What's It For?
The Venture Jacket has a couple of strings to its bow – it’s designed to combine a light weight with durability.
It has reinforced areas around the shoulders and waist so it should stand up to life under a big pack, but at the same time, it won’t take up much space inside that pack when the sun shows its face. So, if you like multi-day trekking, or you just want a jacket rugged enough for year-round use in the UK, then it should do the job.
The Techy Bits
The Venture jacket uses eVent fabric, which is probably the most breathable fabric out there. In a nutshell, the Direct Venting system means that sweat goes out but rain doesn’t come in – which is the basis of all waterproof fabrics of course, except that this one does it particularly efficiently.
It’s a ripstop material (which does what it says on the tin) so you should only end up with a hole the size of the tip of your penknife, rather than a rent all the way down the jacket. Of course, the best policy is to avoid making a hole in the first place, but Montane understands that it doesn’t always work like that:-)
The pale patches in the photo are areas of Dermizax, which is a reinforced material made of polyester and nylon, now in a distinctive 'heathered' version. You can feel the extra stiffness when you get your paws on the jacket, but just from the picture you can see that the Dermizax areas mirror the shape of a rucksack waist belt, the shoulders and down the outside of the arms, so you get reinforced elbows as well (which is no excuse for putting them on the rock when you’re climbing).
Other than that, it’s got the techy features you’d expect, from storm flaps on zips to fully adjustable wrists, hood and waist. Bob’s your uncle, Velcro’s your fastener, or whatever.
How It Performed
The last Montane jacket we tested was the Super-fly, which we loved. On the Venture, we’ve lost the valuables pocket and a couple of weight-saving devices, like mesh-lined pockets, but we’ve gained extra strength around the waist and shoulders, so where does that leave us?
Well, it leaves us with an extra fifty grams or so, but this is still a reasonably lightweight jacket for what it does. The extra ruggedness is hard to test in a ‘first look’ – as this is – but early signs are good and it’s reassuring that the stiffer material has been put in all the right places.
As for the fabric elsewhere on the jacket, eVent has built up a reputation in the outdoor industry as a reliable, lightweight waterproof fabric, but we put ourselves through a walk in a downpour nonetheless – in slightly masochistic style – and came home dry as a bone. Waterproofing – tick.
The Montane women’s cut is generally a plus point for us, as we find it hugs your figure, and the sizes really are as small as they say they are – they don’t mysteriously feature a baggy waist in a size 8, like some offending garments. We reckon this jacket is about half an inch shorter than the Super-fly, and it doesn’t have as much of a drop tail, which makes it feel shorter still. For us, this was a pity, as we could have used the extra inch. Having said that, we’re slightly above average height.
A couple of other grouches – the zip on the pockets begins much higher up than on most jackets. High zips are generally good – they don’t get in the way of your harness – but we reckon Montane went for overkill and designed a zip that needs real wrist movement, as well as elbow movement, to reach. Try tickling your left armpit with your left hand and you get the idea.
And a really minor thing – the reflective patches on the shoulders can easily disappear beneath a rucksack’s straps, which doesn’t leave you with much except a dot on top of your head and a dot on your chin. It takes a bit more than that to make us feel visible!
Those are small whinges though – if it weren’t already a good jacket we’d probably be going after bigger fry.
Initial Verdict
This is a reliable, lightweight jacket, that definitely keeps you dry and gets most of its features right. The hood works with or without a helmet, it’s well-peaked against the rain, and the fastenings are all easy to use. So all in all, it does a pretty good job, whether it’s tucked inconspicuously in your pack or whether you’re tucked inconspicuously inside it.
The women’s specific cut is slightly shorter than we’ve come across in the past, but not prohibitively so, and it’s still a well-shaped jacket.
With a bit more time, we should be able to give you our take on its durability, but for now we’re willing to take Montane’s word that this is a genuine crossover of the lightweight and the lasting.
Buy if you want a year-round jacket, you’re known to shoulder a fair-sized pack from time to time, and you’re female.
