Montane Pac Plus Waterproof Pants review: light, packable, practical and reliable

Enjoy all-day breathable protection with the Montane Pac Plus Waterproof Pants with their Gore-Tex Paclite Plus fabric

Montane Pac Plus Waterproof Pants
(Image: © Jonathan Manning)

Advnture Verdict

Well featured, and constructed with a breathable lightweight Gore-Tex-based material, the Montane Pac Plus are perfect for putting in your pack when you need a pair of reliable rain pants.

Pros

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    Gore-Tex fabric

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    Fully-taped seams

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    Articulated knees for freedom of movement

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    Three-quarter length side zips

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    Ankle hem adjustment

Cons

  • -

    Fairly expensive

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Montane Pac Plus: first impressions 

Montane Pac Plus waterproof pants make use of a new twist on an old fave. It’s a triumph of fabric technology (with a dusting of marketing genius) that many walkers go into an outdoors shop and ask for a Gore-Tex jacket, rather than a specific brand. For any walker who wants similar confidence in the waterproofness and breathability of their overtrousers, the Montane Pac Plus tick all the key boxes and secured themselves a place in our the best waterproof trousers buying guide.

They are made from Paclite Plus, introduced by Gore-Tex in 2019: a two-layer waterproof and breathable fabric designed to be thin, light and packable. For all-day, everyday deluges there are heavier, more robust versions of Gore-Tex, but as a balance between performance and packability these are hard to beat. They are also available in both regular and short leg lengths. 

Specifications

• RRP: $150 (US) / £125 (UK)
• Gender specificity: Men’s / Women’s
• Materials: Paclite Plus
• Weight (men’s size large): 215g / 7.6oz
• Sizes: XS / M / L / XL / XXL
• Colors: Black

Montane Pac Plus: on the trails 

A few years ago, when my knees were happy with me running the occasional mountain marathon, I’d have absolutely loved these waterproof overtrousers – barely 200g in the backpack, yet a completely reliable defence against the elements, with articulated knees to allow for full speed ahead with no restriction of movement.

Nowadays, I still found them extremely useful while walking trails on the high hills. They are light to carry, easy to pull on – thanks to three-quarter length zips backed by a storm flap – and I found them impressively breathable when slogging uphill in the rain. 

Jonathan Manning

After spending a decade as editor of Country Walking, the UK’s biggest-selling walking magazine, Jonathan moved to edit Outdoor Fitness magazine, adding adrenaline to his adventures and expeditions. He has hiked stages or completed all of the UK's national trails, but was once overtaken by three Smurfs, a cross-dressing Little Bo Peep, and a pair of Teletubbies on an ascent of Snowdon. (Turns out they were soldiers on a fundraising mission.)