Montane Krypton Jacket

So I had chance of getting the Montane Krypton Jacket in a sale, paid £40 delivered.

I bought it because it was Montane and because it was  £40, and would then figure out what it will do. This is the 5th Montane top I own, in rough sequence of oldest-first:

1. Montane Litespeed (medium, original died from wear, bought a replacement)
2. Montane Prism (medium, original, and I think probably the best, restitched 3 times waiting to find a worthwhile successor)
3. Montane Velo (medium)
4. Montane Slipstream gilet (medium)
5. Montane Krypton LARGE

Notice all the mediums... apart from the Krypton.

 Now let's sequence in baggiest-most

1. Montane Litespeed medium
2. Montane Prism medium
3. Montane Krypton  LARGE
4. Montane Slipstream gilet medium
5. Montane Velo medium

I was not sure what this Krypton was about til I got it delivered, and put it on, then its obvious - its a tight-fitting slightly-insulated wicking lined windproof, say like a Litespeed SMALL over a thin synthetic baselayer. Once that became obvious I then knew what its for, active use in cool conditions when its not raining hard.

So put it on over a thin baselayer t-shirt and biked 20mins to supermarket in 50F and wore it indoors (deliberate, to see how is wicking and breathing) and then biked back home. It did its expected job well, the thin lining meant I wasnt too cold or too hot and the wicking lining meant I emerged out of the shop dry and not instant-cold outdoors.

 I'm left thinking this will be a good jacket for excertion in the cool dry conditions. Which is good as I live in California and cool dry is pretty much our winter currently. Probably in UK that would be when there is a northerly wind between Oct-Apr when its cool and dry and you're walking up-hill. 

Weight-wise its more a wear than pack item, on kitchen scales a Litespeed is 150g, Krypton 400g, Prism 350g, the Prism is much warmer, so you'd be wearing the Krypton and say packing a Prism or even a much thicker Primaloft like a Flux for stops.

Feature-wise, I'd forgot how much I prefer velcro sleeves than elasticated, as a cyclist my arms foreward, the Krypton I could get a tight seal and no cold up the arms, unlike all the other Montanes. I know velcro and gloves usually don't mix. The Krypton has an arm pocket, and yet no inside pockets, I guess in the sweating-wicking mood of the garment makes sense (internal pockets = sauna). The hood is decent but weird tightening cords I've never seen before, that I need to figure out before I wear gloves. The venting in the pockets makes little sense, the jacket is so figure-hugging no through-breeze is possible even dropped over a bike. No reflective piping so more walk-to-town, or even up  a hill, than biking wear.

 Overall, comparing discount like-for-like about  £40 for the Krypton is fair, relative to the non-insulated Litespeed we usually see in the  £25-£30 range and the Prism we see in the £60+ range.

Obviously it depends on the weather how much use a Krypton will get, its not warm or waterproof.

 Googling and searching OM. the words "Montane Krypton" come with an older smock version, I have no experience with, there seems little OM hits on the newer version. Hope this thread can gather some other owner's views.

Field and Trek had a big Montane sale a few months ago.Went a bit mad on the credit card and got a Venture jacket for £88, Venture overtrousers £30, Lightspeed £32, a couple of Bionic t-shirts for about £10 each....and a Krypton for £50. 

 I`m 9 and a half stone dripping wet and bought a small. It`s very close fitting and if i bought another i would probably get a medium, but it`s just about ok over a baselayer. I guess it needs to be close fitting for the wicking liner to do it`s job.

Out of everthing i own,i probably use the Krypton more than anything else. Really useful jacket...too warm for summer, but great in spring, autumn and winter. No faffing with layers, just chuck it on over a t-shirt and you`re set for the day.. windproof, warm enough, great hood and waterproof enough for snow, light rain and drizzle. As you said, it`s perfect for dry cold days...i used it in the Lakes and Snowdonia in Jan/Feb and was fine with just a long sleeve baselayer underneath.

The only time i`ve had to use an insulated jacket over it was in Jan when we went to photograph the sunrise at Chrome Hill in the Peaks...it was bloody freezing standing around waiting for the sun to appear. I used a Berghaus Chulu which is a fairly snug fit but it went over the Krypton easily...likewise a shell if it tips down

Also really good on the mountain bike. Got caught in quite heavy rain on the bike over the winter and it kept me dry. And, being Pertex, when it gets covered in mud you can just rinse it off under the shower instead of having to chuck it in the washing machine...

 Only problem with it...it`s so useful i`ve got a load of kit feeling neglected in the back of the wardrobe ..

So I just washed mine this last week, being next-to-skin practically single item it was getting pongy in the obvious places. It was REALLY heavy emerging from Techwash soaking and took a drip overnight and still very wet and then a couple of hours in warm sunshine in the morning to be eventually dry.

No way would I wear it in rain. I've been in Litespeed  caught in unexpected heavy rain and it immediately punched through Pertex and soaked my cotton shirt under. If that were to happen with the liner of the Krypton, I'd be soaked.

As we agree, its useful for high-activity, dry (to drizzle)  but unless its one of those days with zero chance of rain like a UK winter with a big high pressure over, it needs to have a waterproof shell packed. I have items like that, say a Marmot Mica which is an appropriate basic thin light pack-for-emergency type shell.

Since my posting in February, agree with what you said, just throw on over a baselayer and if you're active, and its dry, its all you need. I still think considering the cost of the Litespeed is in the 30-35ukp typical range, a fair price for the Krypton considering its basically a medium-weight baselayer stitched in is about 50ukp.

Interesting problem comes.... how to renew DWR with a stiched-in liner, its the first I've owned I might have to spray-on a DWR renewer rather than soak. That's one reason I've avoided such combo type units.

We had a really dry winter and spring in the UK so it worked really well in those conditions. I wouldn`t wear it if i was expecting to wear a waterproof shell for most of the day..a simple midlayer would be better. Then again..if the forecast is that bad i probably wouldn`t bother heading out..

Having said that, i was surprised how much rain it coped with on the bike. The water was running off the jacket and soaking through some cheap `waterproof` trousers i was wearing.It was nearly new at the time though..with nice fresh factory DWR. I`ve not really worn it in rain since, as we were in drought until `summer` arrived!

I`ve wondered the same about reapplying DWR...

As you say, it doesn`t do anything a Litespeed and a thin midlayer can`t do (and it`s less versatile) but i like the simplicity....and the hood, pockets and fit are much better.

It'd probably do fine on the bike in rain, because of the body heat you're generating. Also running, walking fast etc. Drizzle etc just fine from the DWR whatever you're doing of course.

(there's a very big difference between getting a cotton shirt and a thin synthetic base layer soaked!)

I did ponder if that special one-off they were selling about year+ ago at the Climber's Shop with a more water-resistent Pertex Equilibrium was a darn clever idea or a darn stupid idea. If it were more water-resistant it would be darn clever idea but if it were less wicking+breathable a darn stupid idea.

The fit is perfect for me, I wish its sizing could be cloned and made in all the fabrics, long enough sleeves, long body, decent hood, not flappy, but not too constrictive.

I wore mine last week, Independence Day here in California sat on a chilly windy hill watching fireworks. 

Andrew, amazed yours kept you dry.

With a Pertex Equilibrium outer it would basically be the same as a Vapour Rise...and they seem to work?

I think Equilibrium isn`t completely windproof but it`s more breathable...don`t know if water resistance is any better (or worse) though...

In the same sale when i bought the Krypton i got my brother a Montane Dyno for £25 as a christmas present. That`s made of Equilibrium but isn`t lined and it seemed a little shorter when i tried it on before reluctantly giving it to him. 

 He loves it...I`ve always regretted not getting one myself for the summer...it would do a similar job as the Litespeed with a closer fit, decent pockets and a proper hood...and it would have been cheaper...

There again..the Litespeed is so light and packs so small it`s a no brainer taking it along.

Montane Dyno, sounds interesting. My challenge is fit, there's only so many times I'll roll that dice mailorder, had a few major sizing errors over the years. If it weren't for some decent Krypton reviews saying go up a size I'd have got something too tight. It would help if all the dimensions were posted on gory detail online, e.g. what is the backlength? Saying "mountain athletic" is meaningless. From the photos I guess Dyno is shorter backlength than the Krypton but I can't tell as Montane doesn't supply enough information. I've in the past emailed Montane to get some actual measurements with some success, I love my Slipstream gilet, my most used Montane item, its tight but perfect for biking, the tightness traps heat which I can release by just the zip, if it were flappy it would be colder.

Equilibrium, so its less windproof 8cc vs Microlight/Classic (Krypton) 1cc. I'm not clear what is the benefit of a low air permeability, my greater problem is usually letting sweat out and keeping rain out that trying to hoard as much of my heated air in. I've seen the reviews of Equilibrium-outer based softshells, there's quite a few out there, but its fit which matters most with these items, if its too baggy then the flapping causes as much heat loss as having a very porous outer.

RRP Dyno / Krypton very similar RRP.

Yes..the difference in fit for a given size can vary a lot..even between clothes from the same brand 

From memory of trying the Dyno, it is quite a lot shorter than the Krypton. I`m 5`9 and skinny and tried a small (my usual size) and it felt a little too short on me...i think i would go up a size if i bought one.

Good jacket though, my bro uses his all the time for walking and biking. It`s probably a better `windproof` to wear all day than a Litespeed or similar..more features ,less flappy and nicer against the skin!

The Rab Alpine looks pretty similar and is often a bit cheaper...

I'm just trying Krypton more as a single quick insulated item to put on when its cooler, but I'll share what works better for me including rain....

Context: I spend about 25hours/week cycling in the mountains (resting pulse 46 ), that's about 300miles/week and 10,000ft of climbing/week.

Around here the temps vary about 25F with altitude and about 40F with the season so a sealevel summer hot of 90F-100F down to a mountain winter cold of say 30F. Rain only occurs <60F but rarely falls as snow at height, I only been defeated by ice on the road one day in last 4 years. In a single day I have to handle the heat from climbing through altitude colder, and the even colder of descending, so I wear a season base for temp for the ascending and pack a layer to handle the descending, that means my base needs to handle a wide variety of conditions and my packed item as small as possible as little capacity in a bike bag. How much of that overlaps typical OM readership - probably little?

When its cold enough, and its a not a heavy-rain-forecast, say warmest temp encountered is 60F and coldest is 35F, a combo which works is a Paramo Explorer as the base, worn fleecy-side-out ascending then reverse and layer a Montane Velo for altitude flat or descending, if its colder I'll pack the Montane Prism and to reduce its flapping a Slipstream Gilet which is tight and pinches the torso tight. The Explorer with fleecy-side-out with sleeves up and the chestzips open is ok riding on the flat in say 60F type, climbing up a hill it gets back-soaked from sweat, even if I'm cold (no backpack this is purely where the body dumps its sweat in response to hard effort), but then at top of hill reverse the sweat-sodden Explorer to fleecy-side-in which holds wet off the skin and it then feels much warmer, then layer a carried Montane Velo. In rain, the Velo will blunt most of the rain, what does leak through is prevented from chilling via the windproof and the fleecy layer holding the progressively soaked Explorer so you're not getting cold. I did once by accident find myself in heavier rain and I put on a Slipstream gilet over the Velo. It shows me probably the answer which would apply to Kryton too. The outer Pertex was shedding 90% of the water hitting it, rain was punching through but it was beading and rolling off the Pertex layer under it which was given a chance to resist via the outer Pertex layer blunting the water velocity. 

So if you were a fan of the Krypton, and wanted to add some more water-resistance, pack a basic Pertex layer. The biking version would be a Velo, the hiking version say a Litespeed.

I bought a TXDirect spray-on. Dammed poor value, paying for the sprayer. I assume its the exact same liquid inside as the regular TXDirect? I assume so as I can then refill from a better value/ml big TXDirect bottle.

So not so much for the Krypton but all DWR-coated fabrics, is it better to spray on a DWR from new, so it gets worn off, and so protect the factory-applied DWR for longer, than it is to wait, let the factory DWR wear off then spray-on a DWR? i.e. is prevention better than cure?

Nigel, I have a medium dyno, which I find surprisingly good.

It is not windproof - maybe slightly less so than ultrafleece, but that is the point. I'm 5'10, and slim and the medium fits me. 

I have worn it as a midlayer under paramo, when it is a bit cold, and with a Velz I can access the two pockets, which are probably the most useful feature on the duno - each can easily take an OS map.  

If it came in dayglo, I'd use it as my preferred cycle jacket for light rain, as it is a lot cooler than a dfull windproof.