OMM Primaloft top verses the Montane Fireball. Ok, so lucky me, I have been supplied, a few months ago, with a Montane Fireball Primaloft Top and an OMM ­­­­­Rotor Primaloft Smock to test. I thought, cheeky as I am, that I would test them both & write an article which discusses both tops, their uses & then put them head to head against each other…. So, bets are on, the Fireball or the OMM, who’s going to win?? If it were Itchy Scratchy & Bruno Hochalugie (From Cheech & Chong – Still Smoking, not the Itchy & Scratchy show) or The Invisible Man, which would you go for then? Yep, you’ve got the idea, it’s the old super-hero versus super-hero fight routine!! Lets have a look at each independently, then throw them in the ring together.

The OMM Rotor Smock

So the weight of the primaloft is 40g per square meter in the body & in the arms. This makes for a pretty cosy top. There is a single zip that extends to lower chest, which on the model I have is water-resistant. The there are Velcro securing tapes at the end of the sleeves, to offer venting or a wind-tight fit. The arms are long, allowing good reach & around the waist hem there is a drawcord. To finish it off, although OMM haven’t furnished them with a Primaloft front, there is a stitch through hand/map pocket. Not the best for warm hands, as detailed before, but great to keep snacks, compass, map etc close at hand. Soft fabric around the neck adds a good warm closure for cold weather & events. The outer fabric is a super-light weight Quantum Pertex. All in all, the OMM Rotor Smock is a very nice, lightweight primaloft top, that is similar in design to the , now discontinued Haglof LIM Barrier Top. It’s a great piece for climbing – whilst hanging out on belays etc, running – as a stop top or when your finished, walking, backpacking, skiing and generally any outdoor pursuit you can think of, and in Black with Orange Trim, it is in classic OMM colours for a sleek, but catchy, finished look. You can check out the tech specs underneath:

The Montane Fireball

So, if you liked the OMM, you’re definitely going to like this one, but maybe, depending on your intended use & idea of whether you like frills of not, you’re going to love it!!

The Montane Fireball is the Ultra Lightweight Dream in Primaloft tops. It’s a no frills, take it as it comes superlight Primaloft top. It has 40 grams per square meter of Eco Primaloft throughout, the outer is a mix of Quantum Core for the main body & the contrast colour is Quantum Ripstop. They either come in Red or Blue with Graphite contrast on both. Both the waist hem & cuffs have been finished with a soft piping & are both self elasticated. This means no messing, when the top is on, your warmth is sealed in. Montane have added some reflective piping across the chest & back of the shoulder blades, so you can be seen, if running/biking at night in it. Next you have Montane’s signature semi-automatic 2 way deep chest zip, allowing easy access whilst the neck is still sealed, and finally you have a couple of reflective dots on the end of the arms. This is an out & out runners/lightweight enthusiast/users piece. No frills, no pockets, just Primaloft Eco, Quantum Pertex & a good close fit. Check out the Tech Specs:

Summary

So, which do I prefer, or who’s going to win?? Well, that’s really got nothing to do with it from your point of view, but if asked, I guess it would be both. I like them for different reasons & would find it hard to choose. If pushed, for me it’s the Montane, but that’s because I want it for running, layering in winter & sitting on belays whilst summer climbing. I don’t need the pockets, I don’t want to vent it, I just want a top I can pull over my head & that’s it, if i’m warm & happy. But, if I were looking for something a little more, but still wanted the Ultralight Ethos, then the OMM is a great top. It allows more air flow, so if used on the move, allows better flexability before I have to shed the top. Cold winter walking, competing in the OMM, ski touring in Scotland or the Lakes & I think the OMM Rotor Smock  takes precedence. So it really depends on your intended use & what you think you want out of it. Put them in ‘the ring’ together & watch them battle it out, who’s going to win?? My money is on the Fireball, but then that’s only my opinion & after all, you maybe thought that Itchy Scratchy & Bruno Hockalugie were a favorites in the film ‘Still Smoking’, but then who was to know that The Invisible Man would kick ass when his balls fly around the ring & knock both of them out!! It doesn’t matter really, all that matters for you (the reader), is they are both out in stores & on websites from September/October, the Montane Fireball is priced £100 & the OMM Rotor Smock is priced £110. Both good prices & I suggest you buy sooner rather than later, because it looks like we have more price hikes coming in 2011!!

About the companies

 OMM - Original Mountain Marathon: OMM have a heritage as long as your arm & further. Originally started by the Iconic Mike Parsons with his families brand Karrimor. First was the KIMM or Karrimor International Mountain Marathon, the real first in Adventure Racing. Next came the KIMM Lite products to compliment the event. When Karrimor crashed & the company was bought out by the Sports Direct Group, Mike rescued the event & the KIMM Lite label, soon changing the brand & event to the OMM or Original Mountain Marathon, since there are now 7 in the UK per year. OMM, as KIMMLite did, produce clothing & packs for MM usage & ultralight travel through the mountainous regions of the world. OMM are now concentrating on producing the best OMM event kit possible..... For my money, OMM produce the best & original packs for MM use, they are my prfered running packs whenever I compete.

Montane: Montane are a UK based company who pride themselves in producing innovative clothing systems for use ultimately in the harsher regions of the UK & northern hemisphere. Born from a passion for the mountains, Montane are now back in their poll position & producing some of the best bits of kit I have used, from the Propane Jacket (a primaloft insulated waterproof fabric all-round winter jacket), the Aero Quantum Smock, the excellent original Terra Stretch Shirt made from IBQ Pertex to the Spektr ultralite event running smock weighing in at a very light 210 grams (of which I have only had a look at, but know instinctively, theat this is where running waterproofs are at). They are not afraid to try a different concept, even if at the end of the day, it doesn’t turn out to be commercial. My type of company!!

Charlie