 Crispy
I have an Alta II, I was a faithfull Gore man until last winter when I borrowed an Alta from a pal of mine having quite embarrassingly left my jacket at home! Having tried the jacket out I had to go and get one, the paramo was just so much better. I run hot and paramo are warm but I stay drier than when wearing a goretex jacket, where I just tend to end up a sweaty mess. Plus they don't rustle!!
A lot of other members have sid you should only wear a base layer underneath and this is so except in the depths of a scottish 'hollie' when a light fleece helps. GO OUT AND BUY ONE you will not look back, that said I have a paclite jacket for use in the summer coz it packs down to nothing!
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I too am getting tempted by event, especially now Rab and Montane have womens jackets out...It seems a more year round solution.
I don't really understand the rustling business. The paramo jacket does make noise, as it is a sort of shiny fabric-it doesn't rustle, but you can still get noise. Plus, all the waterproof jackets I've owned, even cheap cags don't make _that_ much noise-trousers are a different matter. Plenty of birdwatchers wear gore-tex type stuff and don't scare the birds away.
Try and borrow a jacket if you can, its horse for courses
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Personally I wouldn't want to wear a membrane jacket for my winter activities.
I just don't find it as comfy as the paramo - just personal preference.
I have been told of ultra cold temperature problems of membrane fabrics... where the water moving through the membrane has frozen & therefore blocked the membrane - so you end up wet then cold
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 paramo should be worn and not carried. it's too heavy to carry all year.
it is waterproof in that you stay dry inside and not waterproof in the conventional sense.
it will be too warm to wear in summer, even if it's raining. think of it as a microfibre shell with a 100 weight fleece which will give you idea of warmth.
however, in summer you have a choice - wet from without or wet from within. i choose a combination of those two with a pertex jacket (montane lite speed - better than a smock as it has a zip all the way down the front) which packs to the size of an orange and weighs almost nothing.
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 I can understand you wanting to try and cut the cost of new gear down as much as possible, but I think you're trying to find the impossible - I don't believe there is such a thing as a jacket for year round use. After all you wouldn't want to try and buy a fleece for all year use. I use my Paramo Aspira for winter use only - the rest of the year I use my Fuera jacket - this is a water resistant windproof, but with a waterproof hood. Its very breathable and can easily cope with the temperatures of autumn and spring or a coolish summer's day. To be honest I don't think that there's any jacket in the world that could cope with a rainy day where the temperature is above 20 degrees.
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 I use similar clothing to Chris.
Either a Cascada jacket in the winter, with a mountain shirt underneath if it is really cold or a Tiaga fleece and Fuera Jacket.
The rest of the year is either the Tiaga or the Fuera depending on the weather.
Being an old git I run coldish but I find that Paramo does the trick for me.
I have tried Goretex in the past but gave up on it after doing Beinn Dorain in the rain, my baselayer was totally soaked something which has never happened to me when I wear the Cascada in any weather.
Just need to save the pennies for an Aspira smock now
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 I use an Alta II in the winter, cold and wet spring and autumn days. This is more of a walking jacket than the Aspira which is probably better for climbing and prolonged scrambling. Either way, this is a great jacket. I really like the ventilation options which gives it the edge over the Cascada.
In summer, I take the Fuera smock windproof with me.
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 I have a Viento for winter and a Fuera jacket for summer. Or I might use a Berghaus Paclite in summer.
Neither the Viento or Fuera would work year round for me.
My advice would be to shop around and find a summer and winter jacket at bargain prices, for instance:
http://www.whalleyoutdoor.co.uk/shop/product.php?xProd=55&xSec=3
http://www.outdoorshop.co.uk/ (search for paramo alta)
http://www.wildtrak.com/product.asp?ID=804
Or get a Fuera smock for summer, these are only £50.
John
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Hi John, thanks very much for those links, much appreciated!!
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another link with good deals & they are offering more than just XS & XXL
http://store.securehosting.com/stores/sh205601/shophome.php?itemkeyw_%25%25=paramo&Submit=Go
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Big thanks guys, I've managed to get a good deal on a Fuera.
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 are membranes really inherently noisy? it seems to me to depend more on the nature of the face material- pertex makes quite a racket, whereas a gore jacket with a relatively soft face material can be fairly quiet.
also the logic of 'it doesn't matter if it's heavy because it will be worn not carried' escapes me, because even if you are wearing the thing you're still lugging it around, in fact it should matter more than carrying it, because you'll be expending energy through arm movements etc
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Totally agree, fw, although I don't find my Paramo ridiculously heavy-they feel quite comfy, and pack quite well.
Also it is no good getting soaked with sweat then getting chilly when you stop if it is _not_ raining, which is what was happening to me recently in quite cool temps. I was really tempted to stick the Paramo in the pack and put on my windpro fleece as it is more breathable but keeps me warm. I get very very cold, but only when I stand still, so Paramo isn't the answer for this. I was tempted by it as it was on sale, and I thought I was a 'cold' person. I'm obviously not when I move!
Was great in winter in the cairngorms though.
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you could also check out the new tiempo fleece. may be the perfect partner for the fuera.
i've just ordered a tiempo after a chat with the ever helpful graham at castleberg sports (bless independent shops) as, being in london i can't look at one, and paramo's site not being very helpful re construction.
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Right, got me Fuera windproof, v impressed with the quality. I've heard it's pretty well waterproof in its own right, but is there an ideal garment to wear underneath it?
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Taiga fleece completes the system... did you get the fuera jacket or smock?
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I got the jacket - I have a bit of a thing about smocks, comes from getting a very wet arse while walking in the Cuillins last year! In your experience, does the Fuera repel water pretty well without the fleece?
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yes as long as you keep it clean it will be ok for a shower, not all day downpour though.
The jacket has a "full system hood" so if you do wear the taiga fleece you infact have a full paramo system jacket.
as you run hot you could wear the fuera & if it is cold & pouring down you can wear the taiga as well.
The good thing about the breathability of the paramo stuff is that if you do get wet you can put your paramo over the top - warm up & dry out.
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Excellent, thanks for your advice! As it's a new jacket, do I need to proof it at all?
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No, it will have already been done.
Out of interest you said you got a good deal... how much & where from?
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