UKC

Anyone else tried this?

I got an OMM jacket in it on the basis that it looked great for winter climbing under a hardshell being superlight and very breathable. Only had two days in it so far, neither of which was very cold but it performed very well with a ME eclipse underneath. Just ordered the lighter hooded version to go underneath instead of the Eclipse which means I can walk in in a light base layer carrying a little over 300g of base/mid layer to change into (plus belay jacket obviously). Definitely a change from the Montane extreme smock I used a few years ago at over a kilo!

Anyway, just curious if anyone else had tried it! 

Yes, I like it. The Primaloft yarn knitted a bit like Polartec Alpha. I have it in a base/mid layer thing from TNF and with the right layers around it it does a good job. Only real criticism is some layers don't slide well over it, but hardly a bit deal.

Re - the Montance smock.

As a matter of interest you weren't carrying the smock in your rucksack to use as an over layer were you?

I would walk in in a base layer and windproof then put the smock on for the route. No way could I have walked in wearing the smock.

I'd asked about midlayers for winter climbing on here and someone recommended an Alpha one without the face fabric. I liked that idea because the face fabric is a waste of time if you always wear a hardshell. I couldn't find one but happened on the OMM one and it looked similar. I had a good system with two layers of gridded fleece but this seems warmer, lighter and even more breathable.

Sounds similar concept to Alpha. It's an awesome fabric for active roles. Have it as a lining on my montane hydrogen extreme jacket and also on the micro apex hoodie. Find the apex ideal for running in cooler conditions. 

Pretty much same story. I'd had a Macpac unfaced Alpha top and the Next one seems better, a bit more stretch. I wear it next to my skin, under a Thermoball midlayer or just a shell.

A pair of base leggings would be good, for under a thin shell for less thrutchy climbing.

I never got on with the montane extreme smock, it was either too hot or too cold. Far too hot for me to walk in wearing and regularly too hot climbing, but freezing belays. My preferable layers are base layer, micro fleece, winter stretchy soft shell  jacket. Then a belay jacket for belays. Walking in I typically wouldn’t wear the fleece and perhaps not even the soft shell to start.

Can understand why you thought it was too warm. I used to have the Buffalo salopettes and the Buffalo Special 6 shirt. The salopettes only got warm twice as they were simply too warm for me. The Special 6 is fantastic but only in very cold weather and worn next to the skin which enables heat to be dumped. Think the Montane might have been thicker/warmer than my Buffalo.

Primaloft Next does sound interesting so I hope you get sorted.

Interesting, I'm a convert to Alpha as I run very hot and sweaty when moving fast.

I used one for years and liked it but eventually realised that climbing in something less warm would lead to being warmer on belays as I wouldn't arrive at the top of a pitch as a sweaty mess. I also like the fact that switching to other midlayers let me drop over half a kilo!