All rain pands promise that they’re breathable, but if you’re working hard in humid conditions (and rain is 100% humidity), it’s difficult for sweat to evaporate through a fabric and out into the open. Waist Garments engineered with GORE-TEX® product technology are durably waterproof and windproof combined with optimised breathability. Gore invests heavily in field testing to understand end user needs which allows Gore to provide the GORE-TEX® GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY™ promise. Montane's Pac Plus pants are the trousers of choice for anyone who goes fast on the trail. Designed to be waterproof and extremely breathable, these shell trousers are perfect for exploring the outdoors from mountain peaks to valley trails. The Pac Plus features an elasticated waist with drawcord and 3/4 length side zips for added ventilation and ease of use when putting them on over footwear. A diamond gusset and articulated knees give added movement on steeper terrain.

Garments engineered with GORE-TEX® Pro product technology are built for maximised ruggedness and are ideal for extreme and extended use. All components are built for maximized ruggedness while strict textile performance specifications ensure optimum strength. All GORE-TEX® Pro garments must pass Gore’s toughest test conditions and most aggressive rainstorm test. The sleeves on lighter summer-oriented shells can be a bit narrow, but while the cuffs on the Pac Plus XT are not quite as generous as on a typical technical winter mountain shell, they're still sufficiently roomy to fit over insulated gloves (though can be a bit of a struggle with bulkier gauntlets). It's also possible to push the sleeves up over your forearms, an expedient I often seem to resort to in warmer conditions. A simple hook and loop tab gets the fit nice and close to your wrist when you don't want that volume. The fit leaves plenty of room to wear these rain pants comfortably over your hiking pants, while the lower leg unzips all the way to your knee to allow room for the biggest of boots to pass through. Once they’re on, they offer plenty of protection from the rain with taped seams, as well as sheltering you from the wind. Less costly competitors are cheaper for a reason – they don’t match the specs, or promise Montane make. RET (Resistance to Evaporative Heat Transfer) tells you theresistance a material has to water vapour passing through it. The lower the RET value, the less its resistance to moisture transfer and therefore the higher its breathability. By the definition of this standard, an RET of 0-6 is 'extremely breathable' (comfortable worn at a higher activity rate); 6-13 is 'very breathable' (comfy at a moderate activity rate); 13-20 is 'satisfactory' or 'breathable' (uncomfortable at a high activity rate); and anything over 20 is going to boil you in the bag (I paraphrase).The semi-elasticated waist has a simple but effective drawcord adjustment, while ½ length side zips ensure easy on and off over all but the chunkiest walking boots. Velcro ankle adjustment ensures a secure seal around your footwear.

Though it's described as helmet-compatible, I'd say the hood is too small to be a really successful match. While you can pull it over a helmet, comfort and mobility both become compromised when you then fully fasten the zip; head movement is restricted looking up or side to side, and the collar pulls too tight across the mouth and chin. Drop your zip below chin level and it's all freed - but of course you're not then fully sealed against the elements. I've used the hood with a helmet when winter mountaineering, so I'd concede it will just about do for an occasional such day, but if you're regularly climbing in the Pac Plus XT I suspect it'd get annoying. The twin hem drawcords can be tightened one handed, though as on the hood they are a bit more fiddly than the modern type built into the seam. Designed for fast and light mountain activities, the Pac Plus Pants use waterproof GORE-TEX PACLITE PLUS technology and feature 3/4 length side zips for easy on and off on the mountain.GORE-TEX makes an excellent windorproof layer so the Pac Plus get 10 out of 10 here. But you alson need think about other factors and, fortunately, Montane have put huge effort in this thought process. Its 2.5 layer construction laminates a tough outer fabric onto the Gore-Tex membrane. Instead of using a third layer under that (as per 3L Gore Pro, for instance) the membrane is given a protective inner coating, which constitutes the nominal half layer. For Paclite Plus, Gore add another abrasion-resistant treatment that's designed to boost the fabric's durability. In practise this means it should be tougher than plain Paclite, though not as burly as Pro.