Reader Reviews

Rating: 4 / 5

Hi

This is by no means a comprehensive review. I only had this for a day and didn't wear in the rain etc.

Montane Featherlite H2O is an amazingly light waterproof breathable hoodless jacket.

• Full length zip with draft flaps.
• No pockets.
• Rear vent just below shoulder blades - not to my taste or requirement.
• Simple elasticated cuffs & hem.
• Long drop tail back.

• Confirm size mens medium weighed 105g!!

http://www.montane.co.uk/productdetails.php?productid=81&rid=7

Size medium says 40" chest but a bit too tight across chest & lat's for me, likely you'll need next size up. US mediums are nearly always perfect on me.

Good quality & unbelievably light just wish they'd make a hooded smock version with a water-resistant zipper, possibly a chest pocket and no draft flaps or vents.

It's only a coated fabric, no lining etc, so I don't know how long the waterproof breathable coating will last. I had a Pertex Aquablock(?) waterproof breathable bivy which never suffered from not having a lining or additional coating layer.

I give it 4 for being so ground breakingly light and well made, but it's not the perfect design for me.

Edited by sabme on 11/02/2006 10:08:49 MST.

Rating: 4 / 5

This jacket certainly caught our attention at BPL. We recently obtained a test sample from Montane and we'll be doing a full review. I'm anxious to get in into some nasty conditions. If it even has reasonable performance it will be a nice new entry in ultralight rainwear. And some feature changes might make it even more versatile. I'll give it a temporary 4 also.

Rating: 5 / 5

Seems to be designed for runners/bikers, but should lend itself to backpackers quite well. Especially those that are spending more time hiking and not on rocks/alpinism.

Craftsmanship: Second to none. Seams are sealed effeciently and meticulously. Very finished for an UL mimimalist garment.

Materials: Fabric is an UL ripstop nylon with a med-grey colored coating on the inside. Seems very durable for weight. Zipper is tried and true YKK, but not waterproof. 1" flap with 6 small velcro's cover the opening.

Fit (Size Large): I am 6', 170 pounds. The arms give length for reach with no sense of excess when resting. I was able to wear a Montbell UL Thermawrap jacket underneath and not feel restricted. I would say that above average upper-body mass might make the shoulders and arms fit tight. Drop tail is great.

Value: With shipping from UK, it was a cool $100. I am sure too much for a lot of folks. I would hope, if this fabric delivers, and continued production is persued that Montane would offer the consumer the ability to get both jacket and pants for closer to $140. If a set weighed in at around 8 ounces or less, and was WATERPROOF and more BREATHABLE than a GoLite or Montbell product, then they may infact have created the best available rainsuit for a thru-hiker.

Negative: The fabric claims to have a DWR coating. It advises to use Nikwax TX to re-proof. It also claims that you cannot use a dryer in the process. Doesn't Nikwax require the use of a dryer to melt and spread the waterproof coating as part of the process?

I will further update the review once I have been able to use it actively, but wanted to offer an early survey to anyone interested in the jacket.

Rating: 5 / 5

I won't go into the fabric/build specifications as the guys earlier have done a good job. I did a 2 hr run in this jacket and the first thing I would say is I think it breathes better than their normal featherlite jacket. Its hard to say whether that is down solely to the vent that runs across the back to right under the arms or to the fabric as well but its certainly made my featherlite redundant now. Its so light you don't notice you are wearing it and it packs down very, very small so takes up hardly any space in my bum bag (where its been on every run since I bought it). The only thing that prevents me giving it a 5 so far is I haven't had the chance to take it out in heavy rain to test how waterproof it is. Unusually for me I have been praying for rain since I got it and unusually for here we haven't had any!! I will report back when we get some.

I've done a number of runs in this in the pouring rain now and it has kept me dry from the outside...but not the inside. However, that is normal, all the waterproof jackets I've run in have made me hot, this is up there with the better ones and is now my favourite due to its extreme light weight. I really don't notice I've got it on and its now easily my waterproof of choice if I'm carrying one 'just in case'.

If I was a long distance hiker I'm not sure I'd like its lack of hood but as a runner I don't care about getting my head wet.

Edited by onthefells on 12/09/2006 14:22:15 MST.

Rating: 3 / 5

Most has been said already.

It's light. I have one without the hood.

Waterproof material. Confirmed in bad city weather. Not eVent-waterproof though.

Low "breathability." Though not as bad as the Outdoor Research Ion. Rapidly overwhelmed when active but fine for the city.

Windproof, better than Pertex Microlight subjectively.