If you’re under the age of 40 and frequent the app TikTok, you’ve likely heard of the snow outerwear brand, Montec, and its sister company, Dope Snow. Both brands are owned by the Swedish e-commerce company, Ridestore AB, which was founded in 2006 by a group of mountain-loving friends who wanted to provide Swedish skiers and riders with comparable technical snow apparel that was coming out of North America.
“Dope Snow was founded in Sweden first, and was originally created with a relaxed, resort-focused ethos, perfect for the European snow community,” says Daniel Morgan, Head of Content for Montec Wear. “MONTEC was born a few years later with a greater focus on technical performance, catering to the freeski and freeride community, especially in North America.”
While it’s easy to scoff at any brand that gains notoriety on a social media app, Montec is actually putting in the work to provide snow and mountain lovers of all types high-quality gear that doesn’t come with steep price tags attached. At the end of the day, Montec wholeheartedly believes the customer is the boss of the brand and Montec dutifully listens to any and all feedback they receive on their products—including from their roster of athletes: Felix Wiemers, Fabio Studer, Max Hitzig and Yann Rausis.
“We tweak and improve our perennial styles every season using feedback from the community, our riders, and our testers,” Morgan earnestly explains to me over email. “In doing this, we’re striving to create the best gear possible that performs well, is extremely durable and reliable, and is as environmentally conscious as possible. And, perhaps most importantly, we’re focused on making apparel that lasts multiple seasons, helping to stem the continued rise of ‘fast fashion’ in the ski industry.”
For this Deep Dive review, we’re looking at Montec’s women’s Doom ski jacket and Fawk ski pants (left), as well as the men’s Arch ski jacket and pants (right).
On the women’s side of things, the Doom ski jacket is the big-mountain workhorse ready to take on every line in sight, no matter how big. With a 20K/20K waterproof and breathability rating, plus a plethora of pockets for stowing gear, snacks and sunscreen, the Doom jacket can quite literally do it all. Available in 20 colorways, there is literally a Doom jacket for every style and the asymmetrical front zipper provides the appearance of a steezy anorak while maintaining the functionality of a backcountry shell. Paired with the Fawk ski pant, which is actually a super functional bib, there’s absolutely nowhere this kit can’t take you. Also featuring a 20K/20K waterproof and breathability rating, along with thigh vents and large pockets, this women’s kit from Montec will have you saying, “what the fawk!?” The coolest feature to this kit though? The option to either go with a shell version for high-output days or an insulated version if you’re someone who tends to frequent the lift more than the skintrack.
For those who prefer the men’s cut, the Arch ski jacket and Arch ski pants are the go-to for big-mountain pursuits. Boasting the same SHIELD-TEC performance, durable waterproofing and fully taped seams as the women’s Doom jacket and Fawk pants, the men’s Arch kit from Montec is a team favorite for a reason. Mobility and function are the name of the game for this kit and just like with the women’s kit, there are a plethora of colorways to match every skier’s personal style. Mix and match the jacket and pants for your own unique look and know that you can go insulated or shell—depending on pursuit and preference.
