My Buffalo (Special 6) is ready for replacing and I’m toying with trying a Montane Extreme (smock). Any opinions please? What’s sizing like for the Montane?
My Buffalo (Special 6) is ready for replacing and I’m toying with trying a Montane Extreme (smock). Any opinions please? What’s sizing like for the Montane?
Poacher turned game-keeper
Funny I was having the same dilemma! My first Buffalo was best bit of kit I ever owned. Light enough to run in during cold and wet weather but warm enough for foul weather mountain use. My other two never quite worked the same. Just a bit too warm for basic bad weather running. Recently started using my latest (10+ year old) version for running, as intended next to the skin and its ok but it has to be pretty cold tbh.
I M Povey New Marske Harriers
http://manwithoutashed.blogspot.com
Stef has ordered me a Montane smock to go to Santa. Review to follow
Err, after Christmas
Sorry DT that I haven't picked up this thread earlier, I've had problems getting onto the forum. I have both smocks. I bought the Special 6 about 10 years ago and really rate it for winter fell walking. Then, a couple of years ago, I was given the Montane Extreme smock as a gift.
To my mind the Special 6 is lighter and seems less encumbered (e.g there are no cordura patches on the sleeves, or plastic rings for glove attachments,etc.). I find the Montane hand warming pockets are set too high to shove my hands in comfortably for any extended periods. Probably, the main issue I have with the Montane is the lack of an 'inner belt/strap around the waist, adjustable inside the hand warming pocket, to pull the smock into the small of my back which means there's too much air-space and so a cold pocket (although using a bumbag on the outside, pulled in close, does help with this on the Montane). This might just be down to my body shape having a relatively thin waist perhaps.
Where the Montane does score massively over the buffalo, is the fantastic hood which is easy to attach/detach, is readily adjusted, and has a great face shield. In fact, I now use the Montane hood on each of my Buffalo jackets and have ditched the ridiculously designed Buffalo hoods, which I never found fitted comfortably and had that daft bit of triangular face shield.
All-in-all, both are really decent jackets, if worn next to the skin. Oh yes! There's absolutely no way I'd ever contemplate running in either of these two - you'd spontaneously combust with the heat!
Last edited by Mossdog; 08-12-2017 at 11:52 PM.
Am Yisrael Chai
I'm having the same dilemma! My Buffalo is now over 25 years old, and there are patches where the pile has all but vanished - I was also not a runner back then and two stone heavier, so it's a wee bit too big!
Good review Mossdog - based on that though, the Buffalo seems the better option, as I rarely wear it with a hood, favouring the fredoom of a Lowe Alpine Mountain cap, with the buffalo hood stuck on only in REALLY dire weather!
Cheers Mossdog. Think you've cleared that up for me too!! It'll be a new Buffalo sometime for me. Used mine a few times lately for slow, steady state jog/walks in the freezing weather we're having! Maybe I'm cold blooded!!
I M Povey New Marske Harriers
http://manwithoutashed.blogspot.com
LA Mountain Cap - cracking bit of kit
Paramo Balaclava. Another fantastic item of headwear. So warm that i've even considered it overkill on the January Marsden-Edale the past two years. Wore it once in arctic conditions up Skiddaw in December. Also wore it yesterday on a long slow run in the snow. In combination with OMM Rotor Smock and La Sportiva waterproof, I can honestly say I did not feel the cold at any point yesterday.