Review: Mountain Hardwear Manticore

Another Great Rock + Run Deal
We have just acquired some of last seasons colour-way of the fantastic MHW Manticore jacket on a great deal - RRP £200 DEAL Price £100! This is a jacket which I have been using for sometime, here's a short review of this hybrid shell.

Manufacturers Description
Hardshell and Soft Shell combined for durability, weather resistance, stretch and comfort. Ideal for alpine climbing, ice and all snowsports.

Rock+Run Review
I have worn this jacket as a general shell in varying conditions from plowing though driving rain on Scafell to ski touring through gusting (40mph) snow whilst linking in from Pointe Helbronner to the Vallee Blanche in the Alps, and whilst the insulation is obviously limited the breathabilty, maneuverability and barrier protection is (in it’s class) second to none!

The hybrid construction of this jacket (Hardshell and Soft Shell) gives it a really substantial feel, while remaining quite light and easily packable – it’s easily as thin as most three layer Gore-Tex shells. The softshell portions of the jacket are in all the right places and really help prevent clamminess, something I’ve had a problem with on many a hard shell.

Featureswise it’s got pockets everywhere you need them, the pit zips are well placed and a good length, and the hood is big enough for a helmet – I used a Petzl Meteor 3 and an Black Diamond Half Dome. The outer (Synchro SBT/ Nylon Taslan) as pointed out above is really maneuverable and has a great level of stretch but is also extremely durable, in fact whilst descending a short ridge I fell a short way and suffered some nasty bruising to my left arm whilst the Manticore showed only minimal grazing to the outer fabric.

Whilst I haven't used the piece for full on ice/mixed climbing the features specified above - good manuverability, low lift in the sleeves, good stretch and high abrasion resistance - lead me to feel that this would be an awesome active cold weather tooling jacket, especially the high water resistant nature of the jacket would make it excellent for those scenarios were things aren't fully "in condition".

Remember this isn’t designed as a piece for wearing over a vast numbers of layering pieces and it works best as a close fitting garment. The medium should well suit anyone from 5-8" to 5.10 providing they have a slim(ish) build and a 30-34" waist (this is just a guide).

Fabric:

Laminate: Conduit™
Body Fabric: Nylon Taslan™/Schnchro SBT

Features:

• One handed hood and hem draw cords
• Laminated cuff tabs with Velcro® closure
• Double flap, front zip
• Welded hand pockets with water-resistant zips
• Attached, roll-away, Ergo hood with laminated brim
• Two welded chest pockets with water-resistant zips
• Welded, interior, zip pocket
• Micro-chamois lined chin
• Welded, water-resistant, pit zips
• Exterior taped, water-resistant seams
• Hard shell and soft shell, hybrid construction
• Weight: 557g (Medium)

Purchase the MHW Manticore here.