Let’s get the pun out of the way first. The material for the brilliantly named Monkey Man grid is Monkey Phur! (It’s actually the much more boring sounding Polartec High Loft Grid.)
This very warm material is used around the jacket, except for in panels under the arms, on the sides sides and the hood, where stretch fleece is used instead. The Polartec High Loft Grid has some stretch, but the fleece is very stretchy and the jacket has almost no hem-lift.
For a cold day in the mountains, this would be a great option. There are two hand-warmer pockets, and a refreshingly large chest pocket that doubles as a stash sack. The sleeves have thumb holes and are quite long anyway. The hood is tight-fitting and designed to be used under a helmet. I prefer them like this, even if I’m not wearing a helmet, because the hood moves well with the head – even if I did look like Navy SEAL diver wearing it. There are two hem draw-cords. It’s probably the warmest jacket here.
By Daniel Neilson
