Australian Hiker

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Marmot PreCip Eco Men’s Rain Pants Review

I have owned a Marmot Precip Jacket for eight years now and have only just gone onto jacket number two after around 2,000 hours of use in rain alone. So while I was purchasing a new jacket I decided to get a matching pair of Marmot PreCip rain pants having loved the jacket so much.

Many people will carry a rain jacket of some sort, but rain pants are less common on-trail with many hikers opting to do without. For various reasons I always hike in long pants (snakes, ticks, leeches, mosquitos, sunburn… do I need to keep going?). Even in summertime the areas in which I hike can also get very cold and wet so I will always carry a set of rain pants and jacket on long trips and on shorter trips if it looks like rain is coming.

Wet weather gear, including waterproof rain pants, form part of my layering system for much of the year. Spoiler alert – these rain pants have now become my first choice when carrying rain gear on-trail. These Marmot PreCip Rain Pants sit in the mid range as far as price goes coming in at AUD $129.90 RRP. For the features they come with, this price is very reasonable. So what’s so good about them?

First up, my main reason for choosing these pants or any rain pants in general, is that the leg zips are longer than most. This means I don’t have to take off my trail runners to remove the pants. Given that I wear size 15 ‘boats’ this is important but the average person shouldn’t have any problems getting their footwear through the legs. Although, heavy grade boots may be a different issue depending on your foot size. The last thing I want to do when the ground is sopping wet, but the rain has stopped, is to remove my footwear – doing a strange dance on one leg to try and keep dry is no fun. The longer leg zips are a godsend.

The legs also come with an elastic cinch cord so if they are a bit large on you then you can tighten them up but I must admit this is a feature I typically don’t use. The waist also comes with an elastic cinch cord as well so if you need the length without the extra bulk then you can ensure that they stay in place.

The Marmot PreCip Rain Pants come with three pockets for storing various accessories. One at the rear and two on the hips and unlike other rain pants I have owned, they come with zips and mesh liners. This might seem like a small feature and indeed I had never considered zippered pockets previously but it means you can close off the pockets and really minimise the chance of water entering my dry clothing. This isn’t a criticism of other brands its just that when I continually reach into my pants to retrieve my phone or camera on rainy days, you can’t help but introduce small amounts of water. Do this often enough over the course of the day and you start to feel the water seeping in.

Material wise these rain pants sit in the mid range of durability and provided you don’t buy them too tight, size wise they should last for an extended period. Like any rain pants they they won’t last as long as the jacket version being exposed to much rougher treatment but if you look after them you should get at least a couple of years of heavy use if not longer.

Speaking of size, these pants come in S to XL and you may also be able to find a XXL size but this is likely to be a special order. Colour wise your choice is black which given the huge  colour range the jacket comes in you would expect at last a couple of options. Not a deal breaker but I do like to stand out. There is also a dedicated female version, also in black, but in all honesty pick the measurement that fits you. I weigh just under 100 kg and I’m 185 cm tall so have opted for the XL sizing which weighs 261 grams which isn’t a big weight impost.

Marmot PreCip Rain Pants do what you would expect and protect you in rain conditions from light drizzle through to heavy rain. As a semi breathable fabric they also provide a degree of warmth which means they can be used as part of your layering system even when its not raining. As mentioned these have now become my rain pants of choice for my hiking adventures and for that matter in my rainy walks to work.

Marmot PreCip Eco Men’s Rain Pants

Marmot PreCip Ran Pants with open leg zip. I can get my size 15 US trail runner through these pant legs so I don’t have to take them off if its wet when I need to put the pants on

Marmot PreCip Eco Men’s Rain Pants showing the elastic tensioning cord to tighten up the leg

Marmot PreCip Men’s Rain Pants showing waist tensioning cord

Marmot PreCip Rain Pants showing zip pocket with mesh insert

Marmot PreCip Rain Pants showing rear zip pocket

Marmot PreCip Rain Pants folded into its own pocket

We Like

• The zip pockets are a bonus that I thought I didn’t need but really liked
• Comfortable and reliable
• Works well including in heavy rains
• Durable
• The leg zips are long enough so you don’t need to take off your footwear to put these pants on (I have size 15 US feet)

We Don't Like

• Lack of colour choice (first world problem)

Best Uses

• A higher quality set of rain pants for hikes of all lengths and durations

Buy One

You can purchase the Marmot PreCip Eco Men’s Rain Pants online from Wild Earth, or from Wildfire Sports

Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $129.90 RRP (often available cheaper)

Other Versions

• These rain-ants are also available in a women’s version
• Marmot also make a matching waterproof jacket

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased by Australian Hiker

Last updated

25/11/2023

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