lot more money, and I'm not sure I'd want to compromise in any way the sweat management of the Extreme. Another Extreme-related product that Montane used to do was a very light (and quite cheap iirc) waterproof shell with vents that lined up with those in the Extreme -- useful for long periods of relative inactivity in heavy rain.
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| Edited: 08/01/10 10:29 |
 ALS - was it called Chronos or perhaps the Eight Jacket?
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JustinM - could've been - just can't remember - do remember seeing about a dozen people wearing them one day up on the Cairngorm plateau - it was orange and black iirc, possibly with more of a collar. Ah .. I've just googled a reference to the Chonos here and a picture here so it looks like Chonos was right. Them were the days. I hope Montane haven't dropped the little detail features that made the original Extreme so good. And they should bring the mittens back!
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| Edited: 08/01/10 10:59 |
I wish Montane well and it's great to see they seem to be doing well too. But for me, the colours and contrasting zips are just a no-no. Similarly, I would have bought their winter trousers (XT 2.0?) but for the silly go-faster flashes on the legs. I wonder what other people's views are. I concede they may have more discrete colours not shown on the OM article but I haven't looked, yet.
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 I think the old smock was called a Chonos 8, but I may be wrong. I have one upstairs and it's so ridiculously warm that it's virtually unwearable in most conditions, even winter ones... On the colour front, I have a workbook somewhere and I'll have a look, but contrasting zips do seem to be all the rage at the moment. Also Montane's new designer, who has had some input in next winter's range apparently, has come from Mountain Equipment, where contrasting zips have been de rigeur for a while 
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 Jon, you do realise you're stuck with that santa hat for the next twelve months don't you?. You've missed twelfth night so unlucky to take it off until next year.
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I'm not sure forum avatars were included when the regs were drawn up... Besides, I have editorial super powers 
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 Ooh powerful stuff indeed but you risk bringing bad luck on the whole of OM.
I suggest you only remove your hat whilst juggling three ice axes and singing jingle bells backwards..... just to be on the safe side
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Also Montane's new designer, who has had some input in next winter's range apparently, has come from Mountain Equipment, where contrasting zips have been de rigeur for a while
I hope Montane don't go 'all funny', as they are one of my favourite company's. Fair enough, have dayglo zips for folk who like them, but have more muted colours for traditional old farts like myself.
I bought a Haglofs LIM Ultimate jacket when it first came out many years ago. It was a nice, plain carbon colour, and i liked a lot of their stuff. Their stuff hardly gets looked at by me now when i'm needing to replace stuff. Their nursery school colour schemes do nothing for me, but i suppose 14 year old girls need to buy gear from someplace. Isn't that right Diddy?
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I wonder if someone from Montane might respond to this? And re my comments above on the reflective flashes on the XT 2.0s - is there anyone out there who is actually glad of them? I'd love to know! If they'd only do them in plain, muted colours, and ideally with a long version, I'd be delighted...
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 Never had to walk back along a road in the dark after a walk in winter then? Seems a very sensible idea to me really.
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MC - Yes, a few, but most of my stuff is done away from roads. Multi day trips, bothies, remote camps, or days in which the return is back to the car off road. If I'm on a road, the torch suffices when necessary. Yes, I know, they are a good idea for road walks, just not for me. I also do quite a lot of walking at night, and I am aware that there might be the odd occasion when such flashes might, possibly, help avoid losing contact with a mate, but it's not been an issue yet!
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The big orange pile lined smock was indeed the Eight Smock. Montane also did the Eight Jacket briefly too. A very serious piece of kit and ideal for the worst and coldest weather. When I was there we also worked on a jacket called the Propane, which was Pertex Endurance outer with Primaloft filling and a brushed lining. There was also a much lighterweight version of the Extreme called the Krypton: Pertex Microlight outer, with a brushed tricot lining. Does that help ALS?
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oh and re reflective on clothing, if you were to find yourself in a situation where the MR teams need to find you in the dark, any reflective material on you makes you much more likely to be found.
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 Julie, wherever you are working now, come back and talk sense about clothing design again. You've been missed.
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