MARMOT PRECIP RAIN JACKET: Review summary – Great storm protection for the light traveler. High points: Lightweight, ultra-packable, well-ventilated, doesn’t leak, good hood design, good-looking.
RATING: 4 stars, a One Bag, One World recommended product
How to test a raincoat? In my case, a ten-day early summer visit to England and Scotland - from London to Loch Ness - was just the ticket to try out the Marmot Precip. With sometimes torrential rain falling for eight days out of ten the Precip kept me comfortably dry. At under $100 ( you can often find them for around $80 on sale) this jacket falls between the sweaty cheapo rain slickers and more expensive — and often heavier — Gore-tex rain shells. The Precip’s fabric doesn’t breathe quite as well as Gore-tex, but the jacket has Pit Zips (under arm zippered vents) so it’s quite comfortable in warm weather. On colder days, just layer and the Precip will do the rest. Marmot says the Precip is free of the clammy feel often associated with unlined jackets. To be honest, I think it feels quite clammy to bare skin on a wet day, but this is not a problem for me since I wear longsleeves year round.
I can say that it never leaked or soaked through despite steady rain and gale force winds in London. Since the temperatures dipped into the 40’s one day with a strong north wind, it’s a good thing the Precip held strong. One strike against the Precip: their are no interior pockets and the traveler always needs a breast pocket. The styling fits nicely between techie hipster and boring middle-aged, so it works fine for almost anyone. You can jazz it up or down by choosing from the wide variety of colors. Best of all, it weighs almost nothing and packs into a double handful; fits easily in a backpack pocket or messenger bag. I won’t be leaving home without my Precip any time soon. More info from Marmot here. The Precip is available for men, women, and kids. There are Precip pants too.