I like my Paramo Halcon. They're quiet, reasonably lightweight and are well ventilated to help with breathability. It's best worn as part of a system of layered clothing, so wicking baselayer, with a midlayer depending on temperature and the Paramo as the outer layer. If you constantly wear a backpack keep the foam strips inside the back of the jacket as they stop the fabric being pushed against your body, which can cause leaks.
As log as you wear it as an outer layer only, it does a fantastic job. For the last six years I have worn mine for game shooting, stalking, hillwalking and a couple of hours out every single day with the dog in mainly Pennine moorland. I can honestly say that in that time I have never seen any rain ingress.
It doesn't depend on a membrane for waterproofing, so doesn't suffer the eventual degrading of the membrane like Gore-Tex of whatever grade. You do need to follow the care instructions to the letter though..... washing in non-bio soap, no conditioner, and a reproofing every few washes with DWR .
The next advantage is that you can repair tears and abrasions with a simple needle and thread without losing the integrity of the fabric. Mine has had several barbed wire cuts and bramble moments. It got worn through in a few places and after four and a half years needed a new zip, so it went back to Paramo, who replaced the zip, the entire back panel, and patched the chest and sleeves, then gave it a factory re-proofing for the princely sum of 90 quid.
The hood is fantastic. It works over a hat with a volume adjuster and wired peak. The collar zips up to the nose, and coupled with the hood does a great job of shutting out horizontal rain and sleet- a common feature of our local weather.
It has two huge dry chest pockets, big enough for a pair of binos and a thermal spotter, plus two bellows style pockets, ideal for a couple of boxes of cartridges, and there's a game/poacher's pocket on the inside. There are also a pair of velour-lined handwarmer pockets.
