Marmot Exum Ridge Gore Tex Active Jacket Review

Marmot Exum Ridge Gore Tex Active Jacket Review

The Decision-Making Process - to help guide others!

A news report in November 2017 saw Dundonnell Mountain Rescue urge hillwalkers to wear bright clothing. Donald Macrae, the team leader made the point that it can be challenging to see people out on the hills in dark clothing - but brighter clothing can be a contrast to the landscape and help find people.

It's something I'd been thinking about for a while. My time out on the hills, mountains, fells and ridges can sometimes leave me confused as to whether I'm an outdoors person or a ninja. Not just for my extraordinary abilities to move silently without being spotted but mainly due to the fact that my main waterproof jacket is black, my waterproof trousers are black and my face mask snood thing is also black.

And I have other friends who are also part-time ninjas...

Scottish Ninja Day Out

I was also looking for a slightly lighter weight breathable and fairly robust jacket. I'd tried a number of 2.5l jackets in Gaynors and Cotswolds but that clammy feeling you get just didn't work for me, despite some great jackets. I'd tried a Neoshell jacket but due to the nature of Neoshell it's pretty heighweight stuff by necessity.

A trip to George Fisher saw the team recommend me a Montane Spine jacket with Gore Tex Active. I put it on and thought, 'this may be the holy grail of jackets right now.' But George Fisher prices can be as high as their customer service (that's a compliment by the way!) so it made me stop and think. A quick check on Sports Pursuit led me to the Marmot Exum Ridge jacket with Gore Tex Active in - and at a price over £100 cheaper than the Montane Spine was at the time.

And it was a nice blue! Result.

The Alpkit Balance had been slightly reduced and offered (offers!) very similar features - but the price had gone back up from a sale price to £175. (The Alpkit Balance is a brilliant jacket by the way).

So the Marmot Exum Ridge at £125 (offer price) was the way ahead!

In practice

This jacket has now become my general go-to jacket in days out across the UK in some pretty interesting weather at times. One day on Dartmoor (I'd gone to meet some friends who'd gone out for a run before I arrived) so I thought I'd head out anyway despite some typical moor weather. I also had to wing my way up through some steep heather, long grass and moorland menagerie and make my way across to the tor through the bog infested wet / wet infested bog. I did wonder if I should have brought a raft...

A Dartmoor Day

No problems with the jacket, despite its first proper outing. Quickly adjusted the hood toggles sides and back to fit around the head and give good visibility. These are slightly fiddly to use and I wouldn't want to do it with thick gloves on in the middle of a snowstorm but that's true of most jackets. Possibly not quite as good a hood 'fit' as the North Face jacket I've got but not far off at all.

There's an elastic drawcord around the hem of the jacket that's easy to cinch - which is a big advantage over the North Face Jacket which has to be cinched together within the pockets (and seems tricky to un-cinch!) The Exum Ridge keeps it simple.

The outer is durable with a nylon rip-stop outer. I've worn it with a couple of packs and done some scrambling in the jacket and it's held up well. I haven't dragged it across rock but it's as sturdy as I need.

Yes, the Gore Tex does mean it sounds a bit like a crisp packet but I'm not too bothered about that, unless on one of my ninja missions of course...

Adjustable cuffs are pretty good and fairly easy to adjust even with gloves on. The zip does up without snagging and although it's on the 'wrong' side for UK use (the right side) it's no issue at all. There's not a zip 'park' at the top but there is a beard guard on the inside of the main zipper at the very top 5cm or so. Nice touch.

There's a reflective 'Marmot' on the hood and a reflective logo on the right shoulder at the rear. Reflectivity on a jacket is something that isn't much but is important for those of us who run on the hills or roads (not that I often run in a waterproof!) Logo on the front is also reflective.

The cut is fairly athletic but not at all restrictive. It's got a semi-articulated feel to it - certainly hasn't 'ridden up' at all. Breathability is not something I've really faced as I use jackets  and layers pretty carefully. There's no pit zips etc but Gore Tex Active is for active lightweight use and pit zips add weight.

The pockets are mesh lined so can be opened to add breathability if needed (and if it's not raining!) In comparison the North Face jacket I own has fully waterproofed pockets.

A snow-laden day on Windy Gap, brutal winds, freezing cold and a great view of Great Gable...

The jacket has been tested in rain, wind and snow. It's been up and down ridges, sat in shelters (well, I was the one sat there), seen sun and rain, blue skies and clagged out weather in the mountains, on the fells and on the moors. Packs down well, lightweight for what it is (346g medium).

Great jacket and cracking shade of blue!!

The Gormless Snowman in the Marmot Exum Ridge Jacket

Montane Minimus Pants (Waterproof trousers) Review

My go-to waterproof trousers have been the Berghaus Deluge over trousers in the last few years. You would be hard pushed to find something more resilient and relatively breathable for the price.

However, what about those Spring and Summer months when the boots are put into hibernation and the temperatures rise enough for the lightweight kit to make an appearance...? Cue another pair of lightweight waterproof over trousers. On offer were the Montane Minimus so I got them - paid around £45.

Their first test was a slight mishap in that I wore my boots and mistakenly packed the Minimus pants instead of my Berghaus ones. Cue me stumbling around in heavy rain and sleety snow trying to get them on - unsuccessfully. The only way was to head for some cover, take off my boots, put on the waterproofs and then put my boots back on. Note to self: don't do that again.

The waterproofs themselves held out fine except for the usual plastering of mud as I considered and then thought better off a river crossing and headed back along a path...

Dartmoor in the murk and sleety snow. Location of a hapless hiker trying to put on the pants...

Back to the review, the pants are extremely lightweight (140g) and understandably very different to the Deluge pants which are more weighty. I don't think I'd be dragging them across scrambles on Bristly Ridge or through gorse on moorland. But they're probably more resilient than they seem and that's the price for going lightweight.

The outer fabric has a ripstop type face. The breathable fabric is 2 layer Pertex Shield which isn't breathable on the level of 3 layer fabrics like eVent and Goretex but is pretty good. Over the period of about 90mins walking quite quickly in rain and snow I didn't have any issues with breathability or leakage but that's obviously to be expected! They did well in a wet-ish day in Lakeland too.

Top of Fisher's Wife's Rake

The pants have some nice touches. They have 1 1/4 length leg zip which really helps getting them on over shoes and trainers etc. There is just one zip on the legs, probably to minimise weight.

Down the leg of the Montane Minimus

The zip on the Montane Minimus

There is also a strap lower down the leg (calf area) to cinch in the waterproofs when you're moving fast through the mountains or you're trail running. Nice touch. There is also reflective detail on the Minimus pants as well - much needed. The waist has a simple draw string at the front.

All in all, the Montane Minimus waterproof trews trousers pants (choose appropriate name) are a very good pair of lightweight overtrousers. They won't breathe as well as eVent or Goretex etc but they're not as expensive retail price either. They may not have the features of Paramo offerings but they don't have the price or the heat either. They're not as resilient as things like the Berghaus Deluge but they're under half the weight!

You pay your money and you take your choice... Ideal for moving fairly fast (just not too fast so you get too hot) and for trail running, just as Montane say.

Berghaus Deluge Waterproof Pants / Trousers / Overtrousers - Review

There are a number of pairs of waterproof trousers out there on the market, each with their own unique amount of features and purposes in mind.

There are other options that we'll consider below but if you're looking for a pair of solid waterproof over trousers then the Berghaus Deluge must be right up there...

Absolutely battered by wind on Place Fell - helped by the Berghaus Deluges

The picture shows myself and a mate on top of Place Fell in Feb 2015 on a day of very high winds and a fair amount of blustery rain. The Deluge pants coped admirably - as they did on a long walk for charity across Dartmoor in 2011 and everything in between!

So what makes the Deluge good value?

First up they're very hard-wearing - although this does mean they're heavier than I'd ideally like (390g). I would be confident of dragging these through any terrain! In comparison (for example), the Montane Minimus are 150g, although at £80-90, twice the cost of the Deluges.

Alternatives (Dec 2017)... Craghoppers do the 'all in one' Kiwi Waterproof trousers at £70 - 365g with Aqua Dry or a 'Gore Tex' pair (likely Paclite but not specified) but Paclite is not at all hard-wearing. Rab do an amazing pair of eVent ones at 320g but these cost a lot (£120 odd) but include extra knee protection. Montane do the Minimus ones which are amazingly lightweight (these would be nice in the pack sometimes!) or the Spine pants at 291g (again a bit pricey at £120+ but with Gore Tex Active). Mountain Equipment do the slightly lighter Firefox pant at 259g (again over £100 and Gore Tex Active) The obvious problem with light(er)weight overtrousers can be durability, something the Deluge ones are very unlikely to suffer from.

Secondly, they have almost full-length two-way zips (and poppers) on the outside of the leg which extends right to the bottom of the trousers and almost up to the waist. The bottom of the leg 'popper' isn't always found on other waterproof pants. This means they're very easy to get on... don't under-estimate the usefulness of this when the rain or snow suddenly comes down.

Thirdly this also means that venting is possible due to the zip / popper combination. The two-way zip is great for this - you can unzip and use the poppers to vent if the rain isn't too heavy. It's worth noting that the other higher end waterproof pants mentioned before also have 2 way zips.

Fourthly, these act as a great second layer in winter to keep the legs warm! I would much rather use waterproof trousers than baselayer leggings in any weather except very cold temps - much easier to regulate temperature - i.e. much easier to take them on and off. Obviously when very cold, you'd use waterproofs and leggings - possibly unless wearing something like Paramo.

The downside

The main downside of these is first of all their heavy-weight but more importantly, they're not very breathable. They're definitely less breathable than eVent and Neoshell which means you may not always put them on when it's warm and you may get a bit sweaty!

The other thing I've found is that they are really not at all fitted. In a hoolie on Dartmoor, I looked like the Michelin man and wondered if I'd take off. My friend wearing her Montane Spine waterproofs didn't have the same problem as they are more fitted (yet probably less durable). So, you pay your money and you make your choice according to features needed and cost.

Final thought

For the features and the price, the Berghaus Deluges are very hard to beat! Nothing else touches their features at their price. Paying more will give you more fitted, more breathable and towards the higher end, more durability and winter-specific features like crampon protection, snow gaiters etc.

North Face Five Point Gore Tex Pro Jacket - Review

I'll admit it... I've never had a Gore Tex jacket up to now. But a winter skills course found me out with my existing waterproof which had lasted me a good number of years. I needed something better, more reliable and definitely more rugged.

At the top of Fiacill Ridge

The latest incarnation of Gore Tex Pro fitted the bill, especially when webtogs had a sale and I got a drastically reduced price!

Since then I've used the jacket enough to review it effectively. Bear in mind that my jacket is not the absolutely latest 2014 jacket but the season before.

First up, the hood - it's excellent. Fits over a helmet and responds well to head movement. The small drawstrings to tighten are fiddly and the one at the back of the head is definitely too fiddly. Not sure if this has been adjusted in 2014 version but hope so!

The hood. The weather was way worse and way colder than this looks!! Hail storm assaults all day!

The cut - as befits an American company is looser than the standard 'athletic' cut of Montane and Rab. So whatever size you are normally, that's the size you need to get. Any bigger and you'll look like a spaceman. I'm medium in most things and my medium easily takes a Montane Ice Guide jacket under (or over!)

The arm length is fine. Velcro cuff tabs are OK but many don't like them because of snow sticking to them. The actual length of the jacket is slightly shorter than (for example) a Montane Venture and there's not really much of a drop tail at the back either.

The adjusters for cinching in around the waist are located inside the pockets which is slightly odd and not hugely effective I must admit. Again, a small re-think needed by North Face as these are tricky to adjust in winter conditions with gloves on. One issue with the little draw cord things is that they're not easy to un-do once tugged tight (I could be missing something but seems the only way is literally to 'pull apart' the jacket to loose the toggles...)

The jacket itself in terms of performance is brilliant, although only tested in some fairly cold winter conditions and has breathed very well. There are pit zips (again, not hugely easy to do back up once unzipped unless someone else helps). But this thing is a beast and very hard-wearing.

Spindrift and snow storm - became a whiteout but the jacket was amazing!

Additionally, this cut out so much wind that I actually noticed the difference up against an eVent jacket. I wouldn't wear my Gore Tex in Summer but the Gore Tex Pro is an amazingly huge improvement on my only other Gore Tex paclite (bin bag) jacket! 

I have to say that some days in -14C temperatures (windchill affected), all I needed was a merino/polyester baselayer, a fleece and this jacket. Yes, I attempt to move like a mountain goat but even when sitting still this really helped me keep fairly toasty with my belay jacket remaining in my bag! In the Cairngorms in Winter, I really only needed a thick baselayer and this jacket to be warm when moving.

All in all this is an almost perfect (tweaks needed) winter hardshell !

Montane Venture Waterproof Shell Review

The Montane Venture is an Event waterproof that I picked up in 2009-2010 for around £75 in an end of season sale.

Now discontinued, current Montane waterproofs carry on in a similar vein, hence the review (well, plus I have a few pics of it too)

Grinning inanely at the top of Striding Edge

So the Venture is an eVent 3-layer fabric with extra reinforced areas around the shoulder and the rear 'tail' of the jacket - basically the heavy wear areas of any item of clothing.

Fit as with most Montane items is athletic. I'm normally a medium in clothing but bought a large for the Venture which was the right choice (slightly tight around the shoulder areas on the medium).

The waterproof has a water resistant zip and a storm flap on the outside of the jacket. There are two waterproof pockets which aren't big enough to carry a map. The pockets are placed so as to be climbing harness compatible, although they are a little difficult to open despite the toggles. I know Montane have since addressed this issue.

The jacket also has reflective areas which is very helpful - front and back.

The Venture in action looking across a murky Buttermere to Fleetwith Pike

The hood is worthy of mention as this is pretty useless in some ways. I know this was a one-off as Montane have long since fixed this issue on their hoods. Basically it needed a volume adjuster toggle but has a flap and velcro combo. Not good and fixed thankfully!

Another thing you want in winter is a hood and adjusters around the tail of jackets that are easy to use in the cold conditions with gloves on. Many more modern jackets have single adjuster toggles. The Venture doesn't and so isn't as good in this way.

Seams are sealed around the jacket meaning I've never had any leakage. However, eVent does require an increased level of care and this jacket has been no exception. I have found eEvent extremely breathable and waaaaaay beyond my old Goretex Paclite jacket, which is akin to a plastic bag! I've had no leakage from the jacket, even in these typical British conditions...

Grimacing in a damp and very cold Lakeland

So that's the Montane Venture. I love Montane as a company and would recommend the new incarnation (and way better) jacket that's "replaced" this which is the Direct Ascent jacket.