Meet the reviewer
Montane Minimus Lite: first impressions
Some people are very happy to canter around trails while wearing running sunglasses, but others – and I count myself in this group – struggle with comfort when it comes to wearing glasses. I also don’t love the fact that lenses too often steam up, and the visual distortion you occasionally experience at the bottom of some sunnies can be a real issue on technical trails.
• List price: $45 (US) / £30 (UK)
• Gender: Unisex
• Sizes: One size
• Materials: Nylon
• Weight: 35g / 1.2oz
• Colors: Black / Acer Red / Allium
• Compatibility: All-season running, hiking and trekking
Personally I prefer to wear a cap to keep the glare out of my eyes, and such headwear can also provide other elements of protection: the peak can save you from sunburn on your snout (a particularly pertinent concern for people with a prominent proboscis, like me) and you can flip it around to cover your neck, too, which might save you from serious heatstroke. I also find it easier to stash and carry caps when I’m not using them, compared to sunglasses (which are typically far more delicate and prone to getting damaged), and they’re invariably much cheaper to buy.
As I prepared to take on the Lakeland 50 ultramarathon recently, I was looking for a cap that would provide practical protection during what would inevitably be a very long day out. The Minimus Lite cap from Montane is designed specifically for runners and fastpackers, and besides promising to shield my eyes from the sun, it also claimed to be waterproof – something that’s always handy in the notoriously rainy Lake District. So I began testing it out, with a view to wearing it on race day.
Read on to find out my thoughts and to see how it performed compared to the best running hats on the market.
Montane Minimus Lite: design and materials
Aimed squarely at runners, fastpackers and weight-conscious speed hikers who need head and face protection out on the trails, Montane’s Minimus Lite Cap is constructed from 20-Denier Pertex Shield material. Aside from weighing very little, this fabric is waterproof.
The peak has a lightweight skeleton over which the fabric is stretched, so when you’re not wearing it, you can fold and scrunch it into the pocket of a running backpack or hydration pack, or even a waterproof jacket or running coat.
Behind the peak, running around the head, is an integrated CoolMax headband, which deals with perspiration when you’re working hard on the hillsides.
Available in three colors, it’s a one-size-fits-all design, which is extremely easy to adjust via a Velcro strap that feeds through a hoop at the rear.
The logo on the front of the cap is reflective, which can alert vehicles coming towards you to your presence, but it’s a shame there isn’t another reflector on the rear. We’d also like to have seen some recycled fabric used in its construction.
Montane Minimus Lite: on the trails
During a long running event, such as the 50-miler I was doing while using the Montane’s Minimus Lite Cap, you typically encounter lots of different conditions across the day, and I found this cap to be perfect for coping with the challenges the conditions threw at me during the race.
We set off in the rain, and while I fully expect to get wet and uncomfortable during a long run, I do try and avoid getting soaked through right at the outset. The rain wasn’t heavy enough for me to put the hood up on my jacket (and it was too humid for that), but the cap kept my head dry and the peak protected my face. Besides keeping your hair dry, the fact that cap repels water means that it doesn’t get soaked through, and remains very light.
Once the rain stopped I removed the cap for a while. It barely took up any room in my hydration pack, and it’s featherlight to carry. The sun made an appearance for quite a large part of the day, and I was very glad to be able to shield my eyes from the glare with the peak. Later in the day, when the sun was on my back, I flipped the cap around and used the peak to protect the back of my neck.
Being waterproof, it’s not as breathable as some other running caps – especially compared to the Buff 5-Panel Air Cap I recently reviewed – but the level of protection is far superior. I certainly got a sweat on during the (many) steep ascents, but I found the headband that goes right around the inside of the cap, did its job and stopped perspiration from running into my eyes. And when it was all done and dusted, I was able to chuck the cap in the washing machine with the rest of my gear, and it was good to go again.
