Stu tests out this synthetic insulator on a cold wet weekend in North Wales, find out what he thinks below.
I have been waiting to properly test the Fortes XT for some time having had it since September. It just hasn’t been cold enough – until a weekend trip to North Wales at the end of November finally gave me the chance to properly test out this Heavyweight synthetic jacket, which is actually not that heavy, and it’s super warm.
Features
The jacket has a 12d recycled nylon face fabric, which is quite light for this style of jacket, and they have applied an acrylic coating to increase durability and weather resistance. This fabric is completely windproof and very water resistant, ensuring warm air is locked in and cold air stays out. The lining fabric is a 10d nylon, which is air permeable, so very breathable.
Insulation is provided by Primaloft Gold Active Vent in 2 weights, 60 g/m² for the hood and under the arms, 160 g/m² for the main body and top of the sleeves. Primaloft Active Vent is breathable, so this combined with that air permeable lining, means any moisture you generate is quickly transferred from you and through that insulation. The face fabric is not very breathable as it has that acrylic coating, but the jacket does a good job of keeping sweat away from the user. This is not a jacket to be active in, it’s a jacket you wear when static or moving slowly in torrid conditions.
The Fortes is on the “Mountain” fit block from Montane, this basically means its bigger than normal, so over just a fleece or T it looks quite big, but that’s not what this jacket is designed for, when you are actually wearing it on the mountain over everything including your shell, you really appreciate that its been designed to accommodate multiple layers. For example, on a cold windy summit, I was wearing base-layer, light grid fleece, a lightweight breathable mid-layer and a shell, then the Fortes XT over the top. This is when I really noticed how well the cut and body mapping of the jacket is. The hood easily went over my other hoods, it didn’t feel tight under my arms, it didn’t ride up. I barely noticed I was wearing it, until I got too hot stomping down hill.
Performance
So, finally managing to get some early winter conditions in Snowdonia at the end of November, I was able to properly test the jacket. Having previously worn it on a couple of cooler days, but realised it’s really too bulky and oversized to wear casually for me. (If you wanted to wear it over fewer layers, you could size down, unless you are normally a size small…However, this kind of defeats the point of the product, in my opinion, and there are plenty of other products to choose from if you want a fitted daily wearer. )
I put the jacket in a dry bag rather than the included stuff sack, the reason for this is I could compress it smaller, it’s a big ol beast. Also, if the jacket got saturated, I could keep the contents of my pack dry with the wet Fortes in a dry bag.
Considering the warmth of this jacket, the use of lightweight fabrics and limited seams really makes it pack down pretty small, and the 500 odd grams is reasonably light compared to the competition.
Once we got to the first summit and the wind picked up, the Fortes came out and stayed out for the next couple of hours. It’s always amazing to wear something which just delivers on what it promises. It kept me very warm and comfortable as we made our way over the ridge to the next summit and back again. If I got too hot, I could vent it, and when the wind picked up with snow, I could pull up the hood and seal myself away in a cocoon of warmth.
The high pocket placement is perfect for using with a pack or a harness, and the main zip is two-way. The Fortes XT will make a brilliant winter belay jacket. The single napoleon pocket is great for keeping hat or gloves in, and the dump pockets inside are great for spare hat or gloves.
The hood is brilliant, it fits over a head really well and moves with you and also comfortably goes over a large volume climbing helmet. I would have liked the hood to have come further forward, protecting the temples/side of the face better from wind, but this would seriously hamper vision.
From pocket placement to hem adjusters and zips, everything on this jacket just works. I was never fighting with anything getting caught, feeling tight, or being fiddly. It’s an almost perfect combination of high-end components and design.
Conclusion
If you want a super warm but still light Synthetic belay/over jacket, it’s very hard to beat the Fortes XT
Pros:
- Great fit over multiple layers
- Manages moisture very well
- Packs pretty small
- Very warm
- Everything on it just works
Cons:
- Would like 2 napoleon pockets
- Oversize limits daily use
- Hood could offer more protection
You can check out Sam’s video overview below
Fancy picking up a Montane Fortes XT of your own? Click below
