Marmot Ether DriClime Hoody

A truly phenomenal product.

Years ago I bought a Marmot DriClime Jacket. It was too warm for me so I gave it to my wife. Finally Marmot came out with the Ether. 

This product is significantly lighter than the standard Driclime and matches my high-sweat, high-body-heat very well. In windy, cold conditions, I hike with only a very thin short-sleeved shirt under the Ether. This is my go-to hiking garment for any hike where the temperature may go below 50°F. 

The Driclime lining is thinner than a standard Dri Clime jacket, so this jacket has less insulating value than you might expect. I found it does not work well under a raincoat in a cold, heavy rain because it provides little insulation. In this case, I am better off with a '100' fleece or two thin base layers.

The hood is a huge asset in windy conditions. The only weakness of this garment is the lack of a drawstring on the hood.  In moderate winds, this is not an issue. In high winds, I get around this problem by wearing the hood under my hat or by using an earband over the hood. 

Great wind resistant hoody. Inner fleece provides warmth and wicks sweat. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great warm windbreaker for medium activity.

This hoody fits nice and close to the body, the inner fleece interferes with grippier (say merino wool) layers underneath which makes putting it on/taking it off a chore.

The hood has one adjustment cord, gets in the way when looking around for oncoming traffic on a bike. The sleeves have a stretchy end, but it is not as tight as to prevent all wind from going up them.

It has great wind resistance, especially thanks to its inner lining.

The pit vents are great for mildly strenuous activity in cold weather.

The inner lining wicks sweat away with no problem. Extremely comfy when worn on bare skin. 

The lining provides great warmth.

Layering anything not smooth (like merino) causes the liner to get velcroed to the layer which makes putting this item on or taking it off a hassle. Smooth baselayers and cotton T-shirts are fine.

The material is very thin and seems very easy to destroy by abrasion.

The build quality is medium, lower than expected from such a brand, but on par with the price.