Durability of the Marmot Mica Rain Jacket ?

I've used mine for several years now. It is very light. If you have long periods of rain, it will wet out. No pit zips and minimal breathability. Trade offs for such light weight. It I was expecting to do extended hiking in wet weather, I'd probably use an Event Jacket (heavier but more breathable).

I bought one in 2010 as an emergency waterproof if caught out in generally warm rain. In cold rain I have Paramo who's wateproofness does not depend on a shell fabric.

It was not getting used at all (good really no rain!) so I thought I use a fleece+Mica in colder conditions when it would rain. In December 2011, after 4 days I held up to the light and saw small pin-sized holes forming, mostly on the collarbone type area where backpack was rubbing. These would eventually cause the shell to fail.

I put it back into its primary role – something you pack not to wear. If you want to wear something then there are sturdier fabrics. Marmot to make the Aegis which is tougher, and the Super Mica.

OR helium … same weight … should anything happen OR will take care of you ,,,

I currently have the Marmot Essence in small mens. I took this about 3 months along the AT last year. Did about 1500 miles total. About 1000 were with the Marmot Essence. Even having fallen on the material more than once, it is in great condition today. I like the features of the Mica better, but I got this off Ebay brand new for $72.

I believe that the Essence, Mica, and Super Mica are a VERY NICE jacket, worth the $.

i've had a mica since they first came out and have not had any problems. I haven't worn it a whole lot under a pack, but no problems the times that i have. it is my go to rain jacket for daily use as well. I like it quite a bit. i'd buy it again. I took a trip last spring on the ozark highlands trail where i wore that jacket the whole 2 days carrying a pack. It was raining pretty much the whole time and i the only place i got wetness was from the zipper being unzipped.

All that said, its the only decent rain jacket i've ever owned so i can't compare it to anything else.

It'll work fine for what you want to do with it. I'd agree that an OR Helium (paclite) might be more durable, though. I've had a Mica for a couple years and I've just about killed it, but it's still alive (although not breathing so well). I'm surprised how well it's held up to abrasion, briars, etc. It's great for "just in case". But eVent really breathes much better if you know you'll be in the rain all day.

I bought the Mica, and my wife the ladies version (crystalline?), and we both returned them after a few weeks of use. At first we were really impressed by the lightness and pack-ability, but as soon as there was any rain, they wetted through straight away. My wife's was worse than mine and would wet through on the shoulders within minutes of being in light rain. They were sent back to Marmot themselves who tested them and found no manufacturing faults. This suggests it was the actual fabric that wasn't very good. Either way, a waterproof that lets water in is somewhat pointless in my eyes.

Others may have a better experience than us, but we are much happier with our heavier but totally waterproof Goretex Pro Shells.

Thanks for all the input ! I'll keep looking around and see what I can snag at a decent deal.

Just in case you are interested in one more opinion:

I've had my Mica for about 18 months, and I've been very pleased with the weight and the fit. Even when brand new it was never completely waterproof, though, and the inherently poor breathability of the urethane membrane effectively falls to zero in use because the face fabric DWR is horrible. I've tried applying my own DWR, and that helps a bit, but the face fabric still becomes completely waterlogged after a few minutes of steady rain. The fabric is smooth when dry, but after exposure to rain the yarns are swollen and it developes a puckered, waffle-like texture.

The "2.5" layer construction is a sham, I have concluded. It's just a 2-layer laminate with a pretty pattern on the inside. I have not used this jacket heavily, or left it to bake in the sun, or exposed it to any other unusual abuse, and now the urethane layer is peeling off in sheets. There are coin-sized spots on the inside of the shoulders that have no membrane at all now, and it has cracked and begun to peel away along the entire length of every seam.

I've considered just peeling off the rest of the membrane, and making a silnylon Mica with diluted silicone, because I like the fit, the simple design, and the light weight. It would be more waterproof than the original and the breathability would be the same (zero).

I'm pleased to hear that others have had better experiences with this jacket.

Not to be a shmuck, but I thought the Helium uses pertex and not Goretex paclite.

I had the Super mica, and found the material to not be as durable as i would have liked. But then again, I hike mostly in the Rockies

I found the jacket quite waterproof on its first trip, even in some pretty wild scottish weather. However, the fabric in the forearm area was badly damaged by the process of taking my pack off, and balancing the weight on my arm enroute to the ground. Admittedly my pack wasn't super light at the time. But suffice to say, not a durable jacket.