Mountain Gazette June 2009 Nano

For this month’s reviews, I decided to hook up with my good friend Madaleine Sorkin and head into Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Mads and I rapped down the south rim to the base of a route called Tague Yer Time, named in honor of a fallen hero, Cameron Tague. No pushover, the 2,000-foot route demands a cool head and serious skills, which is why I brought Madeleine. We also brought all of this month’s gear, which means I was already pretty confident it would perform. Here’s what I found out.

The problem with climbing in the Black is that you descend first and climb out. The cool thing is that you top out virtually at your cooler. The lame thing is, if the sh*! hits the fan and you have to descend, well, hey, there you are wallowing around in the bottom of a 2,000-foot canyon. So while you’d like to bring the kitchen sink in case of a storm, weight and bulk are a major factor. Enter the Nano Jacket from Marmot. This svelte and nimble number applies sealed zippers to a Gore-Tex Paclite shell with a hood. Minimal but versatile, the Nano provides wind and rain protection in a tight package. It took up little room in the pack, but provided fine insurance against those pesky afternoon showers that can pop up so suddenly in Colorado. – Chris Kalous