After running the Montane Cheviot Goat I received a Montane Via Trail Series Minimus Stretch Ultra Waterproof Jacket for writing a race report.
On first impressions, the jacket looks great. I really like the vibrant red, it is a stand out piece that looks great on the trail.
The close fit and stretchy PERTEX fabric makes it comfortable and doesn’t restrict movement in the slightest which is essential when moving your arms around on a fast technical descent. The PERTEX Shield is fully waterproof while remaining highly breathable.
The hood has 2 adjustable points which make it quick and easy to tighten and loosen as required. It has a wired through the peak to keep it stiff helping keep its shape. There is an adjustable hem with a draw cord around the waste to enable a tight fit at the bottom of the jacket. It also has elasticated cuffs which fit tightly around my wrists or gloves.
The jacket has 2 pockets, with an small port to allow a headphone cable to entre a pocket. One of my favourite features is that the entire jacket can fit inside its own pocket. This is a great feature as it can then be tucked into my running pack with easy without taking up too much space or being an irritation when trying thing I need in my bag! Being exceptionally light weighing in at 192 g means it is a perfect piece when weight saving.
Another nice touch is there are a couple studs inside the jacket. This means the zip can be opened for ventilation without looking like a superhero with your jacket blowing behind you.
The key features of the jacket:
- Waterproof PERTEX SHIELD 2.5 layer fabric
- Taped seams
- 2 Mesh pockets with headphone cord access point
- Weights 192 g (approximately)
Pros
The jacket is extremely lightweight, it looks great and it can be packed into its own pocket. Such an awesome feature!! I really like some of the more subtle features such as a microfleece chin guard which stops the zip from being irritating.
Cons
I cannot comfortably fit a folded OS Map into the pocket which I can do on my OMM jacket.
Overall, I think this a great piece of kit for runner of all shapes and sizes, whether you are a park or ultra runner. From Montane the jacket cost £165 making it not the cheapest, but it does give a lot of bang for its buck!
Sadly due to 2020 being 2020, I haven’t had an opportunity to truly put it through its paces but I am brimming with anticipation, waiting for when I can get this bad boy out in early 2021. Maybe sooner, we’ll see….
