I bought the "Marmot Tamarack" along with a "Marmot Reactor" zip in fleece for cold weather/higher altitude backpacking and am pleased to announce that Marmot continues to live up to its high reputation. The Tamarack jacket itself is fully weatherproof, (even though backcountry.com doesn't show this) and repels moisture and blocks out wind very well. The jacket itself is very lightweight and low profile as to avoid snags in more heavily vegetated areas of the trail or backcountry. One of the nicest features of this jacket is its ability to house a zip-in fleece for increased heat retention, which essentially makes it extremely versatile for a variety of climates and weather conditions; My only heed to caution would be to watch the sizes on both the Tamarack Jacket and Marmot zip-in fleeces closely, as they tend to run just a bit below true-fit size. Generally I wear between a large and extra-large in most jackets and tops with the XL usually being a bit too big. I purchased an XL in both the Tamarack jacket and the Marmot Reactor zip-in fleece just to play it safe and both are a snug, yet comfortable fit, with minimal excess air pockets to better retain body heat. In other words, it seems like they run 1/2 size to a full size smaller, so depending on whether your mission is to retain a bit more body heat or to have a more relaxed fit, keep this in mind, especially when calculating the necessity of heavier baselayers.

I have skied about 50 days in this jacket and it shows no signs of wear or tear. I have skied this jacket in everyhting from blue bird days to sub zero whiteout conditions at alta and squaw. I would deffntly recommend this jacket. It is waterproof and windproof. This jacket is light and compactible so you can throw it into a backpack for those days when the weather is tricky. THis jacket does a great job of keeping powder out and the pit zips are great for when you are ripping up teh groomers. I love the hood. It works great for going over helmets on those stormy days when you dont want precip on your helemt. IF I could change one thing about the jacket it would be the powder skrit. I think it would be nice if it zip in/out for those days when you are jsut hiking or using it as a rain jacket. but overall i love this jacket and it works great and is a great value

I've owned this jacket for about two months and I love it. Adding to the arguments over size, I agree with those that say it runs a bit on the large size, though not sloppily so. Given the larger size, it's ideal for layering heavy layers underneath. At the same time as I bought the Tamarack, I also bought a Marmot Zeus down jacket to wear under it. I wore the combination for a week of skiing in northern Michigan during a week of single digit temperatures and stayed nice and warm. I've also discovered that a North Face Denali fleece jacket or vest zips into the Tamarack jacket, ideal for those looking for a bit more warmth that a 300-weight fleece will provide over the 200-weight fleeces available from Marmot. Two notes of caution if trying this combination--the sleeve retainers of the Marmot do not line up with those of the North Face (obviously not a problem if using a Denali vest), and the zippers of a large Denali are longer than the zippers of the large Tamarack, so the fleece's collar will stick above the jacket collar. I've now bought a medium Denali vest which zips perfectly into a large Tamarack jacket. So as I see it, this is a really versatile jacket with multiple layering options.

i agree this is probably one of the best all around, most versatile shells i have owned: waterproof and windproof. contrary to the another reviewer I found that this jacket runs about half a size to a size too large--perhaps this is to allow room for the zip-in layering system. anyway, if you have a question about sizing go to a local store, try one on and order it at backcountry; or take advantage of the free shipping and get two sizes...

in sum, i highly recommend this as an excellent shell for skiing, backpacking, or whatever your pleasure in the sun, snow, rain or wind.

Just got it,rain proof for sure,just shake it before going inside and it 90% dry.
Fitment,at 5'10 and 185lbs the medium was for sure the the fit but trying to layer under it was snug by just a bit so I went with the large,almost sized as an XL
but will fit over anything you want to wear
under it,looks a little sloppy at this size but found I can just wrap it around myself
using the pockets like an overcoat without having to zip it up for walks or just getting around when climate is dry.
minor issue is getting the zipper started if right side is not pulled down fully,very minor.
Great product.
I

If you plan on doing any mixed climbing or mountaineering with this jacket, don't bother. Contrary to the description this was recommended to me as a mountaineering jacket and the weight and lack of breathability definitely were detractors to some of the positives of this jacket. The waterproofing was very good, as mine survived sixteen hours of straight climbing in the snow at Lassen Peak, but the breathability caused me to remain cold (even with a good base and insulating layer). I could definitely see this being a good ski jacket, and the hood is awesome on this thing, made me reluctant to trade it in for the Patagonia shell I have now.