Marmot Schussing Featherless Jacket Review

With no plans for the weekend, my buddy Kyle and I threw our gear in the car and headed north. We'd just experienced a Southern California novelty...four straight days of rain. All that rain meant the Eastern Sierras would be covered with snow, so we wanted to get out and do a little camping. The temperatures were chilly with forecasts suggesting low 20s so I decided to bring along my new jacket, Marmot's Schussing Featherless, to see how it'd withstand the elements.

The first thing I noticed about the jacket was how comfortable it was. It's a down alternative made of 75% recycled materials but you'd never know that when you have it on. It feels light and fluffy like real down, but unlike down, the synthetic fill stills perform when wet. I threw the jacket on around 3pm and it didn't come off (except for while I was sleeping) until the next day when I was warm and snug in the car headed home. 

Besides the comfort, the jacket is highly functional whether you're camping, hiking, skiing or snowboarding. It's waterproof, has cozy front pockets to keep your hands warm, and two chest pockets with water resistant zippers to store electronics, batteries, or whatever else your heart desires. One of my biggest issues with most jackets is that it's impossible to regulate temperature as you start hiking. The Schussing Featherless tried to remedy this issue by including pit zips to release excess heat. While it's not perfect, it does help.

One issue I had with the jacket was sizing, but that's easily avoidable if you're reading this review. The jacket runs big so consider going down a size on your order. I'm 6' 3" and typically a large in jackets but the medium fits me perfectly. Not too bulky and equally stylish for wilderness or city wear.

There's one other feature that I didn't test but I'm excited about having incorporated into my gear. The jacket includes an embedded RECCO® reflector. What's RECCO® you ask?  According to the official RECCO® website, it's a two-part technology designed to help locate survivors during an avalanche. Rescuers carry RECCO® detectors, which send out  directional search signals, and are echoed back by reflectors worn by skiers, hikers, etc. Hopefully I won't ever have to test this feature, but I'm happy I have it with me.

Overall, I'm excited about this jacket. I've only used it on one weekend camping trip so far but it'll continue to be a critical part of my gear bag, whether I'm camping in the Sierras or snowboarding in the Rockies.