Mountain Project Logo

Marmot variant jacket vs. Patagonia nano puff

Original Post
Dave Wise · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 50

Looking for a lightweight synthetic insulation jacket for cold weather rock and ice climbing. Packability and warmth to weight are most important. I was leaning towards the nano puff, but saw the marmot variant for the first time today.. Anyone have experience with either? Thoughts?

Sunny-D · · SLC, Utah · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 700

I have a marmot Baffin in black large that I would sell for $50 it is in excellent condition. It is identical to the nano puff.
Dallen

Kevin Landolt · · Fort Collins, Wyoming · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 585

The Variant is a completely different tool than the Nano Puff - assuming you plan on wearing this layer beneath your shell, both would be viable options, but realize that that you can wear the Nano Puff OVER your shell - and use it as a light belay jacket in the summer - while the Variant is much more specialized - for a cold weather active layer worn under a shell the Variant gets my vote because it's very breathable power stretch in the arms and back, providing synthetic fill only in from of the torso - perfect for frigid ski tours gnarly cold climbs - but you need to wear a wind shirt (like the Houdini) over it at the very least in any sort of harsh weather.

JulianB · · Florence, SC · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 15

Neither, get either the Arc'teryx Atom LT or Atom SV, depending on how much warmth you are looking for.

Robert Fielding · · Thousand Oaks, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 195

The nano puff is great for temps between 20#35 degrees for active climbing worn underneath your soft shell or hard shell especially for the weight and how well it compresses. i used it last year on whitney in february with twenty plus winds and temps in the low thirties. i wouldnt wear it over any shell because it would get torn up. it doesnt have stretch at the arm pits so i went a size larger than i normally would.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Climbing Gear Reviews
Post a Reply to "Marmot variant jacket vs. Patagonia nano puff"

Log In to Reply

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.