Montane Krypton Jacket 2011

This is my first purchase from this British-based outdoor clothier. At first I was not so impressed but after owning and using this for a full year I'm now convinced it is the BEST backpacking jacket ever made.




Americans that are accustomed to large cut, over sized clothing from Patagonia and The North Face be warned that Montane jackets are slim European cut. More slim than other Euro brands like Rab, Berghaus and Mammut. A Montane men's medium fits exactly like a USA men's small Patagonia jacket would. I'm 5'8"/150lbs and found my medium Krypton to fit very slim.

Performance-wise I found the Pertex/Dryactiv combination to be very breathable. The Krypton also employs a thin Dryactiv micro fleece inner for warmth and Dryactiv micromesh trimming along the sleeves, stomach and side linings for extra breath-ability. That said, it is a well tailored but simple alpine piece that works perfect in the outdoors for all ranges of weather and temperatures and also looks good on main street.


PROS: lightweight, wind resistant, very breathable, versatile and easy to wear. The fleece lined hood is warm, large and tucks away when not needed. Has great value; I paid $89 on sale and I believe it retails in the USA for $118 which is a GREAT value considering similar, lesser quality, jackets from North Face, Marmot (Aegis) and Patagonia cost twice as much. The Pertex Classic outer shell material feels nice and silky smooth to the touch. Very packable and can be used as a top of the pack windbreaker during cold hiking days. Designed with alpine pursuits in mind: the Belay zipper and compass pocket are cool features also the main chest pockets double as ventilation slits and sit high so as to avoid backpack hip belts and climbing harnesses. The sleeves are articulated so you can reach above your head all you want and the rest of the jacket stays in place. For some reason sleeve articulation and belay zippers have become rare features on many new jackets coming out.



CONS:

The cut is very slim for the size even for European standards. If you plan on getting this for an outer layer to put over a thick fleece sweater or down vest then you will want to size up. Beer bellies and muscle heads with broad shoulders and chunky mid sections may want to look elsewhere. Also the jacket was advertised at Helmet compatible but the hood barely fits over a helmet and when over the helmet you can hardly move your head side to side or zip the neck up.



BOTTOM LINE: Said and done, for the price this is an brilliant jacket that will make most outdoor gearheads happy to wear anytime of the year. Average consumers will also be happy buying it just for urban casual wear. The Dryactiv lining also feels much more comfortable next to bare skin than the clammy plastic bag feeling that you get from single layer nylon shell rain jackets. So you can wear this comfortably over a T Shirt.

For $89 - $118 you can't get a better wind resistant, water resistant, breathable hooded Softshell.