Buffalo Special 6 or Montane Extreme Smock

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R_Mac
21/03/2011 at 18:23
Hi folks, I'm sure this has been asked before but I'm hopefully getting one tomorrow, the Montane looks to have a better hood and is cheaper than the Special 6, anyone have/had both, want to offer some advice?
Martin Carpenter
21/03/2011 at 18:31

Very dull but, well fit Neither has any stretch and ideally has to fit pretty tight. So.....

R_Mac
21/03/2011 at 18:34

Fortunately I'll be able to try them on, unfortunately I suspect I'll need a size small and they don't have the Montane in that size in the colour I need (green)

Maybe the Montane is small fitting?  

ALoveSupreme
21/03/2011 at 19:03
I've owned both - Buffalo first, made to measure, then the Extreme. Hood on Extreme is much much better - the Buffalo one has flaps which can blow into your eyes, and kind of gives you tunnel vision - on the edge of dangerous in winter, and painful in the wind. The ventilation arrangements of the Extreme are also much better imo - you can use the diagonal chest zips to get very controlled ventilation, whereas the side zips (on both) are useful but in practice mostly covered by your rucsac belt. The hand warmer pockets on the Buffalo are not very sensibly placed - if you wear a rucsac they are under the belt, and the pockets also mean there is two layers of pile under the belt and over your belly - not very sensible. The Extreme used to have even more advantages - thin fabric under the armpits and at the cuffs for example, but these have been dropped alas.
Edited: 21/03/2011 at 19:04
R_Mac
21/03/2011 at 19:19
Cheers ALS, I'm definitely leaning towards the Montane but I'll bet I can't get my size now that I've pretty much decided.
Mole
21/03/2011 at 19:24

apart from the design features mentioned by ALS

special 6 seems to be a bit longer in the body than the Montane

and feels 'softer'  - more packable (?!)  due to not having the reinforcing patches and Buffalo using different (softer base fabric) fibre pile

I have an ancient 1980s Buffalo mountain shirt (too short really) and a Montane extreme jacket  (90s) which doesn't have the reinforcing patches and is still used regularly by me and the OH

Edited: 21/03/2011 at 19:26
R_Mac
21/03/2011 at 19:29

Is the pile in the Montane different from the Buffalo? if so which one dries fastest/feels warmest when wet or is there no difference?

Mole
21/03/2011 at 19:38

If pushed I'd guess  Montane possibly slightly warmer

drying performance probably equal - maybe Buffalo faster as no reinforcing non-pertex areas

personally, having tried on both this winter  -almost bought either - had same dilemma as you. I'd say the montane feels stiffer and would take more 'breaking in' than the buffalo

In my dreams I decided to go for a made to measure with side zips all the way to elbows from Keith at Extreme!

I fitted long pitzips like this to my old Montane Exteme Jacket  - much better - don't understand why no side vents on the jackets - as you can't sensibly  vent in the same way as a smock with just the front zip....

ALoveSupreme
21/03/2011 at 19:42
.. that's a fair point about the Buffalo, it is a bit longer, and keeps the nether regions a little warmer (or makes it easier to overheat, depending). Don't think there's a significant difference in the pile, but my Extreme's quite old, and my Buffalo would have been older, so it's possible that things have changed.
R_Mac
21/03/2011 at 19:43
In the end if I buy the one that I like the best on the day it should be ok
Mole
21/03/2011 at 19:46
R_Mac wrote (see)
In the end if I buy the one that I like the best on the day it should be ok

I couldn't choose (but then I had 2 similar items already!)

getting a bit warm for them now though I did meet 2 guys on sunday wearing one of each - I was wearing just a baselayer and windproof!

R_Mac
21/03/2011 at 19:50
Mole wrote (see)
R_Mac wrote (see)
In the end if I buy the one that I like the best on the day it should be ok

I couldn't choose (but then I had 2 similar items already!)

getting a bit warm for them now though I did meet 2 guys on sunday wearing one of each - I was wearing just a baselayer and windproof!


 That must have been a bit warm

Mole
21/03/2011 at 19:54

they were both about 60,  moaning about the cold wind and when they stopped where I was checkpointing, one immediately  put a heavy fleece on top.  It was blue sky and 11am so lovely weather

takes all sorts

Daniel Shannon
21/03/2011 at 20:47

I own a "Buffalo Mountain Shirt" and a "Montane Extreme Jacket".  I'm not sure an exact comparison is fair but I find the Montane to be a bit bulkier and slightly more restrictive overall although warmer in general.  The Buffalo is less restricitive; feels more comfortable to me relative to having the feel of a thickish "shirt" vs. the Montane feeling like a jacket/coat.  Both do the job but the Montane's exterior is Pertex6 so is more water resistant than the Buffalo Mountain Shirt with its Pertex5.  I use them both but lean towards the Montane in proper cold weather (-15c to -6c) whereas I usually wear the mountain shirt from temps ranging from about -7c to around -1c.  Applicable to overall comfort and mobility I usually opt for the Buffalo.  In cold/windy conditions I prefer the Buffalo's hood vs. the Montane's because it literally wraps itself around the face and chin whereas the Montane doesn't (at least for me anyway).  True, it does restrict one's vision a bit but I opt for the protection when it's warranted.   

Dan S.

ALoveSupreme
21/03/2011 at 21:46
I'd say - though I don't know - that the Extreme Jacket might lose some of the benefits of the cross-flow ventilation scheme that, for me, makes the Extreme Smock the most usable over the widest range of conditions.

P.S. Don't you dare wear a base layer with either of them R_Mac! And make sure it's nice and cold and windy and snow's on the ground and spindrift is coming at you.
Edited: 21/03/2011 at 21:48
Tom Brayshaw
21/03/2011 at 22:15

I am just selling a Montane at the moment (in green, hint hint). I find that fit depends massively on your build. I'm a bit of a V shape and it meant the jacket let in cold around the bottom and was restrictive around my chest.

 However it was very good for cold weather, but above -2 i found it too warm. Also without a baselayer it seemed itchy when wet and my nipples didn't like it.

The hood is very good though, and venting works wonders. As long as you can try it on I'd recommend it. although not till next winter.

R_Mac
21/03/2011 at 23:06
ALoveSupreme wrote (see)

I'd say - though I don't know - that the Extreme Jacket might lose some of the benefits of the cross-flow ventilation scheme that, for me, makes the Extreme Smock the most usable over the widest range of conditions.

P.S. Don't you dare wear a base layer with either of them R_Mac! And make sure it's nice and cold and windy and snow's on the ground and spindrift is coming at you.


, not even a short sleeve one? To be honest I wasn't intending using it in the conditions you describe, I though I might just wear it in a bivvy bag under a tarp instead of using a sleeping bag or maybe just a thin synthetic bag, not up a mountain though but at lower level.

Tom Brayshaw wrote (see)

I am just selling a Montane at the moment (in green, hint hint). The hood is very good though, and venting works wonders. As long as you can try it on I'd recommend it. although not till next winter.

What size Tom?

StoneHuggingHippy
22/03/2011 at 01:18

I did my first wild camp for a while last weekend, i was a bit pissed it was too warm for the extreme, it's ultra comfy, though i can't compare it to the buffalo as i've never had one, i Doubt i ever will the extreme is so good.

Their customer service is second to none too, i tore my extreme across the kangaroo pocket and split the stitching under the right armpit whilst scrambling, they replaced it with a new one, no quibble.

I was willing to pay for the repair. 

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Edited: 22/03/2011 at 01:23
Mikel von Dundeeski
22/03/2011 at 07:11
I found Montane too tight across the fore-arms, even if i went up a size. Maybe the Montane is designed for office workers with puny arm muscles?

 

ALoveSupreme
22/03/2011 at 07:49
R_Mac - using one for bivvying is a different issue; I once bivid at the top of the Aonach Eagach in winter in a buffalo top, legs and sleeping bag - woke up with snow falling on me - was a splendid, but somewhat nippy experience. To me the real benefit of pile-pertex is for active use - the pile wicks like nothing else, and the zips give you masses of controlled ventilation. As pure insulation (all you need when you're bivvying), pile isn't that great for it's weight - I would have thought you might be better off with a primaloft type garment. Don't forget your legs either!

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