Montane

Further, Faster

Since the company’s founding in 1993, Montane has become synonymous with lightweight technical clothing and equipment. Highly product- driven, Montane was the first to truly push the limits of single layer mountain clothing with the Extreme Smock and, later, developed the first super packable, windproof and breathable windshirt: the Featherlite Smock. The innovation story continues unabated. Montane. Further. Faster.

Montane was established in the north east of England in 1993 by Chris Roff and Jake Doxat, who met on a three month Operation Raleigh expedition to southern Chile in 1989. After returning from South America, Chris left a perfectly good job in construction to establish Montane; he was frustrated by the relative weakness of outdoor clothing available at the time. He found that it was generally too bulky, too heavy and insufficiently breathable for active use in a changing and hostile environment. Chris’ quest became to produce clothing which was lightweight; low bulk; well- specified for prolonged, hard outdoor use yet kept the wearer warm and comfortable over a very wide range of different conditions and activities. The answer lay in combining warm, lightweight and very high wicking lining fabrics with water-resistant, hard wearing and windproof outer fabrics. This was the start of what is now commonly referred to as “Soft-Shell.”

From this base in soft-shell outdoor and mountain clothing, Montane has expanded to apply the same basic principles to men’s and women’s clothing for other aerobic sports like biking and running—sports for which the basic requirements are the same – to keep the wearer dry and comfortable, while being as lightweight and easy to pack as possible.

These days Montane is—by design—not the biggest outdoor clothing brand, but it is certainly one of the most specialized. The brand is at the forefront of innovative, lightweight design and the use of the most technologically advanced fabrics.

From the youngest person solo and unsupported to the North Pole, to the first wheelchair-bound person to the North and South Poles. From climbing unnamed peaks in Greenland to running the Yukon Arctic Ultra Marathon; from professional mountain guides to committed volunteers in Mountain Rescue; from the dog-sledding speed record to cycling the Transalp in record time – it was all done wearing Montane.

Montane customers worldwide place high demands on their garments and push their gear to their limit. Whether mountaineering, running or cycling, in Montane they have found a company aligned with their pursuit of going further, faster.