Marmot Essense Rain Jacket with NanoPro Membrain

Durability is a concern to me with Marmot's proprietary WPB laminates. I'm sticking to eVent but 6 oz. is VERY interesting for a WPB parka.

I hope this is not hijacking the thread, but I am outfitting my daughter for an Isle Royale trip and would like to upgrade her 10-year-old Marmot Precip. The 2014 model has NanoPro coating, the Marmot Adroit has the NanoPro membrain, most is $100 vs $250. Any idea how much difference is breathability there might be between the two? Thanks.

NanoPro:
Waterproofness: 10,000 mm
Breathability: 17,000 gm
CFM: 0.2 CFM Air Permeability
Hohenstein RET: 5.0 to 5.4
Technology: 2.5 layer Microporous Coating with Dry Touch finish

NanoPro Membrain:
Waterproofness: 10,000 mm
Breathability: 20,000 to 47,000 gm
CFM: 0.14 to 0.20 CFM Air Permeability
Hohenstein RET: 2.9 to 4.0
Technology: 2.5 Microporous lamination with Dry Touch finish

Source:
http://marmot.com/content/primary/technology/the-elements/water/marmot-nanopro/

Always amazed at how much I learn from people on this board…never heard of Hohenstein RET before. Looked it up and found this Wikipedia article (with chart) explaining the values.

Looks like the Membrain could be worth the extra $

how does this compare to event? the weight is quite interesting.. are there event shells in this weight class?

I have the previous version of the Essence rain jacket (same 6 ounce weight). They have a new name for the membrane/laminate, but I doubt that it is substantially different product.

It's a different category of product compared to an eVent or GoreTex or NeoShell jacket. Ultra light weight, really intended for occasional use as the rain gear that sits in your pack. I love it because it's light enough that there is no excuse to not pack rain gear, but I would not expect it to hold up to rock climbing or bushwacking. An unlined laminate is never going to be as rugged as a lined jacket. And, the shell fabric on the Essence is very lightweight, much lighter than anything I've seen on a GoreTex or NeoShell jacket (and I assume eVent).

If I thought I was going to be out in the rain or snow for days, I might take a GoreTex or NeoShell jacket, but the Essence is fantastic as occasional use rain gear. It's the only rain jacket I'll put on in the summer.

I just updated a thread about my future raingear with the same thoughts:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=93477

I think I prefer lightweight but not as breathable, for backpacking.. as it really is a huge difference compared to the NeoShell/Event jackets in terms of weight.
The only thing that would be useful is a lightweight Jacket with vents.. but I guess I'm wanting too much.

My wife had an Essence which delammed after a couple of years, it stayed in the pack mostly while backpacking, but was used quite a lot (we live in the rainy UK) walking to/from work while carrying ~10lbs in a day pack.

She's recently replaced it with a 2014 version which was 1/2 price on SportPursuit (like a UK version of The Clymb).

We're intending to keep the new version for BPing, she hasn't used it in anger yet, so I performed a DDSOAWDUHFS* test on the 2 essence jackets, an Inov8 150 Stormshell and a Rab Cirrus windshirt.

The 2014 version was A LOT more comfortable than the old – on an arbitrary scale, if the old essence was a 1 and the windshirt a 10 I would rate the 2014 essence as a 4 or 5 the Inov8 was 2-3 – I'm Jealous…

Dave

*DaveDoesSquatsOnAWarmDayUntilHeFeelsSweaty

That sounds good! I didn't really look at inov-8 but I have to admit that the essence looks very similar to the inov8 storm shell

The Marmot Essence jacket has little pit vents. I don't know how much good they do, but there are vents. They don't zip closed. Always open.

I picked up the new essence on sale a while back, to complement my Rab Kinetic (which I love, by the way). The pit vents were a surprise but I really like them. The jacket fits really well, better than my Rab, and I really like the weight/protection. Yes it's a 2.5 layer, but I have a good Rab Demand for when it's going to be cold and raining a lot, whereas these light jackets are for when it will spend most of the time in my pack but I have to have it just in case (i.e. JMT in the summer….)

So far I'm a fan. And in hot/humid Austin, TX, it's been a great jacket to have for around town, too.

Thanks for the comment, sounds interesting!

About a month ago I picked up one of these just before they went on sale. I have worn it several times around town during rain storms and it is extremely comfortable with regard to sizing (bought one size up), weight, and breathability. I will be spending four days hiking in the Cascades in September and hopefully will get a better feel for its durability under a pack load. So far, I have to say I am extremely impressed.

So now the Membrain Nano Pro has been on the market for over a year. Does anyone have feedback? Is it still a good product? Has it delaminated like the old Membrain?

It would be great to hear about your experiences.

I've used mine frequently for over a year and its been great. No signs of delam or wear yet. I've been in some heavy all afternoon storms and stayed dry and I've also done some hard uphill hiking and its breathed decently well. Lots of overnights in indian peaks. Wind river high route and a week long ski traverse. So far I havent missed my delaminated rab demand at all. Best UL shell I've owned. The stretch is noticeable and appreciated, and the fabric feels soft and comfortable.

Can you folks give some feedback on how the Essence fits you? The Marmot site says "athletic fit" but that means different things from different manufacturers. I'd like to be able to layer the Essence over a fleece.

Hamish,

I'm 5'9 and 160lbs. I have a size large Essence and think the fit is perfect for me. I could definitely fit the medium easily but the large is just big enough to allow enough ventilation and room if I need to layer up. I would go up 1 size. I've only used it in light, steady rain but it did keep me dry for 5 hours of it. The outer layer does seem very delicate but I was surprised that there was no damage after hours of hiking along a very overgrown Lost Coast on the southern end.

Thank you Don, that's helpful.