View Full Version : re: Marmot Precip rain coat how good is it?
Today I got my REI sale catalog. They list the Marmot Precip jacket going for 75 $. I have seen some good reviews on this jacket but want some feed back from folks who have actually used this make and model!
How waterproof? how breathable? wind resistance? light weight?
How does jacket stand up compared to Goretex or Frog Toggs?
In short, would you recommend it (for hiking and backpacking trips--not just around town use)??!!
Thanks,
David
I started with FT's. The fabric pills at all the friction points (knees, elbows...) and just looks crappy after a while. Not breathable at all. Light weight and inexpensive.
Switched to a poncho. Good multi use item. Not good during windy days. Moderate price. Breathable, due to vast amount of ventilation.
Moved on to Precip (mainly because it was on sale for $50). I really like this jacket (did not get the pants). Waterproof. I dont consider this fabric breatable, but the pit zips do help with this. Very light weight. At $50, much more reasonable than full price. I would get another if I found it again for $50.
Hikerhead
04-30-2008, 22:32
I started with FT's. The fabric pills at all the friction points (knees, elbows...) and just looks crappy after a while. Not breathable at all. Light weight and inexpensive.
Switched to a poncho. Good multi use item. Not good during windy days. Moderate price. Breathable, due to vast amount of ventilation.
Moved on to Precip (mainly because it was on sale for $50). I really like this jacket (did not get the pants). Waterproof. I dont consider this fabric breatable, but the pit zips do help with this. Very light weight. At $50, much more reasonable than full price. I would get another if I found it again for $50.
Somebody was selling these at trail days last year for around 50.00. I passed on it then, if they're back this year I'll pick it up. A lot lighter than my old precips which I bought in 02, me thinks.
It's 100% waterproof. Breathable? Not that I can tell. The ventilation options are good, nice pit zips and pockets lined with mesh. I hike with mine wide open in front if the wind is at my back. You can get it on sale at places like Sierra Trading Post quite often. It seems to hold up well. It's well stitched and the fabric is durable. The inside gets quite damp if you hike hard in it. I've had problems with all three that I've owned with the coating delaminating at the back of the neck due to sweat contamination. I've gotten 2-3 years out of each jacket.
I have the precip and nf diad and the percip sit's on the hanger.Almost half the weight at 8oz and is highly breathable with pit zips closed.It's the only thing i buy of northface.Go on ebay and get one.
Blissful
04-30-2008, 23:27
I just bought a new one off SAC the other day for around $37.
No rain gear is breathable when hiking. But it worked well at camp and at stops, also as a wind breaker.
I just bought a new one off SAC the other day for around $37.
No rain gear is breathable when hiking. But it worked well at camp and at stops, also as a wind breaker.
I beg to differ and live in FL.:)
Today I got my REI sale catalog. They list the Marmot Precip jacket going for 75 $. I have seen some good reviews on this jacket but want some feed back from folks who have actually used this make and model!
How waterproof? how breathable? wind resistance? light weight?
How does jacket stand up compared to Goretex or Frog Toggs?
In short, would you recommend it (for hiking and backpacking trips--not just around town use)??!!
Thanks,
David
Waterproof-9
Breathable-0 in hard rain zips closed
Wind-7 no bottom string
Weight-6 12oz almost hog like
Out of a 10 i give it 5.5
bigcranky
05-01-2008, 06:39
It's a decent rain jacket for the price, but not very breathable.
Waterproof-9
Breathable-0 in hard rain zips closed
Wind-7 no bottom string
Weight-6 12oz almost hog like
Out of a 10 i give it 5.5You must have an older model. My '08 Precip has an excellent bottom draw cord and lock system. I don't understand your "ding" on weight? :confused: This is the lightest-to-warmest-ratio jacket I've ever owned. As has been stated many times at WB, you're not going to find a very breathable waterproof garment. The technology does not exist.
I have the Precip pants as well. They are equally waterproof, equally not breathable, and equally great! ;)
The newer model Precip jackets also have a nice nylon fabric neck strip on the inside that takes care of the clammy neck, delamination problems of the past.
I wear it on trail, in camp, around town, on evening walks . . . get one on sale . . . you can't go wrong! ;)
Waterproof-9
Breathable-0 in hard rain zips closed
Wind-7 no bottom string
Weight-6 12oz almost hog like
Out of a 10 i give it 5.5
I agree - mine hangs in the closet. I use a lighter jacket that packs smaller & is cheaper.
orangebug
05-01-2008, 06:57
I had replaced my first one with a Sierra Designs similar jacket. Sorry, don't recall the name. It is lighter, but no pit zips. It delaminated also in just the same spots as my original Precip - shoulder and neck. But it was light.
I have more recently bought a new Precip at REI for my 20% off, rebate thingy. I may try sending the original to Marmot and see if they will replace/repair. I was surprised to see a number of Precip jackets that would be bound for the outlet store - as they lacked velcro tabs and the like - pointed them out to REI staff.
But my Sierra Designs jacket lives in my car for emergency use.
The Precip is a terrific jacket, particularly compared to that which preceeded, but it isn't a world killer.
sasquatch2014
05-01-2008, 07:02
I read a similar thread about the breathability of rain gear so I went ultra cheap. i did the Campmor special I think my tops and bottom were under $30 together. I think that they work about as well as anything else, I mean during really rainy days I see no more or any less miserable than those around me wearing more expensive rain gear.
bigcranky
05-01-2008, 08:17
As has been stated many times at WB, you're not going to find a very breathable waterproof garment. The technology does not exist.
Well, that depends. The non-woven laminate in Frogg Toggs and similar garments is quite breathable and waterproof -- much more so than Goretex or any of the PU laminates (like the Precip jacket.) FT's are cheap, too. But they aren't very durable, and the fit kinda sucks.
On the new tech front, eVent exhibits terrific breathability, even at low interior moisture levels, and it's plenty waterproof. But an eVent jacket is $300 and up. Several of the jacket designs have fit issues, as well. But a couple of hikers whose opinions I trust have told me that their eVent jackets were pretty close to the Holy Grail -- hiking uphill with a pack, on a warm wet day, jacket all zipped up, and no accumulation of sweat inside the jacket.
(Not that I have $300 lying around to drop on a jacket right now. I think I'll stick with my poncho.)
Thanks for all the feedback thus far.
I will say that I would never use Frog Toggs again. They were cheap. But even a modest prolonged rain soaked through. or perhaps it was breathability p roblems?
I am a little concerned about the lack of breathability that folks say the Precip has.
Would you say that the Precip is as good as Gore-tex..a material advertized to be waterproof and breathable (and I am not convinced that it is!)
David
most people here at WB love the precip, but i've read a lot of reviews about it saying the waterproofness wears down very fast. i decided against it...
bigcranky
05-01-2008, 10:29
Would you say that the Precip is as good as Gore-tex..a material advertized to be waterproof and breathable (and I am not convinced that it is!)
David
No, but.... Goretex IMHO is much more expensive while being only a little better. But YMMV.
I have the precip. I find that out of other rain jackets I have had--Sierra designs, Columbia, Red Ledge--it is the better of them. There is no TRUE breatheable rain coat, IMO. Using the pit zips on the Precip is a huge benefit. It has kept me protected in hard rain and wind, so I would say it is worth it.
NorthCountryWoods
05-01-2008, 11:02
No, but.... Goretex IMHO is much more expensive while being only a little better. But YMMV.
Waterproof jackets are breathable, the problem is nobody pays attention to the moisture wicking properties until the humidity is 100% (raining) and no fabric will work very well.
If you want to test the difference, try wearing Gor-Tex or the other fabrics as a wind breaker on a dry day. That's where you'll see what works best. In cold dry mountains, I haven't found anything better than Gor-Tex, but haven't tested many of the new ones (hyVent, eVent...).
That being said, the precip is lite and holds off the rain, but is not very moisture wicking. I use it as a windbreaker in summer above tree line and you can notice the swampy feeling. For some reason my wifes also lost it's coating after a couple years and didn't even keep out the rain.
For $50 bucks I'd probably get another, at $99 prolly not.
Berserker
05-01-2008, 13:19
I have the "Oracle", which is just a fancy version of the standard precip that Marmot made a couple of years ago. It is definitely waterproof, but does not breath well. For me, it works great in the right temperatures. If I am going to hike with it on it's probably gonna have to be below 50 deg, or I'll sweat so much that I'll get wet from the inside out. For 50 deg and up I just use a sil-nylon poncho. I have found nothing else that works well in warmer temperatures for hiking in. I also have a pair of precip pants, and they are equally as waterproof while lacking breathability. Again, great for wearing in cooler temperatures. In warmer temperatures just get wet and dry out at camp.
ChinMusic
05-01-2008, 15:18
I have a Precip but don't use it for backpacking anymore. I have a Montbell Peak that I have found to have decent breathability. IMO, the pitzips are a must in any rain jacket.
LIhikers
05-01-2008, 20:56
When I hike there's no fabric that's breathable enough so that I stay dry inside the jacket. For me hiking in the rain isn't about staying dry, it's about staying warm and comfortable I have the Precip and like it because it's durable, vents nicely, and makes a good wind breaker.
I have one and like it. One thing that has not been mentioned, it's pretty rugged. I have pushed through brush, snagged it on trees, etc., with no rips or tears so far.
When I hike there's no fabric that's breathable enough so that I stay dry inside the jacket. For me hiking in the rain isn't about staying dry, it's about staying warm and comfortable I have the Precip and like it because it's durable, vents nicely, and makes a good wind breaker.Ditto!!! ;)
The Band-aid Kid
05-01-2008, 23:15
During my thru I carried precip (jacket and pants), then switched to FT's to save weight, then went back to my precip jacket. The precip held up fine during my trip. I re-treated my precip when I got home and it works like new. The condensation issue was a problem at first, but was manageable when I figured it out. My FT's pilled quickly and ripped easily and generally weren't worth their light weight. Like LiHiker said, I rarely stayed dry, but with my precip I was always warm and comfortable and that was more important. I never carried a wind breaker because the precip did great at that too. There are probably lighter jackets out there than the precip, but I liked its reliable performance in wet and cold conditions when I really needed it.
As has been stated many times at WB, you're not going to find a very breathable waterproof garment. The technology does not exist.
Huh? Here's breatheable and water-repellant:
I got a British Ventile mountaineering-style jacket at REI, Pike Street Store, Seattle, WA I wore 15 years then it frayed at the cuffs and "skirt". The jacket was on "flood sale" or I would not have been able to purchase it.
It was breatheable and repelled all the Western Washington coastal mountains and North Cascades rain I experienced.
I have seen some online. I am eager for a "sale" price, or perhaps volume sales here in the "states" to bring down the price.
It was so perfect in every way, it "felt" lightweight to me.
The "ideal" British Ventile jacket might be a "smock" ..with 3/4 length or two-way cord zipper ..and have bound fabric or leather "edges" and/or a cord sewn inside the "hem".
Then, I could get more than 15 years out of it.
Precip? Feh. I like Arc'Teryx stuff. I might like the Mont Bell.
If I was going to spend my money on something like Precip, I would get something I found in the Helly Hansen brand.