Montane Pac Plus £190

This is a well-designed, ultralight jacket at an excellent price. As the name implies, it’s made from Gore-Tex’s Paclite Plus fabric – a 2-layer unlined construction that’s “thin, light and highly packable, as well as durably waterproof, windproof and extremely breathable”, according to the membrane brand. Bold claims, but it lived up to that billing during our horribly rainy Lake District hikes.

It was comfy, fitting, moved well with the body, didn’t feel clammy and – most importantly – kept out the rain. The Montane Pac Plus has a superb hydrostatic head rating of 28,000mm and a decent RET breathability grade of <9. The excellent cut is athletic and minimalist, with an adjustable peaked hood (our favourite across all six jackets), Velcro cuffs, drawcord hem and dropped tail for coverage over the top of the backside.

The 30-denier nylon face fabric feels sufficiently sturdy, and you also get mesh-lined hand pockets, stormflapped front zip and mid-height collar.

IF WE’RE BEING FUSSY...

You don’t get any pit zips, so ventilating when you’re working hard isn’t so easy, and there’s no internal pocket for a phone or valuables. It rustles and crinkles a little too. But this is all nit picking – there’s not much to dislike about this excellent jacket.

■ MEN’S SIZES S-XXL

■ WOMEN’S SIZES 8-16

■ WEIGHT 275g (men’s small)

Verdict

A lightweight, fully-featured and top-performing jacket at a superb price – but you don’t get pit zips.

“Excellent cut – athletic & minimalist”