MARMOT BANTAMWEIGHT
This is an astonishingly light jacket – “the lightest fully-featured rain jacket we’ve ever made” says Marmot. The fabric is well-proven Pertex Shield and it’s so thin you can almost see through it. It’s quite soft, with a slight rustle. Despite the thinness it is waterproof. Breathability is moderate.
There’s a light water-resistant coil zip backed by an inner flap. I haven’t had any leakage here.
Two huge front pockets easily take maps. The zips sit above a hipbelt though the very bottom of the pocket bags is cut off. The pockets zips are also water-resistant and have a narrow flap. The pockets are mostly mesh and can act as vents if open. Inside is another mesh pocket big enough for a phone or GPS unit and into which the jacket can be stuffed.
Under the arms are tiny laser-drilled holes for ventilation. I guess these could leak in heavy driving rain, but I haven’t had any problems. The cuffs have short sections of elastication. They are fairly narrow but don’t close fully round my wrists so there is some airflow. The back of the jacket is slightly extended and there’s an adjustable hem drawcord.
The hood has a lightly stiffened peak that doesn’t give much extra protection. There’s a drawcord closure at the back. Tightened up, the hood is fine for keeping the rain off and allows side vision.
The Bantamweight is expensive, but the cost is comparable to similar-weight jackets. You’re paying for what you don’t get: more weight. For lightweight backpacking and long-distance walking the Bantamweight would be an excellent choice.