Montane have a great reputation for lightweight kit that performs when it should. I have owned several pieces of Montane kit over the years and have always been impressed.
As my challenges have taken me ever more into the endurance arena, my training has increased and the kit I use has had to be more robust and reliable. One piece of kit I have often stashed in a bag or running pack is a windproof jacket. I have gone through several incarnations of these lightweight wind shells and at the start of 2019 looked to replace my current one for a piece to encompass all my training needs for the Ultra Marathons I had planned, as well as some hiking, scrambling and climbing.
Right on cue, Montane release the Lite-Speed jacket. Billed as a lightweight windproof jacket with excellent stretch for mountain activities, this jacket ticked all the boxes for what I wanted and more.
Fabric
According to Montane, the new jacket for 2019 is an update to their original version, switching from Pertex to Montanes own Wind Barrier Dynamic fabric, offering more stretch than the previous Pertex version. The change in fabric doesn’t seem to have limited its performance in anyway. The material is stretchy and comfortable against the skin, whilst its breathability and its durability is fantastic. Admittedly I have taken a tumble or two whilst wearing this jacket, landed on the granite of Dartmoor or the rocky paths on the coast, but every time it seems to have held up and shrugged it off, quite surprising for such a lightweight piece of kit. Of course with any piece of windproof kit, there is a compromise on breathability as you warm up. After extended use in warmer conditions I have noticed a build up of moisture within the jacket which can normally be resolved by undoing the full length zip, or ditching it once you’ve warmed up enough. That being said, on the occasions I have used it, it tends to stay on for the duration owing to the conditions I’m using it in.
What has impressed me most with this jacket is its water resistance. This is not a waterproof piece, but its water shedding is certainly impressive. The jacket has been treated with a DWR coating which certainly does the job of shaking off some moisture, and then dries out pretty quickly too. In fact I have found its performance that impressive, I have ran in it in downpours as opposed to a fully waterproof jacket. Even when it does wet out, it still provides a warm and comfortable shell that then dries as you move.
Fit
Montane describe the fit of this jacket as “Active Mountain,” a low bulk cut for fast mountain activities. Essentially its cut close enough that it doesn’t flap around in the wind, but loose enough that you can fit a layer or two underneath should you need it. A base layer and thin fleece will go underneath it with ease, which doesn’t restrict any movement.
When used as a piece of ultra kit, it is worth bearing in mind that it can struggle to do up over your running pack if its fully loaded, so you will need to put it on underneath and stop and remove the running pack to take it off. For some this can be a bit of a faff, but I’ve had no issues taking it off with the vest still on and cramming it in a pocket. You could otherwise just size up!
I’m 78kg and 6 foot tall, a size Medium fits me really well and gives me plenty of coverage on the body and arms too. I’m a medium in most of Montanes kit as they have a more athletic cut, but in brands like Rab I tend to have to use a large for some items. It’s definitely worth trying it on if you haven’t used Montane kit before.
On the subject of coverage, the cut is brilliant and offers a low back for rear protection and the arms are articulated to allow for great movement when scrambling and climbing. The arms also stay in place well thanks to the partially elasticated cuffs which stop them riding up, but also allows you to pull them back to access your watch or to tuck in your gloves. They don’t however roll up far enough if you like to roll you sleeves up when the going gets hot. The bottom of the jackets is held in place with an adjustable hem which stops it riding up. Now, lets not forget the hood. A rare thing on such a light piece of windproof kit is the feature of a helmet compatible hood. Fully adjustable to hold it on your head with or without a helmet, this is one thing I have found my other wind shells have been missing. In the effort to save weight, most products in this category leave the hood off, but Montane have kept opted to keep it with their Lite-Speed jacket, and it really is an added bonus when the weathers really grim.
Design
As a lightweight piece, the Lite-speed jacket still does not compromise on features. It has a full length zip which operates both ways for the climbers amongst us, and as previously mention has a fully adjustable hem and helmet compatible hood with stiff wired, but flexible peak. There is a lack of pockets, as it only comes with the one chest pocket, but in all honesty I think for this sort of piece, this is all you need. As a bonus this pocket acts us a stuff sack for the jacket too. It zips all the way up to provide a more cover for your chin and face, and when the hood is synched down it provides excellent protection. The one thing I have noted is that as this is a full sized proper zip, it has on occasion flapped into my face when running if I have it zipped all the way up, so I have had to compromise and pull it down a bit and not have it zipped all the way up when running. Other wind shells usually have smaller, but more fiddly, zips which alleviates this issue. At least with this zip its not a problem to locate when wearing gloves.
The shoulders and arms also feature an abrasion resistant print aimed at reducing wear in these high wear areas. After extended use I cant certainly say the material in these places have shown no obvious signs of wear, although the back has some piling from rucksack/running pack wear. The print itself has stretched in some places but has remained in place with no pealing or disfiguration.
I think the design is spot on and there is very little issue with its construction, apart from remembering to avoid the zip when running. The jacket weighs in at an impressive 178g for a size medium, which for the features it boasts, I’m pretty happy with that. (Montane estimate a weight of 175g).
Overall
It’s a bit of a big claim, but I think the Lite-Speed jacket may be the best piece of kit I have used in the last year. Its design and material fit the purpose for pretty much any activity I have taken part in, from simple walks to endurance challenges and training. Most recently I used it whilst running the Welsh 3000s in strong winds and scrambling up and down certain sections of the tough terrain further proving it’s durability. This is one piece of kit I always pack into my running vest for any season. Unless the weather is due to be a torrential extended downpour, I prefer it to a waterproof shell whilst running. For slower activities it would still have a place in my kit bag, but might not see the rain as often!
Priced on the Montane website at £100, I think this represents good value for money, and I have certainly got my monies worth out of it.
Montane Say:
The ultimate windproof for the mountains, our iconic Lite-Speed Jacket has been upgraded with a more breathable and stretchy Wind Barrier Dynamic fabric, offering an improved fit for an unrivalled combination of weight and performance with an enhanced feature set.
CONSTRUCTION
· Wind Barrier Dynamic breathable, stretch wind shell with DWR
FEATURES
· Fully adjustable helmet compatible roll-away hood with wired peak
· Articulated arms with engineered tailoring
· Abrasion-resistant printed shoulders and forearms
· Two-way YKK full-length front zip
· Tall collar
· Large zipped YKK chest pocket
· Adjustable hem
· Pre-elasticated cuffs
· Stuffs away into own chest pocket
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