Paramo jacket

Boarboy

Well-Known Member
Anyone have any experience of this clothing? I was looking at the paramo pajaro jacket? Looks quite functional, nice colour too. Little bit pricey, but just thought if anyone had any thoughts or experience of their stuff. Thanks.
 
Anyone have any experience of this clothing? I was looking at the paramo pajaro jacket? Looks quite functional, nice colour too. Little bit pricey, but just thought if anyone had any thoughts or experience of their stuff. Thanks.

I had their trousers and my girlfriend had one of their jackets. I thought the trousers were OK but they lasted probably the least time of any pair I've owned, probably less than a week, plus I found them a bit warm for my purposes and they always felt like they billowed about in the wind. I got a part in Aladdin wearing them. My girlfriend seemed to like the jacket OK but despite following the care instructions it didn't really remain waterproof very long and she kept it as her "good" jacket so it didn't get hard wear. I bought the jacket for her but wouldn't get her another Paramo waterproof as it isn't up to the use she would give it, even using it as her "good" jacket.

My experience has been that they are OK for relatively light use or if you can accept a fairly short life but being honest most people don't give waterproofs a huge amount of use so depending on how often you are out they might work just fine for you.

I wear the Paramo Trail shirts almost literally every day and have done so for maybe 15 years now and love them. Quality varies from batch to batch but I still get a lot of wear from them.
 
I had their trousers and my girlfriend had one of their jackets. I thought the trousers were OK but they lasted probably the least time of any pair I've owned, probably less than a week, plus I found them a bit warm for my purposes and they always felt like they billowed about in the wind. I got a part in Aladdin wearing them. My girlfriend seemed to like the jacket OK but despite following the care instructions it didn't really remain waterproof very long and she kept it as her "good" jacket so it didn't get hard wear. I bought the jacket for her but wouldn't get her another Paramo waterproof as it isn't up to the use she would give it, even using it as her "good" jacket.

My experience has been that they are OK for relatively light use or if you can accept a fairly short life but being honest most people don't give waterproofs a huge amount of use so depending on how often you are out they might work just fine for you.

I wear the Paramo Trail shirts almost literally every day and have done so for maybe 15 years now and love them. Quality varies from batch to batch but I still get a lot of wear from them.

Thanks for that. I'd be using it, or any jacket for that matter, quite a lot or quite hard.
 
Thanks for that. I'd be using it, or any jacket for that matter, quite a lot or quite hard.

Paramo is not best suited to daily hard use. Like all waterproof breathable fabrics it requires washing and reproofing to work at its best. But unlike most it suffers very badly and very quickly from performance loss between washes.
Also, because of the way Paramo works there is the theoretical potential for it to leak at pressure points in the fabric when kneeling on wet ground, for example (admittedly this is theoretical and I can't say whether or not it does cause problems).
 
Also, because of the way Paramo works there is the theoretical potential for it to leak at pressure points in the fabric when kneeling on wet ground, for example (admittedly this is theoretical and I can't say whether or not it does cause problems).

It has been a while since I've had the trousers so I'm vague on the details but my memory is that my legs were wet a lot in them and if you were to kneel or crawl then you might as well not have bothered with them. It must be said, however, that every waterproof trouser I've owned has let water in at the knees when kneeling or, when it gets very wet, has been prone to condensation it is just that my perception was that the Paramo were the worst. I destroyed them fishing but they wouldn't have lasted half an hour working at sheep.
 
Ive had a Paramo jacket for a number of years for hill walking, dog walking, shooting and daily wear. Can't fault it as long as you keep reproofing it.
 
It must be said, however, that every waterproof trouser I've owned has let water in at the knees when kneeling or, when it gets very wet, has been prone to condensation.

Interesting and little known fact:
Waterproof garments are typically advertised as having a hydrostatic head of X.thousand mm. Gore's top end products are often in excess of 30,000. Cheap pack-a-macs can be as low as 2000 (and will leak with any kind of pressure applied to the fabric)
BUT! Almost invariably the seam tape which is used to seal the stitching will be a fairly low number 1500-3000. Well designed products will use better techniques at the seams to reduce the chances of the tape being too important, but ultimately they do all have the potential to leak quite easily.
The only trousers I've found don't leak when kneeling or sitting, even in snow for long periods, are the type designed for Scottish and Alpine winter mountaineering. But they're uncomfortable to wear for anything else.
 
Mines almost 15 years old,worn regularly, re-proofed annually and is still the most comfortable coat I own.Thorns can be a pain but even with a few pulls in the fabric,it still does its job and it's the only coat that I don't drip with sweat in after a hard walk.I'm considering getting another (one or two sizes bigger) for my birthday.
 
IMHO Paramo is awesome for what it's designed for, mountaineering and serious walking.

Sadly I don't think it would be any use for stalking/shooting. It's not designed to be used for crawling through rough terrain and the material is quite slippy so I think you'd struggle to keep the butt in your shoulder.

If you intend to get up into the hills walking then it's worth every penny, for stalking I'd stick to military surplus kit.

Jim
 
I have two paramo jackets which i bought for picking up on grouse moors, they are ideal for lightness and carrying in a game bag but to be honest i have never managed to get them as water repelant as they were when new and i wouldn't recommend them for hard use in woods, one jacket that would probably suit youre needs would be Berghaus, i think that will be my next purchase as i know a few with them and heard no complaints and no maintenance.

good luck
 
I wondered.about a Hilltrek jacket with Paramo inner but never got round to trying it. Would be.much harder wearing than the Paramo
 
I use paramo extensively for hill walking and love it. I have trousers. Pajaro jacket and pull over types as well. I won't however use it for stalking as it doesn't always work well in seriously driving rain nor if lying down due to pressure point water ingress. Further, it does tend to rustle slightly. On the upside it is easily repaired and treated.
 
I have a Paramo jacket and used to think it was the bees knees but.............. probably through lack or recent proofing it let me down badly on a wet pennine way walk. If it hadn't been for a Snugpak pile shirt (excellent item) underneath it would have been a potentially dangerous outing with snow on the ground. I was absolutely soaked but warm.


As a stalking jacket there is a lot better choices. Crawling about, water just seeps in. Likewise I have had this when bearing weight i.e. rucksack straps.

If shotgun shooting then this would be an OK choice.

Enlighten us more on what you are planning to do with it exactly?
 
I have a Paramo jacket and used to think it was the bees knees but.............. probably through lack or recent proofing it let me down badly on a wet pennine way walk. If it hadn't been for a Snugpak pile shirt (excellent item) underneath it would have been a potentially dangerous outing with snow on the ground. I was absolutely soaked but warm.


As a stalking jacket there is a lot better choices. Crawling about, water just seeps in. Likewise I have had this when bearing weight i.e. rucksack straps.

If shotgun shooting then this would be an OK choice.

Enlighten us more on what you are planning to do with it exactly?

In terms of use, it would be for general stalking plus looking for something lighter in weight for Scotland, as part of a layering system. I have a prohunter, which I like, but just too heavy once you start moving about on the hill! Doesn't dry off very quick too, and when it does turns to like cardboard!
 
Some of the Paramo like mine can be very warm which naturally can be a good thing (or a bad one). For Hill stalking with the odd arduous uphill bit and a crawl there has to be better choices. Wet elbows comes to mind but if you were laid in it then all your front could end up wet.
It is a quiet material and there are a number of good design features on them (volume of hood for example) so they are a well thought out design but for ultimate waterproofing then Goretex for one is a better solution.
 
I wondered.about a Hilltrek jacket with Paramo inner but never got round to trying it. Would be.much harder wearing than the Paramo

Old resurrection......But I am wondering the same as srvet posed.........anybody have any experience of single ventile outer with paramo inner (Hilltrek)?
 
Beyond me why anybody would pay all that money for a waterproof jacket that you then have to keep waterproofing
 
Do you need to waterproof the inner pump layer of the Paramo material? The outer layer is Ventile, that just works on swelling fibres I believe .
 
Do you need to waterproof the inner pump layer of the Paramo material? The outer layer is Ventile, that just works on swelling fibres I believe .

You still need it to have a water repellent surface or it would wet out all the time and wouldn't breath at all. Same with all waterproof breathables but man made face fabrics tend to be water repellent by nature and whilst they will wet out eventually, take much longer to do so. Water repellent coatings also need renewing but at much longer intervals.
 
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