Montane Mens Pacplus Jacket RRP £220

Product Information

Although lightweight and flexible, the Pac Plus is a hardshell, but you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise given the weight and level of waterproofing.

It features two waist pockets which sit above a harness, a chest pocket the perfect size for even the largest of modern smart phones, vents running along the under-arms and a helmet compatible hood. Now I know its not about the look, its more about how the jacket performs, but if you can find a jacket that’s highly functional and looks the part, then you're definitely on to a winner.

To keep your outdoor clothing and equipment in tip top condition and performing to its maximum we recommend the use of Nikwax products. At 395g in my size L review jacket (Montane say 375g, size not given) this counts as a light-midweight shell. There's no lower leg gusset for use with chunky ski boots, but you do get a drawcord to take the volume in around the ankle - useful when wearing slimmer summer boots or trainers.

On this scale Paclite Plus is one of the less breathable of their products, and I think it's fair to say that it does prioritise lightness, packability, and relative toughness over ultimate breathability. The main zipper is a YKK AQUAGUARD, which not only keeps out all but the hardest rainfall and, when zipped closed, seals tight to prevent drafts coming through the zipper teeth.If the outside of your jacket is soaked in a layer of cold water, the warm damp air within can’t escape and will condense on the inside.

Stretch just a little more and you could have a Pac Plus XT, arguably a better all-rounder than most of those, and one that's equally suited to hillwalkers, backpackers and mountaineers. The Montane Men’s Spirit Waterproof Jacket is a lightweight and durable jacket which has been designed to provide reliable weather protection in rain and heavy showers. Making my way up the gully it was quite slippy and I caught my elbows on the rock a few times and caught my shoulders once or twice. In our many years of selling samples, we have found that 99% of them are exactly the same as the finished production version.The pit zips were easily accessible and had a small amount of cord on the zip so they can be easily found and pulled. YKK Aquaguard zips are used throughout - water resistant, if not fully waterproof (none really are in wind-driven downpours).

Balancing weather protection with functionality, the Spirit makes a good versatile lightweight waterproof option; an ideal kit companion easily stashing away in your pack ready for when the weather changes.

Discover Waterproof Jackets for women, designed to provide maximum protection in extreme wet weather conditions. Though the fabric is fully windproof, I've found the limitation in cold weather is that it's thin enough to flap in the wind, and this does reduce your feeling of protection and to an extent compromises the insulation of the layers you're wearing underneath. Please don't send a possible faulty or warranty product back without completing the claim form first, as we are unable to refund your postage if you do. With a 40 denier face fabric combined with a Gore-Tex Paclite® Plus membrane this XT Jacket is a beefed up version of the Pac Plus ideal for more variable winter weather. While the Pac Plus XT jacket is about as skimpy as I'd want a shell to get for winter climbing or even summer scrambling, the trousers can definitely take more abuse, and could quite sensibly be used as your regular winter climbing shell legwear.