There’s no point in fannying around here and waiting for the conclusion, the bottom line is that the Montane Fury is micro fleece done right.
I got this in for test last winter and it’s first task was walking from Rannoch Station to Spean Bridge in almost constant rain, so it spend it’s time layered under an eVent shell. This is where microfleece still wins over softshell for me, warmth and comfort when it’s layered up in nasty weahter and also better comfort at rest. The lighter fleece dries quick too, so after steaming in a bothy for a while it was all cozy and minimal dampness. The fabrics are Polartec Micro and Powerdry, low bulk and soft with very stretchy panels at the torso sides, along the under arms and at the sides of the hood.
Talking of which, I’ve gone down the comfy route there at first with the banter, but the Fury is actually a real technical jacket with both eyes on the mountains so the hood is spot on. It makes no concession to casual use so it’s a simple close fitting affair that pulls on and off (even when the zip’s fastened right up to just under your nose) easily due to the good fabrics and moves perfectly with my size 59 napper. Simple hoods like this layer very well under shell hoods as they don’t interfere with the peak and adjustment on a shell, somewhere soft shells can lose out and get annoying.
The red panels you can see are two little bits of Pertex cleverness sewn into the front following the stitch lines you can see set back from the zip about an inch and going to down to just below er, bra level. What’s this then? A little extra help with chill deflection when layering, you can let the heat out of your shell by unzipping it and the Fury keeps the wind off your damp baselayer. It works fine, and something I like as it’s the same reason I often wear a Buff around my neck in winter. Hey, it’s the little things that make the difference.
Aa very nice 372g for my size large features are also light on complication, the main zip has a nice baffle that stays put and doesn’t snag, the cuffs are simple lycra bound versions and the hem has drawcord adjustment with captured adjusters.
The pockets are big and are mesh backed for some extra ventilation where there are no rucksack straps or arm movement to interfere with it. The pocket placement is very good, being something of a compromise between high to clear a harness and low to keep your hands warm when walking the dog, this makes them perfectly usuable and me very happy.
The cut is very slim, unforgivingly so, but it’s the only way to go, the fabrics work better, the jacket’s lighter and a well designed bit of kit doesn’t need extra fabric to make up for lack of articulation in the arms, and here you can wheel your arms like a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man and the hem doesn’t lift. The slim fit means it stays put under a shell too, which is lucky because in typical Montane style the body is as short as they can get away with.
I was glad when it got cold again and I got the Fury back out, it’s a brilliant bit of kit. The materials and design are just right, although taller folk might not like the high cut waist, it’s fine on me I’m glad to say.
I’ve often talked misty eyed about the Haglöfs Triton Hood, the perfect microfleece hoody, finally there’s a successor.
This looks a great ‘birrakit’. And I love Montane stuff – I own a massive 3 different products and all are superb. My favourite microfleece is my Mountain Equipment Shroud – have you tried it and how wouldd you rate it?
Mark
Tried a Shroud, I do quite like it, I’m stuck half way between a medium and a large in it though!
I’m glad the brands are still making tech style fleece rather than keeping it for the lifestyle jackets.
Like that gently crazy powerstretch thing Montane have also done :)
Their website doesn’t explain that underlay at all well – it makes it read like its covering the whole jacket which really wouldn’t be good.
Aye, had an old Karrimor bike gilet like that, all microfleece with a Pertex front lining, Warm!
£90 for a microfleece with a hood!!!!
You can get Craghoppers microfleece, a buff and a mico fleece dome hat combo for about £40.
Is the hoody better than fleece, buff and hat? Possibly. Is it more than twice as good? Almost certainly not (unless it comes with some magic beans or a year’s supply of wine gums)
I’d take a years supply of Oddfellows, Chelsea Whoppers or those little candy letters.
Value is always hard to quantify. The budget brands don’t have the design depth or top fabrics the tech brands do, but my most worn outdoor item in the cheap Berghaus micro pullon I got a while back, I wear it most days and it’s brilliant but the cut is terrible for the hill on me, could be perfect for someone else though.
If it works it works, and I suppose if you want fancier and have the money, wire in.
If nothing else, during these past few years of gear madness I’ve learned that pretty much anything will be fine on the hill, joy on the trail definitely isn’t tagged onto how much you spent on what you’re wearing.
In 1996 that same £90 would have got you a Karrimor Alpiniste fleece that was made in the UK.
Not sure what point I’m making with that observation.
Aye – my oldest ‘still in service’ piece of kit is one of the earliest Berghaus micro fleeces – must be coming on for 14 years old. It’s pretty light, its pretty warm and it (still) fits pretty well. I also have a Mountain Hardwear micro dome beanie which must be coming up for 10 years old still is the best thing ever for keeping my head at the correct temperature.
Do I need to spend £90 on a fleece with a hood? Nope
I have a second berghaus micro fleece which is itself nine years old. It’s lighter (yay), longer (yay), is too tight around the shoulders (not so yay) and would strangle me if I every tied to pull the zip right up (decidedly un-yay).
Would I spend £90 on a fleece with a hood to replace micro fleece number 2? MAYBE – if I hadn’t discovered the micro dome.
But as you say, apart from the garroting micro fleece, there is no rubbish gear out there. But there is a lot of over- ‘featured’ (and thus over priced) stuff about.
Ye olde micro fleece has zero ‘features’ except a zip and a very small breast pocket. And I could live without the breast pocket
The old Karrimor Concord was the same, brilliant simple microfleece with a ridiculously tight neck. Still wore it though, maybe that’s where the Buff around the neck thing started.
Features? If they’re there I’ll use them, if they’re not I don’t miss them. That kinda says it all for me.
Hi!
Thanks for this article, I didn’t know this model. I don’t know how to ask this in english but do you know what is the “g/m²” of this fleece? I tried to find this in Google without any success…
Greetings from France ;)
Try Montanes website – its amazingly helpful that way :)
http://www.montane.co.uk/products/men/soft-shell-and-fleece/fury-jacket/271
Aye, the Montane website give the body fabrics as 259gsm and 194gsm for the stretch panels.
The 259gsm fabric feels like a soft version on the 100 weight Polartec.
Those website weights do see high for the fabric content on a jacket weighing 372 grams though?
Yes they do. Actually now you mention it they do just seem rather too heavy all round – Haglofs microfleece is 159g/m2 for instance. (hooded jacket in that @just over 300g/m2.).
Thanks for clearing up the confusion with the Pertex under-layering. Like others I thought Montane might have missed the boat and over-complicated a seemingly simple, albeit rare beast, the minimalist hooded fleece.
My Shroud is looking past it, a victim of it’s own success as it gets warn almost every day. This Fury looks like an ace replacement.
The fleece fabric is the same as the Haglofs one in a “feel test”.
They should make the lining bit better explained on the site, it is going to put folk off.
It’s not a bad choice Holdfast, best hoody I’ve tried since my original Triton.
Hi PTC
I was almost going to buy the ME Shroud, now I have seen this review I’m not so sure. I like Montane stuff, have virtually lived in my Prism for the past year and the fit is good. The only thing that worries me is your comment about taller folk, I’m 6.4 and the last thing I want is a jacket which doesn’t make it to my waist. Would you say it’s a major issue. I am suffering from the dreaded paralysis by analysis with all the choices!
Regards
Tim
Hi Tim, if the current Prism (been around for around 3 years, the previous version was a good bit looser) fits you the Fury should be fine, I’ve got a Prism and the only difference I can see is that the Fury’s arms are a little longer. That’s both in a size large.
Choice is indeed quicksand for the mind!
Cheers PTC, thanks for getting me out of that quicksand!
I have informed Santa, fingers crossed he will come up with the goods!
Santa’s a good lad :o)
So I too am interested in a comparison between this and the ME Shroud. Any tried both on?
They look about equally featured and equally popular. The only differences I can discern are that the Fury looks slightly better, but is missing the thumb-holes from the Shroud. Then again I’m not sure I’d use the thumb-holes necessarily. Do people like them? Use them? Just ignore them?
Are there any other noticable differences?
Thumbholes can be great, they camn make a difference to how your hands cope with cold, like being able to keep thinner gloves on to keep your dexterity. But, if the dimensions of where the thumbhole is don’t macth your body they’re useless, it’s one of those things you have to try.
The fit of the Fury is better on me than the Shroud if it’s any help, I’d say the Fury large size sits inbetweem ME’s medium and large sizes.
it looks a lot like the Warmpeace Sneaker, one of the greatest pieces of kit i have owned!
The Sneaker has a some extra features like pit-zips and Schoeller reinforcements on shoulder and elbow.
If its as good as my Sneaker is worth the 90punds!
That Warmpeace Sneaker looks nice. Reminds me of the of Karrimor Alpiniste Pro.
I had a softshell hoody on yesterday and it reminded me of whay I like layering with microfleece, you stay much drier.
I had a look at the Montane Jackal Jacket, it looks just like the Warmpeace Sneaker, same style fabrics and cut.
The fury looks like a lighter model, maybe a better choice for layering.
is on sale in Denmark, around 65punds just ordered one for my sister looking forward to se it – and have my sneaker back from her.
Sounds like a good deal if you get your own jacket back!