Gear Review: Montane Minimus

Montane MinimusMy criteria for a trail running coat can be summed up in three points:

  • be extremely light weight;
  • must be rain and wind proof, or at the very least resistant allows moisture to escape;
  • and not be so expensive I have to mortgage my home.

The Montane Minimus jacket surpasses my criteria and even gave me some new thoughts on what a jacket should and could be.

Firstly, the Minimus is aptly named. Weighing in at a touch under 8.5 ounces the coat is extremely light weight. This is partly due to the jacket’s athletic cut–eliminating excess fabric and the technology in the fabric itself.

That fabric, a 2.5 layered Pertex Shield, combines a few different technologies in order to provide the user a product that will not only protect you from the elements but allow heat and vapor to escape (and not get trapped in the garment itself). Thus far in my testing, the Minimus jacket has performed admirably in this regard. The jacket did not eliminate all of the vapor as it could be clammy at times after harder efforts, but it still did remarkably well in keep me dry during sketchy runs in the elements.

Seamless
Some of the other features that make this a solid product is the inclusion of a roll-away hood with reinforced wired peak; reflective detailing on the arms and shoulders; Velcro cuffs; and its own stuff sack (provided) to pack the coat down to the size of a grapefruit so you can stash it away when it’s not needed. The Minimus has one very large front pocket on the chest that can easily hold a pair of gloves, keys and a phone–which I in fact did on a recent run.

The only reservation I had with the jacket was the lack of pit zippers and two hand pockets–far better than the one large pocket. The adding of the pit zippers may eliminate the clamminess associated with higher output adventures.

Overall, the Montane Minimus jacket has impressed me very much with its durability, style and functionality. I look forward to many more adventures against the elements.

For more information on Montane, visit http://www.montane.co.uk. To purchase Montane products, click here.

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