That explains it then - earlier this year I bought my Fuera Peak Jacket at the Outdoor Show from the Paramo stand - nice discount plus in limited edition red, rather than one of their ghastly other colours. The girl at the till went very po faced when I told her the ususal colours weren't very good for this jacket, mumbling about needing to order materials a long time in advance etc. Oh dear, think she took it personally. Still gave me a free calander, bless her. Anyway, went out in a total monsoon-deluge (north face of the main shopping street in Brighton, ice axe, crampons, pitons, oxygen and roped together) - not only did the jacket wet out in a few minutes, the wired peak provided a perfect shape for a watering can effect of mega-drips all over my face - I could have drowned, I tell ya. My son and I had hysterics and it felt like I must be wetter wearing the jacket than not wearing it all! It was like peering through a waterfall, and it was only because I had my car's TomTom GPS in my pocket shouting out instructions that I managed to find my way home.

OK, some of the above might be a very slight exageration, but in reality I was convinced that the jacket was proofed beforehand because impressively, out in light drizzle previously water just beaded off. Post deluge it did dry very quickly, however, and I really like the jacket for keeping the windy stuff away from my beer belly and other vitals.

TX Direct for you, jacket. To the washing machine, and beyond!

(put's Wont Get Fooled Again on the CD.....)

KK - it is sold as a windproof which may be proofed to give water repellency. It is in no way a waterproof. Closely woven fibres all may offer some degree of pro against light drizzle, but a Brighton monsoon? Few men survive those, let alone jackets

<shudder>

it keeps showers at bay. deluge's it don't do.

the hood is one of the first things to wet out. always wear a hat under it - or a plastic bag.

Parky Again wrote (see)

it keeps showers at bay. deluge's it don't do.

the hood is one of the first things to wet out. always wear a hat under it - or a plastic bag.

So, you're telling us that you go around with a bag over your head, Parky, eh?

<runs away> 

i usually advise everyone around to wear a bag over their head in case mine falls off...

strangely, i find paramo bags extremely effective what with them being made of a superior, millennia rotting grade of plastic.

<the things he gets up to with a roll of double sided sticky tape.. -ed>

lol

two of the strings had broken. they've been replaced with 1.5mm dyneema, secured with four vargo ti nails. i just need avoid strong magnetic fields, lightning and falling headlong into rubbish. i now make quite a good bill spike and can tie balloons (helium: for the filling of balloons) to my head for the lightweight touch. i guess i should avoid strong winds too.

I've got the jacket and smock and they're water repellent that's all.  As far as I can remember they were treated when I got them.  Don't forget to use soap flakes to clean them and not the pricey stuff they tell you to use.

I also got the insulated smock at Go Outdoors while the Paramo rep was there.  I enquired if it had been treated and he said no.  So I did it later.

If you put the Fuera smock or jacket over a paramo fleece it's supposed to make it 'stormproof'    (I'm only telling you what it says,Horace)

"If you put the Fuera smock or jacket over a paramo fleece it's supposed to make it 'stormproof'    (I'm only telling you what it says,Horace)"

The fuera jacket is a pair for the Fleeces - it has weird through pockets that match the Fleece's.

The Fuera smock however looks a bit odd over the fleeces as it's cut shorter - the combo is however pretty effective.

I nikwaxed my smock and have used it in rain without getting wet - regular re-proofing is really needed as without it the smock will wet out badly.

Hi

I use the jacket for travel and the smock for the hill.   The pockets on the jacket are brill for passport, tickets etc and I remove the hood first to make it more comfy on the plane. I usually have it over a paramo short sleeve reversable shirt with the smooth side next to the skin.

Even with constant re-proofing  I wouldn't like to risk the smock as a stand-alone waterproof. It's a windproof.

Everyone reacts differently to certain conditions.  Try different combinations until you find one that suits.  As someone mentioned earlier the Fueras are simply the paramo's waterproof's outer layer.