What's It For?
Simple, minimalist ultra-lightweight jacket aimed squarely at the less is more crowd, so adventure racers, runners, mountain bikers, lightweight walkers. Marmot's big claimed advantage is unparalleled breathability at this price level.
The Techy Bits
The Mica is all about Marmot's new 2.5 -layer MemBrain Strata fabric, the inside of which is claimed to be four to four times more abrasion resistant than their regular MemBrain fabrics. The pattern on the inside of the fabric protects the lamination and also gives a dry feel against the skin.
It's also claimed to be very, very breathable - the MVT, moisture vapour transfer, test figures of 20,000 gr are in the eVent ball park and it has a 20,000mm hydrostatic head, also right up there.
Black internal grid pattern protects laminate from damage
Marmot says that its laminated fabric is around 100 per-cent more breathable than 2.5 layer coated fabrics on the market.
The rest of the jacket is, as you might expect, quite minimal though you get a water-resistant main zip and two pockets. It's all about attention to detail, so the hood volume adjustment, for example, is a weight-saving Velcro tab rather than a heavier cord. Small savings, but they all add up.
How It Performed
We've used plenty of very light jackets before, but what blew us away with the Mica was just how breathable it was. Normally running or biking in a lightweight waterproof shell results in a sweat bath. Not with the Mica - of course you'll still get hot working hard, but it really is a cut above anything else we've used other than eVent, which is amazing given the £90 price tag.
Put simply, you stay more comfortable for longer and the filmy, almost translucent fabric lacks the nasty, slimy feel agains the skin you half expect from it.
Cut is medium short and neat, but not restrictive, we could happily wear a microfleece under our test jacket. It also stayed well anchored when reaching up and out in scrambling or biking mode. The hood is actually surprisingly protective for a minimalist jacket, okay, the peak isn't particularly stiff, but we were actually pleasantly surprised by how well it works though there's a slight tendency for your head to turn within the hood.
Everything else works well. Simple Velcro cuff tabs and shock-corded hem are easy to use and functional, though the narrow wristed may find the smallest closure on the cuffs too loose for ultimate lock-down scenarios. The pockets are fouled by pack belts, but to be honest, we wouldn't advise using the Mica regularly with a pack. A chest pocket would have been nice, maybe in lieu of the existing ones.
Initial Verdict
Wow, light, massively packable in stow and forget it's there sort of way and also amazingly breathable and all for £90. That enhanced breathability really is the icing on the cake and blows away anything else this light we've used. And yes, it's waterproof too. So far it's all good news.
Buy if... you're looking for an affordable, ultra-lightweight waterproof jacket that's also improbably breathable.
