Ridgeline Monsoon Jacket Mk II

[scottcountry]

Hello, no problem.

I am not familiar with the Montane Extreme smock to be honest, however I am familiar with Buffalo Mountain Shirts, and this new mountain shirt smock from Ridgeline clearly has design queues from this type of smock.

In terms of quality and finish for the money I think its excellent value. I wore mine yesterday for the first time and got caught in a real heavy rainfall.

Putting the foot down to get back home I found it very comfortable to wear, and ideal for really cold days on the hill.

 

[kiltedpict]

The montane is similar to the buffalo. I only ask as I've just got a montane and it's the tiniest bit tight and I might sell it and get the ridgeline... Many thanks.

KP

 

[Nonsuch]

I'm pretty negative on the Ridgeline RLTex garments now (i.e. Monsoon, Roar, etc) as I find, after an extensive road-test, that they hardly breathe at all. However, the pile smock does look interesting and I quite fancy getting one. Any drawcords in that detachable hood? Looks like it needs them.

 

[scottcountry]

Nonsuch, sorry I disagree, the garments do breathe adequately when wearing the correct undergarments, therefore I would need to ask what you are wearing underneath the garment firstly, however this should answer the question.

(Of course it will not breath as well as a lightweight Gore Paclite shell jacket, or indeed a high specification dual layer Gore membraned jacket, but the price reflects this to a degree)

On Saturday, SW Scotland, it poured with rain, and I had my lab to walk.

On a circular rough terrain farm loop (4 miles) I wore my Prohunter Trousers, Seeland wellingtons, and my Ridgeline smock, and under the smock I wore a long sleeve technical shirt (actually made by Endura for cycling) this wicked sweat away from my core, and gave the RL Tex membrane the best chance to breathe.

I carried my two year old in my Lifesystems backpack all the way round, and although my back was hot with the backpack pressed against it the duration, the jacket was not soaking inside, and breathed as expected.

By unzipping the neck down on climbs it added extra ventilation where needed.

I actually thought at the time that I should have taken some pictures to show how these garments should be used.

Temperature was a mild 8-10 degrees.

I actually have the official fabric test results from New Zealand somewhere, using the correct base layer if anyone wants to see them.

This I may add was done by an outside test lab.

As for the hood question, I answered it with pics on the other thread.

Regards

Paul

 

[Bowlander]

I wore a berghaus tech t under my monsoon 2 and sweated badly. It was in light drizzle/mist at 7c. 6km walk. Individuals are all different and I do run hot.

I've adopted the monsoon as a sedentary cold/wet coat. Great on an atv or sitting about in the cold. It fits the role well, just like a buffalo special 6 is no good for sitting around in the cold for long periods.

 

[benp1]

The price of the Ridgeline stuff is great, and it looks like good stuff, but all the research I did on here and other forums indicated that if breathability is high on your list, which it is on mine, then this is not the garment for you.

Nonsuch, sorry I disagree, the garments do breathe adequately when wearing the correct undergarments, therefore I would need to ask what you are wearing underneath the garment firstly, however this should answer the question.

With respect, you are naturally biased as you market the product on this forum. The lab tests are just those, lab tests. Base layer does make a difference, but I haven't heard of many unbiased reviews saying the breathability is good. Some say they didn't notice it, but most say its not good.

Still a good shell in the right conditions, but most of what happens on here is at the basecamp end of things so the smock is fine. If you're working hard in it and moving around a lot then you're going to get wet

 

[Dougster]

I use my Roar 2 for deer stalking. It's sublime for that. In a high seat with a duvet coat under it I can fall asleep comfortably at -4 (and have).

I will stick to my eVent for when walking up hills though. This is great for walking the dogs, when the weather is bad and I have to stand around waiting for them to finish working all the hedges.

There is no one be all and end all jacket, but this is half of the two that seem to do almost all of it for me.

 

[woof]

I've not used mine in anger yet, other than on a cold day walking the dogs & then it was realy comfortable to wear. Its drizzling here at the moment, & i'm off to take my dogs out, for a low level flatish walk of about 5 miles(vale of Belvoir along part of the canal) i'll try the smock out wearing a cotton t shirt, & report back.

Rob

 

[TROOPER]

Sorry to say it but i'm with most of the comments on here as regards the Ridgeline and it's breatabillity issues, myself and my mate have been comparing my Swazi Tahr ( original Gore-Tex version) against his Ridgeline Monsoon Mk2 for a while now and he has exactly the same problem no matter what base layer combination and type he has tryed, from natural materials to modern techno fabrics, every time the same, as soon as you are doing any serious amounts of anything other than sedentary activity your base layers suffer due to poor breathabillity, his actual quote was '' I now know how a boil in the bag dinner feels'' so sorry Scottcountry but field tests win over lab tests every time as far as i'm concerned.
Happy to say dont have that issue with my Tahr!

 

[scottcountry]

"i'll try the smock out wearing a cotton t shirt, & report back"

Personally id avoid a cotton t shirt and go for a microfibre shirt or something that is designed with high wicking properties.

Being honest, as an outdoors person, wearing the right base layer makes a huge difference and ive never honestly had an issue with over perspiring, even during high activity, but as ive said before the Monsoon is never going to be as breathable as a lightweight shell jacket, or a high specification Gore Tex Paclite jacket.

Granted I wouldnt want to be wearing mine in summer periods as you would bake but in this type of weather with the correct base layer I find it perfectly comfortable.

On a side note, an American customer of ours was coming stalking here this year and asked me to recommend something tough, durable and lighter weight for stalking.

He wrote back to me saying how fantastic it was, and he knew he made the right choice when he turned up on the estate, and four of the keepers were wearing the same smock!

 

[woof]

Well just got back, i coverd 5 miles in an hour & 15 minutes, it was a flat easy going walk so i could keep up a brisk pace. During the walk, as i said previously said i only wore a cotton t underneath. The weather conditions, were mild, no wind, light rain for the first half mile, then it stopped. I had the coat fastend up with the waist cords pulled tight for the entire walk, for half a mile i also had the hood up, & wore a baseball cap for the whole walk.
On getting home, i felt warm but not overly hot, when i undid the coat, i did feel a release of heat !, my t was wet & the inside of the coat damp. I think that had i vented the coat as Paul has said, i would not of had the wet t shirt nor would the inside of the coat of been damp. I did it the way i did to "push" & create an extreme situation & see how it coped, i think that under the circumstances it coped well. I will do the same walk again wearing a wicking baselayer & venting the coat to see the difference it makes, but for me, so far i'm happy with it.

I've no connection to Scott country other than as a customer, so i have no benefits to say other than how i find it.

Regards,

Rob

 

[Jackdaw]

For a true comparison, how about you first try it again with a cotton t but vent as well, then try again with a wicking layer but no venting, and then, just in case your not already starting to get bored, try it again with a wicking layer as well as venting? I'm guessing I already know what the results will be but it will be interesting to actually have it confirmed.

I have never found a waterproof layer that allows breathing as well. It's either/or, not both in my experience. Unless I am stood/sitting around or the weather is particularly horrendous I use the Paramo windproof Fuera over a wicking layer.

When you move around you have to accept that anything that is designed to be waterproof is not going to be able to breath at the same time as when it's raining. Goretex was designed to be breathable in artic/cold/snow conditions. I like the idea of the Ridgeline and will probably get one when the money allows but I will probably not end up using the waist draw string as I run hot and will no doubt find myself cooking in it.

 

[scottcountry]

Hi Rob

Thanks for the post, and indeed for making the effort to try this out.

One thing to remember, we all perspire differently also, so one persons perfect coat, could be the others "boil in a bag"

Im a "well built" cyclist so know I do get hot fairly easily when pushing it on the bike, so compared to when wearing an old North Face smock when cutting logs etc outside I get soaking inside after an hour in that or so working so know that some fabrics can make a difference.

I live in my Monsoon when walking dogs, and with the rubbish weather of late wear it to and from work when not cycling also.

It really is an ideal allrounder, im my own personal outdoors person opinion.

Paul

 

[woof]

No problem Paul, after all its in my interests as well !. Thanks for the advice Jackdaw, i'll try it your way.

Rob

 

[mr walloping]

Hi sorry to slightly change the subject but how do these smocks size up.I am 6 ft 3 and an xxl and want to wear one with layers for the winter what size is recomended,cheers

 

[Dougster]

I'm 44 chest and wear the Xl to get layers under it - best size up is most recommendations on these jackets.

 

[mr walloping]

Thanks for the advice

 

[woof]

Did the same walk again yesterday, again in a cotton t, but this time i vented the jacket. On getting home, i had a damp patch(visible) at each "pit", & the t felt damp between the shoulder blades, but was'nt visible. So venting it worked great.

Went out this morning first thing taking the dogs out, had the coat zipped up during the walk, again wearing just a t, felt perfect, pleasantly warm for moct of the walk, just again venting toward the end, where i undid the zip, but kept a press stud fastend, to keep out the slight breeze, perfect !.

Rob

 

[Pilgrim1953]

Gold trailer , I love my Buffalo shirts , had a few found them to be an excellent bit of kit with fantastic wicking capabilities , how do you feel they would work under a Ridgeline monsoon 2 ?.
Or would that just be over kill melt down .