Montane Jaguar Jacket Tested
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Price:
£90.00
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Weight: 622 grammes
(medium)
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Features: Fleece
jacket made from Polartec WindPro with high pile inner face
plus Dryactic stretch panels at sides and cuffs, two-way
reversed front zip, map-sized, mesh-lined hand-warmer
pockets, single-hand adjustable elasticated hem and collar
drawcords.
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What's It For?
The new for autumn / winter 2007 Jaguar Jacket is a men's version
of last year's women's Panther jacket. It's a winter-weight fleece
top, that's also significantly more wind resistant than normal
fleece.
We'd also be lying if we said that the looks and feel are
irrelevant. Primaloft and similar synthetic fibres may have
functional pluses, but they can't compete with fleece for that end of
a day on the hill high snuggle factor.
On top of that, the high-loft inner face of this version of
WindPro looks excellent, almost like artificial fur. Shallow? Us? You
bet.
The Techy Bits
The Jaguar - and its Panther sister for that matter - is all about
the fabric. Polartec's WindPro is the spiritual successor to
Ultrafleece. It's denser than normal fleece which means it has around
four times more wind resistance.
Montane has also been fiendishly cunning by using the fluffy side
of the fabric on the inside where it can trap heat more efficiently.
A fluffy outside may look neat, but it's nothing like as effective
when it comes to trapping warmth.
There are also stretch panels at the sides and underarms made from
Dryactive Stretch which reduces bulk and improves fit and mobility.
How It Performs
Conventional fleece is warm in still conditions, but any sort of
wind tends to rip through it and carry off the trapped warm air
leaving you chilled. The nice thing about WindPro is that its greater
wind resistance - around four times more - means you can wear it on
moderately windy days without feeling the need for any sort of
shell.
And it's warm too. The luxuriously soft, fluffy high loft inner
isn't just for show, it also traps lots of warm air close to the body
aided in its mission by a snug cut. In fact unless you run cold, it's
almost certainly going to be too warm for active use except in
seriously chilly conditions. Adjustable collar and hem plus stretch
cuffs help when it comes to battening down against the cold as
well.
The pockets are huge and well up to carrying a veritable map
collection if you're that way inclined as well as doing handwarming
duties on cold morning around the camp site.
What else? Well, like we said, it looks great, erm, trendy even,
thanks to the furry collar meaning you can wear it off the hill
without looking like a refugee from a 1980s Bonington attempt on
Everest.
You can argue endlessly about the pros and cons of fleece
versus shelled insulation, but if you're after a winter fleece to
keep you snug and warm anywhere from the campsite to the pub and with
added snuggly sex appeal, they don't come any better than the Jaguar,
or the Panther for that matter.
Polartec's WindPro is a bit of an unsung hero of the fabric world
and accounts for the highish price tag, but the added wind resistance
makes the Jaguar significantly more versatile than a conventional
fleece.
It's a good-looking, effective winter top with great looks and we
reckon we'll be wearing our's all winter for anything short of
fast-paced active use. Lovely :-)
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Warm, fluffy, wind resistant and looks great with it.
Not cheap and a little heavy.
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Performance
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Value
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Know more or want to?
If you'd like to add your own experiences of this
product check out our user review system and post your opinions to
the world. If you have questions you can mail
us direct, ask
Richard Gear or try a posting to our
gear
forum.
tim waltham
