MontBell Ultralight Thermawrap Vest - Men's - 2008 BCS

I ordered this nifty little vest in Gunmetal with high hopes. Much to my disappointment, though, I had to return it, for a couple of reasons.

First, when my wife saw it on she said, “It looks like a trash bag.” Now, I am neither overly sensitive nor vain, but for this kind of dough, I do expect a little style out of my gear. Moreover, sadly, I must agree with her; I think the combination of the color, texture, and weight gives it that appearance.

Second, and functionally more important, it was just a bit too lightweight for my needs, and the XL I ordered it in was a bit baggy for proper insulation. I was looking for something suitable for backpacking in the Sierras, something that could provide a little more insulation, layer under my hard shell, and could double as a pillow if needed.

I went with the mont-bell Alpine Light Down Vest in the hopes of getting a warmer piece, and it was significantly so. Unfortunately, I had to return that (sizing issue), and am now using the Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover in large.

If you like the appearance, want something lighter, and it fits, this vest is a great way to go, just not for me right now. I am giving it five stars even though I didn't keep it; mont-bell quality is top notch.

This vest is fantastic, offering a durable, wind blocking thermal layer in an unbelievably compactable form. As part of an ultralight layering scheme, it's unbeatable. Sizes are cut a bit small, no doubt for a snug fit. I tend to prefer a bit more air and comfort so I ordered a size up. I was so impressed with this vest on last week's Green river Utah paddling trip (with 32° nights & mornings) I'm considering a full, hooded jacket from Montbell as well. The fabric is a bit shiny, but it looks fine and the finish helps it shed water, dust and dirt. Great product.

I was never a vest person. I didn't see the point of having cold arms. Then I tried a heavy fleece vest once and was sold. I didn't realize the extent to which keeping your core warm kept the rest of you warm. But the fleece was heavy. The thermawrap is decidedly not, and is just about as warm as that 300 weight fleece. It insulates well and is windproof. Worn with a midweight baselayer, it was enough to keep me comfy in the mid-30s while xc skiing. (My arms were chilly from the breeze when I was moving, but that was an acceptable trade-off for not being drenched in sweat, as happened when I tried wearing a softshell. A wind shell over the vest should do the trick next time). When not moving, throwing a light softshell over it kept me plenty warm. I debated between the down vest and the thermawrap, the usual pro/con of the superior warmth/weight ratio of down vs the peace of mind knowing the synthetic will keep me warm when wet, and am glad I decided on the latter. I get sweaty when active, and always end up with the vest pretty soaked especially when under a shell in the snow/rain. Being synthetic, it still keeps me warm. I doubt the down would hold up as well. All I would add is a zip chest pocket for things too valuable to risk falling out of the zip-less hand pockets.

One of my favorite pieces of insulation, I use this through all four seasons, and it has found an almost permanent place in my pack. It's so light and compact (just bigger than a can of soda when stuffed down) that it's hard to justify not carrying it. Works great as part of a winter layering system, and I find myself wearing it both on the trail (with a light wind shell or hard shell) and at camp (under a MontBell Alpine Down jacket). It adds quite a bit of warmth for it's size, without leaving you with sweat pouring down your arms. Also, I tend to carry it in my summer day packs as a "just in case" insulation layer, where anything heavier would be extreme overkill. Being built with typical MontBell quality (awesome), I've put a couple of hard years on this thing and it's no worse for the wear. Note however that the outer shell is very light fabric, meaning that you should refrain from bushwhacking while wearing it as an outer layer, as it could easily tear on a sharp twig or branch. That being said, I haven't "babied" mine at all, and it has held up really well (better than I expected).

The vest is great but its size is too small, i even couldn't zip it up (I have Size M for everything except MontBell). Actually, ALL MontBell products are one size smaller.

I like this vest! I'm a 5'10", 170lb male, 55 years old with a rock hard physique, and I ordered this vest in a large which is spot on! It's light, compressible, and warm enough for 3 season hiking adventures that include a little snowfall, and the gunmetal ballistic nylon color looks good with my greying hair! I don't really get the garbage bag complaints I've seen in other reviews, I think it looks great! I've even worn this vest to dinner a couple of times. Very versatile!

I had the opportunity to get this vest for 80 bucks but ended up paying 130 for the patagonia micro puff. Here's why. It looks so much like a trash bag! It's black and super shiny way more shiny than normal vests. I wish it wasn't so ugly because in addition to being cheaper this vest packs down smaller than the patagonia and it comes with a stuff sack! If only it was not so ugly it would be the perfect buy.

Expensive, impressive, and a fit to kill for. But having tried this vest in a variety of chilly wet situations on the trail, I can say that I found no discernable improvement over just wearing my Backcountry.com wool jersey and a parka versus adding the vest. The warmth improvement is minimal, in my opinion, but it might just be the edge you are looking for, particularly in your 30-degree sleeping bag at night. Highly packable and of negligent weight. I would not recommend it for wilderness travel of any serious duration, even though the weight is so very very light. It is just too light to make a significant difference for the price.

I gave it three stars since I kept reading how it could be the insulating layer for just above freezing temps, but at the same time I'm skinny and tend to chill really fast when moving slow or stopped. I tried it at 35 degrees with cold gusty wind and was immediately cold, even when it was under a Marmot DriClime windshirt (which has a microfleece insulation in it) and over a Smartwool midweight tee. On the positive side is WAS light, does have synthetic insulation (warm when wet), and if really hauling down the trail may reflect back enough heat. I sent it back and got a Montbell UL Down Inner jacket for a few extra dollars. I guess the best advice I could give is try it and if you need more warmth, send it back and get something better. Backcountry has a great return policy and has very convenient online return label printing.

This is the insulating layer that you want in your pack for unsuspected cold weather. It weighs nothing and takes no space. Still, it makes a significant difference when worn under a hard shell, or in a sleeping bag at night. Definitely a good buy.
Although the sizing supposedly has been adjusted for US people formats, I still needed to go up one size to get a comfy loose fit that you want for an insulating layer like this.

I was hesitant about weather or not this would keep me warm but i was pleasantly surprised! Kept me warm without overheating while hiking the routeburn track in New Zealand. This track brought us through temps from 75 deg to 34 deg. I just wore an icebreaker 200 long sleave top + icebreaker ultralight T-shirt under it and an ultralight sierra design isotope shell over. It is Ultra light and packs down so small it's stupid not to take it everywhere. Because i use a down sleeping bag i like to have a synthetic fail safe insulating layer. Montbell rocks!

I ordered this vest thinking it was going to be a bit thicker, but i'm glad it isn't. it fits beautifullly under any jacket or even hoody. the color is stunning. kind of a burnt orange meets copper color. i wish it stuffed into its own pocket rather than the little pouch it comes with. but that's a flaw i can deal with. overall. a great vest for layering.

I did a side-by-side comparison between the old vest and the new version. My results:similar fabric and quality, but the new one ditched the athletic cut for what I like to call the 'patagonia cut', or 'typical american cut'. Translation: the new vest will fit well if you are 20-30lbs overweight.