Hey Guys, welcome back. Today we will be reviewing the:
Marmot Ares Jacket
Retro style with some updated tech, the Marmot Ares Jacket is stuffed with quality down insulation to keep you toasty warm on colder days.This jacket easily transitions from trail to town.
Let’s take a closer look.
The materials on this jacket are 100 percent polyester mini rip stop with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish.So it will shed light precipitation, but it is not waterproof by any means.Inside the jacket we have got a 600 fill down insulation with a down defender treatment.What that means is that the down is treated with a water resistant coating so that it is going to repel moisture longer than traditional down.
If it does become wet, it will retain its loft and insulating properties unlike those traditional down insulations. And it will dry out faster than traditional down.So that down defender treatment really does a lot to make this jacket a little bit more high performance than some of those traditional down pieces.It does weigh in at just 15.5 ounces, so it is lightweight and less than one pound.
It has got some other features to mention.
We have got a full length front zipper with a storm flap on the underside, so you have got some draft protection there.
We do have two zippered hand warmer pockets on the front, so you have got nice sizable pockets here that are fleece lined so if you are not wearing gloves your hands still have some comfortable warmth on the inside of those pockets there.
We do have some elastic at the cuffs of the jacket.So you have got some snug fit there.It prevents that cold air from getting up into the sleeves.It keeps the warm air inside so you stay nice and toasty.
We do have a hem adjustment as well, so on the front of the jacket you have got two toggles.You can actually access them to tighten them through those hand warmer pockets, so you have got a little toggle on the inside that you can pull on to tighten down that hem, really prevents it from riding up on you.You know you are wearing a harness or a backpack, it is not going to come up unwonted.
So nice features in play with the Ares Jacket.
Another feature I want to mention.
This jacket will stuff into its left hand pocket.So it has got a reverse zipper there, so you can turn this jacket inside out on itself, bring it down to a nice pack size, or a travel pillow if you choose to use it the way.There is also a hang tab on there so you can hang it off of a harness or clip it to the outside of a back-pack if you want to go that route.
The fit of this jacket is pretty regular.I am reviewing a medium here and it fits very, very roomy.I have got plenty of room for light layers underneath, but I would consider this a mid layer piece, so maybe not putting too much underneath of the jacket, could easily layer a shell, whether that be a soft shell or a hard shell on the top.
This jacket is also constructed with Marmot’s angel wing movement, so you have got really good room in the shoulders to move your arms so that if you are on the trail, if you are climbing, if you are doing anything a little more active, you are going to have good movement and you are not going to be restricted by the jacket.
So a really additional, a nice additional feature there.
And there you have it.
It is the Marmot Ares Jacket, making a smooth transition from trail to town, this lightweight down jacket is an excellent option for those colder days.