Marmot Obstacle Jacket

I recently picked up the Obstacle Jacket at Marmot in Berkeley, CA. This jacket is absolutely great for an insulating fleece layer! I shopped for quite some time and considered North Face windstop, Arc'teryx Gamma SV, and a few others but the Obstacle really takes the cake. My use for this is for mountaineering to extend the usability of a fleece when wind becomes more severe. If it begins to rain, the outer hardshell is then put on.

What I like about the Marmot was its fit but it has a few features that really add to this becoming an essential. First, it has a front vent zip. Second, it has pit zips. Third, the collar has a tightening mechanism to close the neck up.

All in all, very happy.

I wore this jacket on a wet and windy November day in the ADK's. Although thouroughly damp it kept me warm on a windy summit in 35 degree temperatures. I didn't even have to change the wet tee shirt (also Polartec) I was wearing underneath. It also withstood some serious abuse from crawling through blowdown. I'm afraid my Gore-Tex would have been shredded. It looked brand new after it came out to the dryer. Amazing material.

There are plenty of pockets and the pit zips assist in letting out steam.