In Alaska, I wore a merino wool base layer and there was little room for anything else. Kinds of proves how effective the Extreme range is at keeping you warm. We found the helmet-compatible, wired-peak hood generally good too. With a tall-ish helmet on, there’s still coverage for the lower face and cinching the adjusters down gives a similarly secure fit on a helmetless head and lots of insulation. The toggles are a little fiddly with big mountain gloves when it comes to releasing the cords, but you do get used to it. Very warm, highly weatherproof, fast drying, relatively unrestrictive, useful venting options, cavernous hood, reasonably priced. Cons This piece is designed to be worn primarilyas an outer layer, no matter what the weather is doing. You can pop a shell over the top in horrendous conditions, but thanks to the pile lining and water resistant outer fabric, you'll most likely never want to.

Montane Extreme Vs. Buffalo Alpine jacket - which one? Montane Extreme Vs. Buffalo Alpine jacket - which one?

Opening up the main zip helps too. Our top tip is to team the Extreme with a Brynje of Norway mesh base layer which, like a string vest, gives super effective cooling when exposed.

Now with the hard shell system I use, I also don't walk in wearing the shell. I carry one standard weight fleece one very light fleece (as well as a base layer). That way my bag is fairly light and unbulky wrt the clothing in it and I have a good choice of clothes to wear during the day depending on the conditions. My last comment may leave you about being drenched in sweat. Don’t be. The fleece lining doesn’t hold moisture and excess will soon run off. Even if some rain gets through the Pertex shell it will soon shed.

Montane | Mens | Hydrogen | Extreme | Jacket | Shadow - Trekitt Montane | Mens | Hydrogen | Extreme | Jacket | Shadow - Trekitt

One feature that’s kind of ‘meh’ is the helmet-compatible hood. I’m not a mountaineer and have no plans to scale vast, freezing peaks. Far too high and scary. But those of you brave mountain climbers will find the hood provides ample room for a helmet. If you intend to use the Extreme for hiking, or treks, I recommend you adjust it down to a snug fit before you set off. Why? If you do sweat out, the pile liner dries super fast anyway, but of course it’s uncomfortable and you’re losing fluid and electrolytes too, never a good call on a hard mountain day. Designed to allow flexibility, the arms have been articulated with fine microfleece inner arm panels to prevent pile constructing over elbows and biceps, and an adjustable hem too prevents spindrift entry and heat loss. A removable crotch strap also prevents hem lift when you reach up high.Outer fabric: Just as crucial as the durable insulation is the outer fabric. A tough yet lightweight Pertex Quantum outer fabric provides total windproofing and a high degree of water resistancy, protecting you from the elements when the conditions turn for the worse. Despite its tough credentials, this fabric is lightweight, soft to the touch and super easy to take care of. Polardri rip-stop reinforcements are added to the elbows to increase durability even further if you're particularly hard on your kit.

Montane Sale | Montane Outlet - Nevisport Montane Sale | Montane Outlet - Nevisport

I too normally used to walk in wearing a base layer when using the montane. However I found that sometimes you needed a fleece and others a hard shell, by the time you have this lot in your bag there is not a lot of room for anything else. I have a buffalo special 6 shirt and my friend has the montane extreme. Both were used last March on an impromptu night out without sleeping bags and both worked very well: the weather was -3C and it was very frosty. The cuff area has been slimmed down too with quite a narrow opening, which means you can only fit gauntlets over the top of the cuff rather than underneath. Not generally an issue at low temperatures when snow rather than rain is the issue, but worth being aware of it you habitually wear cuffs over gloves. Pros Pile-Pertex is arguably the original non-wayerproof, but wear all day, single-layer soft shell system. The exterior Pertex shell is completely windproof and decently water resistant, while a deep pile lining adds effective insulation.

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Traditionally with pile-Pertex, that protection’s come at the price of mobility, but while the Extreme’s certainly not some sleekly-tailored torso-hugging stretch soft shell, the tweaks to the cut and the articulated sleeves in particular means that ease of movement – reaching up or out in particular – feels fine. The Hydrogen features a fairly long, slim fit which is designed to sit close to your skin to maximise sweat management. Although the outer fabric is super stretchy, we'd only recommend having a lightweight baselayer underneath. Because the adjusters are small. Trying to adjust them whilst wearing heavy mitts is frustrating work. This is another design feature I’d change.