What happened to the Marmot Mica?

Isotope jacket is like 95bucks. breathablity feels the same for me between the to. there's sometimes mica's on the gearswap.

i got the OR helium instead because

1. it was on sale

2. ORs infinate guarantee

3. ive heard about issues with people having marmot cover delaminated rain jackets

happens on all jackets, just wast it. your body oils eat the laminates and coating. I've sent a lot of coats back for warranty or written them off for it.

helium is a good choice if your on a budget
1 u can find them
2 find them on sale

rob … the problem wasnt really the delamination, though i have never had that happen to me personally

but the reports of marmot not covering it …

The Super Mica is a nice jacket. The reinforced shoulder and hipbelt areas sound like a good idea and I like that it has pit zips too. 9oz (vs. 7oz) isn't a massive gain considering what you get. I don't think the price has doubled. Some sites seem to be selling the Super Mica for a lot ($250-$300) but I believe the MSRP is $199 vs. $149 for the Mica. Either jacket is really tough to find since they are sold out basically everywhere.

If you're open to used, I've got a medium 2009 orange Marmot Essence in good shape that I'd sell for quite a reasonable price. It's 6.2oz due to a few mods (lighter shockcord, removed flaps over pit vents). The Essence is the same jacket as the Mica but with pit vents and a napoleon (chest) pocket instead of velcro wrists and two lower pockets. PM me if you want pics.

I own the marmot essence, but it might not be that durable. There have been reports of people wearing them out underneath their packs.

Dan, do you have a replacement in mind for your essence?

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, and thanks for the offer, Dan (and hello to you in Whistler – I had an awesome time there during the Olympics). I appreciate the offer, but I don't prefer the Essence – might sound trivial, but the side pockets on the Mica or similar are pretty important to me, as I use them a lot, especially in the rain (and snow – I was thinking of using this in the winter as an outer layer).

Took a look at the Helium too, and it looks alike to the Essence. It would be a good option if it were much cheaper, but again it doesn't have side pockets and I'm not sure it has anything to set itself apart from the Marmots.

The point about Marmot's replacement policy is duly noted though. Hmn. I'm traditionally very careful with my equipment, and I don't get out in the wild enough, so durability might not be as big an issue with me. I do however have Iceland in mind as a destination for this jacket if I return in the near future. I was there a couple of months ago, backpacking everywhere with my Columbia watertight jacket (which WAS very watertight). It was bulkier and heavier than it needed to be, the hood was a pain, and the zipper terribly frustrating. It's because of that experience that I'm after a more high-tech, lightweight garment now.

derek … id wait till summer if you can … my bet is that more and more light weight jackets will come out … with mountain hardware going to event … you never know whats going to happen

light weight jackets are the new vogue

id buy a marmot from REI if you really want one … that way you know its totally covered …

"Dan, do you have a replacement in mind for your essence?"

I plan on making another cuben rain jacket shortly (I made one under 2oz and then sold it so I could make a nicer one, see MYOG section) that I'll carry on most trips where the weather looks good or okay. If the forecast calls for non-stop rain then I'll probably just use my 11oz North Face Venture Jkt or maybe I'll still use the cuben one. I plan on using the cuben one most of the time so I don't really need the Essence. I find the breathing of any WP/B jacket to be pretty insignficant when it's humid/raining so it's not worth carrying the extra 1/4 lbs.

I've got an eVent ski shell that I'll put the test this winter. I'm sure it'll be a little better, but I doubt it'll be so much better than I'd rather carry an 11oz eVent jkt over a 2oz cuben one..plus I trust cuben to stay waterproof more than I trust a PU membrane.

"I don't prefer the Essence – might sound trivial, but the side pockets on the Mica or similar are pretty important to me"

Interesting….I've tried on the Mica and my wife has one, but we both don't like these side pockets. When wearing a backpack, the hipbelt covers these pockets so you can't access them without taking off your hipbelt. That's why Marmot raised them up higher on the Super Mica. Conversely, the napoleon pocket is great for quick access to your camera, map or whatever. It's not a huge pocket, but it's super easy to access.

For lack of a better picture:

I certainly see the usefulness of the Napoleon pocket (thanks for the photo demonstration), but I think I'll be using this jacket without the pack enough to justify going for the dual-pocket approach I'm accustomed to. What can I say, I like pockets? :D

Don't think I'll want to wait till summer, but I do hope there will be some exciting new stuff on the horizon.

I'm also after a down jacket, but that's for another topic I think.

I've got a Marmot Mica size large for sale. Mint condition.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=35744&skip_to_post=321562#321562

I'm not sure how to add a link to a for sale thread.

Thanks! It's too large for me, though. I'm a medium or maybe even a small, I'm pretty skinny. :)

In my opinion the sizing on the Mica runs on the small side. That's why I had to size up to the extra large. The large was too tight in the shoulders and upper back. I'm 5'11" and about 190lbs. What's your height and weight?

I also found that the Mica runs a bit small. I can often wear medium shells but the large Mica fits me just right. I'm 5'10" and 150lbs (pretty skinny).

I see that you have done a lot of background reading and you seem to have good reasons for seeking the Mica, but I thought I'd mention a problem I've had just so you know what to expect: the DWR is terrible. Water seemed to bead a little when it was brand new but prior to the first outing, less than a month after purchase, there was essentially no DWR. The nylon becomes immediately saturated in even a light rain and breathability drops to zero. I've since read other accounts of this problem.

I'm 5'9 and 140lb, and large in any brand has been too large for me. I'm surprised it's the right size for you, but I still think I'm medium – at least I'm not a small. :)

Thanks for the tip about the DWR…that's not terribly reassuring…I'll look into it.

I wouldn't be too worried about the factory DWR. Any DWR is going to wear off after some use and you'll need to re-apply one. Learning how to apply a DWR is part of learning how to care for your gear. Over the lifetime of a garment I'm likely to re-apply the DWR many times, so it's no big deal to me if the first re-application happens to be a bit sooner than average.

In that case I won't worry about it. :)

I'm looking for a wind jacket as well as a rain and down jacket, and don't really want to start another thread for it:

Anyone have experience with the Marmot Trail Wind hoody? At 4 or 5oz it's a little lighter than the acclaimed Montane Lite-speed, and more available than the Patagonia Houdini. It's also cheaper. I wonder how it compares in other respects. I see the older Houdini and Litespeed seem to be popular still, but I haven't heard much about newer models.

It's tough to beat Montbell's windshirts at 2.6oz. You can get them on eBay right now for $35 Buy It Now. Here's a medium:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mont-bell-Mens-Ultralight-Wind-Jacket-Black-M-/320608376575?pt=US_CSA_MC_Blazers_Sport_Coats&hash=item4aa5bf96ff

The only reason to go heavier is if you want a shirt you can abuse when sitting around a fire spitting sparks or bushwacking.

For the down jkt, it really depends on the conditions you want to use it for. The Montbell Ex-light jkt or vest is a great choice for '2 season' trips where it's not too cold and you want to save weight. For 3 season, something like the WM Flash Jkt is a nice choice as long as it's not too cold. For cold trips you could opt for a puffier down jacket with 5-8oz of down, or add a medium warmth jacket over the ex-light.

trail wind is a nice piece of kit, im waiting for a sale on one … be aware that it has perforated pits which might or might not be yr thing

down …. depends if you want a all in one jacket … if you do then a MB alpine light, EB FA downlight or similar equivalent with 3-4 oz of down will work

if you want something as a layering piece … and MB EX light is the one to get … light weight, instant warmth, fits under the windshirt

add a micropuff/alpine light and you have a bomber system for 3+ seasons, 4 seasons with a DAS/frostline

Eric, how does Marmot's Trail Wind fit? Does it have the "athletic" cut like the old Ion, or is it cut more fully to allow a layer underneath?

gary …

as a reference i'm 5'7", ~170 lbs fairly built …

the med trail wind fits me with a base layer and an R1 type fleece no prob … i could prob get my MB Ex-light underneath as well if needed in a pinch

any more than that and id move up to a large ….

i would say the cut is somewhat athletic

Thanks, Eric. Sounds like it's the same as the old Ion, but new/improved (?), with pit holes? Same material as the Ion, do you think?

never used the ion so i cant really say

the fabric is 1.6 ooz / yd … so it should be somewhat durable hopefully

Sorry, should have said that I'd found a down jacket already (went with the Montane Anti-Freeze, almost got an Alpine Light or Downlight), but discussion is always good.

That Montbell Windshirt sure is light, but I do want a hood with mine, as I'll be using it, among other seasons, in the winter over my new hoodless down jacket. I like the look (and price) of the Trail Wind, but am a little concerned about the pit holes in cold weather. I'm sure it's great for keeping dry in the summer, but seems to defeat the purpose of keeping the wind out. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it doesn't let that much air in.

I think I'm leaning towards the hooded Light-Speed.