Montane Venture

Ian Thompson 5
Reviewed: 21 July 2010

I thought waterproof and breathable was a myth... Until now.

Amazingly waterproof.
Breathes well.
Wears well- reinforced shoulders cope with rucksack straps.
Light for a jacket this waterproof/rugged
Good Value

Not much but waterproof zips are a fiddle to open/close with cold hands. Sizes a little on the small side for the way I like things to fit- had to go up a size.

I have more goretex jackets than most outdoor shops. Seriously I have.
I thought long and hard before buying this garment as I was unsure about switching to eVent- I shouldn't have worried.
The jacket is light and compact despite the 3 layer construction and the reinforcement on wear areas. Yes there are many lighter and more compact garments out there but not with the features this has.
The hood is slightly odd at first, being quite large in volume. It has adjustment to reduce the volume and elastic drawcords to cinch it in tight so it can be worn comfortable with a bare head. It may seem odd at first but it comes into its own when you want to wear headgear as the extra volume makes this much more comfortable and adjustable.
The pockets are reasonably large and stay dry come what may. I do find the zips fiddly though, particularly with cold fingers. I guess that's the price for them being so waterproof without a storm flap.
The principal reason for a jacket like this is to keep you dry and here's the best thing about this jacket... it really does! No matter how hard the rain comes down or the wind blows it does its job. The eVent fabric is excellent, breathing much better than any of my goretex models even in very wet conditions. I've been completely dry inside it when my other coats would have been soaking wet with sweat.
I'm now a convert. No more goretex, I'm replacing the lot with eVent!

fergie
Reviewed: 05 June 2009

EXCELLENT,VERY LIGHT AND COMFORTABLE.BONE DRY IN THIS.

Weight,comfort,price.Even at the RRP of approx £160 i think this is a good buy.I paid £80 delivered which is an absolute bargain.

None.I have seen a few threads mention the hood and Simon's review as well but i find it very good.Cinch it up tight and it has been great in even the heaviest raid and is surprisingly good at keeping the rain off my specs.

I am 5 foot 8 and slim build and the Medium jacket is perfect with a baselayer and 100wt fleece.I have had no issues at all with any condensation and the jacket has kept me bone dry in gale driven rain.I like the heavier nailhead shoulder fabric and i reckon i should get a number of years out of this jacket even carrying a heavy rucksack.
A great jacket and highly recommended.

Simon Chaplin
Reviewed: 28 January 2007

Excellent jacket, does what it says on the label.

Size, weight, price.

Hood

I found this jacket to give an excellent fit, at 6 foot 2 tall it manages to cover right down to the front and the scooped rear cover my rear. The arms are long enough not to have spare material but when reaching up they do not fall back and expose the wrist. At around 500 grammes it is light enough to place in the bag but serious enough to wear throughout the year in all conditions. As yet I have worn it in howling wind and rain and the event fabric has kept me dry. Although I generally overload any membrane, I found that it felt damp for a short while when working hard but on slowing down the jacket dried out nicely. The price is certainly not the most expensive of jackets and relatively cheap and gives great value for money. Well done Montane on a wonderful product.