Here's a bit of scoop for you, it's a quick first look at a
pre-production prototype of a Montane eVENT jacket that's not due in
the shops until this September.
The jacket's called the Super-Fly XT - below - but it's a
completely different animal to the existing, super-lightweight
Super-Fly that's had rave reviews from pretty much everyone who's
used it.
That was still a relatively lightweight jacket, so for those of
you who regularly trash your kit on mixed routes, alpine ascents and
barbed wired fences, the Montane guys designed the XT, which they say
is 'engineered for extreme use where protection is required'. That
means the use of a tougher, more abrasion-resistant grade of the
excellent eVENT waterproof and breathable fabric on vulnerable areas
combined with a lot more features than the minimalist original
Super-Fly.
Essentially then it's intended to be much more of an all-round,
heavy-use mountain jacket which should do anything from hardcore
backpacking through to climbing and mountaineering. It's till
intended to be relatively lightweight though.
Features
The big changes start with the fabric. You only have to pick up
the XT to appreciate that the 'Abrasion' three-layer material that
Montane has used for the shoulders, elbows, hips and seat - the
black
areas in the photos - is significantly tougher than the lightweight
fabric used for the rest of the jacket. It has a reassuringly robust
feel to it.
Montane haven't skimped on features either. There are four chest
pockets for easy storage complete with mesh linings to maximise
breathability, then tucked away under protective flaps are a pair of
mesh-backed zip openings allowing easy ventilation even when wearing
a harness or pack.
The hood is a nice big, adjustable helmet-friendly job with volume
adjustment and a classic, big, wired peak, plus you get simple but
effective, two-position Velcro-fastened cuffs, adjustable hem and
waist cord fastenings and, in a nod to its lightweight relatives, a
drop-tail for ease of movement.
There's no skimping and a durable-looking double flap protects the
main zip from rain.
In Use
The Super-Fly XT may feel robust., but it still tips the scales at
a very reasonable 625 grammes for the medium prototype. That's light
for a fully-featured all-mountain jacket and reflects on the clever
combination of materials in the design.
It's even more impressive when you put it on and find it has a
fullish length and a more generous cut than the figure-hugging
Super-Fly original which, when we tested it, weighed around 400
grames in the same size. Bear in mind though that we're dealing with
a prototype garment here and the production version may be
lighter.
The fabric is still super impressive. Appreciably more breathable
- or strictly speaking, with better moisture vapour permeability -
than any other waterproof breathable fabric we've used. That means
you stay drier for longer. You can still overwhelm eVENT if you're
working hard and running hot, but for the moment, this is as good as
it gets.
So you're getting great breathability in an all mountain rather
than a lightweight jacket with a reassuringly robust, protective feel
and enough room to layer underneath in cold conditions. You also get
shedloads of pockets and those vents. To be honest, the vents - above
- work best in windy conditions, if it's stiller, it's arguably more
effective to roll-up the sleeves, which is easily done. Thank you
Montane.
If you're going to quibble, the hood isn't quite as neat and
well-fitting as a Mountain Equipment or Arc'Teryx one, but it's not
far off, gives decent protection complete with wired peak and moves
with your head when you turn it. It also accommodates a helmet,
making it suitable for mountaineering use.
And So?
If you're in the market for an all round mountain jacket and can
hold fire till September, put the Super-Fly XT on your shortlist.
It's fully featured, uses what we reckon is the best material out
there and despite a tough, robust feel and generous cut, still weighs
in at just over 600 grammes for a medium.
If we had to make changes we'd taper the cut more around the waist
and hip area and maybe tweak the hood so the tensioner cord sits
stlghtly lower on the head. Other than that, the XT looks like a
cracking jacket and we'll bring you a more detailed write-up when
we've had the chance to use it a little more in more demanding
conditions.
Oh, it looks nice too, not that that matters, of course....
For details of the current Montane range of clothing see
www.montane.co.uk
Neil H
