The Monkeywrench combo from Sweet Protectionist is made from the finest 3-layer Gore-Tex material. It is inspired by the outfits worn by deep-sea fishermen and hunters in Norway. Every detail has been thought through and the dungarees and jacket are equipped with ample pockets. The combo is cut rather wide, but doesn't look like a "bag".
First impression
Feels good! The combo makes a stable and robust impression without appearing particularly heavy. I am 1.89 m, weigh 85 kg and wear trousers and jacket in size L. The width and length fit perfectly.
Test conditions
+10 C° to -15 C°, in rain, snow and sunshine. The combo was mainly worn for freeriding, but it was also used on some longer ski tours. However, the Monkeywrench is clearly a freeride outfit. The jacket simply has too much fabric for long tours. However, thanks to the good cut and ventilation, the climate in the jacket and trousers was always very pleasant, even when touring.
Material, features and test
Pants and jacket are made entirely from 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro, which can withstand any weather in practice. At the bottom, on the inside of the trouser legs, additional reinforcement has been added to provide reliable protection against ski edges. All zippers are high-quality, waterproof YKK, which are easy to open and close.
The jacket has long ventilation zippers on the underarm, which are easy to use. The trousers have long zippers for ventilation on the inside of the leg. A mesh has been built in here to prevent snow getting in. Unfortunately, the mesh is kept very tight so that the ventilation openings barely open when the pants are open, meaning that ventilation is somewhat restricted.
The pockets on the pants, on the other hand, are simply brilliant. There are two large, easily accessible trouser pockets at the front and two very large pockets on the outside of the leg. These are ideal for gloves or maps. There is also a small pocket on the side of the bib, which I always use for my avalanche transceiver.
I think the large patch pockets on the front of the jacket are pretty cool, although they often get a bit of a squeeze from the hip belt of the backpack. Otherwise, there is a small practical pocket on the left sleeve of the jacket for a lift pass, an inside pocket for a mobile device and a chest pocket on the left side, which is ideal for storing sunglasses and other items. The cuffs of the jacket are equipped with thumb holes and the snow skirt can be stowed away with an extra press stud when not in use. The hood is extremely adjustable and also fits over a helmet.
The pants have a press stud to hold the trouser legs up so that you don't step on the back of the pants when you're not wearing ski boots.
The fit, weather protection and robustness leave nothing to be desired so far, but there is one point that has always bothered me: the suspenders. They are very long. For size L, I have to pull the adjustment tab up so that it is right on top of the shoulder and the backpack presses on it. The connecting piece that holds the straps together at the back slips down over time, which means that the straps can slip over your shoulder. In addition, the hooks on which the suspenders are attached occasionally slip out of their mountings, which of course means that the suspenders no longer hold the pants in place. You can solve this problem with a bit of improvisation, but for pants at this price, this could also be a direct fit.
Conclusion
The combo is simply awesome for freeriding! After I fixed the point of criticism with the suspenders, I am simply thrilled. There are no unnecessary frills or material mixes, just well thought-out details. Thanks to the cut, the combo is super comfortable to wear and doesn't restrict movement. The 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro material protects you in all weathers. However, if you want to make long ascents in the combo, you will probably start sweating.
The price is of course not cheap, but you have to pay about the same if you want to buy a combo of this quality from other manufacturers.
Advantages & disadvantages
+ Robust
+ Cut/freedom of movement
+ Trouser pockets
+ Style & comfort
- Braces
Details
Jacket
RRP: € 549.-
Weight: 795 grams
YKK AquaGuard® Vislon front zipper - tight, durable and smooth-running
"PULL-PULL shock cord" system - easy to use even with gloves!
Adjustable, helmet-compatible hood
Asymmetrical cuffs
Stowable snow skirt with stretch inserts
Expandable pockets
"X-opening" underarm ventilation with YKK AquaGuard® zippers
Chest pocket
Laminated inner audio pocket
Two large cargo pockets
Ski pass pocket
Here is the manufacturer's website with further information, here you can buy the jacket in our partner store.
Pants
RRP: € 449,-
Weight: 890 grams
Easily adjustable braces
SuperFabric® reinforcements at the leg ends
Integrated gaiters
Pant legs can be clipped up
Breathable stretch panel on the
Ventilation on the inside of the legs with YKK AquaGuard® zippers
Two side pockets with expandable openings
Two large cargo pockets
Hip pocket in the bib
Here is the manufacturer's website with further information, here you can buy the pants in our partner store.
