ME Microtherm Mountain Jacket Tested

ME Microtherm Mountain Jacket Tested

Price: £90.00

Weight: 600 grammes

Features: Windproof, water-resistant outer with micro-fleece liner, rollaway hood with wired peak, tethered cords and volume adjuster, twin lined handwarmer pockets, one large external map pocket, hem drawcord, half drawcord at waist, laminated tabs at cuffs with simple Velcro fastener, small stuffsac, single-handed drawcord fasteners at hem, one zipped internal pocket.

Windproof, water-resistant, warm but not too warm and with a half decent hood as well. Hood adjusters tended to slip, some will prefer a closer cut.

---

The Concept There was much woeful gnashing of teeth when Mountain Equipment discontinued the classic Ultrafleece Mountain Jacket for this winter. That old stager was fairly wind resistant and warm, but not too warm for active winter use.

The Microtherm Mountain Jacket takes up where its predecessor left off. It's much the same cut and offers roughly the same level of insulation, but is totally windproof, more wind resistant as well as being lighter and more compact. It's designed to be more technical than the classic ME Microtherm Zip-off jacket or Pull-on, with an added hood, but offering the same advantages as these and others along the same lines like Marmot's DriClime, viz great weather resistance combined with breathability and wicking from the microfleece lining. A sort of lightweight Buffalo if you like.

---

Features ME has pretty well taken the cut and features of the classic Ultrafleece Mountain Jacket and translated them over into Microtherm world. That means a longish cut for maximum butt protection, a hood - though the adjustable version on the Microtherm is much better than the simpler UF incarnation - big handwarmer pockets, a new map pocket too and other neat touches, like the half-zip waist borrowed from ME's technical shell range with the adjusters nicely tucked away out of sight inside the handwarmer pockets.

---

In Action We always liked the old Ultrafleece Mountain Jacket, but we reckon the new Microtherm version has it well and truly licked. It offers great protection in anything up to medium rain and is totally windproof with it. That makes it more versatile than the UF version, which was more wind resistant than a fleece, but still needed an additional shell when the wind really got up to houlie proportions.

It's also creditably water resistant and dries fast enough that you won't need a shell till it's really bucketing down - if you're moving really fast, maybe not even then. It's also warm, but not overwarm which makes it a good option for active use.

The cut is effective and using the waist half zip pulls the front of the jacket neat and flat for neatness, particularly when climbing. Reach too is fine, both to the front and above your head and with everything cinched down, or should that be 'up', it's close fitting enough to be effective without being tight or restrictive.

The hood is a nice touch - like the body it's lined with microfleece for warmth and has both front cords and a rear volume adjuster making it a real alternative to a hat on cold, windy days and an instant warmer for belays and rest stops. It also has a wired peak which is nice. One quibble though, the neoprene tensioners on the front neck draw cords had a tendency to slip in use and ME might have been better off with the more conventional one-handed cord-grips used for the hem cord.

What else? Mostly it's straightforward fit and forget. The simple laminated tabs on the cuffs work well, even wearing gloves, the roomy map pocket takes a map or guidebook easily and, it all packs down nicely into the mesh stuff sac supplied.

---

Verdict

Top UK conditions mountain top that allows you to get away without wearing a hardshell outer for more of the time. It's totally windproof, surprisingly water-resistant and the microfleece liner provides just about the right level of insulation for active use for most people in mountain conditions.

Wicking and breathability are both good too and the cut and technical features do what it says on the can with the longer, traditional cut in particular offering great protection for those who don't wear shell pants.

Quibbles? Skinny types might prefer a closer fit, but it's spot on for Mr Average, and the front hood cord tensioners on our jacket slipped slightly in use which was a little irritating. We'd also think before dragging it up thrutchy, Scottish mixed routes, but that's true of most kit.

Other than that, it's a no-brainer choice for most UK autumn/winter days. Think of it as a sort of super fleece with massively improved wind and rain protection and you won't go far wrong. Classic fit and forget stuff, packs small if you do need to carry it and superior to its predecessor in every way with the possible exception of its grip on snow...

Performance
Value

---

Mountain Equipment Web Site

Pushed for time: Fit and forget fleece substitute jacket that takes over where the old Ultrfleece Mountain Jacket left off. Long cut and good technical features makes it very much a fit and forget option and total windproofness and high water resistance plus good breathability, high wicking and quick drying means that you can live without a waterproof shell till it really buckets down. The hood is neatly designed too, though we found the front adjusters slipped a little, and reach is also fine for climbing. It's also warm, but not too warm, making it about right for active use. Good jacket at a reasonable price.

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.