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Marmot Precip Jacket
(Women's)
OWNER REVIEW by Andrea Murland
September 4, 2009
Tester Information
| Name: |
Andrea Murland |
| Email: |
amurland AT
shaw DOT ca |
| Age: |
23 |
| Location: |
Rossland,
British Columbia, Canada |
| Gender: |
Female |
| Height: |
5 ft 2 in (1.57
m) |
| Weight: |
125 lb (57 kg) |
I began hiking frequently in 2006 and have
since hiked in Western Canada, Australia, and spent 2 months
backpacking in the Alps. I spend most weekends either day-hiking or on
2-3 day backpacking trips, with some longer trips when I can manage
them. I also snowshoe and ski in the winter, but don't have a lot of
experience with winter in the backcountry yet. Elevation is typically
500-3000 m (1600-10,000 ft), in the Canadian Rockies, Selkirks,
Purcells, and Monashees. I
try for a light pack, but I don't consider myself a lightweight
backpacker.
Product Information
| Manufacturer: |
Marmot |
| Manufacturer's
URL: |
www.marmot.com |
| Model: |
Precip Jacket
(Women's) |
| Year of
Manufacture: |
2008 |
| MSRP: |
US $99.99 |
| |
|
| Sizes
Available: |
XS-XL (Women’s) |
| Size Reviewed: |
XS (Women’s) |
| Colour: |
Willow |
| |
|
| Listed Weight: |
340 g (12 oz) |
| Measured
Weight: |
298 g (10.5 oz) |
| Packed Size: |
(approximately)
21 cm x 15 cm x 9 cm (8.2 in x 6 in x 3.5 in) |
Description
The Marmot Precip is a lightweight waterproof/breathable rain jacket,
constructed from Precip 2.8 oz (79 g) 100% nylon ripstop fabric. The
jacket has fully taped seams for waterproofing. In addition to the
breathable fabric, ventilation is provided by one-way pit-zips and
through the jacket’s pockets, which have a mesh lining.
The pit-zips and pockets have storm flaps, and the flap on the pockets
closes with a hook-and-loop fastener. The zipper is covered by a double
storm flap, which closes with a snap at the bottom and hook-and-loop
fasteners up the rest of the zipper. The top of the zipper is backed by
a DriClime lined chin guard.
The hood of the jacket has a 4.5 cm (1.75 in) brim in front, and can be
rolled into the collar when not in use. For adjustment, the hood has a
cord which runs through the edge of the hood to the top of the zipper,
with a cord-lock on both sides; this cord can be pulled tight to cinch
the hood around the face. In addition, a tab on the back of the hood
with a hook-and-loop fastener allows for volume adjustment of the hood.
To roll up the hood, I roll the brim into the hood, folding it over and
over to form a flat “roll” until I reach the base of the collar. The
tab for volume adjustment can then be slid through a dedicated loop on
the back of the collar and re-attached to the hood, keeping the roll in
place against the back of the collar.
The cuffs of the jacket have elastic for half of the circumference, and
a hook-and-loop fastener for the other half, allowing the cuff width to
be adjusted.
The Precip Jacket features Marmot’s Angel-Wing Movement, which is
intended to allow full range of motion of the arms without the jacket
riding up. The bottom of the jacket pockets is 15 cm (6 in) from the
bottom edge of the jacket; high enough to be accessible while wearing a
pack or harness.
The front of the jacket is 59 cm (23.2 in) long, and the back is 73 cm
(28.7 in) long, from the collar to the hem. A cord in the bottom edge
of the jacket can be cinched tight with a cord-lock on the left side of
the jacket.
The main zipper and pocket zippers have branded fabric pull tabs; the
pit-zips have a small metal tab. There is embroidered Marmot branding
on the left breast, and the Precip symbol on the right sleeve.
The left pocket of the jacket has a double-sided zipper (pull tabs on
both sides); the jacket can be stuffed into the pocket for packing.
Field
Conditions
This jacket has been heavily used over the past 1.5 years. I purchased
the jacket in the spring of 2008 in preparation for a 2.5 month
backpacking trip in the Alps followed by 1.5 months of travelling (out
of a backpack).
Mountains? I don't see any
mountains.
 |
The jacket was initially used for rain, encountered a few hail, sleet,
and snow storms, and was used a lot as a windbreaker. I felt like I was
living in this jacket; I was travelling with minimal hiking clothing,
and the jacket was used nightly as an extra layer for warmth (it’s not
insulated, I was just desperate). Regardless of whether I had been
wearing the jacket during the day, I put it on as the evening
progressed and slept in it, usually with the hood up (with a hat,
gloves, rain pants, fleece, and any other layer I could think of).
While travelling, this was my only water- or wind-proof jacket, so I
always carried it with me, and as winter approached I continued to use
it as an extra layer.
I have also used the jacket for some winter hiking, snowshoeing, and
cross country skiing as a light waterproof and windproof layer.
This jacket continues to be my primary jacket for hiking and search
& rescue, and it can be found at the bottom of my pack
regardless of how hot and sunny it is. I have also used it while rock
climbing as a windbreaker.
While hiking in the Alps, the jacket was stored either packed into its
pocket or stuffed into the side pocket of my pack; at home I store it
hanging.
Review
When I purchased the Marmot Precip jacket, I was looking for a
lightweight backpacking rain jacket; something small, light,
waterproof, windproof, and not too expensive.
Comfort & Fit:
The Precip jacket is well-proportioned. I can comfortably fit a
lightweight fleece under the jacket, and the sleeves are the right
length. The hood and brim are deep enough to keep rain off my face and
glasses, but not so deep that I can’t see out from under them. I don’t
have to stare at the ground, either; the brim keeps water out of my
eyes while I’m looking ahead.
The Angel-Wing Movement works as described. Even while rock climbing, I
don’t find that the jacket pulls out of my harness. I certainly never
had a problem while wearing my backpack. The pockets are easy to access
with a pack or harness on.
Angel-Wing
Movement in action
The pit-zips can be hard to unzip or zip; the fabric has a tendency to
move instead of the zipper. I find that I have to hold my sleeve in one
hand to keep the fabric in place, which makes it a two-handed job to
use the pit-zips. A minor inconvenience now, but it took me a few tries
to figure out a system that works for me.
The hook-and-loop fasteners on the pocket storm flaps have a tendency
to stick to the mesh lining of the pockets if the pockets are left
undone. Again, a minor inconvenience, but I frequently have to unstick
the mesh from the pocket flaps when I put the jacket on.
This jacket had a tendency to pick up odours last summer; it didn’t
smell very good most of the time. Of course, that probably had a lot to
do with wearing the same set of clothes under the jacket almost every
day while hiking for a couple of months – those clothes smelt horrible
straight out of the washing machine! Sleeping in the jacket probably
didn’t help either. The odour did come out with washing, and hanging
the jacket outside overnight to air out significantly reduced the
odour, at least until I put the jacket back on.
Packing the jacket into its pocket is straightforward. The pocket is
big enough to comfortably fit the jacket inside without straining the
zipper, but not so loose as to be ineffective for packing.
Waterproofing & Breathability:
The waterproofing of this jacket hasn’t been perfect for me. In the
first few rain storms, water beaded on the jacket and ran off. As the
jacket got used more, the fabric started to look wetted. I then
discovered in the middle of a wet snowstorm that I had water running
down from my elbow to wrist on one of my arms. I wasn’t sure at first
whether the leakage was from the pit zips or through the fabric, but a
couple more storms convinced me that it was the fabric.
When I returned home several months later, I washed the jacket with a
cleaner designed to rejuvenate water repellent coatings and followed
the instructions to dry the jacket in the dryer on low heat. I haven’t
had the jacket leak since, though the fabric wets in the rain. However,
I have found that I tend to take this jacket more as a “just in case”
jacket now; if I’m expecting heavy rain I take a heavier Gore-Tex
jacket. I’m not sure that I quite trust my Precip jacket not to leak.
The breathability of the fabric has been good. I haven’t tested the
jacket in high heat and humidity. On numerous occasions, I wore the
jacket in rain while it was warm, and wore only a tank top underneath.
The fabric of the jacket felt cool against my skin, and stuck to me a
bit under my backpack straps, but otherwise was comfortable, if a bit
warm. Opening the pit zips helped a lot with being too hot.
Durability:
The durability of this jacket has been great! I have abused it
on-and-off trail, and it’s been stuffed in all sorts of places. The
fabric shows no tears or other signs of wear, and the stitching is
still in good condition; there is no fraying or loose threads. The
fabric does not appear to be faded.
Summary
I was looking for a lightweight rain jacket, and the Marmot Precip was
exactly that. Although the jacket leaked, treating it with a special
cleaner seems to have restored water repellence. The design of the
jacket is great, it packs up small, and it is one of my constant
companions when I’m outdoors.
Thumbs Up:
Durability
Hood design
Breathability
Angel-Wing Movement
Thumbs Down:
Pit zips hard to use with one hand
Mesh lining of pockets sticks to hook-and-look fasteners on pocket
storm flaps
Fabric leaked
Read more gear reviews by Andrea Murland
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