Gear Review - Mountain Equipment’s Pro Shell Changabang Jacket

By Alex - Betws Until now, I’ve never faced the wet, cold murky weather of Wales with a sense of excitement but when I was given this brand new Mountain Equipment Pro Shell jacket to try I thought ‘wow - nice colour!’ The makers have thought of everything. It has four easy-to-reach pockets on the front - all with water-resistant seams - a zip-out snow skirt, stealth hood with a laminated wired peak and hidden adjusters and underarm pit zips for ventilation. The first thing you notice when you put the jacket on is how comfortable and soft the inner liner is! The new 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro shell is woven for durability and comfort! It doesn’t feel like you’ve got a jacket on. ME haven’t gone for the stretchy stuff, instead they’ve chosen a close, high cut fit which is great for climbing and mountaineering! The Test We were given the jackets to test in Scotland; ironically it didn’t rain. So as soon as we got back to Wales I wanted to get out in it! With this summer being a wet one it was a great chance to check it out. I decided to go to Milestone buttress. My friend and I set off early one Wednesday to Tryfan. It seemed like a nice day but the wind made it very cold - especially in the shade. With the jacket, however, the wind didn’t affect me at all. The hood fitted perfectly over my helmet, was very easy to adjust and stayed secure on my head! Another huge plus was how easy it was to get off! It simply pulled straight off without having to undo any adjusters! Heading up the buttress, you see how well the coat is designed. Reaching up with both arms had a minimum amount of rise - stopping my midriff from being exposed. After leading the first pitch over the very polished rock, the weather turned grey and rain began to spit at us. Fantastic! The damp rock became colder. We briskly set off on the next pitch with my friend in the lead. The coat didn’t obstruct my harness at all. It didn’t flare out like some coats! I could see exactly what I was doing when I was belaying. Just before I was about to set off I shed my fleece layer. On my bare skin, the inner was very comfortable. Even after climbing the final pitch, it didn’t feel clammy at but with the sky looking even more threatening we both knew it was time get off the mountain. The heavens opened up as we abseiled down one of the scramble routes just off the Milestone then trekked back to the car. You could see that the scuffing from the rock hadn’t affected the DWR on the coat at all. It was still as comfortable to wear now as it was at the beginning of the day. But of course, in the end, the biggest test was the trip to the pub. Did I get wet? Not at all! The Verdict ME’s Changabang jacket is well-made and extremely comfortable to wear. Above all it is not only windproof and waterproof but also rock-proof. As you’d expect, a quality item like this comes with a hefty price-tag, but it’s worth every penny.