Need a new 3-season shell

First of all, I apologize, but I have no bear maulings or waterfalls deaths to report.

I've had my EMS rain/wind jacket for 6 years and it has done its intended job. But the inside lining (the EMS version of Goretex, I think they call it System III) is starting to peel like shoulders a week after a bad sunburn. Just shredding away.

So, looking for a new one. Is Marmot PreCip still a fan favorite? I want the semi-hard baseball cap type visor on the hood. I want pit zips. I want a color that flatters my eyes.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I got a Precip when I decided that my Sierra Designs G-Tex was too tight for multiple layers on a Rainier trip (it was a replacement for an older one that had de-laminated). It was mid-winter and I put it on as soon as I got it (picked it up at my US post office) and put my skis on and boogied through the orchards behind my house. I noticed immtediately that it did not breathe nearly as well as had my G-Tex even in these perfect conditions (cold and dry). I bit the bullet and paid for a G-Tex from MEC (www.mec.ca) and have never regretted it. I gave the Precip to my daughter for downhill ski-ing.

Also, it is advertised for 'low brasion' activities and this co-incides with my observation that it was light, but perhaps fragile.

I hope this he;ps.

Doug

Billy said:

Is Marmot PreCip still a fan favorite? I want the semi-hard baseball cap type visor on the hood. I want pit zips. I want a color that flatters my eyes.

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In my experience Marmot Precip makes a good lightweight wind & rain jacket, but, like Gremlin, I have found that Gore-Tex, both XCR & Pro Shell, breathes noticeably better.

Moreover, Marmot's Precip Jacket lacks a semi-hard visor.

Nevertheless, Precip jackets are lightweight and relatively cheap. Usually one can find them for at least $20 less than MSRP at sites like GearX.com, Campmor, and Sierra Trading Post. So if one tears it or misplaces it at one's sister's house, replacement isn't too painful.

Gore-Tex garments tend to cost more. Does one therefore purchase a heavier duty shell with the intent of protecting the investment?

Of course, if I were to damage my expensive Gore-Tex jacket, I would send it back for repair. I have done so twice with jackets, and the most I paid was $40. Also, if a Gore-Tex jacket delaminates, the manufacturer will replace it for free because Gore-Tex provides a warranty.

I love my Marmot precip jacket.
I bought a new one recently because the old one was soaking through. Was out hiking recently and it started to rain. Out came my new red jacket. Two miles later, i was soaked, and there were actual drop of water visible on the inside.

Would I waste my money again. No.
It's nice, it's very lightweight, but had it been cold and I was still some distance from my vehicle, I would not have been a happy hiker.

I want to call Marmot to see what they have to say for themselves. As I approached my car I saw two girls wearing inexpensive ponchos and I'm willing to bet they were dry.

I have to echo the comments about the precip ... it's a nice light shell & not very expensive, good for wind protection & *light* rain. It wets through pretty quickly in a downpour, though. It's not a comparable replacement for a real-deal goretex shell.

Take a good look at what RAB is making. They use eVent, which is better than Gore-tex.

the cabela's packlight goretex shell is maybe the best value option out there. I have precip shell, but I end up almost never using it for dayhikes. Precip was cheap and well known when it came out, but that was a long time ago. If you are spending more than $100, I would look for Event.

I don't care how expensive they area, or what you have to do to find the $$$$, buy an Arc'teryx shell! Mine is 8 years old and I'm not going to replace it for at least another 5 years. That's a decent bang-for-the-buck over the long run.

Just got off the phone from speaking to Marmot rep.
If you are looking for rain gear Precip is not the jacket for you. It's a great little coat if you are walking the dog in the park, running errands, it's 80 degrees out, and you won't die of hypothermia if you get cold and wet on you daily constitution.
Bottom line...you will get wet. It affords you minimal protection.
He even said this is why they make the $300 gortex jackets. You just can't compare the two products.

I am going to keep mine and use it as an extra layer in the fall/spring over a sweatshirt, and my Patagonia down "sweater" and vest. It will serve a purpose but I will never pack it as rain gear again.

I do think people are being a little too critical of the Precip. I've seen them work perfectly fine under heavy rain. Many of my friends and family use them.

A few of my friends even used them in 4 straight days of rain in the Alps a few years ago and nobody got wet. I'm talking probably 8-10 inches of rain over that time period.

All I can say is that even the Marmot rep said "no way"!
I appreciate Marmot's honesty and it does make perfect sense. If it were really true that the jacket is waterproof and windproof, there would be no point to making a gortex jacket. Everyone would want the $100 version. Why spend 2-3x more? He stated "this is why they make gortex jackets". It 's like comparing apples and oranges.
He did explain also that when it's warm outside, and it's raining, the material inside the jacket cannot "keep up" and it retains your perspiration because it reaches a point with the heat and humidity that does not allow it to breathe like gortex does. This only serves to compound the problem.

This looks like a nice jacket.
http://www.rei.com/product/795023/mountain-hardwear-typhoon-rain-jacket-mens

REI Taku

All I ever need in wind and rain.

http://m.rei.com/mt/www.rei.com/product/786836/rei-taku-jacket-mens

Have had the shell and pants going on 3 years now and I love them for hiking and skiing.

Bought hubby the shell for Christmas a couple winters ago (after he coveted mine) and he loves it.

Have a Marmot Precip -- for taking out the dogs on rainy days -- it might keep you dry about five minutes!

You don't want to go with another EMS jacket? Do you think the wear was unreasonable for how long it lasted? I have an EMS Deluge shell and it keeps me dry. Navy Blue, no pit vents, semi-hard brim, Gore-tex. Had it a couple years now, seems to be holding up alright.

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3781081

They are having a clearance sale right now too. Don't own one of these, but maybe the Cloudburst colors would compliment your eyes? Pit vents on this one (also System Three and not Gore-Tex).

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4356556&clickid=body_rv_img

I have an mountain hardware correra jacket. I have been very happy with it and it breaths quite well. got it at backcountry 50% off

Ditto on the Precip. Have had two of them - they're NOT a rain jacket. Fine for wind, mist or frozen precip. Not the jacket you want in actual rain.

The discussion of rain jackets reminds me somewhat of temperature ratings for sleeping bags--so much is dependent on both the individual user and the specific circumstances of usage.

Gore-Tex, eVent, polyurethane coatings like Marmot's Precip--they're all waterproof and, despite all claims to the contrary, will never leak.

As Maddy's Marmot rep and others have suggested, the cause for people getting soaked is insufficient breathability. When moving, my body produces enough heat that even in temperatures approaching zero degrees I wear just a lightweight merino wool base layer shirt when skinning uphill. For the downhill, I just throw on a Gore-Tex shell.

So when hiking in the summer, if it rains, I just keep on hiking. The rain jacket comes out of my pack when I'm not moving--at camp, on a summit, etc. Or if I am moving above treeline and rain is complemented by strong wind.

For the low-motion scenarios, Precip works okay for me, namely as well as any polyurethane coating can. When I am moving, there is not a product out there sufficiently breathable to keep me dry. But YMMV, depending on how much you are moving, how much you perspire, humidity, and temperature.

Kul45 said:

As Maddy's Marmot rep and others have suggested, the cause for people getting soaked is insufficient breathability. ............ For the low-motion scenarios, Precip works okay for me, namely as well as any polyurethane coating can. When I am moving, there is not a product out there sufficiently breathable to keep me dry. But YMMV, depending on how much you are moving, how much you perspire, humidity, and temperature.

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I have found this to be true as well. I test my rain gear while riding on my motorcycle. My Precip does well in a rain storm at all speeds. The only leak I had was when I forgot to close the storm flap over the zipper. I got caught in a prolonged ride in the rain last week and I was OK. Of course I was just sitting on the bike wishing I was somewhere else so I didn't sweat. A relatively short but strenuous walk at scout camp, however, soaked my from the inside out due to sweat. I have a set of Frog Toggs that I got on sale and I like them better because they feel less clammy. They are both good quality jackets and worth the money I paid for them. I really like the way the Precip packs down to "Tiny". I actually use a silnylon poncho that I made myself when I'm underway on the trail. I just can't justify $300 for the Gore-Tex right now so I can live with what I have.
Bob

Ya know? We're far beyond the windcheater-rainproof, two jacket times. My old Yorkshire hiking and tramping buddy never figured it out. He had his windcheater and kick-butt G-Tex he kept in his pack. Each was for each and he always refused to believe that one jacket now does both.

G-Tex won't 'breathe' in the rain, but neither will rain gear; and G-Tex makes an excellent 'windcheater'. Anything else is just dinosaur and having one of each can't be that much cheaper than one of the less expensive garments offered by Cabela's or Campmor.

I have no experience with Event, or other w'proof-breatheable garments. but they must work too. G-Tex has done it for me for 30+ years.

Problem solved...my new lightweight rain gear for warm weather use.

http://www.rei.com/product/744947/outdoor-products-multi-purpose-poncho-womens

Cheap-efficient-lightweight-fits over a day pack.

I think it will be nice having the shorter sleeves.

Hey, I know the OP problem has been solved, but I wanted to echo this --

REI Taku

All I ever need in wind and rain.

Click to expand...

I haven't ever sprung for the jacket, but I've got four busy winters on a pair of Taku pants -- like, in them for at least a couple of hours 4-5 days a week from December to April -- and they've been one of the best gear investments I ever made. Excellently breathable, pretty much 100% waterproof, with a nice fitted cut and awesome stretchy mobility. They're really a top-notch product. If they had full side zips they would be exactly perfect, but I'm very happy with them all in all, and I've never had a shell jacket that performs as well as these pants do.