Montane Scarab Tested

Montane Scarab Jacket - Tested

 

Price: £85 SRP

Weight: 470 grammes (medium)

Features: Wind and water resistant soft shell jacket with Pertex Equilibrium outer fabric over a chewable Dryactiv Suede microfleece lining, zoned lining, zip-away unlined hood with wired peak, Under Arm Enhanced breathing panels, two map-sized, mesh-lined chest pockets, hook and loop adjustable cuffs with reflective dots, DWR Beardguard lined collar.

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What's It For?

Soft shell-type garments like the Scarab fall neatly into the gap between lightweight fleece and shell. They give you reasonable wind and rain protection and some extra insulation, but without losing out on breathability and wicking performance which means they also make good mid-layers. Great for fast-moving active use in colder conditions or as an all-round walking, climbing, do it all mid come outer layer.

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The Techy Bits

Garments like the Scarab have been around for ages, normally though they use a fully windproof outer fabric which is great for weather protection, but less breathable and less fast wicking than your might think.


Like Rab with their acclaimed Vapor-Rise garments, Montane has chose to use Pertex Equilibrium as an outer fabric. While Equilibrium has decent wind and water resistance, it's more breathable than windproof alternatives we've tried. It also wicks brilliantly thanks to a denier gradient structure, which is a permanent feature of the material.

The inner Dryactiv Suede microfleece liner gives a little insulation, about a thickish baselayer's worth but again wicks nicely.

Where Montane has been clever is using zoned areas, so the outer has normal Equilibrium in most areas supplemented with lighter Equilibrium  Ultra Light in shoulders and sleeves. Inside there are different grades of Dryactiv with mesh under the arms for example, inside the pockets for venting and at the droptail.

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How It Performed

Not surprisingly given that the Scarab uses similar fabrics to Rab's Vapour-rise, the fabrics perform in quite a similar way. That's to say you get a really good compromise between protection and breathability - there's enough wind resistance to take the pain out of all but really cutting winds and the DWR shrugs off light showers and snow. It also wicks really well, which means it performs well as a mid-layer where some soft shell type garments  struggle.


The suede-type fleece liner gives you a little extra warmth, but won't have you broiling alive when working hard, something you can help with handy roll-up sleeves, venting chest pockets with mesh liner and judicious use of the main zip opening.

The cut is shorter than the Rab equivalent and fairly trim, which will either suit your or not. For general hill walking some will prefer the long cut of the Rab but for moving fast on foot or two wheels the Scarab makes more sense, though a slightly more pronounced drop-tail would be nice.


We also liked the roll-away hood. It sits unobtrusively stowed inside the collar till you need it, say for a squally stop, when you can deploy it easily. When adjusted right, the wired peak does give a little extra rain protection as well. What we did like about the hood is that because it's unlined, you can happily wear it inside a climbing or bike helmet to give some extra cranial protection and there's enough fabric in it to allow normal head movement.

Cuffs adjusted fine and one handed. The lined collar is comfy, though can't be adjusted for fit thanks to the roll-away hood

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Verdict

Neat, super-versatile all-rounder that works both as stand-alone fast-mover's outer or - because of its good breathability and wicking properties - as a mid-layer under a shell. The Rab equivalent is slightly longer and, we think, warmer which some walkers may prefer, but for running, climbing, biking and general use, the shorter cut of the Scarab is arguably more suitable.


We also liked having the option of the roll-away hood for stops and for under-helmet use and the basic venting options allowed us to keep our cool even when the going got hot. The Equilibrium fabric gives good general weather protection, though you can feel strong winds through it, but the pay off is the impressive breathability and good wicking.

One of those jackets you find yourself using all the time, which says it all really.

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God balance between warmth, protection, breathability and wicking performance.  Slightly short, neat cut won't suit all users.

Performance
Value

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Montane web site

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