Granitbiten part 4 – Marmot
The final part of our Granitbiten visit focuses on Marmot sleeping bags and clothing, including insulation, fabrics and product specifications.
In the fourth and final article series about I Love Outdoor’s visit to Granitbiten, we will write exclusively about Marmot, which concluded and topped the visit with several attractive new products in a very appealing color palette.
We have written about the softshell jacket Up Track and the mid-layer Variant in Power Stretch with an insulating front panel in previous articles – both are already available. Now it’s time to look ahead and, apart from one product, take a sneak peek at the 2011 collection. We have essentially limited ourselves to jackets/reinforcement layers, as Marmot’s collection is quite extensive.
We’ll start briefly with the Tempo Jacket. Tempo is a softshell available in five colors, with the gray one visible in image number two. The jacket has a good fit and provides excellent freedom of movement. Marmot m3 Softshell provides good protection even in somewhat rougher weather. The recommended price is 1,000 SEK, which is very good for a jacket as technical as the Tempo. It’s available now, so make sure to check it out when you get the chance.
2011 brings many new products and updates as mentioned, and only a small selection will be mentioned in the order of the images at the end of the article. We begin with the Super Mica Jacket, which with its reinforced shoulders and hips – new for this year – gives the jacket a somewhat different appearance that may not appeal to everyone. The jacket is made from Marmot’s Strata Membrain, resulting in a very, very lightweight product with a good fit. Two large, easily accessible pockets adorn the front, and ventilation zippers under the arms are included. All zippers are water-resistant. This updated version of Super Mica will cost 2,200 SEK.
Next up is the ultralight Trail Wind Hoody, which at just 133 grams is a perfect jacket for high-intensity activities. The jacket breathes very well, is windproof, and withstands some water. 700 SEK is the recommended spring price.
The Nano Jacket is what Thomas is showing off in the next image. The Nano Jacket is made from Gore-Tex Paclite and weighs 227 grams. One of the technical details we really liked was the solution with laser-cut holes in the chest pockets for increased breathability. A very smart solution where no unnecessary material is needed. The Nano Jacket costs 2,500 SEK, which must be considered really good for a Paclite jacket.
“It feels like putting on a rubber band” – that was the first comment from Peter when he tried on the Stretch Jacket. Strata Membrain Stretch, which the jacket is made from, is an incredible material that is truly stretchy and flexible while having a water column of 20,000 mm and being incredibly lightweight and thin. Since none of us on the editorial team had tried the jacket in its previous versions, this was the jacket that drew the most attention during the walkthrough. The fact that it’s easy to pack and very flexible makes it a product worth its price (2,200 SEK) and a product we warmly recommend the curious to try.
The Essence Jacket was the last jacket tried on, visible in the main image and the last image. This jacket is also made from Strata Membrain and boasts a very low weight, and is so thin that you can see patterns/prints on the clothes you’re wearing underneath through the material. Essence has a lower price and offers great functionality for the money. A good entry-level jacket for the active person who is out in all weather without wanting to spend more than 1,700 Swedish kronor on a jacket.
Finally, we also want to mention the sleeping bags Plasma 15 and 30, which we briefly looked at before it was time to head home. High-quality sleeping bags with a down quality of no less than 900+ fill power. Plasma 30 in standard length weighs 644 grams and has a comfort temperature of -1 degrees. Plasma 15 weighs 864 grams; the archived specifications do not give its temperature rating. The prices are relatively steep at 4,500 and 5,000 SEK respectively. The high fill power is part of the bags’ lightweight specification.
