My five favourite Mont gear picks after a winter and summer season in the European Alps with over 200 days of climbing, skiing and paragliding in the mountains from shorter day hits to multi day adventures.
This jacket works great as a winter mid-layer. I’ve just done a winter season skiing and climbing and wore this jacket most every day. It packs very small but gives a good warmth for its small size. While ski touring up hills, I’ve got it pretty soaked with sweat but the jacket dry’s quick in the wind and sun. It’s also good to have a mid-warm layer without a hood as my other layers tend to have hoods and there is less hood clutter. Being so small and light I also pack this for long runs or climb and fly’s in the mountains in summer.
I'm surprised how much I like these pants! They have become my new summer alpine climbing pants in the mountains. Very comfortable with the 4 way stretch and good selection of pockets. I’m 195cm and the leg length on the size large is nice and long keeping out the snow and dirt from my boots. The synthetic fabric dry’s fast and paired with the Power Dry thermals underneath for colder days works well. I’ve also used them climbing on big walls in the desert with temps in the 30s. They were comfortable under the harness in the heat and the legs were easy to roll up when I needed. I wore the same two pairs for a month scuffing up granite and pushing through thorny scrub. After a wash they then transitioned well for going back into town on the long trip home without looking like daggy travel pants.
I’ve tried my best to destroy this little pack. It’s been hauled up countless climbs, dragged over granite slabs and been on long runs and mountain approaches. It fits a full climbing rack or a light weight paraglider. It’s easy to overload with ropes slung over the top, water bottles fit in the side stretch pockets and a jacket can be stuffed into the front stretch pocket. It’s not the lightest for its size but it carries a heavy load very well as the shoulder straps and back support have good integrity. The Gyro Daypack was previously called the Mojo daypack.
An excellent fleece base layer. This top is very comfortable to wear while ski touring and climbing and the grid pattern helps it breath a lot more. The arm length is generous and allows for movement above your head and there is also good length in the body so it can stay tucked in or stay put under the harness. The snug hood fits very well under a helmet while being more comfortable than a beanie and protects the back of your neck from the spindrift down your back while climbing. The chest pocket is a good size for keeping the phone warm or snacks on the go.
Perfection. I use this jacket as my winter outer layer, I wear it big so it can go over everything and to maintain good movement while climbing. It’s a good belay jacket with a hood that fits over my helmet and pairs well with Zero Ultralight down jacket for layered insulation when active. The synthetic shell keeps out the wet snow, light rain and breaths more than a hard shell. The outside fabric has been tough enough for me to scrap it up mixed ice routes without a care. It also packs up small in the stuff sack with the XXL being the size of two coffee cups. The stuff sack can be clipped to the harness if climbing on lead without a pack, so you have a warm jacket for the belay.
Alpinist and Mont Ambassador Chris Warner
Have you got an adventure story and photos of a recent trip with Mont gear that you'd like to see on our Blog? Then please send it to mont@mont.com.au with the subject line "Adventure Story for the Mont Blog". Please note that we get a large number of submissions and cannot post every story.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
