Expert Review of Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man Half Zip Fleece
By Matt Smith

Lots of companies have been putting their versions of "pet-able" fleece on the market. Basically it's a long knap, ultra soft fleece, that is soft to wear, and touch. It also has the added benefit of being very warm, especially when layered under a protective layer like a wind shell. The Monkey Man is the first such fleece I have tested.

Unless you are cold blooded, you might find the Monkey Man to be too warm to wear indoors at all, and even outside on milder days. It just does a fantastic job of retaining your body heat, at least when the weather is calm. Once the wind starts to pick up, I found the shaggy fleece lost heat much more rapidly than hard faced fleece, as you might expect.

However, even the thinnest windbreaker can turn the Monkey Man from a casual jacket into a serious technical piece. I wore the Monkey Man primarily skiing, and winter camping. With even light to moderate activity, the Monkey Man and a light shell kept me snug at temperatures down to -7. The Monkey Man is also great for highly aerobic activities on cold dry days. The moisture practically bleeds out of the Monkey Man, forming hoar frost on the shaggy fleece.

The Monkey Man has the basic features you have come to expect in a fleece; hand warmer pockets, a chest pocket for your chap stick and goggle wipe, and a draw cord on the collar to help cut down on drafts. The only down side I found with the Monkey Man is that when zipped fully up, the collar seemed a little stiff and bulky, and I wished there were a more substantial micro fleece in the mouth and chin area.

Summary: The Monkey Man Half Zip bridges the gap nicely between casual urban and performance alpine. It is reasonably priced at about $100 if you look around. If you are looking for an insulative layer under your shell, or a spring / fall jacket that can help you let off some steam, think about the Monkey Man. It is also available in a full zip jacket.

A special thanks to the folks at Alta Ski area who set us up to test the Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man Half Zip Jacket on site. You can learn more about Alta Ski Area and our other industry partners on our Partners Page.

For more information contact:
Mountain Hardwear
www.mountainhardwear.com
4911 Central Avenue
Richmond, California 94804
510-559-6700

Matt Smith is the canyoneering specialist at GearReview.com