OWNER REVIEW: Marmot Oracle Jacket

February 28, 2005

 

Reviewers Information:

 Name:                    Ben Neilson         

Age:                       29

Gender:                  Male

Height:                   6’ 1” (185 cm)

Weight:                  170 pounds (77 kg)

Email address:       djbenno (at) hotmail (dot) com

Location:               Seattle, Washington State, USA

Reviewers Background:

I have been backpacking since a young boy with my family.  As I grew up, I learnt with the Boy Scouts how to pack a 50-pound (23 kg) load for an overnight trip.  Now, many years later I have made the jump to lightweight backpacking with my current weekend (3-day) load, with food, fuel, and water, averaging 15 pounds (6.8 kg).   Most backpacking trips are solo high-mileage trips (with 20-30 miles [30-50 km] per day common) with high-elevation gains. Trips cover elevations from sea level to 14,000’+ (0-4400 m) all seasons and variable weather conditions.  I am also an active rock climber, peak bagger, snowboarder, backcountry and alpine skier, and snowshoer, preferring off-trail route finding and scrambling.

Product Information:

Manufacturer:                       Marmot

Year of Manufacture:            2004

Listed Weight:                      17 oz (482 g)

Weight as Delivered:             18.0 oz (510 g) for Men’s Large

MSRP:                                 USD $150

Field Information:

This report is based on six months of ownership, with trips averaging once a week.  I used the Oracle jacket throughout the summer and into autumn primarily in rainy conditions in the Pacific Northwest.  As seasons changed, rain gave way to snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain, and every form of weather imaginable.  Activities for these trips ranged from light backpacking on maintained Forest Service trails, to snowshoeing, and climbing, (peak-bagging), predominantly off-trail through thick stands of Pine, Douglas Fir, Alder, and Devils Club (Oplopanax horridus).  An unusually mild winter and low snowfall totals presented more of a challenge this winter, and travel required struggling with much more Slide Alder and Devils Club than is typically experienced.   Temperatures in which the Oracle was used ranged from 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C), to 65 degrees F (18 degrees C).  Elevations generally ranged from 1,500’ to 7,000’ (460 m to 2100 m for the non-Imperial measurers out there). 

The Quick Summary:

The Marmot Oracle Jacket for 2004 is one of the most breathable and comfortable pure hardshell jackets I have used.  The trim, athletic fit is ideal for my body type.  Marmot’s use of “Angel-Wing” sleeves and stretch panels elements in key areas greatly contributing to the jacket’s mobility.  Chest pocket zippers that snag on the pocket lining and a hood that is always falling over my eyes are the only negatives I could find.

The Details:

I acquired the Oracle jacket, by Marmot, in August 2004 as a more streamlined replacement for the venerable Marmot PreCip Jacket.  I was specifically looking for something with no zipper flaps, for a quieter user experience in high-wind conditions, and also to lighten it up a bit.  The Oracle is listed as “Lightweight, highly breathable, created with a fusion of new technologies including durable stretch fabric in key movement areas.”   The Oracle weighed 5 oz (140 g) more than my Men’s Large PreCip.  I generally try to make weight improvements with each piece of gear purchased, so this observation was a bit troublesome at first.  Once I donned the jacket, however, I had an immediate change of heart.  The trim-fitting Oracle is unusually comfortable to wear, for a hardshell jacket.  This major increase in comfort and fit is due, in part, to Marmot’s use of waterproof stretch fabric panels, incorporated in key areas, and also can be attributed to the “Angel Wing” design, which allows me to raise my arms above my head without the bottom hem of the jacket lifting well above my naval, as many lesser-engineered jackets do.  This improvement in fit and comfort was easily noticed during active pursuits, like climbing with trekking poles, or scrambling on steep terrain, where I’m always reaching overhead for the next handhold. 

Like the popular PreCip jacket, the Oracle uses Marmot’s proprietary laminate waterproof/breathable technology called Precip Plus and is 100% seam taped for waterproofness.  It has a hood that rolls away to store in the collar, so that it’s fully out of the way when not needed.  It also has an elastic draw cord hem for adjustability in serious weather.  Other positive features include a zippered stash pocket on the left bicep (which I never found a need for), and the innovative use of stretch fabric to seal off the wrists/sleeves, like a rubber gasket in a way, that effectively seals out 100% of snow and rain.  The trim flapless zippers contributed to the svelte fit and feel of this jacket.   Mesh “Aero Pockets” help to increase ventilation when the chest pockets are open and they have a clever stretch mesh bag for cargo expandability.  The lack of pit-zips means opening the two vertical chest pockets for additional ventilation.  There is not much concern with losing items from the interior mesh chest pockets when they are open, as they are very deep. 

The first bit of criticism I have about this jacket involves these same chest pockets, as the zipper has a tendency to jam nearly every time in the mesh material from the expandable pocket lining.  After this first happened, I returned to several retail stores to compare other Oracle jackets on the shelves and make sure I did not receive a defective jacket, but every jacket I saw had the same issue, so it appears to be a very poor design implementation.  Another complaint I have with the Oracle jacket is the hood design.  It’s made to accommodate a climbing helmet, which is a useful feature, and when not wearing a helmet, volume can be reduced (in theory) by the “Cranium Cord Adjustment”, an elastic cord with a toggle mounted at the center of the back of the neck/skull.  No matter how I adjusted the combination of hood draw cord, and Cranium Adjustment Cord, I could not get the hood to stay out my face and eyes.

 I was also able to test the limits of durability for this fabric, as I acquired several small rips in the fabric from heavy off-trail abuse.  I use “abuse” here because most sane individuals would not use this jacket in such a manner.  Rips were in the forearm/elbow area, and were a result of, on several occasions, coming in contact with tree branches at a “higher-than-optimal velocity”.  The rip-stop nylon base material used for the Oracle thankfully prevented these small rips from becoming gargantuan tears.  I was also pleased with how the Oracle fended off prickly devil’s club on several trips, while the prickles went clear through my winter gloves and pants. 

Marmot has just released the 2005 version of the Oracle and they have made some major changes.  I have not purchased a 2005 version, but I did a thorough evaluation in a retail shop.  Marmot claims 50% better breathability for this generation of PreCip fabric compared to previous versions.  After trying on the jacket, I noticed a few changes.  Gone are the snagging chest pockets with which I had such an issue, replaced by two torso pockets situated lower, and farther back on the body of the jacket.  This would seem to decrease airflow through the jacket, but further testing in real world conditions would be required to make any specific conclusions.  This change clears up the snagging zipper factor, my biggest issue with the 2004 version.  The other feature I did not like with the 2004 Oracle was the hood adjustment system.  This remains unchanged on the new 2005 version.