About Montane
Montane makes some of the best performance gear on the market, technical and long-lasting and they provide several well-known companies (including some mountain rescue teams) with their outdoor equipment. They have a reputation for creating some of the best gear and have done so for over 25 years.
Montane is part of the fear wear foundation which ensures workers’ conditions and rights within the textile industry are upheld. Additionally, they have begun a major push, as seen with this baselayer to use recycled materials where possible.
Features
Montane’s Dart T-shirt is their all-season, all-mountain technical shirt. Its fully recycled fabric keeps you warm as a base layer in winter but has good wicking and very good breathability in the summer months. External stitching and soft fabric make it extremely uncomfortable to wear.
Performance
The Montane Dart has become my go-to base layer. So much so that I now own 4 of them! Luckily, they come in several colours. Just as advertised, I find them good to provide a warm base in winter under a fleece or waterproof jacket, and they work well with Páramo’s Analogy system. Additionally, come summer, they are perfect as a single layer. Comfy, sweat-wicking and although fitted, not so much so that they feel tight.
The external seams stop any possible chafing on those longer days, which is obviously a great benefit. They clean well and dry quickly too, so if you get hit with a summer shower, you’re not going to stay wet for too long.
I bought my first one about 2 years ago, and almost immediately got a second. They have been on almost all my walks, from North Wales to The Lake District and our regular trips to the Peak District. I’ve never felt let down, and they still look like they have a lot of life left in them.
Now it is Summer time when they start to come into their own. Thin and light, I tend to just get on with the material and build of the t-shirt so much that it takes a lot for me to even look at other base layers.
Conclusion
These are my go-to, I wear them on most walks, they always go with me on our week's walking and when they do finally let go, I won’t think twice about grabbing another one. The fact they’re now made from recycled material makes this classic even better and I haven’t yet found a better base layer for what is quite a reasonable price. Long lasting, very flexible and very performant, what’s not to like?
There are options for winter that may be better for some people, but as I run warm, they still work extremely well for me.
