Mountain Equipment Windstopper Guide Jacket

Eric Kaye
Reviewed: 27 March 2007

EXCELLENT WINSTOPPING, BUT LACKS TECHNICAL FEATURES.

Excellent windstopper properties, comfortable and cosy. It feels great when you put it on on a windswept peak.

Pocket size, bulk, sweaty, zips (I wish ME would sort out their zip problems) and price

Like Chris, I got it for £60 and it's not worth a penny more.

ROBIN FARRINGTON
Reviewed: 18 March 2007

SLOPPY CUFFS AND COLLAR

Windproof, breathable under arms, not too heavy. Fairly waterproof.

Cuffs aren't adjustable so they just hang loose for the wind to get up sleeves... collar is the same... very very annoying, especially when cycling in the cold! Gets pretty sweaty when v active.

Not too impressed with this item to be honest - with a couple of minor improvements to help cut wind going up sleeves and down collar, it could work much better.

My brother's North Face windproof fleece is better desiged than this, which is shameful considering NF are a high street fashion brand and ME are supposed to be one of the best.

This is yet another over-priced piece of outdoor kit... why is it so expensive? - I bet they manufacture it for less than a fiver and not a lot of design or thought went into it.

I don't use it on the mountain and stick to my Rab Vapourise - a much better piece of kit all-round.

Chris Kerridge
Reviewed: 12 November 2005

RUGGED, HARD WEARING AND WARM

Windstopper is excellent. Can be on the top of a mountain with just a base layer on, pop this jacket on and the warmth level is immediate. You really do notice the difference. I got mine for £60 - shop around, it's not worth £100. Drive at 80mph with your arm out the window and you're warm!???

Pockets aren't big enough for OS maps - why have a map pocket thats smaller than OS???

Worth £60.

Ewen Harrison
Reviewed: 29 October 2004

THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT ANY WINDSTOPPER!

Excellent windstopper and warm

Bulky, doesn't breathe well, no ventilation, map pocket doesn't fit standard OS. £100 expensive? Possibly.

Firstly, I do like this jacket but have started wearing it to work every day, which maybe says more about it than the rest of this chat. It is definitely warm, too warm for walking on a coolish Scottish September day for instance. Windstopper fleece is amazing, without stating the obvious it really does stop that feeling from days gone by of the wind whistling through to your skin. It fits well, the stretch panels work well and for me is up there with the best of the bunch.

However, having been a base-layer/fleece/hard shell advocate for a number of years, I am experiencing the same epiphany so many others have; namely, that with my experience of current technology this combination can not keep condensation levels anywhere near acceptable following only moderate activity. Specifically, I recently did a 3 day walk in Letterewe in Wester Ross wearing a Helly Hansen Lifa sport crew, fitted tight (looking like Will from Will and Grace apparently, great!), the ME guide jacket and a Berghaus paclite for when the rain was horizontal (ie all the time). We were carrying all our gear and getting to the top of the hills so the activity was fairly brisk. This combination just does not breathe. The numbers from lab tests may be impressive but, for me, in practical terms, I was absolutely ringing for 3 days. On other occasions when I have been wearing it with a base-layer alone and no hard shell I have still found myself getting pretty wet. “Heard it”, they cry in a resounding chorus, and I’m sure you have. But think carefully about what you are going to use a jacket like this for. If it involves anything more than low activity, eg taking the dog for a walk, I would be wary.

Tristan Shearing
Reviewed: 27 October 2004

GOOD LOOKING HIGH PERFORMANCE JACKET

Warm and breathable
Looks good in town and on the hill
Comfortable
Hardwearing

None....

My new favourite piece of kit! Been on a crag in an october force 7 with just a tee-shirt underneath and felt warm, when others are resorting to bulky waterproofs to keep the wind off. The soft fleece cuffs make it comfortable, and the styling is subtle and stylish, so it's fine for wearing around town. Despite being a thin fleece it adds a lot of warmth underneath a waterproof, and seems to breath as well as non-windproof fleeces. No hood on this jacket, but that's what hats are for.