Montane Featherlight Windproof Review

Overview (£40, 108g Large)

montane featehrlight smock

After deciding to go and buy a very expensive sleeping bag I was looking at ways of compensating for the extra weight. One option is this smock that I have bought.

Montane stuff seems hard to find in the shops and so I was quite pleased when I saw this one and could buy it. I've since bought a second one in a more subdued colour.

Basic Features

  • Active cut with drop tail
  • Generous front reversed, self coloured zip with anti-snag baffle
  • Elasticated self fabric cuffs and hem
  • 3M Scotchlite reflective dots on cuffs / shoulder and reflective MONTANE logo
  • Own stuff sac
  • PERTEX Microlight
  • 52g/m2 very lightweight Nylon 6.6 rip-stop weave
  • Breathable to 98%
  • Colours: Electric, Graphite, Mango, Ivy, Burgundy, Navy, Olive (without reflective), Fluoro yellow.

Outdoor Testing

This smock is designed mainly as a windproof and rain-resistant top and is not designed for heavy prolonged rain. It is also a fact that the very light pertex fabrics will not withstand strong rain - it is beyond their design remit. Pertex is very good when used as designed - to stop wind and a little bit of rain.

The seams are not taped - but since the fabric itself will never be 100% waterproof The Large size is a comfortable fit for me and the elasticated waste and wrists hold the smock in place.

As a windshirt it works very well and is ideal over light base and mid-layers. It has already withstood some light showers but has not yet been tested in really bad weather.

Short-Term Conclusions

This smock was bought for those days where rain is possible but unlikely and/or I am expecting wind without rain. I do not expect to be using this in the depths of winter as standard but instead consider it as a viable option during the Summer months.

It is too early to say what the limits of use are on this garment and I will need to test in a suitable variety of conditions.

From my personal viewpoint it is is light enough to take out for testing with a 'proper' jacket as a backup and to take out in summer 'just-in-case'.

Long-Term Conclusions

This smock has now been out with me on several over-nighting trips where rain was not expected (hah!) and this was my only weather protection against wind and rain.

The results have been stunning. As a windproof it has worked amazingly well and kept me warm when normally I would be reaching for a coat.

I have snagged it a couple of times on undergrowth and that has resulted in a few tiny pin-prick holes that are invisible unless you look for them.

The conclusion that I have come to is that if rain is not expected (and being wrong is not going to be dangerous) then this thing will have a vital place in my pack and will have outed my Gore-Tex jacket.

When combined with the feather-lite pants I can have a good windproof shell for under 250g.

The only cautionary element is the fact that in very high winds (say >60 Knots) the shell does not feel as warm as a coat.