Josh Strauss, working at Valhalla Pure Abbotsford, has been testing the Montane Alpine Pro Jacket. He went to Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park for 4 nights, 5 days. Left in the picture is Josh wearing the Montane Alpine Pro Jacket, size Medium. This is his review!
I had all sorts of weather just because I camped at 2100 meters and hiked to 2700 meters.
1st & 2nd day: 14 degrees Celsius and sunshine
3rd day: high of 4 degrees and rain with 70 km/h gusts
4th day: 10 degrees and windy
5th day: -1 and snow
I went to Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park for 5 days in hopes of experiencing all the weather with all the views and this trip did not disappoint. The jacket I took along to test out was the Alpine Pro Jacket which I used in all the weather conditions. It is a heavier jacket so it did well with the windy, cool, wet weather. In the cool windy weather the jacket especially came in handy as a windbreaker over my merino wool t-shirt. The pit zips were a great help in not over heating as well as the breathable 3 layered Gore-Tex Pro. I never felt too hot in the 4 hours of hiking with it on. The area where this jacket really shined was in the 4 degree wind and pouring rain on day 3. Three hours of hiking in the wind & rain and I was perfectly dry with a merino t-shirt and a polyester mid-layer on underneath. Once again, the pit zips coming in very handy for not overheating. One big thing I liked was how thick and sturdy the rim of the hood was. It fit around my down jacket nicely and kept the rain out with the snow I got on day 5.
+ Durable
+ Fit is perfect for winter layering
+ Large, stiff, and fully adjustable storm hood
+ Pit zips are easily accessible especially with a pack on
+ Very breathable
– Heavy
– Noisy
– The drawstrings at the bottom of the jacket aren’t easy to adjust with all my gear on.
– I would have like a zippered (waterproof?) pocket on the inside rather than just an open mesh pocket.
This is a perfect jacket for any hiking or climbing trips in the fall/winter months.
My overall rating: 8.5/10
Find the Montane Alpine Pro Jacket in more colours and other styles at VPO Online.
Montane Alpine Pro Jacket – mens Montane Alpine Pro Jacket – womens
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