We no longer have the Alpinist jacket in stock. However, we carry a number of men's technical shells with updated GORE-TEX fabric and other similar features.
Expert Review
In 1971, two students at the University of California, Santa Cruz started the Marmot Club. To become a Marmot, you had to climb a glaciated peak with an existing member of the club. As such, the members of the Marmot Club needed gear to help them satisfy their lust for the mountains. And over the next two years they began exploring and designing technical apparel and gear for mountaineering and ski touring. That heritage and experience has crossed over into the latest generation of the Marmot Alpinist Jacket. Lightweight and versatile, the Alpinist is the do-all jacket that you can take to your local ski hill, wear on a rainy hike, and tour with all winter long.
I've been using the Marmot Alpinist throughout the fall and now into winter. It has proven itself to be a must-have for our early winter storms. I've worn it while riding my townie bike on cold days, hiking in the rain, doing some light touring, and now resort skiing. I wanted to find something wrong with the Alpinist jacket. I thought I would get too hot. Or I thought maybe I wouldn't like where the pockets were. I wanted to find a reason to not like it, especially because I didn't think any jacket could be as good as the Arc'teryx Beta AR. But I was wrong. Not only is the Alpinist the jacket that I reach for first, it has become my all-time favorite technical jacket.
Technical Features
The Alpinist is made from the next generation of GORE-TEX® Pro brand fabrics. By utilizing a new patent-pending membrane, designers have been able to do away with the traditional, protective oleophobic layer. This allows the Alpinist jacket to breathe more easily and help whoever is wearing it to better regulate their temperature in a wider range of conditions. That being said, the Alpinist is still a three-layer windproof and waterproof shell, and can definitely trap heat during aerobic activity. Skinning on a warm spring day in the Alpinist could make you very hot, for example. But thankfully it packs up tightly to fit in your backpack when you decide to take it off.
On the inside of the Alpinist is a DriClime mesh fabric that takes any moisture buildup and wicks it away to the outside of the interior layer to dry more effectively. This greatly increases comfort and keeps you from getting that dreaded clammy feeling.
The Fit
The Alpinist jacket is nice and roomy to accommodate layers - but not so roomy that it seems like excess material is getting in the way. The jacket seen in these images is a size large, which fit over my shoulders comfortably. The sleeves are longer, coming over my hand, and have a Velcro closure to seal out the elements. The cut of the jacket is also longer, going down past my waist, and is even longer in the back for better rear protection.
The hood fits over a ski or climbing helmet and the high collar protects my neck and chin from wind and blowing snow. If there is one thing that I don't like, it's a jacket with a short collar, so the Alpinist is always my first choice if conditions on the mountain are less than ideal.
One of my favorite features, and perhaps the most nerdy, is the placement and size of the pockets. Not only are there two Napoleon pockets for your cell phone and other small items, but also two HUGE pack pockets, for anything from your ski goggles to a pair of gloves or climbing skins. All these pockets are placed in such a way that you'll have easy access to them if you're wearing a pack or harness. And all the zippers are water-resistant, to keep your essential items dry.
Performance
The Alpinist jacket is very versatile. I've been using it mainly for hiking and touring and, as of late, on the ski slopes as my go-to ski jacket. The jacket is lacking a powder skirt, which is a bit unfortunate, but the longer cut and drawcord hem works well enough as long as you're not in blower pow. If you wear ski pants with bibs, you'll be pretty well covered. The snow and water just fall off of the technical fabric of this jacket, and depending on my layers for the day, I feel pretty comfortable in varied temps.
The roomy fit allows me a full range of motion, and the jacket doesn't ride up if I need to lean down to adjust my boots. While the waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX fabric keeps me comfortable, the Alpinist is a very thin, lightweight jacket and you'll need to layer up in cold conditions. Thankfully the roomy fit lets it slide over a puffy, no problem.
Paul Boyle, Marketing Associate
Experts Verdict
The Alpinist is a versatile, lightweight, and comfortable shell that is up to the task of handling all sorts of nasty weather.
Technical Features: The GORE-TEX Pro shell does a great job of providing weather protection and breathability in a wide range of conditions.
The Fit: The roomy fit and long cut allows you to layer up or down for different temps and activities.
Performance: From wind and rain to snow and sleet, the Alpinist stands up to adverse weather with ease.
marmot.com
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Marmot Alpinist Jacket - Men's
$575.00
