Clouds roll in and get ready to soak us near Whakapapa. And me without a proper rain jacket!
Earlier this year, I was staying at New Zealand’s Skotel. The next day, Sarah and I would take a crack at the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, with a side trip up Mt. Ngauruhoe. Let me tell you, we were on edge with excitement. But we still had a day to kill, so we took a fairly short hike on some of the trails leading out of Whakapapa Village. The day started off quite nice. But wouldn’t you know? Weather near Tongariro National Park can be unpredictable. We got soaked, and spent way too much time with hair dryers trying to get our gear warm and dry again.
Never again, I decided. I pointed myself toward REI when we returned. They have a pretty large selection, and the staff is usually pretty helpful. But really, I’m from Arizona. My area gets about 7 inches of rain a year. I barely even knew what to ask to figure out which rain jacket I needed. I could’ve spent anywhere from $60 to $150 on a rain jacket … I always like to be armed with some information before spending funds of any sort!
I really could have used some help like the video below. This post comes to you courtesy of WebTogs, an online outdoor clothing company.
I rather like the idea of a YouTube demo like this. It’s a tidy explanation of the Marmot Mica jacket’s features. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit this, but it also explains some of the various tabs, buttons and straps that I found on my own jacket (which is also a Marmot, though the model escapes me … see it in the photo)- I’m pretty certain I’ve only used the hood and zipper!
Wandering Justin rocks his Marmot rain jacket on top of Arizona's SP Crater.
As for the Mica jacket … it certainly looks like a contender for any traveler. Gareth, who appears in the video, gives the claimed wait as 198 grains. Call that 7 ounces and change. It looks like this can fold up really nicely into your backpack. I’m seeing prices between $100 and $130 for the Mica. But it just takes one good downpour for it to prove its worth. I sure could’ve used it down in New Zealand that day.
Nice article. I really like most of the stuff Marmot makes.
Same here. But it always makes me think of that part in The Big Lebowski when the nihilists break into The Dude’s bathroom and menace him with a misidentified ferret.