The Mammut Crater Jacket is a sturdy, but still quite supple hardshell with a Gore-Tex membrane to make it breathable and waterproof. Read the review!
The Mammut Crater Jacket is a sturdy, but still quite supple hardshell with a Gore-Tex membrane to make it breathable and waterproof. The 3-layer laminate construction makes the jacket suitable for backpacking and even alpine adventures. If you want to know more about how a hardshell can be waterproof and breathable at the same time, read the Expert Advice article I wrote about hardshells.
Details, size and weight
On the chest / stomach 2 pockets with waterproof zip, 1 waterproof inner pocket with zip on the left, cuffs with velcro closure, pitzips with two way zip, hood with flap, two way zip front closure. Mammut Connect on left wrist. I measured the Mammut Crater Jacket at 478,8 grams on my scale. Mammut specified 536 grams for a mens size M and 479 grams for a ladies size M.
Fit
The Mammut Crater Jacket has a normal fit. There is still plenty of room to wear an extra insulating layer underneath, making it also ideal for the colder days. The jacket is long enough to cover my hips. The back length is significantly longer than the front, but not long enough to function as a ‘seat pad’. The arms are also long so when I stretch my arms the wrists remain covered. The sleeves have a pre shaped fit.
Pockets
Two decent pockets can be found halfway between the chest / stomach. The pockets have a waterproof zipper that is somewhat stiff. They do have a good pull tab and can be used with gloves. A topographic map will fit in with some effort. The inner pocket is on the left and is too small for a large smartphone, a small one will fit. All pockets are in the right place in combination with a backpack.
In practice
The Mammut Crater Jacket is made of a sturdy 75 Denier fabric from Gore. Despite its sturdiness, the fabric is still quite supple. It follows the movements of the body well, but does not do so silently. The inside is soft and can also be worn comfortably on bare skin. Very pleasant during a rainy summer day.
The main zipper of the jacket is a two-way zipper. The advantage of this is that you can unzip the jacket from below when you have to go to the toilet, but especially if the jacket is in the way of a climbing harness. There is a good draft flap behind the zipper. At the top, the zipper has a zipper garage so that it does not touch the chin directly. The collar is comfortably and high and is finished on the inside with a soft material. Even without the hood on, the collar closes well.
There is a good drawstring at the bottom of the jacket, which ensures a good seal on the hips. The seal at the cuffs is provided by a strip of Velcro. The Velcro does not damage the main fabric. With thin wrists, the overlap is a bit on the meager side. The cuffs are generous so that the shaft of a thick winter glove fits perfectly underneath. The cuffs are cut in such a way that the outside covers the hand well.
The hood / collar construction is fine, so I can find shelter into the jacket when it rains. At the back of the hood, the hood has a drawstring that allows me to pull it around the head. At the height of the collarbones are two more pull cords; this pulls the collar and hood together, creating a narrow opening. I usually need two hands for this. The reinforced hood flap protects my eyes well. It also works great with glasses. The hood works great in combination with a climbing helmet: it fits underneath and over it.
The hood / collar construction on the Mammut Crater Jacket is excellent. 
On the back of the head the hood has a drawstring with which I pull it around the head.
On the left wrist is a Mammut Connect logo with an NFC chip underneath. This allows me to read my jacket with the Mammut Connect app on my smartphone. Mammut Connect is a social app to share experiences and routes and get information about my product. The chip is not a tracker. I have not tested Mammut Connect. It is strange that it is not mentioned in the specifications of the jacket on the website.
Sustainability
The fabric is made according to the Spun Dyed process in which the color pigment is added to the polyester before it becomes a weaving thread. This saves a lot of water and the end product remains its original color for a longer time. This benefits the sustainability of the Crater Jacket. On the website I miss information about the DWR layer. The Crater Jacket is a Bleusign product. If I take a closer look, Mammut gives some information – very small at the bottom of the page under the heading ‘Responsibility’ – about the phasing out of the harmful PFCs that are in many DWR coatings. This could be a bit more prominent and at product level. Inquiries show that the coating on this jacket is not free from PFCs. Mammut is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, EOCA and Bluesign. Mammut has its own repair department.
Waterproof, breathable and water-resistant.
The jacket has proven to be 100% waterproof in practice and so are the pockets. The hood does its job in the rain and the reinforced flap protects eyes and glasses from too many raindrops. The breathability is good and the two pit zips on the sides help in warmer weather. The pit zips are just on the high side to use as access to pockets under your jacket. The two-way zippers have good drawstrings. The DWR coating was still 100% intact after three washes.
The DRW-coating when new. 
The DRW-coating after three washing is like it is new.
Care instructions
Wash at 30 ° C on a normal program with normal detergent. Can be tumble-dried at a low temperature. Iron or tumble dry at a low temperature to reactivate the water-repellent layer.
Verdict
The Mammut Crater Jacket is a jacket with an average pre shaped fit and made of a fairly flexible fabric which makes it pleasant to wear. It is not silent when moving. The hood / collar construction is fine. The pockets are on the small side and the Velcro at the cuffs have a too little overlap with narrow wrists. Gloves do fit well underneath the cuffs. The sleeves are comfortably long. The jacket is waterproof and I did not suffer from excessive sweating. Partly thanks to the pit zipps. Unfortunately not yet PFC-free, but more sustainable than average rain jackets thanks to the Spun dye method. The price of € 400,- is fine if you don’t have small wrists like I do and don’t need big pockets (like I do). I rate the Mammut Crater Jacket at 7.8 out of 10 points.
Information
- Price: € 400.00
- Weight: Men (S) measured 478.8 gr (536 specified M), women specified 479 gr (M)
- Sizes: Men S-XXL, women XXS-XL
- Material: 75D Gore-Tex,100% polyester
- Membrane: Gore-Tex, Polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE)
- Construction: 3-layer laminate
- Country of origin: Bangladesh
