Mountain Hardwear Epic Jacket First Look

Mountain Hardwear Epic Jacket First Look

Price: £90.00

Weight: 365 grammes (men's medium)

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.

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.

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.

Mountain Hardwear web site

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