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Mountain Hardwear Epic Jacket
First Look
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Price:
£90.00
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Weight: 365 grammes (men's
medium)
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Features: Nylon
ripstop face fabric and ripstop stretch panels, Conduit Silk microporous
breathable polyurethane coating with silk protein,
one-handed hem and hood adjustment cords, twin venting mesh
front pockets, glued chest pocket, laminated cuff tabs,
Simplex front zip, waterproof / breathable stretch panels on
lats and rear of sleeves, Ergo hood with stiffened
peak,microfleece chin guard, extra-long pit-zips with
Simplex construction. Stuffs into own pocket. Also available
in women's version.
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Okay, let's level with you - we've got a bit spoiled by playing with
new generation Paclite smocks weighing under 300 grammes that aren't
even on the market yet otherwise we'd probably be going overboard
about the lightness of MHW's new lightweight 365 gramme Epic jacket.
But then while Paclite 3 isn't in the shops till next year, you can
buy an Epic right now and for 90 quid get the sort of top-end
features you'd be paying a lot more for with a Paclite
jacket.
In effect this is MHW's answer to Paclite 3, which they won't be
using, and we reckon it'll find quite a few takers. The fabric's an
ultra-lightweight rip-stop nylon with a microporous coating
incorporating silk protein for softness. If that sounds familiar,
it's because it's not a million miles away from Marmot's Pre Cip
material. Does get a little slick on the inside when wet.
Breathability?
Our initial impressions are that while the Epic's certainly
comfortable, the new Paclite has a detectable edge when it comes to
breathability. That's not the whole story though since the jacket is
still above average breathability - appreciably better than, say,
Lowe's Adrenaline jacket - and incredibly well featured. A Paclite
jacket with the same features would set you back at least £150
and possibly more.
The rationale is that with the development of soft shell garments,
like MHW's new Velocity - more soon - and Alchemy garments, there's a
need for lightweight waterproofs that will only be used 'when it
really pours', so will live mainly in your pack, so light weight is
prioritised above durability. Be interesting to see how that theory
works in Scotland...
Features A Go Go...
The Epic may be light, but the designers have crammed in more
features per jacket than Charlie Dimmock manages in an arborial
makeover. You get big, venting, mesh-lined pockets, big pit-zips with
MHW's Velcro-free Simplex flap system to reduce bulk and hassle, a
well-designed, helmet-compatible, Ergo hood, and, erm, panels of dark
rip-stop stretch material down the back of the arms and sides of the
back (see picture).
Cut is short and American, though for a tenner more, you can get a
longer, parka version that's probably more suited to walking use,
though less happy for running, climbing or biking. The fit is quite
boxy and will either suit you or not and, to be honest, those stretch
panels, are a bit of a gimmick. We're rapidly coming to the
conclusion that the best use for stretch material is to allow a
tighter fit in the body for technical garments, rather than
theoretical sleeve lengthening duties. In practice, the sleeve pulls
down before it gives significantly, but then MHW say it's not really
intended as a hardcore climbing top.
The venting pockets and big, easy to use, pit-zips are great
though, particularly if you're moving fast and pumping out the heat.
We have had problems with the internal Simplex flap jamming in the
zip occasionally, possibly because the thin fabric just isn't quite
stiff enough to lie flat and the flap folds over. Irritating, but not
the end of the world and you learn to be more careful.
The Glued Chest Pocket...
...is more of a technology showpiece than a particularly useful
addition, but will take an energy bar and a compass, Looks different
though.
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Initial Verdict: Very light, very
well-featured jacket in an American-style, short, boxy cut
that's comfortable to wear and has very decent
breathability. At 90 quid, it's good value, but it's not
perfect. The short cut works well for running, biking and
climbing, not so ideal for walking though. On top of that,
there's no way of rolling down and securing the hood, which
means it bounces around when, say, running. Venting from the
twin pockets and the long pit-zips is great, though we found
the pit-zips snag occasionally on the - otherwise excellent
and easy to use - Simplex flaps. An equivalent jacket in next
year's Paclite would cost considerably more and isn't
available yet anyway. A good jacket at a decent
price.
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