Mica Jacket

Marmot’s Mica Jacket is 100 percent seam taped, waterproof and highly breathable. With Marmot’s proprietary 2.5 layer MemBrain Strata fabric technology, the jacket is designed using micro nonorganic particles on the inside of the lamination to increase durability and breathability. Additional features include an attached adjustable hood and a water-resistant front zipper, and it packs neatly into its own pocket.

Marmot’s waterproof-breathable Mica is the ultimate outer layer, at 6.5 ounces and a down-to-earth price.

All the talk at the show has been about prices inevitably heading up. But Marmot is introducing a new line of technical performance apparel that will cost less – far less – than similar gear.

The key is Marmot’s new 2.5-layer MemBrain Strata, a waterproof/breathable laminate membrane fabric. The half-layer membrane is printed on the inside of the jacket, making it lighter but retaining the advantages of lamination.

Used in Marmot’s men’s Mica and women’s Crystalline jackets, the fabric imparts all the performance of $200-plus jackets for just $130. The half-layer print makes the jacket less clammy than laminated jackets and much lighter (the Crystalline weighs in at a mere six ounces).

“Basically, we can offer the same jacket performance-wise that cost $260 just three years ago, at half the price,” said Brian La Plante, category merchandising manager for Marmot.

The Crystalline beat out 280 entries to win the Outdoor Industry Award at the Outdoor Show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. It’s also turning heads here at OR, displayed in front of the Marmot booth. Marmot has also put the Strata technology in its new Aegis jacket, which sports more features like front zip pockets, but is slightly heavier and retails for $140.

One of the lightest full-zip waterproof jackets I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. What makes it great is its light weight and its ability to breathe. Often I find waterproof jackets either too heavy for high output activities or poor in breathability, leaving you wet and clammy. This jacket was great for the high output activities – I felt warm enough, never too warm, and, most importantly, never felt damp. I wish I’d had a chance to test it in a strong downpour to see how well the Marmot Mica would keep me dry in really tough conditions. I would, however, highly recommend this jacket for any strenuous activities where you need protection from the elements in a medium-weight waterproof jacket or where you don’t have the room to carry a less packable, heavier rain jacket - Phillip Hiom

You’ll barely know you’re wearing it (it weighs only 7 ounces) until you’re caught in a downpour. Made from a unique fabric that’s both waterproof and breathable, the Mica is soft yet ready for any weather. For the price, you can’t find a more versatile high-quality option.

Rain can ruin your day only if it catches you completely unprepared, which is why we suggest keeping a Mica in your pack. The jacket weighs just 6.8 ounces (in size medium) and crumples into a baseball-size bundle. Constructed with Marmot’s new 2.5-layer MemBrain Strata fabric, it repels heavy rain but still lets sweat evaporate. – Dan Nelson

For complete waterproofing for the least weight and bulk, nothing beats the Mica (women’s version is the Crystalline). It delivered on a three-day Adirondack soaking that ended with testers wringing out their socks. It’s made with Marmot’s MemBrain Strata, a ripstop nylon laminated to a polyurethane membrane with a silky inner coating that keeps it from feeling clammy. The translucent fabric looks delicate, but it held up well to normal wear and tear on several multiday trips. Downsides: Breathability is fine for moderate trail hiking, but not for steep, sweaty climbs; the DWR wet out (but the fabric didn’t leak) in prolonged rainstorms; and the low pockets aren’t hipbelt friendly. – Berne Broudy

For complete waterproofing for the least weight and bulk, nothing beats the Mica (women’s version is the Crystalline). It delivered on a three-day Adirondack soaking that ended with testers wringing out their socks. It’s made with Marmot’s MemBrain Strata, a ripstop nylon laminated to a polyurethane membrane with a silky inner coating that keeps it from feeling clammy. The translucent fabric looks delicate, but it held up well to normal wear and tear on several multiday trips. Downsides: Breathability is fine for moderate trail hiking, but not for steep, sweaty climbs; the DWR wet out (but the fabric didn’t leak) in prolonged rainstorms; and the low pockets aren’t hipbelt friendly.