Marmot Minimalist Jacket - Men's - 2008 BCS

I loved this jacket....but returned it because I want it in a WOMEN's size XXL so it fits my woman's body. Marmot, please make it for us bigger women!!

Purchased this coat for a June camping trip (BONAROO!) in Tennessee. This is supposed to be the lightest, best breathing Gore-Tex you can buy, and you won't find it cheaper than this. I was impressed with how well the jacket vented my body heat, but disappointed by the liner that accomplished this. The liner is rubber-like so it doesn't feel good against your skin on a warm, wet night. This forced me to wear a long-sleeve shirt underneath the coat (or have wet forearms), despite it being 65 degrees.
The outside of the shell worked perfectly, it beads water like plastic!
This is the first piece of Marmot outerwear I have ever owned, but I expect this jacket to last for many years. I trust Marmot because pro-guides trust Marmot. I ski 30 days a years at the resorts in Summit County, CO and I see as many outdoor professionals wearing Marmot as The North Face or any other brand.
I can't promise it will last forever, but it's dry, cool, and light.

Marmot + Goretex = Unstoppable. One of the best jackets I've owned. The breathability can't be beat, it squishes down pretty nicely, and not too much of a rubbery feeling (if any at all.) Angel wings are great cuts, but pockets are too low if you're wearing a pack. I still use it for hiking, camping, but definitely count on it for everyday use. I combined it with my old Flurry (Marmot's budget coat) to make it unstoppable. Not cold, not wet.

Took the jacket on a tramping trip in New Zealand in some seriously wet conditions. The jacket held up well and kept me dry (I was the only one in the group to not be wet). Also very light and packs up small. The bottom front pockets are too low and are inaccessible with a pack on.

Upon receiving the Marmot Minimalist I was a little hesitant about the size. I was surprised with how large a medium was. After wearing it for a few days though I realized that it is perfect for me. It allows a bit of room for layering and ultimately has great range of movement. The only issue I have run into was with the small plastic pieces that help cinch the drawcord around the waist. I would tighten the waistband and within 5 minutes it would be loose. Luckily I am friends with the son of the CEO of Marmot so he took it in and had it fixed for me within a couple days. Now, I honestly have nothing to complain about. I know from talking to Marmot representatives on the phone that they do have a great product warranty and were willing to take my jacket back and fix it for free despite my connection to the company. In conclusion this is a fantastic jacket. I love mine and will probably purchase the same product or a similar one by Marmot as soon as my current one wears out.

It's a great jacket but does not have a double slider front zipper, and the front pockets are down low where a hip belt from a pack is right over them. Marmot typically puts those front pockets at chest height. Why they did not do that this time I am not sure.... is it designed for walking around some college campus.......? Too bad, it's a tough light weight jacket.....

Was headed to NYC a couple of weeks ago to walk the store windows. There was a chance of rain in the forecast for the entire time I was there. Decided I would take my new jacket, rather then an umbrella, because walking in NYC in those crowds at holiday time is a giant pain. Second day there it started to rain and boy was I happy I had my jacket. Pulled it out of my backpack, tossed it on, pulled the great hood up and stayed dry and did my job all day long. I am done carrying an umbrella altogether now. Love this jacket and everything it does.

I have two Minimalist jackets. Lightweight, easy to bring and works well for both hiking and skiing.

I am 6' and about 175-180 should I get medium or a large I plan on wearing a Patagonia puffy under it. I wear a medium in the puffy if that would help with the size. I juat hate to get a large and should have gotten a medium

Thanks

Positives:

- No frills minimalist jacket - very light weight, packable and good value for paclite

Negatives:

- Pockets are too low to access with a hip belt or harness on
- Hood doesn't have a two way adjustable hood (it has a velcro strap in the back to pull the hood back - if not wearing with a helmet, the hood is huge and difficult to fit properly)
- Hood was not big enough to fit my ski helmet (I have a big head)
- Sleeves were too short - mid and base layers were exposed when i reached over my head

Overall:

- I returned this jacket in exchange for a MH Typhoon (which I am very pleased with), the negatives outweighed the positives, there are better paclite shells on the market with similar price points

My wife and I were "lucky" enough to go to Mexico for our honeymoon... in the rainy season! The first night we were there three inches of standing rain greeted us. This jacket was my hero on our walk to the store in a torrential downpour that night. My shoes and shorts were soaked but my upper body was completely dry!! It performed well the rest of the week and made a potentially bad situation into a lot of fun with many rainy walks on the beach with my lovely wife as the ocean kissed our feet. I never experienced any wetness and the under arm vents worked like champs! I'm so glad I sprung for the Gore-Tex! I would recommend this jacket to anyone looking for a completely waterproof jacket for everyday and technical use. Thank you Marmot and Gore-Tex!

I got one of these last winter and I have been very pleased.

To echo some of the comments below, I can't believe how light this jacket is. It is very easy to pack. I got it for use as a storm shell on a nine-day trek of Mount Kilimanjaro, where it was subjected to strong, steady rain for a day-and-a-half through the rain forest at the start of the trek. It kept me perfectly dry (and the ample pit zips were nice to have at the lower altitudes). We got snowed on, sleeted on, hailed on, and rained on at various times, and this thing didn't let a single drop of moisture through. Since then, I have sat outdoors in the rain for four solid hours at a football game, and again, water almost bounced off this jacket. I cannot commend its waterproof/windproof properties highly enough. Especially when you compare its price to that of the comparable storm shells made by some other gear companies.

I also have to join the comments below in pointing out that the hand pockets are pretty much inaccessible if you throw a daypack on over this jacket. That has not been a big deal to me, as I rarely need the jacket pockets (I prefer to use the pockets on the hip belt of my daypack instead). But if that is going to be a big deal to you, be forewarned.

On the whole, I love this jacket and would highly recommend it.

Great lightweight Jacket...very warm as well.

I did a LOT of research before investing in a shell. After a little reading and checking out a friend's jackets I was pretty much sold on the Gore-tex Paclite.

I then read up on Paclite jackets from a lot of different manufacturers. I was interested in weight, waterproofness (duh), pit-zips, and price. I boiled my search down to the Marmot Minimalist, Mountain Hardwear Typhoon, and Outdoor Research Foray. They are all nearly identical in weight, features, and price. I ended up going with the Minimalist because I found a really slick deal on it.I havn't actually seen/felt a Typhoon or Foray in person but I can tell you I love this Minimalist.

The jacket screams quality. The first thing I did when I got it was look it over. I'm not usually one to notice these things but the quality jumped out at me. All the stitching is perfect, there isn't a single loose thread on the garmet. All the seams are sealed really well with no edges folding up. The zippers even feel really nice. Marmot has even gone to the trouble of adding rubber holds on the zippers that is super grippy (due to lots of little nobs which add a lot of surface area).I've taken this jacket out in the rain a few times and I've stayed perfectly dry.
Onto the features. Like everyone else, I wish the pockets were a bit higher and I wouldn't mind a double zipper. Those things aside the jacket is the bomb. The pit-zips work well. The fabric IS a bit "plastic-y" on the inside, but that is to be expected from a shell and it is not, at all, uncomfortable. I often wear it with a t-shirt. It is intended to keep you dry and that is all. Adding a liner would just add unnecessary weight. The hood is nice. It appears to be helmet compatible but I don't have a climbing helmet to try out. The chin guard is comfortable as well. As you may guess, the jacket is very lightweight. You can get lighter jackets but they won't have the features (ie: pockets, pit-zips, good hoods). It feels very durable as well. I am liking the Paclite material.

I am 5'10" 155 and the medium fits pretty well. It is a little on the big side if I'm just wearing a t-shirt. But it leaves room to layer in colder weather and the back comes down to cover my butt keeping me dry and happy ;P

Marmot knows how to make quality gear, and for some reason it is a company that always slips my mind. But when I went looking for a PacLite shell, this one was at my local shop. Now I know it is the cheapest PacLite shell you can buy, but that means nothing, cause this shell is amazing. It packs down to the size of a 5 pin bowling ball, making it perfect for something that lives in your pack in case it storms. And it is unbelievably durable. I have climbed in it several days so far this season, skied some trees, and hiked/bushwacked a coupled weekend trips with it, and it looks amazing. The style and cut is perfect for everything except the low-ish pockets, which I never use shell pockets while on the trail anyway so not a negative to me. I don't know how well the "Angel-Wings" actually work, because when you reach high enough any jacket will come down, but overall I would say it is great. If the Minimalist had a dual direction zipper for rainy belays, I would say it was a near perfect shell, and even as is, it is top notch. I am 6'1" and 205#, and the Large Minimalist fits perfect, even with layers or a puffy underneath.

I was shopping for a light weight and waterproof shell for quite some time. I finally sucked it up and bought this one... WHAT A JACKET! Can barely feel that its on and the rain practically jumps away from it.. this is my first Marmot purchase and definitely won't be my last. Dealing with BC was fantastic as well.. All round great experience.

yeah the pockets could be placed better but this jacket is quickly becoming my go to piece of protection be it up a rainy trail, a summit push, a weekend ice trip , even on the ski hill . Light comfy and helmet friendly hood .fabric is silent and very durableand layers great and pit zips for under $200 love it ....

Light weight, keeps me dry. I like the handy chest pocket to keep whatever I need on hand. It actually keeps me warm enough below 40 by itself, haven't tried lower temperatures yet.

I have pretty long arms @ 6'2", XXL fits perfectly.

This is my go-to hard shell for wet conditions. It has always kept me dry. The material is very durable... my jacket has no scratches at all. This jacket doesn't take up too much space and is light weight so I almost always take it with me regardless of the conditions.

Marmot, among others, has released newer, lighter waterproof shells lately, but don't rule this jacket out. It's fantastic.

I love this jacket. They have done so many things to really make this a great jacket that will keep you dry and comfortable.