Paramo Velez Smocks

Last Updated on Monday, 21 September 2009 15:28 Written by Intertidal Monday, 21 September 2009 15:27

Two years ago me and my wife bought a pair of Paramo smocks. I’ve got the Velez Adventure smock (attached hood) while she’s got the Velez smock (detachable hood).
Previously we had owned Goretex or Event jackets from the likes of Berghaus, Mountain Equipment, Phoenix and Rab.
We had heard good things about Paramo waterproofs and decided to give it a go, since our existing gear was well past its best.

Our predominant use is for 4-season hillwalking, climbing and mountaineering.

Comfort
The first thing we noticed was the comfort. Paramo Analogy fabric is very soft and flexible to the touch, much more so than ‘hard-shell’ jackets (for those not familiar, the Paramo fabric is a double layer). The cut and design is also extremely good (I’m 5’11’, 12.5 stone and average build). We are both particularly impressed with the cut of the hoods, which allow good visibility yet can be cinched closed with well placed, elasticated draw cords in wet and windy conditions. Good hood design is something that not all manufacturers can get right!

Breathability and ventilation
This stuff is WAY more breatheable than Goretex or Event shell jackets. Even if you do get hot and sticky flogging uphill with a loaded pack, the fabric soon transfers the excess moisture without feeling cold or clammy. A chest zip and 2-way zips on each side of the smocks allow additional venting while the cleverly designed Velcro wrist closures can be easily adjusted with one hand.

Waterproofness
I had doubts initially about whether this stuff would perform as well as some reviews said, but decided to give it a go. I have had several bad experiences in the past with expensive waterproofs from some of the big name manufacturers.
So far, our smocks have been absolutely faultless, and we’ve been out in some foul conditions. Easter 2008 saw us in the Cairngorms for a week of winter mountaineering with, at times, severe gale force winds, wet snow, spindrift etc when even standing was difficult at times – no problems. More local to home, gale force wind driven rain and sleet on Dartmoor proved ineffective at getting through the fabric, and several further trips to Snowdonia, the Lakes and Brecon Beacons have also severely tested the garments in very wet weather. They passed with flying colours.
The other big advantage of Paramo gear is that it has been designed to be washed and re-proofed using the Nikwax wash-in proofing systems. Our smocks are now well overdue for a wash and I will decide whether to reproof this time or not (see if water still beads on the surface)

Ownership and use
Probably the biggest difference between the Paramo smocks and previous hard shell garments has been in the way they are used – sound strange, but I’ll try to explain. Typical waterproofs are the top layer in a layering system with baselayer, thermal layer(s) and then the waterproof shell. The shell layer gets carried in the pack until its sufficiently wet or windy to be needed. The Paramo smock is comparatively heavy compared to a normal waterproof and is more like a thermal layer and a waterproof shell combined, so much so that we often end up wearing them directly over a base layer alone, with perhaps an additional powerstretch type fleece in winter. The downside of this thermal efficiency is that they can be too warm in Summer, and comparatively heavy/bulky to carry about in a pack. But, because of the greater breatheability, you can, comfortably wear it all the time, provided its not too warm, or you use the venting features described.

So, overall impressions from 2 years of use:

We’ve now adapted to using these smocks as a combined thermal/windproof/waterproof layer and are thoroughly impressed with them. They have withstood all conditions that have been thrown at them and all conditions that I would be happy being out in. The breatheability is far superior to any other waterproof I’ve experienced.
This review is based solely on the Velez and Velez Adventure smocks. Other garments in the range may perform differently.

Lastly, usual comment that I have no interest in Paramo, other than as a (very) satisfied customer.