Highlander is a Scotland-based family-owned brand that’s been around since the 80s and is now run by the son of its original founder. Its original ethos was to offer kit at reasonable prices to open up the outdoors for all and it clearly still holds that principle. Earlier in 2024 we tested out a pack from the brand called the Highlander Ben Nevis and we were impressed by its excellent value. Can the same be said for the brand’s Munro V2 All Weather Jacket? We’ve been testing it out up some Munros to find out.
Performance and Construction
The Highlander Munro V2 All Weather is a three-season waterproof shell that’s currently available for just £119.99 (sale price). Obviously you can find plenty of waterproof jackets that are cheaper than that but most of these won’t be three-layer.
From our tests with this, you can definitely expect the kind of performance you’d want from a three-layer shell too. Hiking with it on one particularly wet hike around Glen Nevis, I found it to be protective, durable and equipped with the right kind of details I’d want when out in the hills too.
It features a three-way adjustable hood that’s helmet compatible and that has a mouldable peak. The hand pockets are huge – easily big enough to hold an OS map – and I found them to be accessible while wearing a climbing harness or a backpack with a hipbelt. There’s also an internal zipped pocket that I found to be the perfect size for my smartphone.
The zips all seem to be of good quality, with water resistant PU lamination throughout and a storm flap behind the main zip. The main zip is two-way, which I guess shows that Highlander are aiming at hikers and also mountaineers/climbers here. The pit zips are two-way too, and all of the zipper tabs throughout the jacket are glove-friendly. The jacket actually comes with a separate set of grey-coloured zipper tabs, which is a nice touch.
On their website, Highlander recommend that the outer fabric’s water resistance is maintained with Nikwax every so often. I’d agree with this. The jacket uses a PFC-free DWR and, like most PFAS-free jackets these days, it will help to just keep its hydrophobic treatment topped up and to prevent the jacket from wetting out and losing its breathability.
Fit
I tried this in a size L which was probably the wrong size for me. I’m 5 foot 10 with a fairly average build and I normally wear a size M. I think the size M would’ve actually been a perfect fit for me. Still, I did like trying this in an L as it meant that the hem came down just that bit further for extra protection and I could wear the jacket over a really bulky layer of insulation. It just meant it was a touch on the baggy side. Long story short, I’d recommend opting for your usual size if you’re considering buying this.
